Shortest Class C Recommendations

[wanderlust1966]

Hi,

I am hoping to buy a used Class C to full time in, and need recommendations. I feel like a Class B would be too cramped for me plus they are too expensive 😕

I want a short Class C (nothing over 24') so I will be able to park it easily. I am hoping for nothing older than 2004 but need it to be relatively inexpensive but with lower miles and reliable (I realize I maybe asking for too much lol). If I have to take out a small loan, I'm OK with that too. I want an oven and both a couch and dinette. I don't necessarily need a bedroom as I'm fine with sleeping in an overhead bunk.

I want to boondock a lot, so am hoping to outfit it with solar panels and a composting toilet (or even a portable toilet) and am assuming I'd need a generator and inverter?

Can anyone give me any suggestions? TIA!

[ron_dittmer]

Pay close attention to the actual length of the motor home. Search the internet for the specifications on any model you are considering. That 2011 Four Winds Chateau 23A which implies a 23 footer, could in reality be 25-26 feet over-all length.
CLICK HERE for the 2018 specs. The 23U model measures 24'-4"....not that much of a difference, but who knows what the difference was back in 2011. I recall a Coachman Freelander 21QB measuring 25'-6". The model should have been called a 255QB

[wanderlust1966]

IAMICHABOD, TY for the link----this place didn't come up in my search. There are some definite possibilities there! They don't mention mileage which I assume must be quite high. How much of a concern is this? I inquired on a 2011 Four Winds Chateau 23A----the price is right and the floorplan is OK.

[geeman53]

Snowman9000 wrote:
Look at the Cruise America Majestic 19G. It is just what you are looking for. One member here says there is not lot of room for solar panels, but maybe you can use smaller panels.

SWR on the 19G,-not good .

[IAMICHABOD]

As the others have suggested the small RV from Cruise America.

Or any Former Rental may be the way to go considering your budget and size you want.

Here are some examples

[wanderlust1966]

Well beggars can't be choosers lol. I haven't been able to find many used, affordable rigs for sale, that you guys have suggested. I might have to rethink length (There are lots of longer motorhomes out there. I owned a 31' Class C about 10 years ago and I REALLY don't want another long one). I guess I will keep searching and watching Craig's List.

[Photomike]

I was going to suggest a 19G but it falls short in the oven, coach and room for solar.

[Snowman9000]

Look at the Cruise America Majestic 19G. It is just what you are looking for. One member here says there is not lot of room for solar panels, but maybe you can use smaller panels.

[wanderlust1966]

Thank you all for the great information! The Phoenix was sold already. If I can't get a loan, I will have to look for something quite a bit older then, because I really can't afford some of the rigs you are recommending. I would like to spend no more than $27K if I can't get a loan.

[pnichols]

Kathryn (the OP),

I recommend looking for a used one of these in the 24V (24 ft) model, even if you have to go to another state to pick one up: https://winnebagoind.com/resources/brochure/2006/06-Outlook-bro.pdf

This model features such things as:

- One piece fiberglass roof with the entire length of both sides edges rolled over for long term roof joint leak protection
- 38 cu. ft. of exterior storage, including two long storage areas running across the coach under the floor for long items such as beach umbrellas, shovels, fishing gear, etc.
- 43 gal. of fresh water capacity
- 29 gal. of grey water capacity
- 39 gal. of black water capacity
- 18 gal. of propane capacity
- 55 gal. main engine fuel tank, for a cruizing range of around 500 miles
- a full size spare tire on a rim with a nice place to store it out of view
- a chassis that can be serviced "anywhere in the U.S." (Ford)
- weather band radio in the cab
- emergency switch in the cab to connect the coach battery(ies) to the engine battery or the engine battery to the coach battery(ies)
- switch in the cab to power the cab radio from either the engine battery or the coach battery(ies)
- remotely controlled and heated cab mirrors
- built-in generator that is installed properly so it's not very loud inside or outside to comfortably run for hours when air conditioning is needed
- propane oven instead of a convection oven so you can bake a pizza (or other stuff) without hookups or running the generator
- room for two large batteries in their intended storage cabinet without sacrificing one of other storage areas in order to add a 2nd battery
- a widebody design so a slide is not needed for a roomy feeling inside, thus eliminating slide problems over time
- good ground clearance to help prevent any scraping of the coach outer walls or undercarriage, including coach outer walls that immediately start sloping upwards starting right at the rear fender well to help prevent scraping when entering/leaving parking lots or crossing road washouts
- large storage areas at both the head and foot of the cabover bed due to the widebody design
- tall outside storage cabinets due to this being a Class C with a "basement" design
- a large engine alternator and good engine/coach charging circuit design so that the coach batteries charge up well and fast when on the road between camping sites
- several distributed and adjustable ducts for the propane furnace
- several distributed and adjustable ducts for the air conditioner, the air conditioner fan has two speeds
- the furnace and air conditioner are controlled with an automatic digital control
- there is a built-in floor light for night trips to the toilet or for use as a nightlight
- a full standup shower and the freshwater capacity to actually be able to take good showers without needing to be on hookups or feel that you must use only campground showers
- heated black and grey tanks for cold weather camping (an option that may not be on a used unit)
- dual batteries instead of only one battery (an option that may not be on a used unit, but a 2nd battery can be easily added)
- outside shower for pets and/or humans
- built-in provision for winterizing during storage in cold conditions
- outside entertainment center for music or TV/movie watching on warm evenings
- detachable outside platform that doubles as a TV table or small BBQ table
- built-in surround speakers for the cab radio and DVD player
- interior sleeping beds for six(6) adults, 4 spots are permanent and 2 spots have to be quickly set up for each use
- all exterior sewer and electrical equipment resides in enclosed cabinets up high so there is nothing to get hung up on rocks, logs, gas station islands, etc.
- plenty of galley counter space due to a built-in fold out counter extension plus a cover for one-half of the double sink
- three burner stove instead of the more common setup of only a two burner stove
- built-in water filter for the galley sinks
- hardwood cabinets with solid doors
- steel drawer slides
- vinyl flooring in the galley area and carpeting in the dining and loung areas
- huge storage under each dinette seat because the room is not taken up by a water heater, propane furnace, etc.

There are more points I could list .... but the above provides an idea what they came stock with. Winnebago abandoned this length with this floorplan and set of features on the rugged E-Series Ford chassis in 2006. However, you must consider at least a 2005 in order to get the better computer controlled 5-speed TorqShift Ford transmission with it's outstanding Tow/Haul mode for maximum safety and minimum brake wear when driving in the mountains.

We have a 2005 version (24V Itasca model - still built by Winnebago) of the above that we bought new and (still) love it. It's small for easy driving and camping in the small, older car/tent campsites found in County, State, and Federal public lands ... yet it has all of the comforts of home for use in campgrounds with hookups or for use in campsites out in the middle of nowhere. We take ours carefully off-pavement and can get to and camp many places where Class B motorhomes and truck campers can - but with more room and comforts when we get there. i.e. We can wash and dry the dog using the exterior shower and built-in generator way out there in the boonies. 🙂

[ctilsie242]

The newer class "C"s are getting bigger and bigger. It used to be that you could find a 20-21 foot corner queen model, but that is getting tougher as time goes on.

For the size you are looking at, I'd take a look at the Winnebago Trend series. One has a slide-out. They are small, but might be what you need.

[Lwiddis]

$36,000 for a 2005 C? New stripped Cs can be found for 51-52k.

[ron_dittmer]

wanderlust1966 wrote:
Wow! TY for your informative reply. It's quite timely as well, because I just found this on my local Craig's List:

https://wausau.craigslist.org/rvs/6091279067.html

2005 PhoeniX

Unfortunately, it's pretty expensive for *me* but seems to be priced right per NADA. A convection oven would work for me, and I really like the layout. With the amt. of down payment I have, even if I got it at the low retail price, my payment over 5 yrs would be around $450/mo. Maybe that would be worth it to have a (hopefully) trouble free rig?? I emailed the owner to see if it's even still available and will go from there. Thanks again for all the great information! 🙂

That 2005 will have only one battery and no whole-house inverter. The earlier single battery compartment is located just above the left rear tires, rear of the slide-out. With the slide-out, that PC has the couch instead of dinette. Our 2007 has no slideout so it has room for a dinette of which we appreciate a lot. That barrel chair is the same as the one ours came with. It is extremely uncomfortable. I easily replaced it with a 3rd matching (identical to the front seats) captain seat which is great to kick back and relax in. I use the adjacent dinette bench as my ottoman.

Also keep in mind that if you are considering a car/vehicle loan, nobody will loan any amount of money on a vehicle so old. I don't know what the cut-off age is but it's not so many years. It would have to be some other kind of loan like from a 401K plan or a home equity loan.

[DrewE]

I would not get too hung up on mileage unless you plan to be driving it every day. In almost all cases, the chassis on a class C is not what wears out; the E series chassis is quite capable of going a few hundred thousand miles without major problems if given proper maintenance.

IMHO NADA is at best only a very rough guide for motorhome prices. There's not much data on any given model to provide a very firm valuation statistically, and very much of the value depends on aspects of condition that are hard to quantify directly (in the way that things like mileage and equipment can be quantified). There are also not insignificant regional and seasonal variations in used RV prices.

I'm personally unconvinced that a 24' motorhome is very much easier to park than a 32' one. In either case, you're generally too long to fit entirely in a single parking space comfortably, so you need two end-to-end (A standard parking space length, to the extent that there is a standard, is somewhere around 18 or 20 feet.) With the shorter length in particular there is the possibility of having the rear overhang grass or something behind a parking space, if you can find one that is unobstructed behind it, but at least around here that's more the exception than the rule.

[wanderlust1966]

Wow! TY for your informative reply. It's quite timely as well, because I just found this on my local Craig's List:

https://wausau.craigslist.org/rvs/6091279067.html

2005 PhoeniX

Unfortunately, it's pretty expensive for *me* but seems to be priced right per NADA. A convection oven would work for me, and I really like the layout. With the amt. of down payment I have, even if I got it at the low retail price, my payment over 5 yrs would be around $450/mo. Maybe that would be worth it to have a (hopefully) trouble free rig?? I emailed the owner to see if it's even still available and will go from there. Thanks again for all the great information! 🙂

[Lwiddis]

Depending on your anticipated solar system and electric use you may not need a generator with an adequate battery bank. Last two trips my Westinghouse was never needed...just weekly exercise. Also depends on where you are or camp. Your profile doesn't say.