Where I really envy a Class A

[Snowman9000]

Owning a Class C myself, where I really envy the A's is their cab seats being good inward-facing lounge chairs too. If our little C could do that, and the TV was in easy view amidships, it would transform the comfort factor in the dark winter evenings out here in Arizona.

Yes, there are many other ways that an A beats a C. Most of them I can live without in order to have the smaller rig. But even a small C could benefit from a well thought out pair of swivel cab seats.

Do the Views and Navions have them?

[RobertRyan]

A fairly basic Class B+ built on a Ducato chassis, but even it has swivel seats. All Class C's should have swivel seats, otherwise defeats the purpose of the arrangement.

[Butch50]

I sure like our swivel seats in our Navion. There is a step up from the cab but Winnebago makes a 3" seat riser that you put on the seat from the same fabric as the seat (ultra leather). It has a strap that goes around the back of the seat to keep the cushion in place. It is comfortable and the seat reclines back almost flat so I believe if needed I could fall asleep in the seat and it would be comfortable. Also I have a small ottoman that I can put my feet up on. Pretty comfy.

They both swivel but the drivers seat doesn't recline back as far because of the steering wheel.

[Snowman9000]

We need to re-do our insulated cab blanket to go where yours goes. Right now it goes behind the seats.

[Dakzuki]

Yeah, the swivel seats in our Navion are pretty sweet. They definitely expand the usable area within the RV. They make great reading chairs to kick back in. We made an insulated curtain that snaps up in the cab to surround the seats to help keep the heat in during the winter which works well.

[Snowman9000]

If you are camping in the summer when and where you can sit outside in the evening, who needs your cab seats to double as cabin chairs, right? Go ahead, put your dirty laundry on them. Put your cooler on them. OTOH, we are camping in the middle of winter in AZ. It gets dark, and chilly, early. We could sure use a pair of comfy chairs that don't require (hardly any) extra floor space. It would make a small C feel a lot bigger.

[mlts22]

I've seen some Coachmen class "C"s on the E-450 base chassis which have swivel seats for the driver and passenger.

For me, i'd just use the seats as additional storage for light stuff. A Dometic ice chest fridge comes to mind (since it gets stuff cold far quicker than the absorption fridge.)

I also like a few features of class "A"s:

1: More storage. There are spots everywhere that a class "C" doesn't have, and usually more basement room. Only exception is if the "A" doesn't have a drop-down bed, as the cabover storage is nice.

2: Cooler view out the front windshield.

However, I likely will go with a "C" for a few reasons:

1: A "C" is a known thing when it comes to a drivetrain repair. Ford cab, Ford engine, and so on.

2: Airbags in front. Even though it is a cutaway, the front is up to automotive standards.

3: Two additional doors to exit from. This doesn't sound important... but if something catches on fire, you want to get out directly, not try to run to the door that is amidships.

4: I can make a folding divider from Coroplast, Reflectix and acoustic curtains to separate the cab from the rest of the rig, which means less to heat.

[tpi]

I have old school class C with low floor. But I couldn't turn the seats if I wanted to-due to the furniture directly behind the seats.

[j-d]

Our first C, the one with the house same level as cab, was on the square-looking Ford chassis and had a swivel base on the passenger seat. Also a reclining backrest and a front-to-rear slide. I had to work all three to get it turned around, plus remove the shoulder harness anchor bolt from the door frame, to turn it around. I only did all that 2 or 3 times in the 8 years we had the coach.
Turning the seat in the one we have now, with a 6" or so step up to the house, wouldn't accomplish much IMO. And it'd take NASA to design the swivel!

[Snowman9000]

We have the Discount Vans swivel seat on the passenger side of our Chevy. It's not too well made but it works. I need to improve the swivel catch because it does not lock straight ahead very securely. I am not sure it could work on the driver side. The steering wheel is probably too close, and the dinette would require the swiveled seat be angled to have any kind of leg room.

I do agree with the C's good points. I'm just saying if the makers gave it some thought, they could employ swivel cab seats on more layouts.

[j-d]

Bordercollie wrote:
Wonder if some would feel better if they called Class C's "Class A's" and vice versa.

Often thought the same thing. Then the RV's with a steel van cab would be Grade A, and those cardboard buses would be just Average.

[kkmack]

Our first C was a 1985 Londonaire. Both front seats did a 180 swivel. We used it sometimes, but not enough to look for it again. Our current C has that step-down, so the seats don't turn. We haven't missed it.

[wbwood]

Snowman9000 wrote:
Owning a Class C myself, where I really envy the A's is their cab seats being good inward-facing lounge chairs too. If our little C could do that, and the TV was in easy view amidships, it would transform the comfort factor in the dark winter evenings out here in Arizona.

Yes, there are many other ways that an A beats a C. Most of them I can live without in order to have the smaller rig. But even a small C could benefit from a well thought out pair of swivel cab seats.

Do the Views and Navions have them?

More of your newer C's are starting to have them now. And there are some smaller Class A's out there with them. Some are in the 24-25' range. Any of the Class C's with a merecedes or dodge ram will have the swivel seats...

[Bordercollie]

Wonder if some would feel better if they called Class C's "Class A's" and vice versa. Some like a huge windshield and no overhang. I have always liked the shade of the overhead bed/storage area in a "C" Other than that, I can't see a lot of difference in a 27 foot C or A other than safety and service advantages in the C.

[j-d]

Lots of time to Envy a Class C...

When you need tires...

When you need parts...

When you want to de-bug wiring air conditioning problems...

When GOD forbid you crash head-on into something...

As strongly as I believe that, I too get that envy. They must have called it "Class C" because "Compromise Class" just wouldn't sell. In Class A, the house and the cockpit are at whatever height the chassis rails are. We had an older C built that way and the view out the windshield from the house was great. But no outside storage. More outside storage? Taller compartments make house floor higher than cockpit floor. Less view out the windshield, more trouble getting from cockpit to house.

We're on our second Class C, would more likely than not get a third.