the new guy

I am David, and I have some questions regarding RV?ing in general.  My wife (she who must be obeyed) wants to get involved in RV?ing. The problem is I have no clue where to start, I have visited several web sites, but they were all ?festoon? with all matters of makes and models and different configurations. It?s just me and my wife and 2 small dogs.
This is what I believe (pretty sure) I am looking for,
A class ?C?
2-3 years old ?lightly? used.
22 to 25 feet long
A bathroom ?She who must be obeyed?, wants one.
slide outs
The ability to tow a car trailer with a car on it with little to no problem.
An APU (auxiliary power unit) (aka) generator
***** What I need help with is:
Narrow my search ? suggested reliably years makes and models.
gas or diesel ????
I did try to subscribe to CURBED and to join the conversations on CONVO but some how I screwed it up and now it won?t let me.

thanks for the help
David

This is a typical response of someone new to RVing. You want a tiny little RV that will work for two people, two dogs and can tow a vehicle. That really doesn't exist. If you did find one you would not have enough CCC (Cargo Carrying Capacity) to be usable. I suggest you rent a small RV for a weekend and see what you are getting yourself into. I guarantee you if you found an RV that meets your specs you would be selling it to upgrade within six months.

Welcome to the forum,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news...But you likely won't get a simple answer to your questions.

A class ?C?
2-3 years old ?lightly? used.
This parts pretty easy

A bathroom ?She who must be obeyed?, wants one.

Once again should be no problem

The ability to tow a car trailer with a car on it with little to no problem.

This will depend on the actual unit you find...towing capacity can vary on the same models depending on they are setup with options....You will also have to know the tongue Wt. of your trailer as well as the total Wt. of your loaded trailer.

slide outs

A good idea it gives extra space where it's needed...But it adds to the weight of the RV.

An APU (auxiliary power unit) (aka) generator

Some come with built in Generators...Some don't. It's an option...Just make sure it has one if you want it. (You should make sure you not only see it, but see it run and power the RV)

suggested reliably years makes and models

No one likes to say "Buy this Brand from these years" Quality seems to all over the place on most brands. Your best bet is to find some units that you like then ask questions about that unit. TAKE YOUR TIME..It is highly recommended that when you find the right RV get it inspected by a 3rd party.

gas or diesel ????

All depends on how your going to use it and if you have resources to get it serviced.

You really need to spend some time deciding on what's important to you. In our case we needed a walk around queen size bed. That narrowed our choices quickly...than we went from there.

SeilerBird makes a good point...Rent one and found out what you really need

Welcome to the RVForum David. If you graze through this forum, you'll find a pretty common recommendation for 1st time RV buyers, and that is to focus a lot of your attention on the floorplan of the RV. That's where you're going to be spending a lot of your time. You can change appliances and other things in an RV without too much trouble, but it's very difficult, and usually cost prohibitive/impractical to change the floorplan. Little things that you think you can "live with" often become a real PITA in the small confines of an RV.

I'd also recommend that you not worry too much about what kind of engine it has (gas or diesel.) Most Class Cs are going to have gas engines (most often the Ford V-10) which are excellent engines. It's just my opinion, but I wouldn't sacrifice a floorplan I liked, just to have a certain type of engine. Diesel engines offer a few advantages (mileage, torque etc.) but a modern gas engine will do just fine in the size of motorhome you're talking about. Diesel engines are also more expensive to buy and maintain.

You may have already done this, but you should make sure that the vehicle you plan on towing is indeed towable. Many aren't, which means you'd need a dolly or a trailer to tow it, or a fairly pricey drive train modification. Some Class Cs don't have a lot of towing capacity, and even less so when the RV is heavily loaded, so pay attention to those capacities.

We're here to help, so when you have questions, ask away.

Kev 

You need to spend some actual time sitting and moving around in an RV that size. At first blush it will appear to have all the comforts of home, but in practice 22-25 ft is tight for two people and pets.  Being crowded gets old in a hurry!  Finding storage for clothing, utensils, coffee pot or toaster oven, that sort of thing, is not evident until you try it or at least make an effort to pretend doing it.

Motorhomes all come with bathrooms, but they are tiny in the smaller ones so get SWMBO to step in, try standing in the shower and sitting on the commode. Many have gensets (it's a common option). A slide or two will be included on the more upscale models and are great for expanding living space.

Few class C's have enough tow capacity for a car on a trailer, but the larger ones on a Ford E450 chassis may.  A car hauler trailer typically runs around 1000 lbs and the car itself anywhere from 3200-5000 lbs, for a total of 4200-6000+ lbs.  A typical Class C is limited to 4000 or 5000 lbs towing, so check the tow rating and receiver hitch rating carefully when shopping.

Gas vs diesel in that size range is probably not important. The smaller diesels, e.g. those on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis, get very good fuel mileage but cost heavily up front and you have to drive a lot of miles to recoup the extra cost.  Most buyers get a gas engine and that's fine.


I lean toward the Winnebago models for newcomers because Winnie generally configures & equips their coaches reasonably well, but that doesn't mean other brands are no good.

Lots of good information above. Let me add that you might consider a smaller class A, which will usually give you more weight capacity, a bit more inside space for the length, more towing capacity and most likely more storage in and around the coach, especially basement storage. And a class A is no more difficult to drive than a similar size class C, but it IS different in some respects, meaning you have to be willing to get used to it (test drive one or two), though that doesn't take long for most folks.

I'd also pay special attention to Gary's comments about being crowded, since what works for a day or two may not work well for longer periods, and even what seems very spacious at first can seem a bit restrictive after a while. And take his other comments to heart, too, about actually getting in several RVs and pretending to live in them, thinking of not only sleep time, but what you'll do when it's rained for three days straight, and how will you deal with company (even just for a couple of hours), and how adequate is the workspace in the kitchen for preparing meals, and how will you spend your time after you've come inside for the evening but aren't yet ready to hit the sack.

Do you both get up about the same time in the morning, or does the one getting up earlier need special provision for a place to read/surf the net/etc. until the other gets up (I'm often up for a couple of hours before DW is up)?

In other words, it's a place you have to live in when you're on the road, so do the pretend thing, maybe spend an hour or more in a coach on the dealer's lot just to see what you can come up with.

Best of luck.

We started with a 25 foot,no slides.  It was OK for the rain-free weekend we spent in it,but we (actually my husband) started thinking about the week-long trip we had booked.  One day he announces he's found a fifth wheel we need to look at.  What???  Next thing I know,we have a 29 foot/2slides beast in our driveway.

I knew the shower was too small in the 25 footer.  Yes,CGs have showers but having my own is somewhat the whole point of owning an RV.  The only thing I dislike is that the fifth wheel does not have a walk around bed.  Okay,not the only thing.

So,consider being rained it for a few days.  Getting in and out of bed,esp. during the night.  What size bed do you have at home?  How much coziness can you tolerate?

Seriously think about storage.  Clothes,  kitchen,black tank dumping.

Welcome and good luck!

Ditto on what the others have said about size of the potential RV.  Three other points:
[list type=decimal]
[*]Try everything out for size.  That means sitting on all of the chairs and dinette, laying on the bed, standing in the shower, sitting on the toilet, etc.  RVs are notorious for having queen beds which aren't really the size of a regular queen bed, or showers which are big enough for only a short person like me, or couches which look full-sized, but which really aren't.  Practice having the person on the far side of the bed getting up without disturbing the other person.
[*]Don't get tricked by thinking that you will be spending most of your time outdoors.  Even if it is just the two of you and two small dogs, there will be times when you have company and when it rains for several days and those dogs become wet dogs and smell, well, like wet dogs, all day. 
[*]With a larger RV comes larger waste tanks, at least nearly always.  Larger waste tanks mean that in a state or national park, you will have to dump your tanks less often, which is a big consideration. [/list]

I am perfectly comfortable in my 32' Class C, but I travel alone and am short enough to easily fit in my shower and in my "short" queen bed.  If I were traveling with someone, I would have to go even bigger.

If you are worried about driving a bigger vehicle, don't be.  I am 75 and only 5'1" tall and easily drive my vehicle.  And I would not hesitate to drive something even bigger, although it might take me a couple of trips to get used to it.

hotfordmorgan said:

I am David, and I have some questions regarding RV?ing in general.  My wife (she who must be obeyed) wants to get involved in RV?ing. The problem is I have no clue where to start, I have visited several web sites, but they were all ?festoon? with all matters of makes and models and different configurations. It?s just me and my wife and 2 small dogs.
This is what I believe (pretty sure) I am looking for,
A class ?C?
2-3 years old ?lightly? used.
22 to 25 feet long
A bathroom ?She who must be obeyed?, wants one.
slide outs
The ability to tow a car trailer with a car on it with little to no problem.
An APU (auxiliary power unit) (aka) generator
***** What I need help with is:
Narrow my search ? suggested reliably years makes and models.
gas or diesel ????
I did try to subscribe to CURBED and to join the conversations on CONVO but some how I screwed it up and now it won?t let me.

thanks for the help
David

Click to expand...

Many ways to gain some knowledge.  Countless Youtube videos on Rving, I can't even guess how many I watch before I even mentioned getting one to my wife.  Do you have any friends that have an RV, can be Class A or Class C at this point.  Join them on a camping weekend some time.  Other ways is to go to RV dealers and walk thru what they have as stock to get a "feel" of the layouts. I don't believe there a 23ft class C RV would meet your purpose at all.  Also looking at RV''s posted in local papers or Criagslists. Again, get a "feel" for looking, asking questions.  You might even be able to take it on a test drive.

Then a final step would be to rent one and take on a short trip...Lots to RV'ing that doesn't come very clear until you get in action and thats a hard way to learn about stuff.

I spent about 2 years before making our purchase, looking , reading ,googling...

I wanted a class B but I was out voted, she gets 2 votes I get one. 
Then I decided on a 24 foot.  Our plan is to travel ,not spend all my time in a camp ground. 
The problem with 24 foot, one, the bath was a wet bath, meaning you sat on the toilet to take a shower . 
next you couldnt walk around the bed to make it. Doesnt sound bad but had that problem on a boat,hated it.
next its been a long day, you want to relax and watch some tv maybe.  where do you sit??? No couch in a 24 foot just a dinette.

so we moved to 28 foot. Filled the bill for us. shower, bathroom, couch lots  more storage and only 4 ft longer . Oh yea one more thing, if your going to camp and not explore, a slideout is great. If your going traveling a slideout can be a big problem especially when you cant get from the cab to the bathroom with out jumping over something. You cant put out a slide in a truck stop or walmart etc....( most of the time)  ask LOTS of questions here,  you'll get answers,lots of answers, and apply the ones that fit t oyour situation.

Ive read numbers from 20% and some up to 60% of people buying their first RV , buy the wrong one and are looking for another with in a year.... So keep researching and narrowing down your search. DONT jump into one because its a great deal if it isnt right for you.

You cant put out a slide in a truck stop or walmart etc....( most of the time)

Click to expand...

That certainly hasn't been my experience and we've traveled 120k+ miles with Rvs with slides.
That said, do pay attention to accessibility to the interior with slides in. Some floor plans block access to toilet or fridge or other important things when the slide(s) are in.