nmakarewicz
Member
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2010
- Posts
- 13
Greetings all, I am in the market for a used motorhome and I am looking for some feedback from those that may have actual experience in the different types of motorhomes.
Background: I owned a relatively low end used 2008 Coachmen Mirada class A gas motorhome several years back and we were relatively disappointed with travelling in it. The front end shimmied at highway speeds (never troubleshot it), the engine noise was loud while driving and much of the "stuff" in the coach rattled while driving. Our RV needs at that time were short drive (200 mile) weekend camping trips around the state, so we switched to a travel trailer and we love it for that type of RVing. However, our RVing needs have changed again and we will be doing 3 annual longer haul trips (600 to 1500 mile) out of state trips for the next 5 years. We took our travel trailer on one such trip last spring and due to the winds, passing semis, and hilly terrain, much of the ride was white-knuckled and honestly a lot of work in the driver's seat. By the end of our trip the wheel skirts on the travel trailer were torn completely off. I do indeed have the proper tow vehicle and setup equalizer hitch etc and am pretty religious about weighing, loading, tire pressures etc. Nonetheless, that sort of longer haul travelling with the trailer was just too much of a "fight" while driving. So here are some questions for which I am looking for real world experience and/or opinions on:
1) Will the driving portion of long haul travelling be somewhat better in a motorhome vs. pulling a travel trailer? My experience with my first low end class A gasser motorhome has me not so sure, but was it because it was low end and potentially not setup well?
2) Are the newer (2015+) Class A gas motorhomes (e.g. 2017 Thor Miramar) far better from a driving experience than I might have had in my 2008 Mirada from a shimmy, rattling, and engine noise perspective?
3) From a perspective of not getting blown around by crosswinds and semis, will a class A gasser be better or worse than pulling a properly setup 5000 pound travel trailer with the proper tow vehicle?
4) Does anyone have experience in both a Class A gasser, and a Freightliner or International based Super C (e.g. Jayco Seneca, Nexus Ghost). It seems to me that the Super C would be hands down the absolute best RV when it comes to vehicle dynamics due to its weight ratings, actual weight, sway bars, rear air suspension, air brakes, etc. However, I would like feedback from anyone that has real world experience driving both a class A and super C. I am pretty sure my mileage needs do not justify the diesel and I am not sure I want to deal with all the nuances of the diesel especially knowing it will sit in storage in a cold climate for months at a time. However, if the vehicle dynamics/handing of the super C is heads and tails above anything else out there, I might swallow hard and take the financial hit.
Also note, I will likely be pulling a full size SUV on either a flatbed trailer or 4-wheels down as I travel.
If you made it this far through this long-winded post...God Bless You! I will greatly appreciate all thoughts, opinions, real world experience, and feedback.
Background: I owned a relatively low end used 2008 Coachmen Mirada class A gas motorhome several years back and we were relatively disappointed with travelling in it. The front end shimmied at highway speeds (never troubleshot it), the engine noise was loud while driving and much of the "stuff" in the coach rattled while driving. Our RV needs at that time were short drive (200 mile) weekend camping trips around the state, so we switched to a travel trailer and we love it for that type of RVing. However, our RVing needs have changed again and we will be doing 3 annual longer haul trips (600 to 1500 mile) out of state trips for the next 5 years. We took our travel trailer on one such trip last spring and due to the winds, passing semis, and hilly terrain, much of the ride was white-knuckled and honestly a lot of work in the driver's seat. By the end of our trip the wheel skirts on the travel trailer were torn completely off. I do indeed have the proper tow vehicle and setup equalizer hitch etc and am pretty religious about weighing, loading, tire pressures etc. Nonetheless, that sort of longer haul travelling with the trailer was just too much of a "fight" while driving. So here are some questions for which I am looking for real world experience and/or opinions on:
1) Will the driving portion of long haul travelling be somewhat better in a motorhome vs. pulling a travel trailer? My experience with my first low end class A gasser motorhome has me not so sure, but was it because it was low end and potentially not setup well?
2) Are the newer (2015+) Class A gas motorhomes (e.g. 2017 Thor Miramar) far better from a driving experience than I might have had in my 2008 Mirada from a shimmy, rattling, and engine noise perspective?
3) From a perspective of not getting blown around by crosswinds and semis, will a class A gasser be better or worse than pulling a properly setup 5000 pound travel trailer with the proper tow vehicle?
4) Does anyone have experience in both a Class A gasser, and a Freightliner or International based Super C (e.g. Jayco Seneca, Nexus Ghost). It seems to me that the Super C would be hands down the absolute best RV when it comes to vehicle dynamics due to its weight ratings, actual weight, sway bars, rear air suspension, air brakes, etc. However, I would like feedback from anyone that has real world experience driving both a class A and super C. I am pretty sure my mileage needs do not justify the diesel and I am not sure I want to deal with all the nuances of the diesel especially knowing it will sit in storage in a cold climate for months at a time. However, if the vehicle dynamics/handing of the super C is heads and tails above anything else out there, I might swallow hard and take the financial hit.
Also note, I will likely be pulling a full size SUV on either a flatbed trailer or 4-wheels down as I travel.
If you made it this far through this long-winded post...God Bless You! I will greatly appreciate all thoughts, opinions, real world experience, and feedback.