Class C Pros and Cons

[surgtech56]

We have been thinking about getting a Class C vs another TT. Here in Michigan Insurance is around $300-$400 a month for a Class C. One of us thinks a Class C is the one to go and I think a Class C might be more of a headache. We would be buying used, probably in the $40K price point(there abouts). Not sure if we want to tow a vehicle.

Those of you with a Class C can you give me some pros and cons, any information.

I know this is pretty vague, but trying to figure out if this is the way to go. Thank you in advance

[Atlee]

Of course the F550 chassis is a completely different animal from an E-450 chassis.

I wish smaller class C's were made on smaller truck chassis rather than on the cut out van chassis.

kwplot34 wrote:

irishtom29 wrote:
Larger Ford based Cs, 30 feet and longer, often have lousy payload, I saw some with under 1000 pounds.

That's not entirely correct anymore. Check out the Thor Omni/Magnitude on the F550 chassis.

[kwplot34]

irishtom29 wrote:
Larger Ford based Cs, 30 feet and longer, often have lousy payload, I saw some with under 1000 pounds.

That's not entirely correct anymore. Check out the Thor Omni/Magnitude on the F550 chassis.

[DouglasC]

We really like our mid size (28 ft) class C. Short enough to be maneuverable but long enough to have room for a walk around queen bed in the rear slideout. Maintenance costs on a Class C are less than on a Class A (eg. many Quick Oil Change places will service a Class C) and safer with a real bumper and air bags in the front. As noted above, longer Class Cs often have lousy payloads since they'er built on the same Ford E450 chassis as the mid size rigs like ours, giving mid size rigs more payload capacity (ours is almost 2,000#).

[irishtom29]

Larger Ford based Cs, 30 feet and longer, often have lousy payload, I saw some with under 1000 pounds.

[Powertour]

We've owned multiple tag trailers, a 5ver, and 2 Class C's during various points in our lives (some of which were from my wife and my previous lives so to speak).

Right now I'm in my 1st Class C and it's the 2nd for my wife. I'm really digging the motorhome vs trailers at this point in my life.

Motorhome Pros:

- Dogs are way more comfy when traveling & they're not up in our biz when going down the road.

- Mega easy camp setup once we get to our campsite & same goes for packing up time.

- Easy for the wife to get me a sammich while I'm driving 8-)

- Don't have to use a tow vehicle as a daily driver (a bigger deal for those of us in urban areas).

Cons:

Ours has a corner bed and we HATE that with a passion.

[kwplot34]

midnightsadie wrote:
depends on your use just short 500 mile trips we love out sprinter based class C show me a ford,chevy ,dodge that will get 16mpg and has more leg room than any of them.

You need to look at the Thor Omni/Magnitude super c. I have a 2020 omni XG32 on the ford F550 chassis 6.7L diesel and it has tons of leg room. It does not get 16mpg but does average 10.4mpg. Not bad for a big C.

[stripit]

We bought a 2007 Class C from a private owner in 2015, we looked at C's for well voer a month and saw some really tired rigs. The ones well kept stuck out and you could see why they were priced a tad higher. Our demands were less than 30 feet, one owner, clean and well cared for with some records of service. Was worth the hunt as our rig was close to perfect and we kept it till we moved up to a Class A. I agree with all that has been said, your insurance rates are way out of line, after some suspension improvements I did handeling was greatly improved. It was easy to drive and get into most all campsites.It was a Ford V-10 and easy to work on.

[Atlee]

I just recently purchased my first Class C. There were 2 main drivers behind that decision. 1) Generator(s). It was getting harder for me to deploy one or both of my Honda generators for a weekend of tailgating. For years and years we have had season tickets to my school's football season. With the Class C, all I have to do is start the generator from inside the RV. 2) I had gotten tired of backing my 27' trailer and pickup from the relatively narrow subdivision street and doing a 90 degree turn up my driveway. With the C, I can back it into my driveway unassisted.

Biggest draw back to the C is handling. I could drive the truck/trailer combo long distances and not be tired. That combo just handled so well. Not so much with the C. The nearly 500 mile one way drive with the C was much more tiring. There is definitely some major suspension work in the relatively near future.

[jimbo4UT]

Insurance amount is really high, my 90000.00 class c 2021 insurance is 130.00 a month and that is full timer insurance thru progressive. Part timer insurance is less.

Jimbo

[Bordercollie]

If you have had a TT you probably have a truck to pull a TT. RV'ers average some 5000 miles per year so a motorhome spends most of it's life parked in a drive way or in a storage yard, same for a TT but your truck can be used for transportation and other uses. A Class C without a towed trailer or car is more maneuverable. We use our Class C for going to local events like airshows and day trips to local parks with our dogs. A class B , like a Road Trek can be used by a couple for camping and touring as well as for commuting. Class A's are similar to Class C's but may have less sleeping space for the same length. Class A's are popular with older couples having somewhat smoother ride. A lot depends on how you often and how you are going to use an RV and just plain what appeals to you.

[midnightsadie]

depends on your use just short 500 mile trips we love out sprinter based class C show me a ford,chevy ,dodge that will get 16mpg and has more leg room than any of them.

[whemme]

surgtech56 wrote:
We have been thinking about getting a Class C vs another TT. Here in Michigan Insurance is around $300-$400 a month for a Class C. One of us thinks a Class C is the one to go and I think a Class C might be more of a headache. We would be buying used, probably in the $40K price point(there abouts). Not sure if we want to tow a vehicle.

Those of you with a Class C can you give me some pros and cons, any information.

I know this is pretty vague, but trying to figure out if this is the way to go. Thank you in advance

I have a 2002 Born Free 26’ Class-C that I insure with Progressive. I live in Iowa and my policy is $500,000 combined limit liability with $100 reducible collision and comprehensive coverage. My policy renewed this year for $507. That is for a full year’s coverage - not just a month!

[lhenry8113]

We bought a slightly used Class C, 2 years ago-from the original selling Dlr. 2017 Forester LE in 2018 with 6500 miles on it-Chevy 450 chassis with V8 gas engine. They gave us paperwork showing everything they had repaired/replaced before selling to us. Also, was still under Factory warranties as well as Dlr. warranty. Being newish/used they had a high asking price. Offered them about 30% off asking-we settled at about 25% off asking. 2 years later and about 6000 additional miles-no problems with the Rv. or chassis/motor/etc. Previously, we have owned 2 fifth wheels(Arctic Fox)-the Class C is so much easier to operate, to set up and now my wife will drive.

[bob_nestor]

surgtech56 wrote:
Thank you everyone. I’ll check the insurance rates. I have another question, when buying used, how old do you suggest buying or not buying? What do you look for lower mileage and older or higher mileage and newer? We will likely spend $45K tops. hank you

Insurance in Michigan may have changed a lot since I lived there, but back then rates were highly dependent on where you lived, where the vehicle was parked, your age, marital status, driving record, etc. And back then it was a so called "no fault" insurance state, so you basically had to pay for all the idiots who didn't carry insurance, didn't care how they drove or what they hit, etc, etc.

But on topic, I now own a Class C having moved up from Class B's. More room inside, but a bit harder to find parking spots. The smaller Class B's I owned were a bit easier to drive and maneuver and if I were to replace my current Class C I'd look hard at what was available in Class B's again.

[tjfogelberg]

When we bought our new Minnie Winnie in Oct 2016, I simply called my insurance company (Liberty Mutual) and added the RV and waited for a bill. They had served us well for years with auto and townhome coverage, so we didn't give it much thought until the premium notice arrived. It was shocking! Closer to what OP mentions. We quickly got on the Good Sam website and applied for and received a new policy all online for a fraction of Liberty's price. Very satisfied with the people at Good Sam. You can't overstate the convenience of pulling over into a rest stop and taking a nap, using the restroom, making lunch, getting drinks all without anyone moving outside between vehicles.