chloe_s_ranch
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Re: My experience trying to buy a motorhome
We also had a tough time finding what we were looking for--a short class C. This was about four years ago, but sounds similar to your current situation. Lots of longer class Cs, but very few short ones. We also made our search harder because our budget was $30k,2005 or newer (5 speed transmission ),E450 chassis, and a slideout! We finally found one through RV Trader from a small dealer in San Diego,so I had to fly there to pick it up and drive it home. The search was worth it though as we love taking it places larger rvs can't go.538Views0likes0CommentsRe: Used PW or LT for rough-road 4-season camping?
Our conversion cost about $12K at Advanced Four Wheel Drive in SLC. It also has the advantage that I t gives you extra ground clearance which helps on rougher Forest Service roads. Our Class C is a 2005 Fleetwood Tioga 23e which seems pretty well built. Winnebago would be another brand that has pretty good build quality in your price range. I would look for a MH no longer than 24 ft for your use, also ideally on the Ford E 450 Chassis which is more robust than the E 350 chassis. 2005 and up have the 5 speed transmission which is a plus for several reasons. I can tell you that from my experience finding a short Class C in good condition is a little difficult, especially on the E 450 chassis.835Views0likes0CommentsRe: Used PW or LT for rough-road 4-season camping?
I agree with several others that a full size 4x4 truck with a pop up camper would do what you want really well and would fit in your budget if you bought used. We had that combo for two years and loved it, although for the two of us and two dogs it was a little tight space wise. We ended up trading for a small used class C on the Ford E 450 chassis and getting it converted to four wheel drive. That option would also fit your budget.835Views0likes0CommentsRe: 4x4 Class C, what do you think?
We have a 2005 24ft class c that we had converted to 4wd last year at Advanced Four Wheel Drive in Salt Lake City. Like Gary's it has manual locking front hubs and a manual 2 speed transfer case and a solid front axle. The conversion requires a 4 inch lift, and we also went with 235/85/16 tires which gave us an additional 1 inch of ground clearance. The extra ground clearance from the lift and larger tires is probably at least as useful as the 4x4 on rougher Forest Service roads. We have used the four wheel drive mainly in the winter driving in snow up to Tahoe for ski trips. Our conversion cost about $12000, but money well spent from our point of view. And it actually seems to handle the winds on 395 pretty well.727Views0likes0CommentsRe: CG Reservations-YNP, GTNP, Glacier, Olympic, Banff, Jasper
I agree with the "just wing it" folks. With that much time and a tent and van you will fit almost anywhere, which makes it much easier in the National Parks and state parks. Also, reservations sure put a damper on spontaneous change of plans when you decide to stay longer or shorter based on things that you hadn't anticipated.546Views0likes0Comments
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