Looking at A's under 30 feet

[Snowman9000]

DW and I have been wracking our brains looking for an ideal C in the 25-27 foot range. We have come close to finding what we want but are not quite there.

We test drove a Class A Winn. Vista 26HE last month. We were pretty impressed, although it still didn't have the plan we want. Well, they make a 27N that pushes all our buttons. Here is the plan:



I am interested in looking at late model used A's too. Meaning probably 2006 or newer. Here is our list, which contains some things that any A will have. Some of them are hard to find in a mid sized C.

We want dedicated twin or walkaround queen.
Under 30' total length.
Swiveling cab seats.
TV viewable from same. I can probably move the TV to do that, though.
Decent kitchen counter space, doesn't have to be much, but there must be at least 18" between sink and stove.
Have an oven.
Fixed dinette.
50+ gallons FW, with gray and black good sizes as well.
18+ gallons LP.
Not be known for squirrely handling.
Don't really need/want a sofa, assuming the cab seats are nice.

I'm not up on the powertrain issues or improvements by years, etc. So any insight there would be great. I'd love a FRED but I think there won't be one that fits my list.

As I say, the 27N does it all. Are there any used models you'd suggest us to look at?

[Snowman9000]

zman, yes, we would be towing.

[Snowman9000]

Today we looked at a 2007 Sightseer 29R, which is 29'9". Nice floorplan. We are not quite ready to buy, so I didn't drive it. It is a consignment unit, only 1700 miles, which is not necessarily good but it's not too old yet so maybe not a big deal. They want $53,900. We haven't looked at the used market so I don't yet have an idea about that price.

[Gjac]

Effy wrote:

Gjac wrote:
The only issue that I see is that the Vista, Ace, Feista don't have the full basement storage with the cargo doors. I would look at the next level up like the Sightseer, Daybreak etc which do.

Huh? The rear passthrough compartment is HUGE and fully accessable on each side. Never use up all that space and most models have at least one other full width compartment. If you are looking for slide trays etc, you're right. Usually have to step up to a DP. But as far as storage on a 30 footer, I can't see how you'd find any more on any model than an ACE.

I like the big pass tru but it removes storage under the bed. The other door openings are much smaller than the other models that I mentioned.

[Effy]

Gjac wrote:
The only issue that I see is that the Vista, Ace, Feista don't have the full basement storage with the cargo doors. I would look at the next level up like the Sightseer, Daybreak etc which do.

Huh? The rear passthrough compartment is HUGE and fully accessable on each side. Never use up all that space and most models have at least one other full width compartment. If you are looking for slide trays etc, you're right. Usually have to step up to a DP. But as far as storage on a 30 footer, I can't see how you'd find any more on any model than an ACE.

[mena661]

DW and I almost bought a Thor Hurricane but if our budget allowed, we would've much preferred a Winnie (if buying new..although with even more budget we would've still gotten a Newmar). I'd stick with the Winnie. Also, I've been told that even our 33 ft Newmar would have handling issues because of the "short" wheelbase. There are zero handling issues even when towing a 4800 lb loaded trailer. As a matter of fact, the towing experience was excellent, far better than I expected. Don't worry about the handling.

[Chevytrkr]

We just purchased the Fleetwood Storm 28F. It is really comfortable and has everything we wanted in a Class A since we were downsizing from a 30 foot fifth wheel. The bed slides out the back wall about 18 inches so that makes the length a little longer when set up. The captains chairs are very comfortable a swivel for TV viewing. We have a queen bed over the cab that lifts all the way to the ceiling so it doesn't obstruct entrance to the cab. The kitchen is a little smaller than what we wanted, but we are managing okay. We love our new RV and are looking forward to our first long trip in it.

[JimM68]

what chassis is that on?
A couple years ago, we camped next to a couple in the smokies with a winnie A with exactly that floor plan. It was on the mercedes sprinter diesel chassis. They loved it.

[zman-az]

Are you going to tow anything. One thing I noticed with the short wheel base is that my tow vehicle would try to go straight if I put on the brakes during a turn. Felt strange at first but now I just brake on the straights before the turn and with the tow option the tranny does an awesome job. This all happened because I did not have a aux brake system on my tow vehicle which would make a huge difference and is required in most states. I ended up with the short RV because I have a tight turn for my RV to be able to make it in my 40x30 shop, if I could go bigger I would. The 26' vista turns so sharp I did a U-turn on a 4 lane road with the center lane towing my 20' boat. Wife freaked out but it was no big deal after I completed the turn. I really have not noticed much other handling difference between my 26' vs my dads 33' RV as far as side wind and the open road goes.

[Gjac]

The only issue that I see is that the Vista, Ace, Feista don't have the full basement storage with the cargo doors. I would look at the next level up like the Sightseer, Daybreak etc which do.

[Snowman9000]

zman, nice info, thanks.

Re the handling, I have read threads where some folks hate a particular Class A gasser and other owners love it. I have to check but I would guess the ACE uses the same chassis as one or more of the Winnie's we are mentioning. Effy, we have no brand loyalty at this point. I do want a quality builder but I also expect to have to fix or improve a lot of little things in any event.

Specific to the 26HE, I have seen long threads where it's half and half as far as handling. I wonder if the difference is about how much stuff they put in the huge rear storage? The one I test drove handled great. But it was empty so I guess I can't tell from that. I think I would be willing to take a chance with one, as far as handling.

27N owners, how do they handle? They have a slightly better wheelbase to overall length ratio than the 26HE.

[Effy]

Finally Time wrote:
I was looking for an under 30’ MH and wound up with a Winnebago Vista 27N. I bought a Thor ACE 27.1 in March. A few trips showed me I could not live with the water leaks, poor quality fit and finish, and the very poor handling (even after an alignment and the “Cheap Handling Fix.) And those are only a few of the problems.

I took the loss and traded it for the 27N. The Winne has so much better quality, more storage, more counter space, a real double sink (rather than one round sink), better handling, a level floor so the cockpit chairs really become part of the living area, and a throne you can sit on without your feet dangling in mid air. It was more expensive than the ACE but to me it is worth every penny.

Your ACE issues sound pretty unique. I have had 2 and experience none of the issues you mention. Why would you live with a leak? Both of ours handle excellently, no wander, wind or truck push and pretty smooth. That said they are both longer wheelbases than the 27. Fit and finish is on par with a $65k coach and more storage than I have seen on 40 footers. A lot of bang for your buck. Not to offend any Winnie owners, they make a great coach, but innovation seems lacking and a bit sparse, and I am not fond of accordian doors, lack of a laptop area, mud room and a few other creature comforts, but more than that Winnie seems to be overpriced compared to the competition and they won't really haggle much. Again, nicer fit and finish, no argument there but better bargains can be had. Thor has one of the best customer service records in the industry. I have no experience with Winnie's.

[brandonrv]

Cross winds only started messing with me when I towed my jeep on my 26HE. I have since then done the cheap handling fix and it's way better. I also learned that just rolling the windows down on the jeep help a lot. The problem is that the jeep doesn't handle wind well so it tugs on the tail of the motorhome.

There are more upgrades I plan on doing to prevent this, but for now it's not bad with just the CHF.


Snowman you should be able to get the 27N for under 100k. Might be able to get you an unsold (but new) 2013 in the 80s.

I think if you like it you can't go wrong with the winnie. I'm loving the 26HE.. I really enjoy driving it and I'm constantly looking forward to using it.


The 30T is more my layout style, but like i said for the price I just couldn't justify the 30T over the 26HE.

[zman-az]

We got a 2011 26' Vista that has dual slides. The layout is simiar to the 26HE which I posted below. I pulled the 32" TV off the cab and put a picture frame in place. I then got two 26" TV's, one for bedroom and the other I mounted between the door and pass seat on the wall while removing the lounge chair and putting a end table under the TV. I also put in directv and have the receiver run both TV's. The DTV remote is RF so it works in the bedroom and coach area's, all with 1 remote. Instead of dinette we have a recliner couch and we get a straight on view to the new TV location. It is tight in the RV and would be nice to have extra counter space. Don't need the table as we eat on the couch or outside. We do use the captain chairs as well but the couch is way better. Also the drivers seat is limited to movement due to the steering wheel. I do wish RV mfg would consider TV location if they are going to put them in RV's.

[chloe_s_ranch]

The 26HE is built on a pretty short wheelbase which can be problematic in cross winds. It is also built on the lighter 16k chassis.