Forum Discussion

packpe1989's avatar
packpe1989
Explorer II
Jun 12, 2024

Class C my best option for retirement in a couple of years?

Sold my camper 5 years ago.  My only motorized RV experience was couple of years ago renting in Alaska. I really liked the simplicity of the Class C. Retirement is getting close and my DW and I plan to travel for some extended trips (2-6 weeks). We like to stay a day or two at most stops and move on. Thinking we will do this a few years and maybe switch to a 5th wheel or something later for traveling with grandkids and maybe longer stays at the beach or mountains. For this type of travel (1-2 days per stop) is a Class C the best option? The one we rented was 26', which had ok room and was fairly easy to maneuver at the parks and fueling etc. So seemed like an overall nice compromise. We like to visit scenery btw, no big city visits. I have a half ton truck and we have access to 3/4 and one tons, so doing the fifth in the future is going to be a fairly easy switch. Do I need to plan to tow a jeep or something, if so, which tows better A or C? Does length matter much when towing?  i.e. dos a 26' tow better or worse than a 31'.

Thanks

  • way2roll's avatar
    way2roll
    Navigator II
    Jun 12, 2024

    We do the kind of travelling you describe pretty easy in our MBS based class C. It's 24' but we manage really well for the 2 of us. There's more storage than I would have thought and for a 2 week trip we still don't use it all. We've had previous Class As and a FW before this C. You simply can't beat the maneuverability of a small class C. We like State parks etc and can easily use regular gas stations even with our CRV in tow.  I liked our FW for long stays but we move too frequently that the stress from driving in heavy traffic and small campgrounds wasn't worth it for that type of travel. We are thinking of going at least part time on the road for 3 mos or so at a time so I'm looking at Super C's - mainly for the tank sizes and a W/D. But for now, we love what we have.  I would suggest towing a car. While Small Cs are maneuverable, if you like to visit places like downtown restaurants and venues, etc a car really comes in handy. I do a lot of mountain biking so having a car to put the bikes on or kayaks makes it super easy. 

     

  • packpe1989's avatar
    packpe1989
    Explorer II
    Jun 13, 2024

    Thanks, Great to hear from someone with experience in all.  Tow the car 4-down or with a dolly?  Preferences?

    • way2roll's avatar
      way2roll
      Navigator II
      Jun 13, 2024

      The preference is 4 down but it's contingent on your car. A lot of cars can't be towed 4 down and some even require a trailer. We had a previous Civic that had to be on a dolly and while it did work, it was a hassle. Not only getting it on the dolly (especially in the rain) but having to store the dolly, move it around at a campsite etc. Our CRV tows 4 down. I can hook it up in 5 minutes and it tracks with the MH when turning. 4 down is just so much easier. The only real downside to towing 4 down (aside from finding a car that works) is installing the baseplates. Jeeps - for example - are pretty easy, our CRV was pretty invasive and required removing the whole front bumper and drilling into the frame. I did it DIY and took about 6 hours. A shop would have been pretty expensive. Like all things RV-ing, everything is a concession. 

       

      • packpe1989's avatar
        packpe1989
        Explorer II
        Jun 14, 2024

        Thinking a Jeep would be fun anyway.  Maybe even a manual 🙂

  • craig7h's avatar
    craig7h
    Nomad II
    Jun 14, 2024

    There are as many thoughts on this as there are RVers. I believe it comes down to the way YOU want to travel. When we went from a 35' 5th wheel to a small 27' class A we looked between the A's and C's. We went with the A for ease of movement. By that I mean it  was easier for passenger to get up and move around the cabin i.e. bathroom, frig while under power in the A's. There was more storage in the A's than C's of the same size. Our style of camping is FHU so tank size was not really an issue. We did make a mistake on the size of class A however. We like to be gone weeks if not months at a time and the small A did not fit that need as well as we thought it would. So after a year we moved up to a larger 37 diesel pusher and could not be happier.

    We use a tow dolly with electric brakes. Years (many) back I did a jeep 4 down and was happy with the way it all went together. Now with the way cars are made its hard to find something to down 4 down. Its even getting hard to find something that can be on a dolly. The AWD cars as an example can not go on a dolly, I believe. 

    Yes the dolly is a little more work, however I have not found that to be a big problem. Pull Through sites of course are easier but many times I have unhooked the dolly and wheeled it to the rear of a site.  I went with electric brakes for a less tung wieght. 

    good luck enjoy the moment

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