Vehicle for Pennsylvania to Arizona and back

[camilllit]

Don't know if this is the right forum listing but here goes. My wife and I have a 2019 40' 5vr from Cedar Creek, pulled by a 2006 Dodge dually Cummins with 95,000 miles. We are looking to downsize from this 40' to something more manageable where she can drive also. This trip, Pa to Arizona, then to Dodge City Kansas, then back to PA is 67 driving hours totaling 3,705 miles. We can stay in motels from time to time if we want. I am thinking either a small class A (-35') or a Class C. I do not want to tow anything.
Any experienced thoughts out here? Thank You very much 🙂

[zcookiemonstar]

I don't understand. Are you looking to get rid of your set up and buy something else or do you just want to rent something for this trip? If it is just for this trip and your only stops are in Arizona and Kansas might be better to just fly and rent something at your destination. If you drive 10 hours a day that is seven days of just driving.

[John_Wayne]

You've got the tow vehicle why not rent for a week end and see if wife feels comfortable pulling a smaller travel trailer. Then just rent one for your trip.

[DrewE]

A minivan does not make a bad road trip vehicle, really, if one is staying in motels. Many of the modern ones ride pretty decently and have good power and don't use a whole lot of gas. You can also carry a goodly amount of stuff if needed.

I just said hello to some old friends from my church who were back for a quick visit, having driven up from their new home in Florida...in a convertible Mustang. They certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves on the road.

[sayoung]

camilllit wrote:
Don't know if this is the right forum listing but here goes. My wife and I have a 2019 40' 5vr from Cedar Creek, pulled by a 2006 Dodge dually Cummins with 95,000 miles. We are looking to downsize from this 40' to something more manageable where she can drive also. This trip, Pa to Arizona, then to Dodge City Kansas, then back to PA is 67 driving hours totaling 3,705 miles. We can stay in motels from time to time if we want. I am thinking either a small class A (-35') or a Class C. I do not want to tow anything.
Any experienced thoughts out here? Thank You very much 🙂

We have been looking real close at the Mercedes Sprinter based class C's with the turbo diesel.DW has driven one and loves them. Prices are all over the place on new and the clean used ones seem to hold price. They are small but for two would be still comfy.

[down_home]

Looked at Class Cs for Sister In law. similar thought as you.
After our Fifth wheel and this motor home, not sure I want a smaller RV.
We take trips just in our toad a Ford Edge Went to Mass last October, to Mayflower Society. If I can find one a nice Ford Crown Vic or Mercury or other car for long trips is what I would prefer But a larger car or an F150( We love our Sadie a 2005 F150,) rides better than any of the new scrunched up cars, and can stretch out, and just stay in motels.

[dedmiston]

Moved from Roads and Routes

[kknowlton]

fj12ryder summed up our experience perfectly. We had an 18' motorhome (I'd call it a small Class C) and didn't have a "toad" (i.e. towed car), and it was a royal pain once we got to a campground & got set up to realize we needed milk or firewood or something - and had to drive to get it.

If you are using your camping rig to mostly visit family & friends, with whom you would stay, or camp in their driveways, a small Class C or even a Class B could suit your needs well. But do consider situations when you will be camped far from a store (or from people you may be visiting) and will need a vehicle. Yes, you can rent cars in many locations, but not all.

Good luck with your search!

[jplante4]

Moved from General RVing

[Community Alumni]

If you don't want to tow, I recommend looking at a 24 to 26 foot class C and use it as a toad. We did this 3 years ago and never looked back. We recently completed a 7,500 mile trip across the US and Canada and got along just fine without a toad. We easily navigated the narrow streets in Old Quebec City with our Sprinter motorhome.

[Mike_Taverniti]

We drive a 2500 with a diesel and short bed. Our rv is a 28 foot 5th wheel. Ideal size for 2 people. We are retired, wife is comfortable driving. Last 6 years we have averaged 5,000 to 9,000 miles per year. We enjoy the whole country.

[fj12ryder]

To my mind, it all depends on what you're planning to do while you're traveling. Doing any kind of sightseeing is made more problematical by not having a vehicle other than the RV you're traveling in.

If you're traveling to get somewhere and do something other than sightseeing, and wouldn't need to travel much after stopping, then the RV by itself would not be such an issue.

Personally, not having a vehicle other than the RV would be a major drawback for me. YMMV.