Which one to choose?!
Hello everybody: My wife and I trying to buy a used class c with few years and some mileage on them since the new ones are out of our range. I have been reading a lot (A LOT!) about used RVs, chevy...
Forum Discussion
My preference, based on shopping brands in this price range 2004-5, and continued visits to RV shows to look at who was building what how, would be the Chateau. In this entry price range, the FourWinds factory seemed to be putting RVs together better than Coachmen, particularly when Coachmen was starting to struggle and repositioning its model lines in the market.
But which floorpan works for you should be the key factor. I'm in a RV club that has been active for 20 years, with 30-40 families passing through at various stages of their lives. Everybody I know in the club who traded or sold a RV to get a different one did so because it did not fit their needs, either the living space did not work for them or their lifestyle and RV use was changing. Two families traded out three RVs in five years because the floorpan that looked right at the dealership did not work right for them at the campground. Finding the right floorpan can thus be an expensive lesson.
This is something where you have to get in the thing and act out day to day living, to have a chance of getting it right the first time, and someone else can't tell you what is best for you, because what is best for you might be different from my needs. Some people put high priority on kitchen usability, others on living room space, or maybe living areas separated to accommodate different sleep schedules. Wardrobe, bathroom, dressing areas matter more to people who need personal privacy, or have extended dressing rituals; others don't care, this is not a big part of their lives.
Both models are in the rental market, so the best way to try one out is to rent it and live in it for at least a week, with all the people who will be occupying whatever you plan to buy.
Chassis issues? I prefer the Ford, that was my choice when buying a one-ton passenger van as a daily driver and road trip platform, but for as little as a motorhome usually gets used, I could probably live with the Chevy as well. My Chevy passenger van issues don't really apply to the cab-chassis. However, if you plan to tow, the platform you want is Ford E-450, to get the V-10 and the gearing for 5000 pounds towing capacity. The Chevy does not get there without the Duramax, and you won't be finding that diesel in many used class C's, particularly entry models built for rental markets.
But which floorpan works for you should be the key factor. I'm in a RV club that has been active for 20 years, with 30-40 families passing through at various stages of their lives. Everybody I know in the club who traded or sold a RV to get a different one did so because it did not fit their needs, either the living space did not work for them or their lifestyle and RV use was changing. Two families traded out three RVs in five years because the floorpan that looked right at the dealership did not work right for them at the campground. Finding the right floorpan can thus be an expensive lesson.
This is something where you have to get in the thing and act out day to day living, to have a chance of getting it right the first time, and someone else can't tell you what is best for you, because what is best for you might be different from my needs. Some people put high priority on kitchen usability, others on living room space, or maybe living areas separated to accommodate different sleep schedules. Wardrobe, bathroom, dressing areas matter more to people who need personal privacy, or have extended dressing rituals; others don't care, this is not a big part of their lives.
Both models are in the rental market, so the best way to try one out is to rent it and live in it for at least a week, with all the people who will be occupying whatever you plan to buy.
Chassis issues? I prefer the Ford, that was my choice when buying a one-ton passenger van as a daily driver and road trip platform, but for as little as a motorhome usually gets used, I could probably live with the Chevy as well. My Chevy passenger van issues don't really apply to the cab-chassis. However, if you plan to tow, the platform you want is Ford E-450, to get the V-10 and the gearing for 5000 pounds towing capacity. The Chevy does not get there without the Duramax, and you won't be finding that diesel in many used class C's, particularly entry models built for rental markets.
