Can I Pick Your Brains About Smaller Class C's?

[ol__yeller]

See my sig for what we currently have. Due to some serious health issues we are looking at trading to a Class C. I have been lurking here a lot lately. DW is going to help with the driving and the smaller is the better for her comfort level. A B seems too small for us as we like a somewhat generous bathroom/shower. We do need a queen bed at least. I like the class Cs that have a rear bed. Cabover bunk would be OK for the occasional Grandkid but not for us. I also love my V10 in my TV so I think a Ford chassis is what I'd prefer. Before setting foot on a lot, I'd like to have some knowledge from you experts. We might look new if we can afford one but reality says we are probably looking at a rig 5 years old or less. I really don't want to go over 24-25 feet. I'd also like a sitting chair or sofa besides the dinette. Is there something out there that hits what we want? My budget is probably around $30-50K depending upon condition, year and mileage. I'd really appreciate any knowledge you can share.

[mlts22]

+1 on getting the salesperson to close 'em up, and then go and see if you can make the restroom, or perhaps hit a bed.

The absolute best floor plan I've encountered that works with the slide in or out is the corner queen one. I was looking at a Solera 24s, found it decently roomy, then realized when I saw the window that the slide was in.

There are times when it is good to run with all slides in. Wallydocking comes to mind.

[mrnoyb]

We just purchased a Chateau 22E on a Ford chassis. Only 24' bumper to bumper. It's very easy to drive and maneuver yet offers ample living room. We've logged 800 miles in 3 weeks and are happy so far.

We looked at a Coachman Freelander 19CB but that unit was a little too small.

[txhood]

My wife and I searched for a long time for a similar rig. The only one we found which fits your desires is a Thor 23U. Campingworld has it new for $49,995. It is 24', on a Ford or Chevy chassis and has a barrel seat across from the booth.

[dicknellen]

I agree about the drivers seat slide problem, had that in the last two class c Winnebago Minnies we had, now I have lot of room in my Winnie w/o a slide. I'm 6'2" and happy w/o a slide. Regards, Dick

[Bordercollie]

Most rigs with rear queen beds, with a few exceptions, are at leasst 26-27 feet long. Our 2004 Tioga "26Q" is actually 27 feet long bumper to bumper. (No longer made by Fleetwood but still made by other brands). It has an RV "queen" bed, crosswise with access on right side and foot end, left side against back wall. There are some slightly shorter rigs with queen beds and bedroom slide outs that give access on both sides. Making the bed and getting in and out, is easier with access on both sides even with our Trav-Sac sleeping bag. Your needs/preferences can change with knee injuries and/or onset of arthritis

[wa_mcconnell]

We just moved from a a B to a C - needed more room for the wife and the dogs! We found that the smaller C units were on the Chevy Workhorse base. Since then I have learned that the Chevy has a smoother ride, better mileage and a LOT more leg room in the cab. I am not a chevy guy by any means - but it may be something to consider.
The previous owner of our Tioga modified the bathroom wall\door to match the length of the left-rear queen bed. Lots more room in the bath - lost some closet space, but we are OK with that. Now we can dress in the privacy of the bath - important to DW.
Good luck in your search!

[Dakzuki]

rockhillmanor wrote:

ol' yeller wrote:
...I don't find it hard to believe that RV engineers would design a slideout that blocks access to the interior of the RV while closed. ...

This was a BIG deciding factor for me. I originally wanted slide but after shopping and seeing them in, I quickly changed my mind about a 'slides r us' MH.

All depends I guess on how much you travel with the RV. I full time so a lot of time 'traveling' on the road. When I stop at a rest area to use MY bathroom, get a sandwich, take a nap on the bed, or to get a sweater out of a closet.....I want to be ABLE to do so!!!

I looked all the way up to the top end of the A's with slides and all of them blocked the usage of most of these areas. More slides, equaled even less access. 😞

My advice on this is if you are looking at RV's with slides, especially if they are at a dealership MAKE them CLOSE all the slides.

Every salesman I encountered came up with 10 different reasons why they couldn't close them for me. Ya right. :R

They have them all open and don't want to close them because on most on them it seals off access of the entire MH!

It was a hard requirement for us to be able to live in the RV with the slide closed. We just got back form a month on the road and about half the time we didn't even bother putting it out.

[rockhillmanor]

ol' yeller wrote:
...I don't find it hard to believe that RV engineers would design a slideout that blocks access to the interior of the RV while closed. ...

This was a BIG deciding factor for me. I originally wanted slide but after shopping and seeing them in, I quickly changed my mind about a 'slides r us' MH.

All depends I guess on how much you travel with the RV. I full time so a lot of time 'traveling' on the road. When I stop at a rest area to use MY bathroom, get a sandwich, take a nap on the bed, or to get a sweater out of a closet.....I want to be ABLE to do so!!!

I looked all the way up to the top end of the A's with slides and all of them blocked the usage of most of these areas. More slides, equaled even less access. 😞

My advice on this is if you are looking at RV's with slides, especially if they are at a dealership MAKE them CLOSE all the slides.

Every salesman I encountered came up with 10 different reasons why they couldn't close them for me. Ya right. :R

They have them all open and don't want to close them because on most on them it seals off access of the entire MH!

[ReadyToGo]

We have a 2001 Winnie Minnie that is called a 24' but is really 25' which is just a couple of feet longer than a crewcab pickup with a full size bed.

We bought a 2 inch foam to put on top of the mattress which is getting kind of old. The mattress is cut off at an angle for the aisle to the bathroom. That makes it kind of short for the person sleeping on that side. So if you both are 6 ft or so, it could be an issue.
Slide outs. First of all, you loose about 3 to 6 inches of space which means that a closet is very very small on that side. 3 inches might not seem like much, but that is the main reason you don't see a closet on that side any more. Plus in my opinion all the slide out gets you is some walking or floor space, nothing that you can really use.
Ours has the extra chair, but it isn't the most comfortable thing. It does slide back and forth for extra space.
Yes the driver seat is limited on how far back it can go but I am 6 ft and don't have a problem.
One thing you might consider is that there is a company that sells stuff that raises either or both the front seats and make them turnable so they can be another chair for someone to sit on. It appears to be quite easy to do this if you are handy or else pay someone to do it.
Parking is so much easier with the C that we find we don't really need to pull an extra vehicle. Yes there are a few times it would have been nice but walking a little bit is good for you.
Driving the C is no different than driving the pickup we used to have.

[mlts22]

The Forest River Solera 24R is a model/floorplan that has a full size queen bed and a decently sized bath. The caveat is that to use the queen bad, you have to extend the rear slide. However, in some ways, you are getting a 29 foot motorhome in a 24 foot package.

[path1]

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[Gene_in_NE]

ol' yeller - Keep looking and hope that one of the readers come up with one you like. Here is one that comes very close to your desires except possibly price. Fairly new unit and not too many used ones out there. Leisure Travel Van (LTV) Unity.

[ol__yeller]

Thanks for the advice so far. I am aware of the short queen as that is what we currently have in our TT. It is full width but shorter than a home queen bed which still is OK. It only took 1 camping trip for us to upgrade our sleeping quarters by adding a memory foam topper and now our cheap TT mattress is more comfortable than our home bed. My concern is more about width. 60" would be most comfortable and I am afraid that in the smaller RVs, that might not be possible.

I wasn't aware of the driver's seating position. If I can't fit comfortably behind the wheel it will be a problem. Ditto on the bathroom door not being able to close.

I don't find it hard to believe that RV engineers would design a slideout that blocks access to the interior of the RV while closed. Thanks, I will have to check that out. I will follow the links some of you graciously provided On Tuesday afternoon when I have time to devote to looking at them fully.

[DesertHawk]

These folks just found one you might like: 2011 Winnebago 26' Access Premier QP E450. Not sure of the price.

[littlemo]

We recently bought one like this and love it. I will even drive it out on the open road (not in town yet). My DH won't let me.....
It has the seamless roof. The Queen size corner bed is a Serta pillow top. Nice dinette with a separate chair. Step up to bedroom area (makes for good storage in basement).

Sunseeker

Sorry, there are a couple of extra pics in this one that don't belong. It does have a full size Queen bed. 60 X 80.