Class C 28' suggestions

[clikrf8]

Greetings,
I usually hang out at the TC forum where there is lots of friendly advice. I have a friend who will be retiring next July who is interested in buying a used Class C. Since I am retired and have more time I offered to find out what his options were given his specific wants. He and his wife would like the following:

28' class C
Ability to tow a small U-Haul type trailer with his and her Harleys
Plus later on tow possibly a small SUV in lieu of the trailer Honda CRV or similar
Queen size bed in the rear with a door inside
$15-$20k budget
Ford chassis with V10 Triton engine

They plan to visit the in-laws in February and while there in Arizona, will check out the for sale boards at the many RV snow bird areas. Which brands are worth checking out for quality and reliability? Which would offer what he lists as wants? Are there years to avoid? What other criteria have I missed?

Thanks a lot, these are special folks I want to help.

[mlts22]

Stephanie21 wrote:
I'm new to this forum or any forum on RV you refer to the stickies at the top of the page.... what are these?? Thank you,
You commented on the Tioga Chevy being a foot longer than a Ford, giving the driver more leg room. That is such good info. to know, we were about to drive several hundred miles to look at a used Ford... my husband is tall and good sized, I think we should look for a Chevy! Thank you.

If you are concerned about legroom, I'd probably recommend taking a look at a recent (NCV3 model) Sprinter based "C" like a Forest River Solera. The reason is that there is no doghouse whatsoever. Of course, you will pay $10,000-$20,000 more for the Sprinter chassis, but it might be worth the added cost for a comfortable drive, and the Sprinter based rigs do hold their resale value fairly well. Of course, 24 feet is as long as a Sprinter based rig will get, so if looking for something longer, this might not be the way to go.

[IAMICHABOD]

Stephanie21 wrote:
I'm new to this forum or any forum on RV you refer to the stickies at the top of the page.... what are these?? Thank you,
You commented on the Tioga Chevy being a foot longer than a Ford, giving the driver more leg room. That is such good info. to know, we were about to drive several hundred miles to look at a used Ford... my husband is tall and good sized, I think we should look for a Chevy! Thank you.

The stickies are at the top of the page under where it says TOPIC
Just scroll down and click on one like FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Class C's

There is a lot of info there most really dated but still some good info.

If Your Husband is tall by all means look for a Class C on a Chevy chassis. They are larger up front with more legroom, and at 6' 6" I need all of that room.

For a comparison of the two just CLICK HERE

Good Luck and if any more questions just ask... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

[Stephanie21]

I'm new to this forum or any forum on RV you refer to the stickies at the top of the page.... what are these?? Thank you,
You commented on the Tioga Chevy being a foot longer than a Ford, giving the driver more leg room. That is such good info. to know, we were about to drive several hundred miles to look at a used Ford... my husband is tall and good sized, I think we should look for a Chevy! Thank you.

[BobandShaz]

What smaller gas powered Class A

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Another factor to consider is where it was stored? Our Gulf stream has been lucky enough to always be stored indoors - therefore, has not had the effects of sun and weather to cause problems. It's 10 years old and still looks like new.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

tatest wrote:
These are useually non basement, with smaller outside storage bins.

This was the biggest difference we saw between manufacturers. Our Gulf Stream has terrific basement storage, including a tall pass-through at the back and a 3/4-width x 3' compartment in the front. It was the deciding factor that made us buy that particular unit.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Free Range Human wrote:
Deb and Ed,

What is the model number of your Gulf Stream?

Hmm... I think it was a 6280?? It's officially a Gulf Stream Conquest LE - we suspect it was built to be a rental??

[wbwood]

Thor chateau has a 28z model. We almost got it, but liked ours better. For $20k, you probably are going to have to go at least 7-10 years old or older. The sales price of the 28Z brand new was $69k I believe.

[Bordercollie]

Read over the Stickies at top of first page in this forum. There are a least five requests for advice on buying new or used rigs per week. Most of these threads warn buyers not to buy anything with water damage, be wary of very low or very high mileage rigs, make sure everything works properly and get independant estimates for repairs/upgrades needed befor buying. 27-28 foot rigs have RV queen size beds normally with access on one side. Shorter rigs have less comfortable sleeping in the overhead or convertible sofas or dinettes.
If buyer is not equipped and skilled in auto mechanics, RV electrical, plumbing and RV body works he should buy a 3-5 year old rig or new rig that needs nothing. All rigs are trucks full of appliances and need basic maintenance by the owner and professional repairs and installations over time.

We have a 2004 Fleetwood Tioga 26Q similar to Ichabod's, no slides, not "needed" for two, but nice when they don't leak and extend/retract properly. This is a short a rig as I'd recommend mostly for the rear bed/bedroom, no climbing up and down ladders. Most rigs with rear bedrooms also have overhead beds for kids and small convertible dinette beds.

[IAMICHABOD]

I have a 2006 Tioga 26Q that may fit what you want and also be in your price range. As seen in My Profile Just look arround for one in the years 2002 thru 2008

It is 28 ft long, on a Chevy Chassis, but the ones on a Ford are about a foot shorter. The extra length of a Chevy means a lot more leg room in the cockpit area.

It also has a ton of storage room in the rear,that is one of the many reasons that I bought it, along with the other reasons that I have in the CLICKY in my signature.





Good Luck in your search and I hope that this has helped.

[clikrf8]

Thanks, I will forward this link. I will also have him comb through a search for the various brands.

[mlts22]

In general, Coach House is known as the top dog because of their one piece fiberglass shell... but one does pay through the nose for it. Other brands which make good "C"s are Lazy Daze, Nexus RV, Phoenix Cruiser, and Winnebago.

Forest River "C"s are a decent cross between price and quality. JMHO, they may have some rough edges, but that isn't too hard to deal with.

I generally demand a "C" has a fiberglass roof that goes over the sides (so water blown in a seam isn't an instant leak), a fiberglass nose cap, and a fiberglass cap at the rear. A rubber roof and seams at the edges is just an expiration date stamped on the rig due to water intrusion and wood rot.

[clikrf8]

Thank-you for your responses. What are the top 4-5 brands for reliability and quality? Happy New Year and happy trails.

[tatest]

At a nominal 28-29 feet you will floorplans with:

No slides, fore-aft short queen bedroom with nightstands and shirt closets, or maybe one small full length wardrobe, split bath, kitchen, and dinette and jacknife sofa opposed, usually no aisle when sofa is out, sometimes making up one big up front bed. This is the typically rental 28 footer, for most of the past 10-15 years almost everybody made one. These are useually non basement, with smaller outside storage bins.

One slide up front, 8-12 foot depending on whether it holds sofa or dinette only, or also includes part of the kitchen. Front slideout provides enough room to maintain an aisle between dinette and open jackknife sofa, or permits sofa alternatives like hide-a-bed or powered loungers. I see this in more B+ floorplans than in C, particularly if the idea is to accommodate lounge seating. A variation on the theme might be a big U-dinette in the slide, or opposed sofas with no dinette.

Two slides in this size, one up front, one in the rear, usually with an East-West queen. Slide in the rear makes space for a big rear wardrobe. Slide can be either side, might contain either the wardrobe or the. head of the bed. My Winnebago/Itasca 29B is an example that might be in the year range that fits your budget. Friends had a Sunseeker with almost identical layout, but traded it after three months for an Outlook 29B, said the Sunseeker didn't live the same as the Winnie/Itasca, but I didn't appreciate whatever was the difference, not having the experience of trying to live with it. Those two I know about, other manufacturers have done variations in nominal 30 foot sizes.

Slideouts buy you more than just floorspace in a C this size, at least on E-450. To put the front slide mechanicals under the floor, floor will be raised 6-10 inches higher over chassis rails, creating room for water tanks and such as well, pass-through storage space, and making for taller outside storage bins. Downside is 500-1000 pounds extra weight for slideout room mechanicals and slideout box structure. Space to carry more, not necessarily capacity to use the space.

Nominal 28 footers tend to be over 28, sometimes almost 29, on Ford chassis. Same for 29s, mine is 29'8" bumper to bumper. Same model on Chevy (which wiil usually be non-slide 28s or someting shorter in 1998-2004 model years) can be about 20" longer than the E-350/450 build. Tha's cab length, and it buys you space in the cab. But it means a "28 footer" that is not quite 29' on the Ford could be over 30 on the Chevy.

V-10 as E-350 does not tow as much as V-10 in E-450. There are gearing, axle, brake, suspension differences that lower GCWR of the E-350. Still maybe better than the 3500 tow rating Chevy put on G3500 cutaway in motorhome use, regardless of GCWR on the chassis.