Forum Discussion

BiggYella's avatar
BiggYella
Explorer
Aug 23, 2020

Advice on a Class C

Our family has decided it may be time to get rid of our 37.5 ft 5th wheel and replace it with a 25-32 foot class C motor home. This is our second time considering this and I’m looking for the collective wisdom of the board.

Our ideal is a new or newer class C capable of pulling a 3-horse trailer occasionally (between 6000-7000 lbs - kids do 4H and B horse shows) within a 300-500 mile radius of our home and also capable of pulling our CRV for longer family touring trips. We need to sleep 4-6 comfortably and the wife would like 8 seatbelts. We want 1-2 slides and a built in generator.

If any of you have experienced with brands and models, please share it!

Thanks in advance!
Class C
  • MDKMDK's avatar
    MDKMDK
    Explorer
    Aug 23, 2020
    With that towing, sleeping, slides, and generator requirement, you're into a Super C diesel, or a diesel pusher. Not many typical gas engine class C motorhomes can meet those numbers.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Aug 23, 2020
    X2, mdk. At 1200 pounds per horse, 3 bales of hay plus tack, trailer will be more than you estimate. Your estimated range of 300 to 500 miles has no bearing.
  • bobndot's avatar
    bobndot
    Explorer II
    Aug 23, 2020
    I don’t think i have ever seen an rv that sleeps 6 and belts 8 . Where would you belt them in ?
    In the dinette ? For 500 miles ?
    How about thinking about following in the car and adding a tent.
  • Desert_Captain's avatar
    Desert_Captain
    Explorer III
    Aug 24, 2020
    MDKMDK wrote:
    With that towing, sleeping, slides, and generator requirement, you're into a Super C diesel, or a diesel pusher. Not many typical gas engine class C motorhomes can meet those numbers.


    X2
    Another consideration is while you "might" be able to sleep that many in a standard Class {regardless of the size} where are you going to put their stuff? You won 't have much payload to begin with and loading as the OP proposes will quickly eat that up.

    Get a Super C or find a Plan B.

    As always... Opinions and YMMV.

    :C
  • BiggYella's avatar
    BiggYella
    Explorer
    Aug 24, 2020
    Thanks all!

    I was giving my wife's list verbatim. She doesn't remember saying 8 seatbelts. LOL.

    That said, 6 is more realistic. :-)
  • BiggYella's avatar
    BiggYella
    Explorer
    Aug 24, 2020
    So. Is it better to try to work with the manufacturer or go through a dealer?

    Half the reason I'm asking here is because when I go to the dealers, I get multiple and often contradicting answers. Even from one of my best friends in sales... I don't even think he realizes that he goes full sales on me telling me what I want to hear without finding info to support or back it up.
  • BFL13's avatar
    BFL13
    Explorer II
    Aug 24, 2020
    For the horse trips, use the truck you have now for the 5er to haul the horse trailer, and use the new C to tow the CRV. Coin toss which one DW drives.

    For the RVing trips, lots of choice in Cs that can haul a CRV (assuming the CRV can be towed like that---eg we have a little Sonic that can be towed with its engine, but the same car with the turbo version can't be towed 4 down.)
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer II
    Aug 24, 2020
    bobndot wrote:
    I don’t think i have ever seen an rv that sleeps 6 and belts 8 . Where would you belt them in ?
    In the dinette ? For 500 miles ?
    How about thinking about following in the car and adding a tent.


    My class C theoretically sleeps eight: two in the bed in back, two in the large cabover, two on the fold-out couch, and two on the dinette. It has a total of nine seat-belted positions: the front driver and passenger seats, three across the couch, two on each side of the dinette.

    I think current federal DOT regulations require at least as many seat belts as there are advertised/claimed sleeping positions. Any motorhome that claims to sleep 8 needs to have 8 or more seat belts. I may be mistaken about that.

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