Class A or C ?

[outboardfever]

Just got away from trailers and shopping for a motorhome.
26-28' Triton power, 1-2 years old. It seems for the same money I can get a A or a C. Would like some input for and against each aside from the obvious cab layout.
thanks

[JWahlsten]

It is really up to you. Our RV history.
#1 Tent
#2 Popup
#3 VW Camper (New)
#4 Class C (used)
#5 Class A (no Slides)(used)
#6 Class A (slides) (used)
#7 Class A 37' (3 slides) (fulltime for 2.5 years)(new)
#8 Hardside popup (Trailmanor) (new)
#9 Full size TT (Trailmanor)(new)
#10 Class C Itasca Navion 23H 2007 (used)
The 37' class A was great for the fulltime wife had her own office in the back bedroom. Have only owned the Navion about 3 months but I think for weekend and short vacations we are sold on this Navion.

[tahiti16]

Short answer to mpg is NO, neighbor had a 30' C with same engine trans as our class A and we got about the same.

Some feel more comfortable in the class C cabin as it feels more "normal" to them. Others like us like sitting up high and having that giant windshield in front of us. Also my wife has Lupus and can not sit for more than maybe an hour. A class A allows her to move around more easily and as others have stated the passenger area can become part of the living space.

[mowermech]

outboardfever wrote:
Never really thought about the safety part of it. Thanks for all the great input. Would I be safe in guessing the A would be about 2 mpg less?

IMO, if you are truly concerned about fuel economy, you do not want a motorhome of any type!

[stew47]

We started out last year looking for a class c. we ended up with a class a. We originally were worried about sleeping area for our 2 boys aged 7 and 9. some things we noticed were the class a seemed to have better trucks for the money, more room, tons more basement storage, bigger slides, and easier to work on. So we found a 98 Winnebago and bought it.
Now some wouldn't like driving a class a and I completely understand. Ive been driving fire trucks for 20 years and its natural to be in front of the axle. my wife wont drive it...but she wouldn't drive a class c either. As far as the safety...well I have predictions based on my years running accidents. They both aren't 5 star rated vehicles LOL. I feel safe in my class A. Ive spent years in a ford ambulance...and I felt safe in them too.. I wouldn't worry. That still leaves what I did with the sleeping arrangements...They both sleep on the fold out. when they get old enough that they wont wanna share maybe ill look at class c then. maybe ill be ready for another bunkhouse. Ive got to say I do like the motorhome more that towing our old trailer. Good luck with whatever you decide!

[RLS7201]

Here is what I experienced when going from a 1991 27' Tioga class C to a 1995 33' Bounder class A.

Class C E350 460 Ford 10,000lbs
30 Gallon fresh water tank
36 Gallon fuel tank. Average 9mpg
20 Gallon gray water tank
20 Gallon Black water tank
1 12 volt group 24 house battery. No room to add more under hood.
18 Gallon propane tank

Class A F53 460 Ford 17,000lbs
100 Gallon fresh water tank
75 Gallon fuel tank. Average 7mpg
50 Gallon gray water tank
50 Gallon black water tank
2-6 volt golf cart batteries. Room to add two more behind front bumper.
24 Gallon propane tank.

If you plan on spending any time off grid, tank capacities are important.

Richard

[Desert_Captain]

rgatijnet1 wrote:

Desert Captain wrote:

rgatijnet1 wrote:
Better visibility(you sit higher and have a larger windshield) in the Class A from a sightseeing and safety standpoint.
For the same length, the Class A will have more usable sq ft of floor space.

You are half right. The Class C wins the safety component hands down. You won't find air bags in a Class A and there is next to nothing between you and a front end impact (except that oversized windshield). Try escaping an A (vs a C), in an accident or fire, three doors vs one. There are lots of good things about Class A's but safety is simply not one of them.

:C

I would guess that if I had a head-on with an automobile in my Class A I would be looking down at the wreckage. In a Class C, you may have air bags but you are also at the same level as the automobiles.

Assuming you hit a Prius you might be allright, (tangle with a full sized SUV or truck, not to mention commercial vehicles .... not so much) other than that your argument fails. The more likely accident scenario is not the dreaded and often deadly head-on but what is often a single vehicle accident.

Drive your Class A off the road (blowout or other mechanical failure, driver inattention, whatever), into a fixed, immoveable object such as a bridge abutment, large tree, rock or an 18 wheeler broken down on the side of the road. In a Class A driver and passenger are seriously injured quite possibly killed. There just isn't much other that the windshield between them and disaster. In a Class C the frame and chassis take the bulk of the impact and multiple air bags deploy. There will certainly be injuries but the presence of the air bags will dramatically lessen their severity. The effectiveness of air bags to seriously reduce the severity of injuries and deaths has been proven for decades.

The assumption that you are safer because you sit higher (but with little or nothing between you and the impact), just does not hold up. Also don't ignore the additional safety afforded by three fully functioning doors. If you roll a Class A onto the passenger side in an accident pray that a fire doesn't break out. In a C two of the three doors can be compromised and you still have a third available to escape.

I have no problem with Class A's, if I found one that met my needs (floorpan, economy, performance etc.), I would not hesitate to own one. They have many inherent advantages over C's such as storage/payload but safety simply is not one of them.

As always.... Opinions and YMMV (and the Nile is not just a river in Egypt)

:B

[J-Rooster]

I've owned both and will choose Class A hands down! But a lot of people don't like sitting over the steer tires and prefer to drive a Class C. I mentioned this because my wife is one of those people!

[outboardfever]

Never really thought about the safety part of it. Thanks for all the great input. Would I be safe in guessing the A would be about 2 mpg less?

[mowermech]

I don't believe I will have a head-on accident, so I'm not much worried about the "safety" aspects of my Class A.
Sure, it CAN happen, but I really don't think it will. It hasn't since 1958, and it isn't likely now.
Unless I hit a deer or an elk. But then, the animal will be below the floor, so I'm not too worried about that, either, and I rarely drive the coach after dark, which lessens the chance of an animal accident greatly.
Now, having said all that, over the years I have owned a camp trailer (not self contained); a Travel Trailer (self contained); a 27 foot class A (terrible floor plan); a 32 foot Class A (nice floor plan, but GM 454 engine); a 29 foot Class C (Ford 460 engine, not bad); a 32 foot Class A with one slide out (VERY nice!); and we lived full time in a 32 foot triple slide fifth wheel (having the washer dryer combo was GREAT!).
AND, just to keep things interesting, I had 6 foot, 9.5 foot, and 11.5 foot truck campers.
We are very happy with our current Class A. We have no desire to go back to any of the types we had before.

[rgatijnet1]

Desert Captain wrote:

rgatijnet1 wrote:
Better visibility(you sit higher and have a larger windshield) in the Class A from a sightseeing and safety standpoint.
For the same length, the Class A will have more usable sq ft of floor space.

You are half right. The Class C wins the safety component hands down. You won't find air bags in a Class A and there is next to nothing between you and a front end impact (except that oversized windshield). Try escaping an A (vs a C), in an accident or fire, three doors vs one. There are lots of good things about Class A's but safety is simply not one of them.

:C

I would guess that if I had a head-on with an automobile in my Class A I would be looking down at the wreckage. In a Class C, you may have air bags but you are also at the same level as the automobiles.

[tropical36]

outboardfever wrote:
Just got away from trailers and shopping for a motorhome.
26-28' Triton power, 1-2 years old. It seems for the same money I can get a A or a C. Would like some input for and against each aside from the obvious cab layout.
thanks

Besides all of the above, A's usually have better quality furnishings and I like the bus look. C's look like some kind of an afterthought IMO and don't come in very large sizes. I have seen some monster super C's that I liked and mainly because of it's diesel power and the way it's engine compartment opens for service.

[fivejackie]

We had a Class A Pace Arrow for years and then sold it. 4 years later DW wanted to buy a Class C Redhawk, something she to drive. We had for 2 years then we traded it in on a 2115 Class A Huricane 27K. She like riding high up and looking out of the big windshield. Traveling in a Class A is more enjoyable.

Test drive a Class A and C. What ever your choice, make sure your DW I happy, it could save you some $$$.

[bogeygolfer]

Your safety comment is probably true in the case of most A's; however, I do believe there are some brands of Class A coaches that are as safe - or safer - than the average Class C.

[Desert_Captain]

rgatijnet1 wrote:
Better visibility(you sit higher and have a larger windshield) in the Class A from a sightseeing and safety standpoint.
For the same length, the Class A will have more usable sq ft of floor space.

You are half right. The Class C wins the safety component hands down. You won't find air bags in a Class A and there is next to nothing between you and a front end impact (except that oversized windshield). Try escaping an A (vs a C), in an accident or fire, three doors vs one. There are lots of good things about Class A's but safety is simply not one of them.

:C