Looking to purchase a used Class C

[babymichael20]

Greetings-I'm new to this site. My husband and I are empty nesters in our mid 50's in Maryland. We are looking to purchase a used Class C motorhome to travel around the united states together. I'm looking for something great for travel as opposed to camping. We know we want the queen bed in the rear of the coach. Mostly it will be just the 2 of us and maybe a 3 year old on occasion. I'm sure my sons will borrow the rig for their own travel etc... Any suggestions? Make-model-must haves etc, things to avoid? Looking to keep the cost under 35K. Looking to the experts for any info. Thanks

[babymichael20]

At this point we are not looking to toad. We will have a scooter and bikes.

[Mich_F]

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
Forest River shows 7,500 lb hitch on it's Ford E-450's. That's what I had toured at a recent RV show so familiar with it. Haven't looked at others. They don't list TW restriction but isn't that mostly a non-factor with a 4 wheel down toad compared to TT?

Yeah, tongue weight certainly isn't an issue with a toad, whether 4 wheel down, or on a tow dolly. Now if you're towing a boat, or a trailer, then it could be an issue.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

Forest River shows 7,500 lb hitch on it's Ford E-450's. That's what I had toured at a recent RV show so familiar with it. Haven't looked at others. They don't list TW restriction but isn't that mostly a non-factor with a 4 wheel down toad compared to TT?

[Mich_F]

ron.dittmer wrote:
And I would research if a 7500 pound hitch is available to match the rating. Every hitch I've seen these days has a 5000 pound rating.

I would imagine if a Manufacturer has rated the Claas C to tow 7,500#, they would put a 7,500# hitch on the vehicle. 😉
There are plenty of builders that have not increased the E450 GCWR to 22,000#
My 2014 31K has a 5,000# hitch and a sticker limiting the tongue weight to 350#.














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[ron_dittmer]

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:

Mich F wrote:

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
If you plan on doing a toad, the 2014 and later E-450 bumped up to 7,500 lbs tow rating. May not matter but my preferred toad will likely be right at 5,000 so I have a little slack.

Just to clarify that statement a little. Ford has been giving the E450 a 7,500# tow rating since the 2011 model year. They increased the GCWR from 20,000# to 22,000#. The GVWR was already at 14,500# (since 2008 I believe) resulting in the fairly new 7,500# rating. It's only been much more recently, that some Class C manufacturers are rating their products to tow what Ford rates them at.

Thanks! Good clarification for me and others. 2014 is where I was seeing it show up in specs.

And I would research if a 7500 pound hitch is available to match the rating. Every hitch I've seen these days has a 5000 pound rating.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

Mich F wrote:

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:


3. If you plan on doing a toad, the 2014 and later E-450 bumped up to 7,500 lbs tow rating. May not matter but my preferred toad will likely be right at 5,000 so I have a little slack.

4

Just to clarify that statement a little. Ford has been giving the E450 a 7,500# tow rating since the 2011 model year. They increased the GCWR from 20,000# to 22,000#. The GVWR was already at 14,500# (since 2008 I believe) resulting in the fairly new 7,500# rating. It's only been much more recently, that some Class C manufacturers are rating their products to tow what Ford rates them at.

Thanks! Good clarification for me and others. 2014 is where I was seeing it show up in specs.

[toedtoes]

I agree also. If you're going to stay at private RV Parks, then size isn't really an issue. But many of the public campgrounds (especially the older more primitive ones) do have limits (often due to the access roads not the pad size).

[ron_dittmer]

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
Think about where you want to camp. We like State and National Parks so I prefer to stay under 30' for smaller spots. Obvious tradeoff with space.

I agree with this.

We camp exclusively on national park lands, from parks, monuments, forests, and BLMs. I personally feel that we are real close to the length limit at under 24 feet. I'll see a few longer but they often struggle to get around and fit in some camps sites. And of coarse the largest sites are the first taken.

[Mich_F]

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:


3. If you plan on doing a toad, the 2014 and later E-450 bumped up to 7,500 lbs tow rating. May not matter but my preferred toad will likely be right at 5,000 so I have a little slack.

4

Just to clarify that statement a little. Ford has been giving the E450 a 7,500# tow rating since the 2011 model year. They increased the GCWR from 20,000# to 22,000#. The GVWR was already at 14,500# (since 2008 I believe) resulting in the fairly new 7,500# rating. It's only been much more recently, that some Class C manufacturers are rating their products to tow what Ford rates them at.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

I'm a shopper like you so I'm speaking from advice I've read on here as I decipher what we need.

1. Think about where you want to camp. We like State and National Parks so I prefer to stay under 30' for smaller spots. Obvious tradeoff with space.

2. Echo the GVWR. We went to an RV show and the floorplan that we really liked only had 1,500 lbs or so left for passengers and luggage. Pretty tight.

3. If you plan on doing a toad, the 2014 and later E-450 bumped up to 7,500 lbs tow rating. May not matter but my preferred toad will likely be right at 5,000 so I have a little slack. This also means I need to wait for price to drop on 2014's and will rent a couple years for big trips.

[Roy_Lynne]

Buy used as there are some great deals out there but save some money for new tires and a full going over by a great RV mechanic. If you go new, stay away from Forest River and check out Born Free, Winnebago or mid price range units.
The beds in most are called "short queens" and they require special sized sheets but unless your over 6'3 it shouldn't matter.
Get one with a slide as the extra room is really nice to have.
We were looking for a smaller Class C last fall and found this one that had less than 7000 miles on it. The owner found that he wanted one that he could park the rig and sight see, so he switched to a 5th Wheel. You might want to think about that. Class As and Cs almost always need to tow car if you plan to do much sightseeing.
And one last thought, its not cheap to RV. It costs about 150.00 to fill the gas tank and your going to get about 8 to 10 MPG Nightly stays average about $35 dollars. The cheapest way to travel is a Honda and Motel 6s. LOL

[Duck]

Double Post

[Duck]

You might go to some of the websites for Class C manufacturers so that you can see floor plans and other information. Also go to PPL Motorhome web site. They sale only used RVs. Large selection and will give you some idea of prices. Newly posted RVs will be higher then ones that have been there for awhile. The price drops every week or so.
Don

[Bumpyroad]

DaHose wrote:

I can't emphasize how important floor plan is. If you are going to LIVE in that RV, then it has to fit your needs. Ours has a couch and removable table. I think that is a must for any kind of full timing. The dinette eats up precious floor space and the bed is nowhere near as flexible as a good jackknife couch could be. I have actually tried napping on mine and I find it very comfortable.

Also, get a macerator. You will really benefit from being able to dump anywhere, regardless of dump hose angles. It could also be nice for transferring grey water if you need extra storage.

Jose

when I got my first Class A there was the option of dinette or sofa. at the advice of my mentor I chose the jack knife sofa. Hated putting those removable tables up and couldn't get around them easily. wish I had opted for the dinette. But a "good jackkknife couch". I have never found one that was at all comfortable for sleeping. and "trying napping" is not really a valid test.
but yes, dump the stinky slinky and get a macerator pump.
bumpy