Transition from TT to Class C

[legolas]

I am seriously contemplating transitioning from a 30' 2013 Koala TT. I am having difficulty wrapping my arms around giving up the space in the TT but may still for the convenience of an MH....if I can find a floor plan I can get comfortable with. My question for those who have done this(if you haven't please refrain)is what additional costs do you incur on a yearly basis that we don't have with a TT? I know insurance will be more and I know costs will be more if something breaks. I guess what I am asking is how much different from maintaining a car or truck is an MH? We are talking gas and more than likely V10.

[legolas]

mlts22 wrote:
You might be able to find a kit to allow your Silverado to be used as a toad. It would also require the motorhome to have the tow capacity, but it might be doable. Cheaper than trading in the truck.

I thought about that but the 08 2500 HD just weighs too much for me to consider it for a toad....I will be looking for a small Toyota or Nissan extended cab that I can tow 4 down and use as a daily driver.

[mlts22]

You might be able to find a kit to allow your Silverado to be used as a toad. It would also require the motorhome to have the tow capacity, but it might be doable. Cheaper than trading in the truck.

[legolas]

Folks, thanks for the wonderful replies and insight. Tothill I do appreciate your comment/input and do hope no one has been offended. As to costs, I am prepared to spend a little more up front as I will definitely want a toad. My Silverado will have to go(boy I hate that) but I am not ready to have only one car at home and I am not prepared to be without transport when I get where I am going. I suppose my major concern is giving up the "luxury" of a rear living TT w/ the recliners and so forth( basement storage is not all that expansive but we have learned to do with that...although I do keep a few items in the bed of the TV - portable grill and a couple of folding chairs); which is why I traded the previous TT in the first place as it was only 3 years old and in great shape. we just wanted that rear living. We will both have to get our arms around that but won't unless we can get a Class C with great amenities and a "pantry". That is really my only negative w/ the TT...no pantry and that only keeps it from being a 10 by .5. I am still looking and trying to decide between a used C somewhere in the 2011 range or a new one. So if anyone has any additional insight as to how they handled a transition please jump in....and again.....Thanks to all.

[mgirardo]

We transitioned from a 3 bed 23' HTT to a 32' Class C MH with 2 slides with 2 bunks on the bedroom slide.

We keep both at a storage yard, but the cost is the same. Our annual vehicle registration increased from around $100 for the HTT to $500 for the MH. Although that cost drops each year; for 2013, I think the MH was about $430.

Cost of insurance went up, gas mileage went down a few miles per gallon so we spend more on gas each trip.

One of the down sides for us was getting used to not having a small vehicle when we got to our destination. Most times that is not an issue, but if we go to conferences or something like that with the MH, then we are usually renting a car. Hopefully before the end of the year, we will be purchasing a 4 down towable car so we can bring a car along with us. That too will be an added cost - the cost to setup the MH & the toad for towing.

For us, the added cost is well worth it. We use or MH a lot more than we used our HTT.

-Michael

[mlts22]

Everyone has a different style. What I have probably doesn't fit anyone.

I Have a 27' TT. Rented a 24 foot "C", and have borrowed a friend's "B". Night and day. My TT is decent... but before I do anything, I have to put it somewhere. This means driving to the place it is stored, finding a CG, unhitching in the Texas heat (can take 10-30 minutes depending on how level the site is.) Then when going back, repeating the process to hitch up.

A MH may not have as much space as a TT, especially a "B" or a smaller "C" like a Winnebago Trend... but there is something nice about taking a break on a long trip, parking on a side street in a small town, and looking around, or going to a grocery store and loading the fridge immediately.

Plus, a MH has more options if the house batteries get low, and it is cold out. Fire up the engine, and this doesn't just allow the batteries to charge... but the dash heat also might help (depends on rig size.)

For me, a small MH will not have anywhere near the storage space as my TT... but my TT only gets used for a festival, while a MH in the driveway would get used almost every weekend.

[Robocop]

My own situation is odd. I not only went up from a TT to a MH but decided to keep my TV and buy a toad as well (after two and half years). And I live alone! I wanted more flexibility for camping and/or visiting friends in far away places and the MH provided more opportunity for that. I'd rather have my Mobile Man Cave in a friend's driveway or at curbside for my own privacy at times. Yes, I probably could have bought a 5er and upgraded TV for a lot less than a MH and without the additional hassles of vehicle maintenance. However, it has worked for me. My insurance is negotiable and my three vehicles now have less wear and tear collectively. Everyone has a different reason for trading up or downsizing.

[KristinU]

We went from a truck and TT to a class C last spring. It has been a great fit for us!

As far as expenses go, a big question is whether or not you use your truck as a daily driver and whether or not you will be keeping it or looking for a replacement daily driver. The other piece is whether or not you’ll want to tow a dinghy/toad behind your class C. If you do, the setup on that isn’t cheap, so you’ll want to factor that in.

In our case, we were using the truck as a daily driver and traded it in with the TT. We weren’t sure if we’d want to tow a car behind the C or not, so we decided to give it a season and see. In the mean time we didn’t replace the truck and went down to a single car and started carpooling (since whatever we’d buy would need to be the toad if we decided to go that route), then I decided to try public transportation for my commute and fell in love with it (kicking back with my cup of coffee and reading for 30+ minutes each way!) At the same time we found that we’re doing just fine without a toad. We rent from Enterprise if we’re somewhere and want a car, or ride our bikes locally, or even just drive the C to wherever we want to go. So a year later and we haven’t bought a second car and it is working out well for us.

The expenses to consider: insurance, registration, taxes (we pay annual property taxes on our vehicles and RVs here in CT), maintenance of another engine. Obviously we’re coming out ahead in gas since I’m bussing it, but on trips, the C gets about 1-2 mpg less than the truck and trailer…not really enough to lose sleep over.

We gained living space since our trailer was smaller (24 ft. box), but overall travel length is shorter with our 31 ft. C.

Oh, another thing to consider is what "toys" you bring along in the bed of your truck. Bikes were easy to transition to a hitch mount rack (another hidden expense, a couple hundred $ - we picked ours up used from a friend), but we enjoy kayaking and had to figure out a solution there. We ended up selling off our hard plastic kayaks in favor of inflatables.

[dcason]

20 foot travel trailer to 24/25 foot class c...
Hubby loves:
the driveability of the C.
Loves not having to hook up trailer.
Not having to stop for me to use restroom in trailer....:B
Loves having the genny

I love the fact that I can run back to grab a yogurt or snack

It is a titchy bit smaller on storage in the C but we can deal with it.

[Cobra21]

Most people that only need a truck to pull a fifth wheel or travel trailer are probably better off (cheaper) to go with the motor home.

[Tothill]

I know you did not replies from those who have not transitioned from a TT to a class C, but this comment may help.

We looked at RV's for years. Our current (at the time of purchase) vehicles could only pull a pop up(tent trailer). We would have needed to buy a truck as well as a tt.

We did not have parking at our home for a large truck as well as as a trailer. We can and do park our 27 foot C in our driveway. Legally.

The wife also takes the kids out in the RV more often than the entire family traveling together. There is an added sense of safety in being in a self contained unit for a woman traveling with children.

Motorhome insurance is less expensive than truck insurance in BC let alone truck and trailer insurance.

We did have to find a different mechanic with room in his bays to work on the motorhome. His work is good, his rates reasonable. His shop is less than a mile from our regular mechanic.

[Kidsgone]

We also transitioned from a 27' TT to a 30' class C (winnebago Aspect). In between we purchased a used Class C, that just wasn't big enough and had too many issues. Love the convenience of the C vs the TT. Yes its another vehicle to take care of, but gives DH something to do! We traded our Suburban for our CRV and saved a ton on gas (can't compare the MPG on those two). We liked our TT very much, but are in love with our C. Easy to drive, lots of space (three slides). Some people think that the C's have less storage, but for us, we feel we have much more storage than our TT (Airstream).
Have you driven a C? There are so many variations of the C's out there. Since you have owned an RV, write down your must haves and go from there. My suggestion is to find one with a walk around bed, those corner units aren't fun to make.
Let us know if you find one you like…safe travels.

[wbwood]

We switched from a 31' TT to a 31' class c last year. As far as room, it's not any less. It's still 31' and we still have two slides. The TT did have a bunk room, which to us was a waste of space for one kid. Our bedroom is now bigger and we have a full wardrobe. We also have a bigger kitchen area. We had a truck, just to pull he TT (f250). My wife would drive it when she had to, but we hated cranking it up to e tune of 11-12 mpg when not towing anything. We traded it in on an explorer which is nicer, more comfortable and twice as good gas mileage. As far as insurance goes, the class c cost a little over $100 more for the year than the TT. But we just got our car insurance renewed and it went down about $100/year. So that is a trade off. The maintenance part is the same no matter what. When you reach those mileage intervals, you need to do them whether it's a mh or truck. The rest of the mh is just like a TT as far as maintenance.

All in all, we could not be happier with our choice. He convenience factor is the greatest part.

[Desert_Captain]

We made the switch from our 22' TT to the 24' C last summer and have not looked back. In a word, it is EASIER! After 7 months and 10,000 miles we love the simplicity that the C brings to the RV/Cruising/camping equation. I do miss the voluminous storage I had in the back of my SCab F-150 with the Leer Shell but that is about it. I used to get 11/12 mpg with the truck and trailer and now get 10 with the C but with a 55 gallon fuel tank it has more than twice the range.

The interior storage is far better in the C, we currently use about 60% of the available space, and having gone from a middle of the road trailer to a high end C the amenities are amazing (upgraded appliances, electric awning, heated tanks, bigger and better beds). We were 46' long nose to tail with the TT and now it is 24' . Do we miss having the truck to drive around? Sure, but not that much as the C will go just about anyplace the truck would.



Part of the reason we are so happy with the switch is that our trips have changed from mostly camping to longer, extended road trips. We still camp almost every night, we just do it a lot farther from home. There are so many wonderful places to see in this great country and the C makes getting there so much easier. For us the journey is now at least half of the fun.

As Always.... Opinions and YMMV.

:C

[ReadyToGo]

We went from a 32 ft 5er to a 25 ft C.
Space is the issue. We double up on anything that can have 2 uses.
We have wire racks in the cupboards to get twice the space.
We have only one outside large storage and I have layered that so that I don't have to remove everything to get to one thing on the bottom.
We did not get a slide out as that takes up 9 inches of space and looses you a hanging closet. (don't believe me, compare them).
We use one of those ladies shoe racks in one closet to get multiple layers for underwear etc.
We use the bed top for storage when traveling and then put things on the front seats where stationary.
And the one thing that somehow others think is strange, is that we do not use the shower, instead that is a place for many things including a hanging of clothes. Of course then, we use the CG showers.

We put things away that aren't in use.