Short diesel (pusher)

[RovingTriker]

The wife and I have been talking about eventually trying the rv thing. I guess that's why I'm here, right? Initially I was thinking a class c would be best for us, as we have 1 child and are planning 1 or 2 more. That said, we would need at least sleeping for 4, maybe 5, would like 6 in the event they have a friend or cousin stay. But the wife likes the look of class A's better, and they do feel a bit more spacious inside. I will be buying used, and think of myself as handy, and can improvise a bunk or 2 somewhere if needed. So after.trying to learn about the options, I think I would like a DP. Having the engine at the back would be nice for conversations, and (at least in my head) better driving experience with that much weight.

Our main plan is some cross country vacations, so we would be putting a lot of miles on every day. Plus we won't have a toad, so I would like shorter to be able to go most places. I'm thinking under 30, as I read some parks have that as a cut off.

Is there many to choose from that short? Wife's never been in one, so I don't know what kind of floor plan we would want.
Would there really be much benefit to diesel, push or pull, at that length?
Any possible handling/balance issues at that short?

Thanks in advance,
Justin

[beave]

We just sold our DP 30' Beaver Monterey (33'bumper to bumper). Diesels are expensive to maintain, however they do get a little better mileage. The prime benefit of the diesel is the high torque and the relative quiet.

However it was not a small vehicle, just try finding a place to park the thing other than a big box store.

Towing a car with a diesel has almost no impact on fuel mileage, at the most 1/2 mpg. Not everything you may want to see will be as accessible via the RV alone.

[RovingTriker]

2gypsies wrote:

If you're seeing things as you drive in multiple states, then you're not really 'seeing things'. You are in a rush.

Park the RV in a campground and spend at least two nights, if not more, in an area to really explore that area. Towing a vehicle or pulling a trailer and having the tow vehicle for excursions is the only relaxing way to explore an area. Towing a vehicle is so simple. It's not a hassle. Good luck finding what you want.

What made us initially start thinking about an RV was we would eventually like to take a trip from Ohio to the grand canyon. Last time I was out there, we went from NM, around Grand Canyon for a while, hoover dam, then into Vegas all in one day. Then we went from Vegas, to Sequoia, Redwoods, through San Francisco, up the coast to Washington all the next day. I know I didn't see it all, but I also didn't really feel like I was rushed at any time during that.

Our current vehicles are flatbed only according to the owners manual.

[mowermech]

Keep in mind that the number of people that can SLEEP in an RV is not as important as what you are going to do with them on a rainy day!
4 bored kids and two frustrated adults in an RV is a recipe for a real bad day!
Yeah, been there, did that!
I have had just about every kind of RV except a pop-up. From 8 foot truck camper to 11 foot TC to Class C to Class A (this is my third A) to fifth wheel.
I like the A best of all.
IMO, the major advantage to an RV over a hotel/motel is I know who slept in that bed last night, and what germs they were carrying, and how clean they were, etc. I also know who cooked my meals, and how the food was stored and prepared. Not that we don't eat out occasionally, but it is nice having our own kitchen if we want to use it.
I gladly pay the price in fuel economy to have the convenience.

[2gypsies1]

RovingTriker wrote:

Some part of me really doesn't want to tow anything. Nothing against those of you that do, but to me it seems like more hassle, and I think we would be better off with hotels and better fuel economy at that point. All of my trips in the past, we would see multiple things, sometimes multiple states in the same day.
With a toad (or TT like the wife asked about) seems like I would have to find a place to leave the RV go see what we want, then back track to go get the RV, then go back the direction we just were to continue the trip.

If you're seeing things as you drive in multiple states, then you're not really 'seeing things'. You are in a rush.

Park the RV in a campground and spend at least two nights, if not more, in an area to really explore that area. Towing a vehicle or pulling a trailer and having the tow vehicle for excursions is the only relaxing way to explore an area. Towing a vehicle is so simple. It's not a hassle. Good luck finding what you want.

[dpruettsms]

Boy you asked for opinions, you got them.
On our 9th class A coach. A class A has more fluid capacity than a class C, better driving visibility. The dingy towable, you need to have one, it just makes mobility easier.
The 5th wheel as suggested sound great for better sleeping capacity but for long runs it would be tough with all kids in the tow unit.
LASTLY I BELIEVE YOU NEED TO RENT A UNIT SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU AND YOUR WIFE THINK YOU MAY WANT. I have been an RVer all my life but it is not for everyone.
I wish you good luck.

[mena661]

Hills are a non-issue with the shorter gas engined A's. The V10 has 360hp and 450 lb-ft of torque and if you're 33-34ft and under will be moving a 20,000 lb coach. Any DP will be 10,000 lbs heavier with the same hp, a bit more torque (600 lb-ft range) but won't be any faster. You will get the benefit of not as much power loss in the really high elevations (7000 ft+) with diesel because of the turbocharger. I live in a valley at 2500 ft and to get in or out the rig must climb to at least 4000 ft. The slowest is 50 mph on the steepest part coming from the south into the valley which is a long climb (~20 miles all uphill). The rest of the time I'm at 65 mph easily. With the exception of that one part, conversations are easily had. No yelling and screaming but based on reports from other gas MH owners, it seems sound insulation is not all equal. Test different coaches.

About auto levelers, ease of setup was THE main reason we switched to a MH.

EDIT: Some of the newer gas class A's have a power front bunk that sleeps two easily. Some of the Thor gas MH's have that feature but I've seen some others.

[donsuefuggrwe]

I have never heard a RV owner complain that their coach was to big for them. I have heard numerous complaints that their coach was to small for them. Go big young man. The bigger the better.

[BillofPA]

Our 34 1/2 ft. DP has been used for several cross country trips and we are SO glad it's a DP. When doing a lot of driving like we do the noise at the back makes it so nice to have conversations with each other especially going up mountains. If we didn't travel as much and just did more local camping I think a gasser would be just fine. As far as a toad: wouldn't be without one. We put lots of miles on the toad in the past 8 years. It also was very handy when we had a week long breakdown in the middle of nowhere.

[bluwtr49]

Personally, with the size of the group you have....if it were me, a Class A would be the last on my list.

I would lean towards something like a 5er or TT that have much better sleeping arrangements. Than to a Class C....again for the accommodations. The vast majority of MH are designed to: drink 10, eat 6, and sleep 2. Going small will only make the problem worse.

[bsinmich]

As mentioned you will find a very small choice in short DPs under 30'. We have never been in a CG where we could not fit and we have been doing this since 1969. We can carry on normal conversation with our front engine gasser. The ride is also comfortable. You are going to have to spend a lot of time looking at various MHs. They are not all the same with different prices. I have a top end gasser and it has insulation that is not in cheaper MHs, double pane glass for insulation and also quiet, ducted AC that means we can carry on conversation with the AC running, and solid wood cabinets that don't have peeling wood decals. I have also found that having a 27' MH did not let me get into some of the tourist areas. They would provide parking in some cases but the RVs weren't welcome in the towns. Bar Harbor, ME, and Niagara on the Lake in Ontario are 2 that come to mind. A Class A will give better storage in lower compartments while a C will have sleeping accomodations over the cab. That area is also where you will read about all of the leaks on the C forum.

[rgatijnet1]

I think that you should seriously reconsider towing another vehicle with you at all times. On a typical trip of 7000 miles, it is not unusual for us to put 3000+ miles on the toad. Besides that, with your family, there is a safety factor. If your coach breaks down, with a toad you have transportation available for them to go to the nearest place of comfort. Without a toad, you are at the mercy of whatever happens by at the area where you are stranded. After many years of RV travel, we will never make a trip without our back-up vehicle, just in case something breaks. If you read the forums a lot, you will find that things do break and sometimes they break at the most inconvenient times.

[workhardplayha1]

RovingTriker wrote:
I did ask about how child seats work in my other thread, but didn't get any replies to that part. So I didn't even bring it up in this one.

We stayed in a travel trailer/tow vehicle until the kids were a little older.

[Effy]

I would agree with a lot of posters here. You are talking about a larger family on longer trips with a shorter coach. The equation does not really add up. You’ll need to at least go 34’ to get some decent space storage and bunks. You still aren’t really compromised on what sort of places you can get into. You did not mention a budget but if you can go DP for long trips I think you would be happier. Thor makes a nice DP bunkhouse , the Palazzo 33.3 and can be had for $140-150k. Queen bed, 2 bunks, queen sleeper sofa and queen drop down bunk. That thing would sleep 10 if you had to – 8 comfortably. But again it comes down to budget. You’ll get better MPG in a new short DP too. Many owners of Tiffin Reds, FW Excursion and Thor Palazzos claim double digit MPG. Cross country that could be hundreds if not a thousand or more in fuel savings. Hard to beat the compact coach on a Freightliner chassis with a 300HP Cummins with DEF for maximum MPG. And you may want to rethink your toad. That long of a travel I am not sure I’d be without a dinghy. My rule is, better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Otherwise how will you do sightseeing, shopping, dining out etc? Heck a quick trip to the store becomes a huge hassle without a toad.

[RovingTriker]

Sounds like I would be better off going with gas on something smaller. I just have fears of too steep of grades as we plan on a few trips to different parts of the rockies.

Some part of me really doesn't want to tow anything. Nothing against those of you that do, but to me it seems like more hassle, and I think we would be better off with hotels and better fuel economy at that point. All of my trips in the past, we would see multiple things, sometimes multiple states in the same day.
With a toad (or TT like the wife asked about) seems like I would have to find a place to leave the RV go see what we want, then back track to go get the RV, then go back the direction we just were to continue the trip. The biggest plus of the RV to me would be the ability to move around and stretch out. We would lose that when doing the sight seeing.

I really haven't even considered budget yet. More trying to find what class/engine/floorplan/etc will work best for us. Then figure out which model and start planning for that budget. I just know it won't be much. As I'm on a fixed income, and wife is full time student with a year left. We were originally looking at renting, but then figured we get into something a little older, and have some time to adjust to it. Then, if it doesn't work out, we won't be out much more than what we would have been paying for a rental or 2.

A few years will pass before we buy something. Don't want to take to small of a baby with us, and don't want to make any rushed decisions.

I did ask about how child seats work in my other thread, but didn't get any replies to that part. So I didn't even bring it up in this one.

Really going back and forth between A and C.

• Wife likes the look of A's better, while I like the look of C's.
• I like the higher driving position of the A, but some of the accident scenes of them kind of scare me.
• C's seem to sleep more, while A's seem to have more floor and storage space, plus I think I could customize the inside a bit
• A's generally have a higher CCC, but I'm used to packing light (boy scout for many years)
• C's have a regular cab with driver's door that I think would be easier for me to get into with my disability

Also intriguing to this newb is the auto/hydraulic levelers I've seen on A's but not C's