Why a class A gas over class C?
While casually toy hauler shopping my wife and I checked out some motorized RVs. Diesel is totally out due to Price point of newer units. If we go this direction we need to tow a 16’ flatbed utility...
Forum Discussion
I agree with Dale.Travelling's reply except for this: "Great for empty nesters but not as family friendly as a C."
While that's the traditional mindset, there are many A's that are VERY family friendly. Our rig doesn't have bunks, but does have two sofas up front. It worked fine for our family of 6 when all the kids were young, and even now with the youngest being 14, it STILL works great for us. Unfortunately, a dual sofa layout is rare in a gasser, but fairly common in DP's.
By the way, this was our first RV purchase (way back in 2004) and we researched EVERYTHING possible from small hybrids to tow behind our Odyssey, to ultimately deciding on a Class A towing the Odyssey. We found, similar to you, that the Class A's offer much more for the money than C's.
As far as the safety issue, I agree with garyemunson. Over the years there have been several accidents involving RV.net members driving class A's, and most have faired fairly well in the accident due to the points made above. In a collision, mass is your friend, and the heavier vehicle usually fairs best. The class A generally has the weight advantage over the E450 based C's. Plus, remember that airbags perform their job on the initial collision when the occupant is not likely to move much. On a class A, due to the mass involved, the moho is likely to still be in motion after the initial collision. If you just had an airbag explode in your face, you would not be in any condition to regain control of the motorhome after that initial collision. Trust me, if there was ANY statistics or evidence that class A's weren't as safe as other vehicles on the road, the government would be forcing manufacturers to slap airbags on all of them.
~Rick
While that's the traditional mindset, there are many A's that are VERY family friendly. Our rig doesn't have bunks, but does have two sofas up front. It worked fine for our family of 6 when all the kids were young, and even now with the youngest being 14, it STILL works great for us. Unfortunately, a dual sofa layout is rare in a gasser, but fairly common in DP's.
By the way, this was our first RV purchase (way back in 2004) and we researched EVERYTHING possible from small hybrids to tow behind our Odyssey, to ultimately deciding on a Class A towing the Odyssey. We found, similar to you, that the Class A's offer much more for the money than C's.
As far as the safety issue, I agree with garyemunson. Over the years there have been several accidents involving RV.net members driving class A's, and most have faired fairly well in the accident due to the points made above. In a collision, mass is your friend, and the heavier vehicle usually fairs best. The class A generally has the weight advantage over the E450 based C's. Plus, remember that airbags perform their job on the initial collision when the occupant is not likely to move much. On a class A, due to the mass involved, the moho is likely to still be in motion after the initial collision. If you just had an airbag explode in your face, you would not be in any condition to regain control of the motorhome after that initial collision. Trust me, if there was ANY statistics or evidence that class A's weren't as safe as other vehicles on the road, the government would be forcing manufacturers to slap airbags on all of them.
~Rick
