We faced the same kinds of issues now that we're retired. We wanted something smaller (and affordable), but that was still on a Ford E450 chassis. We love the power and reliability of the V10, and so far, we've been very pleased.
I think that all motorhomes are coming out of the factories with "issues" these days, and we looked for over a year. We toured the factories, looked at the models, talked to the workers, and talked to owners.
We finally decided on the Jayco 23XM. It has an exterior length of only 26' 10".
However what really decided the issue was that Jayco is the only family owned and privately held RV manufacturer in the United States. And, they are the only manufacturer to offer a standard 2 year warranty. That was VERY important for us. We figured that if the other companies didn't believe enough in their own products to offer a two year warranty, then something was wrong there!
We've been quite happy so far. There have been a few issues, but we went up to the factory service center, and they treated us like gold there! It was very impressive. Plus we love the area around Middlebury... so much to see and do. So we ended up staying there for 5 days playing tourist.
What ever you decide, be safe and enjoy!
http://www.jayco.com/products/class-c-motorhomes/2015-redhawk/23xm/
Me, My wonderful Wife, 2 Bluetick Hounds, a Newfie, a Cairn Terrier & a Black Lab / Newfie Mix.
2018 Jayco Alante 31v