Starting my education process....

Frankthedriver wrote:
When a motor home is driven, the house bounces, resonates, shakes, and leans, many thousands of times, representing a series of extended continuous earthquakes

Well .... EXACTLY the same thing is going on inside a tow trailer or 5th wheel trailer when going down the road ... except with trailers you're not aware of it until you maybe stop, too late, to minimize any damage that may result.

We bought a classic (entry level?) Class C - but from a reputable manufacturer - after looking at their so-called competition at RV shows. We've never regretted it.

Learn to look carefully for quality before you buy. For example look for such things as:

- Is the roof one piece fiberglass with rolled over edges all along the sides?
- Are the rear tire wheel wells steel lined?
- Are all outside cabinets steel lined with carpeted bottoms?
- Is the battery compartment steel lined and ventilated?
- Is all outside sewer plumbing up high above the coach's lower body line?
- Are all outside sewer and electrical items in an enclosed steel lined cabinet?
- Are all inside drawer slides steel?
- Is the built-in generator mounted up high above the coach's lower body line?
- Is the refrigerator vent going straight up with no curves or corners?
- Is most/all inside wiring bundled and labeled?
- Is the water pump easily accessible?
- Is the water heater well insulated?
- Is the entire fresh water system exposed to air temperatures inside the coach?
- Is the 12 volt system's coach-alternator solenoid easily accessible?
- Is it available WITHOUT a cabover forward facing window?
- Does it come with a full size spare tire?
- Is the built-in generator installed such that it's quiet enough inside and outside for hours of constant use?
- Is the built-in generator powered by the same fuel as the main engine?
- Do all inside drawers use gravity locks?
- Are all inside cabinetry doors have strong enough locks so they can't fly open going dwon the road?
- Is the floor insulation as thick as the wall insulation?
- Is the floor steel lined for protection from underneath the coach?
- Is the interior wall structure made of only wood instead of the much better steel or aluminum?
- Does it have a least two roof vents with one at the rear and one at the front and does at least one of them have a multi-speed reversible 12 volt fan in it?
- Is the cabling between the coach batteries at least 8 gauge, and is the cabling between the alternator and the coach batteries at least 6 gauge?
- Is complete documentaion - including all part numbers - for the coach part of the Class C available online?

I've seen plenty of "high end" Class C rigs that didn't meet many of the criteria above. Our Itasca (Winnebago built) Class C had all of the above, except for - it had a cabover window, and I had to beef up some of it's interior cabinet door locks so that they wouldn't fly open.