class c or tow trailer, which is better?

[kellybelly]

hi, we are considering small class C with out car tow or small travel trailer pulled by
small SUV? Can anybody tell us if its a bad idea to have only class C and no extra car or is it better to toe small trailer and have the use of a car?

[Desert_Captain]

We just switched from a 22' TT to a 24' C and are very happy with the change. If you just pay attention you will never have to go back into town for milk, eggs, beer whatever. :S If you do need to go somewhere "Breaking camp" is a 30 second no brainer. Unhook the electric, if you even have it and drive away. Maybe it is tougher for the folks with big Class C's but we can take our 24 footer anywhere we want, down any road, into any site or parking lot without a problem(just watch out for the steep dipped driveways - don't ask me how I know). :B

If you are considering a TT will both of you be comfortable/capable hooking it up and driving it? My bride was not but now has a much greater comfort level driving our C. Mileage towing the 5,000# TT was 12.5 (which was a lot better than most), and the C is 10 or a little better but with the 55 gallon tank we have 500 miles of range with a 50 mile cushion. With the TT 250 miles was just about empty and we were forced to buy whatever was available at some pretty outrageous prices. Now if the price is high we just buy 10 gallons or skip it all together and get on down the road.

The built in generator on our C is so convenient. No more hauling out the Honda, chaining it up and hoping it's not raining. Just push the button and enjoy all the AC we will ever need. Lots of differences but the bottom line for us is the C is much easier and far more convenient, have yet to find a downside. As pointed out above the decision comes down to how you are going to use it but for us, extended travels, mostly in CG's the C just can't be beat.

As always.... Opinions and YMMV. :C

[rfryer]

Myself I’d opt for the small TT, but then that’s what I have. The DW, though, wants a C just for traveling. My thought is the C would be good if I were traveling cross country and not “camping” very much. But the C would have to be small enough it wasn’t a hassle to maneuver if I’m sightseeing in tight quarters.

But my style is primarily camping where I set up a base camp somewhere and use the TV for my sightseeing. And I go well off pavement a lot and the C isn’t very good for that. So we’re at an impasse for the moment, I see no point in a C when my TT will go everywhere a C will and many other places it won’t. As said by previous posters, the key is how you intend to travel/camp.

[Bordercollie]

Pop ups and tents have appeal to some, bears and mountain lions, etc., not withstanding. RV'ers that travel in social camping groups often like to drive around with others and feel the need to have their own car in tow. If you want to tour Boston, etc., you can rent a car, take a shuttle bus into the city and walk or take a tour bus. We try to have everything we'll need using a check list. We are so happy to get settled and relax in a nice camp spot, we seldom want to leave but can be away in five minutes in our C when needed,

[rehoppe]

I personally don't 'prefer' either option. My preference is a pop top slide in TC,,,, sans a bath. Porta pot for emergencies.

It goes places that the C won't even consider. Dry camp mostly.

That said wife prefers MH with all the goodies. CGs with full hook ups required!

Guess what we've got.

[KristinU]

Like others have said, it is a personal decision based on your travel style and needs.

For us, we switched from a truck and TT to a class C this past spring and couldn't be happier. As far as a toad goes, we decided to give it some time without a toad to decide whether we wanted one or not. So far we've decided that a toad isn't worth it for us. You don't HAVE to break camp every time you want to go somewhere, depending on where you're at. We've done all of the following so far:

- Bike to local store, restaurant, or site to see (and yes, you can carry a single bundle of firewood in a backpack...you could do more with a bike trailer!)

- Rented from Enterprise using thier "pick you up" service

- Took a cab

- Took the Winnie

- and of course an option is making sure you have all you need packed and just stay put at the CG 🙂

All have worked for varying needs and scenarios and none of the non-toad solutions have made us wish for the expense or the hooking-unhooking routine of a toad.

[Skid_Row_Joe]

kellybelly wrote:
hi, we are considering small class C with out car tow or small travel trailer pulled by
small SUV? Can anybody tell us if its a bad idea to have only class C and no extra car or is it better to toe small trailer and have the use of a car?

There's trailer people, and there's motorhome people. You have to decide which you are.

Me? I'm a motorhome person. A Class C motorhome with no car-in-tow. That's the way I like it, but you always have to either walk, bicycle, or take the motorhome everywhere you go. But, hey, them's the breaks.

[tenbear]

I had a trailer but switched to a Class C with a toad. We are travelers, not really campers. Its so nice to sight see in the car then come back to the MH.

As others have said, its a personal thing.

[bukhrn]

K Charles wrote:
Popeye or Three Stooges
Chinese food or Polynesian
Class C or TT

Only you know the answer.

Three Stooges
Chinese,(Only because Italian isn't one of the choices)
Class C

These are MY answers, yours may vary. That doesn't make them wrong, or right.;)

[AZRVCenter]

That really is a self choice. Both have the pro's and con's, if there wasn't then you wouldn't need to buy anything than that one type of vehicle. Some people love the trailer, and some love just cruising around in a Class C motor home! Let us know which way you went, and let's hear why you picked it over the other one!

[Bobbo]

If I wasn't towing a car, I would rather have the TT. A Class C without a toad means you have to break camp to go ANYWHERE.

My personal choice is a Class C towing a small car.

[hotbyte]

neither...or, maybe its both 🙂

We've had tents, popup, 5'er and now class c MH. All have been great and all have had their short comings. As mentioned, there is no set answer since it depends on your individual needs and usage.

I will offer opposite opinion of kknowlton regarding using class c to run errands with. With a quick disconnect city water adapter, I can have water/electric unplugged in just a few minutes. I only connect sewer while dumping so no issues with that. We stopped using awning decorations, etc. so nothing to pack up there. We use baskets and other storage to keep inside almost ready to roll. Maybe i've been lucky at the state parks and COE campgrounds in GA we frequent but i leave grill, chairs, etc. in site when we leave for short spell. So, basically, I don't mind having to use MH at all instead of toad. I would prefer a toad but we often have boat in tow.

Problem I see with SUV and small TT is will the small TT seem too small too quick.

[kknowlton]

One thing we found when we had our small C without a toad was that, if we needed anything (campfire wood, groceries, etc.) or wanted to go sightseeing, we had to unhook all the utilities, put away the leveling boards, go run our errands, then come back and set up camp all over again. That was pretty much of a pain. That, and in some CGs, especially national/state parks, unless you left something in your site, someone might come & take it while you're gone. (Didn't happen to us, but we did see it happen to others from time to time.) With a trailer, we didn't have that problem.

As others have said, it all depends on your camping style.

[dahkota]

We like to go off road, which is more difficult with a class c. We also spend more time driving around without the tt than we do with, saving us significantly on gas.

Which one is better is really dependent on how you will be using it.

[Prpl_Lady]

The decision is one that only you can make. In my opinion though, it should depend on the type of use you plan for it. i.e. Will you be moving around a lot or staying in one spot for a while? The C is great for moving often while leaving a trailer in a campsite and having the tow vehicle for site seeing and shopping has its advantages too. I currently have a 31' C and find that I get along very well without a tow vehicle. I plan ahead and do grocery shopping before arriving at a campground. When I am in one area for a week or two, I have rented a car if I felt the need for one but that has happened very rarely. In the past I have owned trailers and enjoyed them too. As you can see, each type of unit has its advantages and disadvantages so the type of use should dictate the way to go.

[CloudDriver]

We have a class C and for the past 10 years and don't tow a car. With the C, we can stop anywhere, anytime for lunch or a bathroom break when out sightseeing. When we get to a campsite, we usually just set the parking brake and we're done. No unhooking or other setup necessary. On a hot day, the C is already cooled down, or already warmed up on a cold day. We are fully self contained with onboard water and generator, so no need to even go out to connect hookups if it's raining.

We are sightseers, rather than campers and don't set up an elaborate camp that would be a PITA to put away every time we wanted to go to the store or see the sights. If your travel/camping style is to set up lots of stuff at a campground, a trailer might be a better choice.