Full Timing In a 30ft Class A

[jarata1]

We are full timing starting next year have our eyes on a 30 ft newmar bay star.Its just me and my wife wondering if that might be a little to small seems fin looking at it.We are also towing a car so we flet a 36 footer would be way to long to drive

[John_Joey]

Dutch_12078 wrote:
....The takeaway, I believe, is that's there's a "right size" home for everyone, and for some that size may not fit on any RV frame.

:B :B :B

We went from a 33 foot no slide Class A, to a 33 foot triple slide 5'ver, and are now very happy in a 28 foot single slide 5'ver, as long as the weather is good (don't tell the DW I said that 😉 )

[Dutch_12078]

John&Joey wrote:
Another way to look at it is when I asked my Uncle Donnie (20+ years a snowbird) if a 33 foot Class A was too small. His reply was "it isn't the size of the rig that makes it small." You need to know my Aunt Alice to appreciate it fully.

I think there's a lot of truth in that statement! I know one couple that feels very confined after a few years fulltiming in a 45 ft 4-slide Class A, while another couple has been quite happily fulltiming in a truck camper for about 20 years. And my wife and I do very nicely in our "mid-sized" 34 ft 1-slide Class A, and have no interest in getting anything larger.

The takeaway, I believe, is that's there's a "right size" home for everyone, and for some that size may not fit on any RV frame.

[John_Joey]

Another way to look at it is when I asked my Uncle Donnie (20+ years a snowbird) if a 33 foot Class A was too small. His reply was "it isn't the size of the rig that makes it small." You need to know my Aunt Alice to appreciate it fully.

[tropical36]

jarata1 wrote:
We are full timing starting next year have our eyes on a 30 ft newmar bay star.Its just me and my wife wondering if that might be a little to small seems fin looking at it.We are also towing a car so we flet a 36 footer would be way to long to drive

If I were to be living in one, it would be at least 40ft, given the choice and no it won't be too long. Just might take a few minutes for getting used to. We had a 36ft before this one, pulling the Jeep. Only way I know of any appreciable difference is because I know it's that long and otherwise, couldn't say, just from driving it.

[rookie_rv]

Rookie RVer :C here! My first Class A was a 26 footer, but it didn’t long for us (wife) to realize we NEEDED more living area. Moved up to a 30 footer and lovin it.....

[GHOST1750]

I've had a 39 ft. for 16 yeas but we don't full time but I had my eye on a 30 ft. Newmar or 30 Winnebago but my wife's eye wasn't the same as mine and taking delivery of a 4o ft. next week. As far as towing I wouldn't hesitate going with a 35 or 36 ft. Towing has never been a problem. I tow a 2011 Chevy HHR and it tows like a dream.

[2chiefsRus]

We have visited over 30 National Parks, some on several occasions. This is the list of where we stayed in our 40 foot motorhome with our minivan in tow at that time.


Teklanika (in park), Denali RV Park, Denali Rainbow Village Jul-09 Denali National Park and Preserve

Seward Resort (Mil) Jun-09 Kenai Fjords National Park

Kanab RV Corral, Kanab, UT Sep-08 Grand Canyon National Park - north rim

GC Trailer Village (in park) Mar-11 Grand Canyon National Park - south rim

Crystal Forest Gift Shop - Free Boondock - South entrance Apr-13 Petrified Forest National Park

Davis Monthan, Tucson, AZ (mil) Dec-10 Saguaro National Park - East & West

Catherine's Landing Dec-12 Hot Springs National Park

Twenty Nine Palms Resort Oct-08 Joshua Tree National Park

Country Manor Mobile Home, Visalia, CA May-11 Kings Canyon National Park

Manzanita (in park) Jul-11 Lassen Volcanic National Park

Golden Bear RV, Klamath, CA Jun-11 Redwood National and State Parks

Country Manor Mobile Home, Visalia, CA May-11 Sequoia National Park

Escapees - Park of the Sierras, Coarsegold, CA May-11 Yosemite National Park

Saddle West Casino, Pahrump, NV (east) & Boulder Creek RV, Lone Pine, CA (west) Apr-11 Death Valley National Park

Great Sand Dunes Oasis Jun-15 Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Mesa Verde RV Resort May-15 Mesa Verde National Park

Bridge Bay (in park); Fishing Bridge (in park); Grizzly Bear, West Yellowstone Aug-07 Yellowstone National Park

Singing Hills, Cave City, KY Apr-08 Mammoth Cave National Park

St Mary's (inside) & Johnsons (outside) Jun-13 Glacier National Park (part of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park)

Whispering Elms RV, Baker, NV Jul-11 Great Basin National Park

Carlsbad RV Park May-15 Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Red Trail (South) & Juniper Campground (north-in park) Aug-07 Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Cedar Pass Campground (in park) Jun-10 Badlands National Park

Guadalupe NP - (in park) Pine Springs May-15 Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Moab Valley RV, Moab, UT Jul-11 Arches National Park

Ruby's Inn Sep-08 Bryce Canyon National Park

Moab Valley RV, Moab, UT Jul-11 Canyonlands National Park

Thousand Lakes RV Park May-15 Capitol Reef National Park

Kanab RV Corral, Kanab, UT & Watchman (in park) Sep-08 Zion National Park

Escapees - Evergreen - Chimacum, WA Jul-11 Olympic National Park

Colter Bay RV Park, GTNP, MT Jun-13 Grand Teton National Park

[zigzagrv]

Personally, I don't see a problem with a 30 footer. We're not fulltimers, but the DW and I have traveled for two to three months at a time in our 33 footer with one slide, including staying in one place for two months. I remodeled the interior to suit our needs including removing one sofa and replaced it with a desk and recliner and added a fold down table mounted to the wall between the slide and wall for extra countertop space, which was small. We never got in each others way.

What I'm saying is you can make anything work for you if your happy with the layout.

[Goldencrazy]

We spend 4 months a year during winter in motorhome. Our winnebago vista 30t with three slides was great. The kitchen was tiny but worked. We decided an upgrade would be nice and went to 35 foot with washer/dryer stacked. Loved that ability to wash clothes. Had no prior idea how much we would like it. Since we moved up more to a 42 foot dp with bath and a half. Love it and the space. We also love the ride. We struggled with the ride on all gas powered. Full-timing in smaller is possible and you can make it work nicely. Bigger with more amenities will make it even better.

[wildtoad]

I have a 31 foot triple slide BSS and it works great for our casual use. I wouldn’t try to full time in it as storage space does fill up and I don’t want to use laundromats. What ever you get make sure you have some work space. Towing capacity is good, holding tank size is good.

[jplante4]

We bought an old 28 foot Workhorse chassis motor home and used that for a couple of years. We were experimenting on the size we would need for extended (3-6 month) trips. 28 foot, no slides, engine up front, tiny shower, was pretty tight for 2 people. It was fun, but we ended up with a 36 footer DP. Don't forget the basement storage you'll be giving up. Important if there are no pass-thurs because the driveshaft is in the way.

[Isaac-1]

Let me preface this by saying I have a 28 ft (29'5" bumper to bumper) class A with no slides (2002 Safari Trek 2830) and so far we are traveling without a TOAD. The longest trip I have made in our coach is just over a month, with my wife along for the middle 2 weeks of that 4200 mile trip. It was overall functional for 2 people, though the Trek is a somewhat unique layout as there is no bedroom, just a mechanical queen size bed that lifts into the living room ceiling, the byproduct of which is a very large kitchen and bathroom (nearly 7 ft of kitchen counter top space, and a 5x6 ft bathroom. Slides would of course primarily add floor space, which can be nice, but they also tend to limit movement around the coach when the slides are in.

My overall impression living in this amount of space was, it was fine for limited time together, though if it would extend more than 2-3 weeks a separate bedroom would have been nice, just for the occasional privacy separation. Things were much more comfortable for the solo portion of the trip, though after a month in this limited amount of space I was glad to get back to my sticks and bricks house, I suspect I would feel similarly in most RV living situations. There are limitations in cargo space in a coach in this size range, though there is room to carry all of the important stuff, plus many of the luxuries most people like to have along (BBQ grill, canopy tent, camping chairs, etc.). To give you an idea of the basement space limitations, I have given thought to adding a portable fire pit, though honestly I am not sure where I would store it, there is space, but it might mean moving some stuff to the drivers side cargo bay. The big thing that will be lacking in almost all sub 30 ft coaches will be no washing machine or dryer. The other issue we run into is not so much lack of room for cargo, but bumping up against our cargo carrying capacity weight limit, if traveling with water in our tanks.

[2gypsies1]

What size RV do you have now? Have you done some long trips with it? If so, are you comfortable with the space?

Full-timers live in all sizes - even the little Scamp trailers or a truck camper. It just depends on YOU - no one else. Keep in mind your need for storage space and what you're going to take with you. Mentally decide where you're going to store it and if the motorhome has the storage capacity. Also, the more slides you have the less storage you'll have. Do you need a dance floor or the storage space?

Best of luck in your new lifestyle!

[John_Joey]

On the topic of cargo space, the more of it you have, the more **** you'll bring or accumulate while on the road.

A tow car will be a must. I would take some time to chose that one carefully also. If you really think you need more space a small pickup truck, with a hard top, and tow hitch can't be beat.

Also many FT'ers ultimately end up with a semi-permanent place in the winter to hunker down at. This is where they'll have all that extra "stuff." One couple I know leave a spare car, and even a pontoon/trailer.

Since your rig will be gas and you'll more then likely be pulling a car remember gas stations can be a PITA for a longer gas rig when you're in unknown territories. That's when nimble is good.