Got it down to two

[apacheindian]

Me: 37yo single male city slicker, total RV newbie, traveling a lot for work, tired of hotels. Will likely be living in RV about 25% of the time. Will drive around country 6 weeks/year, otherwise will be parked at RV park the rest of time in northern AZ.

I've done a moderate amount of research and I've got it down to two Class C's that I'm considering:

M151 - 2004 28' 2004 Bt Cruiser w/Slide, 77275 miles, sleeps 4, $21,495
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/classc/2004-Bt-Cruiser-25165.htm

M110 - 2003 22' Chateau Sport, 39829 miles, sleeps 5, $21,995
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/classc/2003-Chateau-Sport-26874.htm

Thoughts or advice? Thanks very much in advance!

[Bumpyroad]

I thought when I was looking years ago that a 24 ft C could have a rear bed, probably not walk around however.
bumpy

[apacheindian]

All fantastic advice, thanks all, especially Tatest for taking the time to write such a thoughtful and detailed response. Some great insight. My responses:

The first C is a year newer, $500 less, and 6 feet longer. Unless it has much higher mileage, I'd choose it. I do not want to convert the space in which I work and relax into the space in which I sleep. That's a tedious job, twice a day, when I am in no mood or condition to do it.

This primae fascie makes sense, and it was my first thought too, but I'm also trying to take maneuverability and gas mileage into consideration. And if I really analyze it, the space over a rear bed (the air space) is in a way "wasted" volume. I am fine with the over-the-cabin sleeping area for me, but I wonder if the one-room layout of a 22-footer would make me go stir crazy after a while - ?

Secondary considerations will be the bathroom and the kitchen. Do you fit in the bathroom? Are you comfortable with the space for the amount of time you have to sit there? Is there room in the shower for what you do in the shower?

This was a great suggestion and when I went to PPL yesterday I made it a point to get into the bathroom and shower and simulate using them.

I have no concerns about age, mileage

Interesting point -- I am now also considering this one or something like this one -- M133 - 2006 31' Maverick w/Slide, 102,063 miles, sleeps 8, $22,995 -- but the high mileage concerns me. Legitimate concern? The dealer thought so.

Does that mean you will use the RV a lot in the city?

No, just that I know very little about RV's and am just learning ha. I won't be driving/using it in the city, or not very often anyway.

You normally have to have a minimum 27-28 foot rig to get a rear bedroom.

This is a great point. I think what I am realizing is that to prevent claustrophobia I do need a rear bedroom. But I don't need a big bed nor do I want to "waste the volume" above a big bed. I wonder if there are shorter Class C's with a small rear bedroom, and instead of a queen bed, have two single bunk beds? (I love bunk beds, make me feel like a kid again ha)

If you are going to be in Arizona with it you might try shopping on the Phoenix, Prescott and Tucson craigslists.

Good thought and one that I considered, would save the drive & gas taking it from Houston to AZ. Can Craigslist be trusted for RV's? What about RVTrader.com?

Of course any used RV must be thoroughly checked for leaks before purchase.

Pardon my ignorance, but how does one do this?

We have the 2003 Ford based Itasca and love it.

What length? Year? I will check one out. I lean toward Ford a bit more than Chevy -- not sure why or if I should though, maybe it's just a branding perception I have - ?

[EMD360]

PPL is great for shopping for the type of RV you might want. They have the floorplans and good photos and the data such as mileage, no stupid photos of the tire tread! (Outdated tires can have lots of tread but still need to be replaced.)
If you are going to be in Arizona with it you might try shopping on the Phoenix, Prescott and Tucson craigslists. There are many RV's for sale in the area and I think the prices might be a bit less than the consignments at PPL.
Of course any used RV must be thoroughly checked for leaks before purchase. Fixing rotted walls is not pleasant and is too time consuming for a working person.
We have the 2003 Ford based Itasca and love it. Short and sweet. Easy to get around town with no toad. Easy to drive with no special shocks or stabilizers. Buffets in the wind a bit in places like Utah that can be gusty, but stays true to the highway with enough attention to the driving. Could not have made a better choice for our first RV, even though many will tell you that a rear bed is essential for an older couple, we are OK with the overhead. Still it is a matter of fitness and choice. Have fun choosing!

[Handbasket]

Do a thorough test drive of each. I suspect the Chevy chassis will drive better when passing / being passed by big trucks, and I know the cab will be more comfortable.

IMO, as long as you get a floor plan you can work with, the next most important thing is a mostly leak-proof roof, followed by a comfortable & easy to drive cab.

Jim, "Your system is not properly grounded. Please bury your computer deep, immediately."

[Bordercollie]

I would not have any RV without a dedicated full time rear bedroom with an RV Queen sized bed, preferably with access on both sides and at the foot. You normally have to have a minimum 27-28 foot rig to get a rear bedroom. You will also get much more storage space in cargo bay and in cabinets which may come in handy for near full timing. If you intend to park in driveways or other limited space areas, you may need a shorter rig. A Road Trek B van conversion is better in city traffic but not great for living in or parking in really small spaces.

[Jim_Shoe]

I'm a retired single RVer. My first RV was a Class "B" Roadtrek. I had no idea how I would use it, except I was really tired of living in hotel rooms when I was working. As I found out, the CG wasn't my destination. Its where I park the RV while seeing and doing things in the area. Hooking/Unhooking utilities every day and returning in the evening, often to a different parking spot, got old quickly. I also got tired of having to convert the dinette to a bed and back, and having limited storage space for longer trips.
So I traded it for a 'C' with a full time bed and I tow a Jeep Wrangler 4 down for exploring or just grocery shopping while I'm stopped for a week or two. It sure would have been cheaper to buy the right RV the first time, but most of us just don't know how or where we'll use it.

[tonyandkaren]

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/classc/2004-Bt-Cruiser-25165.htm

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/classc/2003-Chateau-Sport-26874.htm

Both look good. You're getting more RV for the same amount of money with the Cruiser but almost double the mileage on the odometer which might not matter because you should get many more miles out of either.

I like the exterior finish construction of the BT Cruiser more than the Four Winds. The Cruiser with a bedroom and slide out will be roomier but a little harder to drive and park in cities. The entertainment center above the cab is nice but there isn't any place to sit except the dinette. You could probably replace the dinette with a couch.

Comfort and convenience are the most important things. Since you live near PPL visit the dealer and go through the motions of daily living and pick the one that works best. Good luck!

[Doodlebug557]

That was a great post Tatest…. Made me think a little as that is what I am leaning towards. My wife passed away a year ago, we had just purchased a 5ver and had taken it out six times. Now its for sale. I still love camping, still want to go and meet people, so I have purchased a super C. I pick it up in a week and hopefully we do well together. I did think about some of the things Tatest reflected on, but not everything. So I hope me and the Jayco Seneca 35gs get along well.

[Jopops]

That was a really well thought out post Tatest.

[PghBob]

As noted in the posts above, give careful consideration to how you will use the RV the most. I noted that you report you are a city slicker. Does that mean you will use the RV a lot in the city? If so, a smaller unit is generally easier to park and move around in the city environment. In some cases, it is also easier to squeeze into some more remote campgrounds. If, as you indicated, it will spend much time in a campground, a longer unit will give you more room for everyday living and relaxing. Generally, storage room will be greater in a longer unit. Good luck with your search.

Bob

[Bumpyroad]

sleeps 4, sleeps 5, a joke. they all sleep 2 comfortably.
bumpy

[tatest]

Which layout works better for your single lifestyle? I have a C that my wife chose for us to live in and travel together, without converting anything day to night. But the overhead bed, and convertible living/sleeping space, made it useful for six people also, more if some were small children. For short periods of time, because there really is no room for that many people to move around and get ready for the day.

This still works for me, single since my wife died, but I rattle around in that much space, thinking I'd be cozier in something smaller. Still, whether a motorhome, conversion van, or small trailer, my standard is that I do not want to convert the space in which I work and relax into the space in which I sleep. That's a tedious job, twice a day, when I am in no mood or condition to do it. No Pullman porters came with my RV, taking care of this task while I am in the dining car or lounge. Avoiding this conversion is the first consideration looking at any RV alternatives.

I think it is a good one for you to think about.

The Chateau Sport has an overhead bed, are you going to use it? Then you are not having to meddle with conversion of space for different functions. But if you don't sleep in the overhead, is there another bed to use without converting some living space? Give me a model number, I'd know the answers, have brochures for that line and looked at all of them shopping in 2004-2005.

Similarly for the BT Cruiser, does this model have a place to sleep, without converting your living space? One of my friends, passed about a year ahead of my wife, had a BT with a dinette and sofa, one of which had to be converted to a bed. But she ripped out the sofa, replaced it with her recliner, and slept in the recliner. Slept in a recliner at home, she couldn't breathe sleeping flat in a bed. Same for my wife, the last seven months of her life, lay flat and the tumor cuts off breathing.

Secondary considerations will be the bathroom and the kitchen. Do you fit in the bathroom? Are you comfortable with the space for the amount of time you have to sit there? Is there room in the shower for what you do in the shower?

Consider the kitchen. Do you cook, or do you just zap frozen dinners? If you cook, is there room for preparation of ingredients (cutting space is a big thing with me) and juggling pots, pans, griddles, dishes. I find my kitchen a little too small most of the time, and take that activity outside to a big table where I set up a campstove. After you are all done, do you have facilities for cleaning up cookware, washing dishes.

Note that I have no concerns about age, mileage, size (though I prefer smaller, it is a getting around issue). I'm in a RV club including a bunch of folks who have been doing this 10-20 years longer than I have, and I've been doing it for almost 50 years. Nobody in the club ever traded or gave up on a RV because of how old it was, or how many miles, or because it was the wrong brand and they wanted more "quality." People got rid of one RV in favor of another because it was no longer suited to the way they wanted to live in it. For most, after a few RV's worth of experience, this was because their life and their needs were changing. But for an unfortunate few, we would watch them buy and sell three RVs in five years because once they got the thing and tried to use it, they found that they couldn't live in it, something about the organization of the space didn't work for them.

This is the part you have to work through for yourself, because your needs are your needs, and somebody else's preferences (bigger is always better?) are based in different needs.

My wife and I RV shopped for 16-17 months, going to every show, revisiting dealers, going through two exercises. How do we want to use this thing? At least three answers to that one. Can we live in this space? That was a lot of role playing in a lot of RVs of different types: TTs, fivers, C motorhomes, small A motorhomes, big full-timing motorcoaches (had a house-sized budget for that case). My wife ruled out van conversions after trying on a few (no room for the kids and grandchildren) and tent campers (the whole idea of getting a RV was so we no longer had to sleep in a tent and live outdoors).

For what you want to do with it, you maybe need to think about how you are going to get around, once encamped for a work location. Are you going to unhook the C (or other type motorhome) every day and drive it to work? Then you want the smallest thing you can comfortably live in, for mobility.

Are you going to tow a second motor vehicle for mobility when camped? I've done this, and the trade off is greatly reduced mobility (somewhat less than a travel trailer since you can't back up) compared to the motorhome by itself. We got our motorhome with the idea of continuous travel most of the time, towing nothing. Shopping and sightseeing done enroute, stops are just overnight. For the few times we are going somewhere to stay for a few days, usually someone else brought the transportation. Now most of my use of the RV is to take it out
to the lake for a week, which means towing out a car so I can get around.

That's why I'm looking at RVs I can tow, and leave on site. That was one of our alternatives when shopping, my first preference, but did not fit as well for what we figured out we were going to do, as a motorhome towing nothing.

One son-in-law's father has a working situation similar to yours, but not really the same. He is in power plant maintenance, jobs 2-3 months, working at least 10 months a year away from home. Getting tired of the cheap motels, he thought he wanted a motorhome, but figured out what really worked well was a travel trailer to live in for length of time on site, tow vehicle for getting around. He got a trailer big enough to sleep and house a second person, and rents space to a co-worker (duration of the job) also fed up with how little you get for the price living in cheap motels for several months at a time.

Father of other son-in-law is also a travel trailer guy rather than a motorhome guy. The way he uses a RV is to take it to a vacation destination for a stay of a week to a month, maybe a couple of months. He sets up for the convenience of his children and grandchildren, who come to the location to have their vacation at the place he has parked the RV.

Yes, you can do this with a motorhome, but it is much less costly to do it with a travel trailer of appropriate size. For less than the cost on owning and maintaining a motorhome of equivalent living space, he buys a new trailer every 3-4 years, and a new truck every alternate year.

[TucsonJim]

The first C is a year newer, $500 less, and 6 feet longer. Unless it has much higher mileage, I'd choose it.