Any other newbies overwhelmed by the shear numbers . . .

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SeilerBird said:
This is why it is best to shop locally and look at RVs that are actually for sale. Finding the right one by looking at photos just doesn't cut it. Way too hard.
https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/used-rvs-for-sale/class-a/2000-itasca-sunflyer_rv-37039
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Where we live, Outer Banks NC there are no local dealers. I'd have to drive 2 hours up to Virginia Beach, VA to set foot in a dealer. So we're trying to do advance footwork looking on the internet and RV shows in NC. Next show is October 22 in Greensboro.

Your link to the 2000 is a lot of RV!!!!!!!!!!!
 
NCSU Dad said:
Your link to the 2000 is a lot of RV!!!!!!!!!!!
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It is a lot of RV on purpose. Most newbies think large RVs are harder to drive and get worse mileage than shorter RVs, both of which are wrong. So most newbies end up buying an RV that is way too small for them at first.
 
SeilerBird said:
It is a lot of RV on purpose. Most newbies think large RVs are harder to drive and get worse mileage than shorter RVs, both of which are wrong. So most newbies end up buying an RV that is way too small for them at first.
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Basic newcomers question.

I copied this from the Winnebago Class C site for discussion sake.
Model        22M 22R   25B    26A  31D  31G  31K
Length  24'2" 23'10" 26'2"  27'1"  32'9" 32'9" 32'9"

Are these lengths front bumper to back bumper?
I assumed length meant distance from back of drivers seat to back wall.
 
Lengths are always exterior and include bumpers etc.  Ours is called a 40 footer but it really is 41 feet and a few inches.  We learned that when we were in a campsite with a fence at the rear.  When they said the site maximum was 40 feet they meant it because the front was out in the street.  Also, when you use ferries they measure exactly because the vehicles are so closely arranged for loading.  And, if you ever have a garage or inside rental you'll need exterior measurements there too.  The only time interior measurements are useful is when you're trying to exchange an item for something else and then a half inch can make a difference.  When we go to Canada, for example, and I buy their canned goods which are metric their cans don't fit into the same space as our cans, most of which are not metric.

ArdraF
 
Thanks for setting me straight on the numbers relating to the overall length.

I was thinking the 35' 2000 Itasca Sunflyer was 35' plus another 5' or so. Add driver and front end. 40'+-
 
NCSU Dad said:
Thanks for setting me straight on the numbers relating to the overall length.

I was thinking the 35' 2000 Itasca Sunflyer was 35' plus another 5' or so. Add driver and front end. 40'+-
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That is why you need to go see these things in person. Take a vacation to Florida for a few days and go RV shopping. We got tons of them down here.
 
Published specs are usually bumper to bumper, model number lengths can vary, so it is possible to have a 39 ft model that is longer than some 40 ft models.

In the case of my 2002 Safari Trek 2830 (advertised as a 28 ft model) the actual bumper to bumper is 29'3"

One note here as a first time buyer I would strongly suggest you look at a used 5, 10, or 15 year old high quality coach, and let someone else take that big initial depreciation hit.  This way if after a year or two with it if you decide you made a mistake and picked the wrong model you will not take as big of a hit reselling it as you would with a new unit.  The problem is no matter how carefully you make your selection there will be certain things you don't discover, until you have lived in the coach for a while.  Maybe you find that you don't fit in the shower, or maybe you get tired of hitting your head on the TV cabinet, or maybe it is something like not having enough cargo weight capacity for all the junk you want to haul around, or wish you had side hinge vs top hinge basement doors, ....
 
NCSU Dad said:
Back to my original question. Since we are more focused now on a class C for our first RV. This link takes us to a listing of 2017 class C's. Scroll down to Thor and they show 70 models! Others are showing 20 - 30 models. The shear number of models boggles my mind.
http://www.rvguide.com/specs/class-c.html
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I like the rvusa site a bit better. https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/specs-by-type-class-c-t3 .  You can look at more floor plans at one time. Then, figure out if the layout you like is available in a shorter/longer version. My wife didn't want the bathroom door opening into the fridge door. Do you want/need a couch & dinette? Do you like them across from each other or side-by-side? The beauty of the rvusa site is, you can find a floor plan in a new 2017 model, then look back to see if it is/was available in a 2-3 year old model. Then, save 40K like we did buying a 2016 model with 1400 miles on it!
 
I think I know why my understanding of length was wrong.

I own a 20'-2" boat. It's model is 202. It is measured bow to stern, 20'-2". The model length does not include the outboard or length of trailer extending from bow to coupler. So I guess in RV terms it would be called a 28' boat.

I didn't understand RV length included driver area and front end.
 
NCSU Dad said:
I think I know why my understanding of length was wrong.

I own a 20'-2" boat. It's model is 202. It is measured bow to stern, 20'-2". The model length does not include the outboard or length of trailer extending from bow to coupler. So I guess in RV terms it would be called a 28' boat.

I didn't understand RV length included driver area and front end.
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In most Class A's and some Class C's, the driver and passenger seats can be rotated to become part of the living area seating. And the front windows also add to the living area "view" of course.
 
99dart said:
I like the rvusa site a bit better. https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/specs-by-type-class-c-t3 .  You can look at more floor plans at one time. Then, figure out if the layout you like is available in a shorter/longer version.
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Thanks for the link. Finding a few layouts we like before hitting the pavement to dealers is our plan.
Again looking at Thor on that website shows they have 317 floorplans!
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
While an RV is indeed a luxury, or at least a discretionary purchase, the industry is actually extremely price competitive, especially toward the lower end.  With so many makes and models, including many smaller or regional competitors to the Big Three, cost & price are pared to the bone regardless of the level of function and amenities.  Price-wise, most Rvs are actually bargain-basement for what they provide.

The cost is high largely because of the two factors already mentioned:
1. It's a fully furnished cottage on wheels, complete with multiple and self contained power systems and its own water and sewage plant.
2. Hand built in small volumes using mostly off-the-shelf components. Almost no economy of scale as there is with cars and light trucks.
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That being said, it really surprises me how little quality workmanship goes into them. I have a friend who delivers motorhomes across the US and he said he rarely delivers one that doesn't have some kind of problem on its first trip. That's just sad!
 
I copied this from the Winnebago Class C site for discussion sake.
Model        22M    22R      25B    26A  31D  31G  31K
Length      24'2"    23'10" 26'2"  27'1"  32'9" 32'9" 32'9"

Are these lengths front bumper to back bumper?
I assumed length meant distance from back of drivers seat to back wall.
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An RV has an overall length and a floor plan length. The floor plan label, e.g. 22M or 31G, typically indicates the usable floor plan space, e.g. 22 ft or 31 ft. The other "length" is overall, stem-to-stern, as it were. For a travel trailer with a long tongue at the front, the difference can be 4-5 ft. For a Class A, not much difference.

Depending on the style and floor plan, "usable space" can include the driver seating area. Always in a Class A, and often in a C.
 
Whether you consider each floor plan a different model or not is semantics, I guess. For car-buyer example, a Chevy Malibu comes in L, LS, LT, LTX, Hybrid and Premier versions. Different models or different something else?  The label makes little difference, because it's a choice to make when you buy.  RVs have the additional factors of choosing a length as well as floor plan and trim levels. As I've said elsewhere, it's much more like buying a house than a vehicle!

You can do research in advance online, but you have to do some actual eyes-on viewing to bracket your choices. Get an idea of what approximate length and layout that seems suitable, so that you can ignore some of the many offerings.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
. . . For car-buyer example, a Chevy Malibu comes in L, LS, LT, LTX, Hybrid and Premier versions. Different models or different something else? . .
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Using your Malibu example what I have not found yet in RV literature is the spreadsheet presentation auto makers provide that show standard features across their model line.  Showing what comes standard in the L, LS, LT, LTX, Hybrid, Premier models.

Using Forest River for example I can get individual brochures on their Class C Forester, Lexington, Ridgeview, Solera, Sunseeker models. I haven't found the auto manufacturer style sheet that compares standard features of all models in one spreadsheet. This would make my model selection easier.

I will keep searching.

Thanks to all who responded!
 
My Jayco 26XD is 26' from the nose of the doghouse above the cab, to the rear of the house, but it's 28' 3" from bumper to bumper. Essentially the model indicates the length of the "house", of course bumper to bumper is overall length. My previous coach, a Thor 22FE, was measured about the same way, with a 22' house and 24' 6" overall.
 
I haven't found the auto manufacturer style sheet that compares standard features of all models in one spreadsheet. This would make my model selection easier.
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I'm guessing you won't find such a concise style sheet because "standard" almost doesn't exist in the RV world and they might change something in the middle of a model year.  In other words, RVs aren't very similar to cars except for the wheels, engine and other chassis items.

ArdraF
 
NCSU Dad said:
Basic newcomers question.

I copied this from the Winnebago Class C site for discussion sake.
Model        22M 22R   25B    26A  31D  31G  31K
Length  24'2" 23'10" 26'2"  27'1"  32'9" 32'9" 32'9"

Are these lengths front bumper to back bumper?
I assumed length meant distance from back of drivers seat to back wall.
Click to expand...

It's bumper to bumper.  We have a 26A, and it's 27' long.  We'd wondered the same until I took a tape measure when we went looking at coaches. 
 
It seems to be very easy to fall into "analysis paralysis".  I think the process of elimination is a good way to go.  Rule out what you don't want, narrow the field.  Model numbers don't seem to relate the same on R/Vs as on boats.  225 doesn't always mean 22'6".  Or it might mean the box is that long.  Or the overall length.  Or nothing at all.

Have you seen the choices you can have with new trucks?  Ford F150 has 10 possible combinations.  10.  For one platform of truck.

 
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