Insite for First Time Class C Buyer / RVer

[ChuckHM]

My wife and I are recently retired, in our early 60's, and generally in good health. We want to travel throughout the US and Canada in probably month or less chunks. We won't be sitting in any particular camp ground for an extended period, except to be out site seeing during the day. Probably rent a car to go into city, or crowed areas. We have grown children and grandchildren who might take a weekend or week trip with us, but don't know if we should make this a major factor in the decision.

We have been researching RVs for the last month, have a good local dealer, and have decided on a Class C, and we think we know what our preference is on layout.

The one thing we are not sure of is how big to go the first time, having no experience driving something this big. If this wasn't a consideration, we would go with the Forester 3051. However, my wife thinks this is too large (driving, not living). The other end would be a 24 ft., either on the Mercedes diesel, of a Ford.

So here are my questions:

• Go smaller to start, and if the whole concept is a winner, and the kids want to join in, trade up, or just start with the 32 footer get used to driving it relatively quick???
• 
  If we go small, should we spend extra for the Mercedes? I already know that the gas mileage difference would take over 80,000 miles of driving to make up for the difference, which probably would never happen. What other factors should be considered in this decision?

Thanks for any wisdom you all can provide.

P.S. My wife is adamant she would never drive a Class A. Is this novice thinking? What are key reasons for going Class C vs. A, leaving aside any cost differences?

[ChuckHM]

Thanks for all the insights. We are probably going to stick to the 24s. Forest River has a new 2291S (24+ ft.) that has a non-centered queen size bed. They don't seem to have hit the street yet however. I will also look at all the recommendations above.

We have a sailboat with a queen plus size aft berth that you climb into at the head of the berth. I have to climb over my wife to get out, and it hasn't been a problem for us. And don't ask what the head room is on my side. You certainly can't be claustrophobic.

We are sightseers, not campers. So this is mostly a place to relax at the end of a day out, sleep, shower, and sit and read a magazine.

[Skid_Row_Joe]

ChuckHM wrote:
My wife and I are recently retired, in our early 60's, and generally in good health. We want to travel throughout the US and Canada in probably month or less chunks. We won't be sitting in any particular camp ground for an extended period, except to be out site seeing during the day. Probably rent a car to go into city, or crowed areas. We have grown children and grandchildren who might take a weekend or week trip with us, but don't know if we should make this a major factor in the decision.

We have been researching RVs for the last month, have a good local dealer, and have decided on a Class C, and we think we know what our preference is on layout.

The one thing we are not sure of is how big to go the first time, having no experience driving something this big. If this wasn't a consideration, we would go with the Forester 3051. However, my wife thinks this is too large (driving, not living). The other end would be a 24 ft., either on the Mercedes diesel, of a Ford.

So here are my questions:

• Go smaller to start, and if the whole concept is a winner, and the kids want to join in, trade up, or just start with the 32 footer get used to driving it relatively quick???
• 
  If we go small, should we spend extra for the Mercedes? I already know that the gas mileage difference would take over 80,000 miles of driving to make up for the difference, which probably would never happen. What other factors should be considered in this decision?

Thanks for any wisdom you all can provide.

P.S. My wife is adamant she would never drive a Class A. Is this novice thinking? What are key reasons for going Class C vs. A, leaving aside any cost differences?

Check out the new Winnebago Via.

[toedtoes]

Slides take a lot of storage weight away that's for sure. That's all part of the trade offs. For me, I wanted no slides, basic storage capability and under 24ft. Works great for me.

[Mich_F]

toedtoes wrote:
For example, if you MUST HAVE a walk-around bed, then you're going to need a 26ft at least.

A walk around bed was a must have for my wife. We ended up buying a 32 1/2'er. :S

About 8 months or so after we bought, we drove about 60 or so miles from a campground, to a dealer, just to see a Nexus 25P. That was the smallest (24'11" bumper to bumper) MH that I've seen with a true walk around bed. It was very impressive, with all the room it has. They do this by having a full wall slide. I was surprised to see that the E350 is the standard cab/chassis for it . I was told it could be ordered with an E450. I asked what it weighed and was told it's 10,000# You do, I believe, give up a lot of outside storage because of that full length slide.

[toedtoes]

As you can see, there is no single answer. Everybody has what works for them. That's what you need to figure out - what do YOU need. Once you know what your "make or break" items are, then you can determine the size needed. For example, if you MUST HAVE a walk-around bed, then you're going to need a 26ft at least.

[Bordercollie]

We started out with a VW bus conversion camper, went to a dodge Maxi-van camper, then a 23 foot Class C and finally a 27 foot bumper to bumper Tioga 26Q. IMHO, you will want an RV queen bed/rearbedroom for your comfort, kids and guests sleep in the overhead and/or convertible dinette or jack-knife couch.You will need adequate storage in the rear cargo hold and in cabinets. The rear bedroom, galley, and bathroom are adequate in this kind of floor plan. We have negotiated tight twisty back roads in this 27 footer. If you can find a good used Fleetwood Tioga or Jamboree 26Q or similar length/floor plan, I'd recommend it as a good compromise for your intended use. Learn as much as you can and don't buy on impulse. Most RV's use the same brands of air conditioners and appliances, etc. and they start needing replacements/repairs at about 10 years old. Tires must be replaced every 5-6 years regardless of appearance. Learn about total cost of owning a motor home.

[Jbrowland]

full time = 30+ feet
Part time = 22-24 feet

JMHO

[badbob1]

Agree that the MB Sprinter chassis is costly and harder to find service locations. For this reason I said no way I was going to pay that cost as I will never put enough miles on the unit to save any money in fuel costs. Drove ford and chevy chassis and liked the way they handled. Found them difficult to climb around the engine doghouse to reach the rear living area. I then decided to test drive a sprinter chassis and was sold. Much more comfortable to drive and getting to and from the rear was easier than many of the class A units we looked at. To me it was worth the higher cost.
BadBob

[johnnyrv]

For trips of a month or less I think a 24 to 26 foot class c is ideal. Easy to drive and park without towing a car. We have the Four Winds 22e. Wife takes the rear corner bed and I sleep in the cab over. Bathroom is spacious, better than some class A's . Also nice is the Winnebago 25b. I would avoid a slide and prefer the Ford V10 with many dealers for service.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

No, I'm not in Saskatchewan at the moment--but I will be on March 5th.

Why do you wish to replace the Sprinter?

Fastpaddler wrote:
I am planning to replace my B van Sprinter with another RV, possibly a 24ft C class.

[Duck]

You might consider renting the class C in several lengths for a weekend trip. This will give you a feel for the different sizes.
Don

[Fastpaddler]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

For best driveability a 26 foot with a 176 inch wheel base is as good as it gets. It will feel much as if you were driving a large car.

The load capacity starts to be an issue when units get longer.

Do you plan to boondock or will you always have campground sites?

Hi,
Bet you are not in Saskatoon right now. We go to Phoenix or Palm Springs. I agree that up to 26 ft is fine and manageable. I prefer 24.
Al

[Fastpaddler]

I am planning to replace my B van Sprinter with another RV, possibly a 24ft C class. There are several which are 24/25 feet such as Winnebago View , Itasca 24g, Coachmen 24g, Coach House 24 which have rear beds and full dry baths. The 24g units with rear and side slideouts are actually more like 298 ft and wider with side slide out plus you can manoeuver them in small parking lots and other spots like some campgrounds which don't like even 30 footers. If a C class at around 24 to 25 feet(closed) and 28 or so open isn't big enough then go straight to an A Class. Thor has the Axis and Vegas which are technically A class but B class size(24/25 +) but are A class to drive and have a great panoramic window up front. I prefer the Vegas for quality. Lots of choice. But I agree with a previous point: buying/trading up or down is costly and I know that from experience. Good Luck.

[bobojay5]

Look at a Phoenix Cruiser because they make coaches slightly narrower and a shorter height than the "normal" class C, not to mention the superb quality interior.
We are on our second Sprinter RV, and it will be our last. Hard to find service, expensive service and VERY expensive parts if needed. Also uses a special spec motor oil you can't just find anywhere if needed