New to Class A (Soon)

[humblerb]

We have recently started looking to upgrade from our current bumper-pull (29' - 33' overall) to a smaller Class A.
Wondering what things we need to be aware of as we contemplate the move.
Obviously, maintenance is going to be more extensive and costly.
Insurance will also be more.
I solved 18-wheeler "suck" by adding a second sway bar on our bumper pull.
I'm reading that the "suck" is prevalent on MHs, also.
What will help the most with that?
Is it common to drive with the generator running to operate the coach A/C - Heat? Is it a necessity to use the MH A/C (ie, truck A/C won't cool the coach)?
What other things should we be aware of if/when we make the move?
We are looking at vehicles in the $80k - $120k range in Houston, which means 27' - 31' gasoline units.

Thanks in advance.

[dhuse]

115 degrees in the Southwest. Dash air and generator running the roof air kept our 29' motorhome very comfortable. Turned the gen off at one time "just to see" and immediately turned it back on.

[Wanderlost]

As we've learned over the years, running the genset and both house A/Cs saved us a lot of excess heat buildup while moving. Our rigs have all had Onan generators, and they merely sipped fuel, so don't let fuel consumption stop you from running the generator.

[humblerb]

tropical36 wrote:

humblerb wrote:
The one item I mentioned that I am really curious about now is running the generator while driving.
I would never have thought that would be something you would want to do.
Now that I know it is possible, I wonder if it is actually necessary.
Do you need to run it while driving so the AC or Heater can run while traveling?

You certainly do for the roof AC's to operate, as they won't run off of an inverter and the dash air is usually not enough on hot days.
Propane heat will run at any time and as long as your house batteries are up. Electric heaters of most any sort, requires the genset, as well, however a small electric plug in heater would probably run OK from the inverter and with the engine alternator keeping the batteries up. Still a waste of time an energy, usually and the dash heat works pretty well, except in below freezing temps.

Thanks for that. As I mentioned, I would never have thought running the generator would be possible (or at least not smart).
Then I got to thinking about the AC (we're bumping up against 100 degrees in Houston the next week or so) and realized it was highly likely the dash AC wouldn't be able to cool the whole rig. First time I had ever thought about it.
We will be able to store inside, so it won't be over-heated from solar exposure.

[tropical36]

humblerb wrote:
The one item I mentioned that I am really curious about now is running the generator while driving.
I would never have thought that would be something you would want to do.
Now that I know it is possible, I wonder if it is actually necessary.
Do you need to run it while driving so the AC or Heater can run while traveling?

You certainly do for the roof AC's to operate, as they won't run off of an inverter and the dash air is usually not enough on hot days.
Propane heat will run at any time and as long as your house batteries are up. Electric heaters of most any sort, requires the genset, as well, however a small electric plug in heater would probably run OK from the inverter and with the engine alternator keeping the batteries up. Still a waste of time an energy, usually and the dash heat works pretty well, except in below freezing temps.

[tropical36]

humblerb wrote:

1995brave wrote:
Did you check out PPLmotorhomes in Houston? They have newer Class A units.

Had not even heard of them. I'm checking out their website now.
Thanks for the heads up.

They are one of the biggest consignment sales in the country.
Also check out their site for actual sales prices, which will give you an even better idea.
Obviously one coach doesn't fit all, but for $80K, you could be driving what I am and once you do that, a 27ft gasser will seem like a Model A Ford to you, both for the chassis and the house amenities and finish, as well.
PPL has sold a lot of American Coaches, so they'll eventually have one, if not right now, to meet your budget.
As an added note, PPL offers a $10 discount for COACHNET road hazard insurance and beats calling CN directly.

[humblerb]

The one item I mentioned that I am really curious about now is running the generator while driving.
I would never have thought that would be something you would want to do.
Now that I know it is possible, I wonder if it is actually necessary.
Do you need to run it while driving so the AC or Heater can run while traveling?

[humblerb]

tropical36 wrote:

humblerb wrote:
We are looking at vehicles in the $80k - $120k range in Houston, which means 27' - 31' gasoline units.

Why is that and maybe because you prefer newness over quality, perhaps?
That's not even in my realm of thinking, so can't help much here, I guess.

Wasn't trying to justify my potential purchase.
After considering about 2,000 different points, this is where we ended up. I'm happy you found your ideal vehicle without it being a 27' - 31' Gasser in the $80-$120k range.
I noted where we were so any one who was going to try to be helpful, would know something about where we are.
I've not been a Class A owner before, but I am sure there are things about a $700,000 68' luxury coach that won't apply to a 12' Economy Bus.
But thanks for your input.

[humblerb]

1995brave wrote:
Did you check out PPLmotorhomes in Houston? They have newer Class A units.

Had not even heard of them. I'm checking out their website now.
Thanks for the heads up.

[1995brave]

Did you check out PPLmotorhomes in Houston? They have newer Class A units.

[tropical36]

humblerb wrote:
We are looking at vehicles in the $80k - $120k range in Houston, which means 27' - 31' gasoline units.

Why is that and maybe because you prefer newness over quality, perhaps?
That's not even in my realm of thinking, so can't help much here, I guess.

[hammer55]

we tried to get uber in Nebraska, no luck, then tried to get a car delivered from enterprise, they said it was too far

[humblerb]

ReneeG wrote:
I'll keep it simple on two points: 1) storage and 2) are you going to tow?

We almost purchased a Class A going from a 32' TT. After DH asked me where I was going to put the garbage can, I began looking around. Not much storage.

We were going to take the first few trips without a toad due to the cost involved in the setup. Another thing to take into consideration.

In addition,when we took the test drive, it really rolled and I get car sick easily. DH said we can solve that with sway bars, which will probably fix your problem when semi's pass.

We've thought about both. If you are talking about storage under the unit, I scope that out first. Our TT has minimal storage. Most Class A's have much more. The surprise to me is the limited thru storage. Have to make sure you have some to be able to store a popup canopy. Our folding chairs are fairly long when folded up.
We probably won't tow early. If we are close by, we can drive a car. If we go distance, we can rent or Uber. A toad will be down the road a bit.

[hammer55]

for one thing, do not buy new, and install a safety plus and a rear stabilizer, if it does not have one on it, and make sure the tires are new, unless you get it cheap enough to put new tires on it to start out fresh, mine is 29ft as long as I am not towing I can still drive in parking lots,

[ReneeG]

I'll keep it simple on two points: 1) storage and 2) are you going to tow?

We almost purchased a Class A going from a 32' TT. After DH asked me where I was going to put the garbage can, I began looking around. Not much storage.

We were going to take the first few trips without a toad due to the cost involved in the setup. Another thing to take into consideration.

In addition,when we took the test drive, it really rolled and I get car sick easily. DH said we can solve that with sway bars, which will probably fix your problem when semi's pass.