Class C regrets/Options you wish you had?First time class C

[JeepGuy]

We are looking at moving up to a class C from a small trailer and after searching for a few days online there are alot of different floor plans/options and i have no idea whats needed and whats just a luxury. What do you have and not use or wish you had. Were looking at 02 coachmen santara 292.We like the slide option for more room and need a rear bed with front bunk for kids. As long as this has the 5000lb tow rating were going to look at it this weekend (well if they still have it)

[lfcjasp]

DH would like a walk around bed, mostly for my convenience and ease: of making up the bed, being able to get out of a bed that isn't as high as the corner bed...but I've learned to make up that corner bed pretty decently...and a walk around bed would mean we would have to go a few feet longer. Due to our parking arrangements at home and lack of more space, going longer might be a little tricky. But that's on the list for a later MH...

An outside shower would be nice; we don't really miss it yet, but we're just really getting started:)

As for things like the house battery, gen set, etc. DH is happy so far...that may change as we go along...who knows...

[Hank85713]

we started in a pickup camper for several years with kids. Kids got HS/college age and so we still had the camper but I made mistake of telling wife on an occasion that before she came to where I was working I had enough room! We bought a 24ft TT. Still have it and the truck didn't use a lot as the job did not allow long trips/vacations. Last year we bought a winnebago B+. Wife says the TT has better space/room, but she wanted to just get up and go lay down, bathroom etc.

As others said there are plenty of campers out there. You just need to know what you want and what you will compromise for. The cab and mechs of the vehicle are mine. The coach is the wifes. I wanted more than the primitive driving that the c's B+'s offer. Most are all mechanical, mirrors seats, no levelers (but are they really?). I wanted power driver seat that was comfortable, ended up with one of the RV 'spring steel' type which is uncomfortable and offers little, even if the selling point is it can be swiveled around! Now looking for a set of electric seats out of an F series, wife ended up with sore back! Rig had to have levelers, but you still need to monitor and use boards. Ours will raise the back way up but not the front, so we manually level with the jacks! Also you need rear air bags as the rear ends tend to droop. So I got all I was basically looking for except some driver comfort things.

Wife wanted a walk around, she got it but its still very limited even with a slide. Its my side of the bed! She wanted 2 slides, gives a nice living room, but since it is a horseshoe dinette thing not much room for comfortable sitting. TV is on kitchen sink work area. We will eventually change the horseshoe setup to a regular one, but have other issues to work on 1st, all personal preference. Some mechanical my area, some in coach for her.

Only you really know what is or is not important. I have adequate outside storage not as much as I would like but if careful it will work. Inside wife found that she carried too much and is in the process of going smaller/less stuff. She misses the TT in this regard. Check CL as you have said, but do not limit to just your area. Check a few cities further out, you can always ask someone to check a rig for ya to save a trip. Friend went with a friend of his to lost wages to check out a 'nice' rig to find out it was junk!

hope ya find what you are looking for, dont be afraid to ask someone to check one out for ya.

[toedtoes]

OldRadios - I fall into the same line as you. I wanted a Dodge chassis (it's a family thing), 24 ft or less, no slides, no levelers, no microwave, no tv, no generator, cabover bed with front window. I couldn't be happier with my clipper.

[OldRadios]

We are the opposite of most. Less is more. After a few years with a B we knew exactly what we wanted and did not want in a C. Wanted a E450 for the cargo and towing capacity as short as possible (under 30') with a queen bedroom (not sandwiched in a corner) and no slides. For us no slides means less to fail and more cargo carrying capacity. The added weight and mechanicals are not worth the extra isle space for us. No motorized awning or steps, same reason, less to fail. We now have a 26' Tioga E450 with a queen bed we can both get out of. Fully packed with full tanks we still have around 2,000 pounds CCC left and it handles great with no modifications. Fits in a pull through parking space and the smaller campsites we like. Levelers are not required either. I have wood blocks that take a couple of minutes to place if I need them.

[mlts22]

One question: Coachman or Coachmen? Coachman (singular) is a British RV maker, while Coachmen (plural) is a company here in the US.

Overall, this topic is enlightening... I think I know what to make sure to get in a "C":

1: Levelling jacks. Mash button, level. Sure beats getting out the legos, especially when it is cold, rainy, and the ground is muddy.

2: Plenty of OCCC.

3: Fiberglass roof, goes without saying. That, or a one piece aluminum roof that is crowned over the sides by a few inches.

4: One or more slide-outs. Even a dinette slide that only shifts 18 inches can add a comfortable feel to the place, but 2-3 feet makes a whole world of difference, especially with more than two people in the rig.

5: Slide-out awnings.

6: At the minimum, wiring for solar panels, so no new holes need to be cut for that.

Of course, a few wants:

1: A Quigley conversion, for added clearance and better boondocking ability.

2: Flexible solar panels on a substantial part of the roof. Flexible panels bring in less electricity, but they require fewer holes (just tape and caulk), but with a MPPT controller, it should bring in enough watts to keep the jars topped off.

[hopehog]

I still consider myself really new with my Class C that has been on the road longer than I. It is quite simply the greatest investment ever. Yeah, I got it for $800 and spent many a winter day working on it. I've got 3K including cost into it now but 1200 was for new tires. It has been wonderful playing with my 85, learning all about the systems and how easy it is to be completely set up at camp inside of 5 minutes. I love it!. It is my base camp for everything you could possibly do in the Adirondacks! I was sure I would always own a class C but now I thing I will always own this one. I'm in love. No regrets, I wish I could have done it earlier.

[chuck1340]

Firebird - Please explain this sentence, "We moved from a 26' 5er with one of the key reasons being we wanted to take our JKUR with us."

What did your new 26' have that your old one didnt? Whats JKUR? I'm looking into buying a used 26' Jamboree and want to make sure i'm not missing something i should know.

Thanks

[tenbear]

By now you are probably more confused than you before you started this thread. As you have found out everyone has their own likes and dislikes, their own tolerance for roughing it and their own budget. There is a reason there are so many different models and types of RVs.

Go to lots of dealers and RV shows and decide what is right for you. It will probably take you until your third RV before you have the right one.

[noe-place]

:B

[noe-place]

My only regret is not having hydraulic levelers. Using the 2x10 boards of different sizes get old really quick.

[Liberty1776]

We've had two Class C's. One was a Coachman - it was fine. My must list includes (and we're currently shopping for another one to upgrade...)

Fiberglass roof!
Rear bath - our first one was a rear bath - loved the room
hydraulic levelers - haven't seen one with them yet but would love that

[Capt_Storm]

maybe I would get the twin cyl onan gen..it runs a lot slower then the single cyl that I have.

[Gunner45]

Having used my parents Minnie Winnie for a couple of years I knew I wanted:
a walk around bed - the MW corner bed was too hard to get into and make up
a slide that didn't block the walkway when pulled in
a couch, chair and dining table for how we socialize and sleep

What I miss from theirs is one of the tall closets. We have a larger shower and that took the place of the tall closet so I'm learning to work around not having that.

~ Dori ~

[pnichols]

We wish that our passenger seat was on a pedestal that could both rotate and raise. The raising capability so far is not available in rotating pedestals.

Raising the pedestal is necessary in our Class C because the cab floor is 3-4 inches below the cab floor and we want normal seat height for passenger legs whenever the passenger seat would be pivoted around facing back into the coach.

However, we otherwise like the mis-matched floor heights because this gives us taller outside storage cabinets and room for two built-in storage cabinets for long items stored laterally across the motorhome's width between the coach floor and the top of the truck frame - very nice for shovels, fishing poles, beach umbrellas, etc. - instead of having to pile such items inside on beds or in the shower when traveling.