Which is best ride/drive; "A" or "C" ?

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68chstiger

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Wife and I are trying to decide which type to buy, she wants smaller C because she thinks it will be easier to drive, I lean to the A because of roominess and don't think it will be harder to drive. Would appreciate input from those that have done both. Thanks in advance for you responses.

HGC
 
Neither are hard to drive but both do take some practice.  The class A has an advantage of better visibility as you sit much higher above the road than in a class C.  Base your choice on floorplan first.
 
Another thing to note is the class A will have more storage capacity, as well as, a higher weight carrying capacity if that is important to you. We have had both and would never go back to a class C. Good luck.
 
I've had a TIOGA "C" class and a Pusher "A" class and I'll take the room of the "A" class any day.
They drive about the same. The "C" just seems a lot smaller.

You'll have to deal with tail swing in either so that's a push.

The "C" class is built on a lighter chassis and so is somewhere near the max load that chassis was designed to carry. The "A" class is on a modified big rig chassis and is somewhere around the lower end of whet the chassis was designed to carry. Depending on if you get a Gasser or a Pusher "A" class the engine noise on the road is noticeable in a front engine coach either "C" or "A" class.

The suspension on a Pusher is a lot better than a "C" or most gas "A" classes.

Turn radius on a pusher is a lot better than either of the gassers, figures since the engine is in the back out of the way. This is a really nice thing but does make the tail swing problem worse.

We loved our "C" TIOGA and the Ford V10 was a great engine, but it just wasn't big enough. Now that we have the pusher we haven't looked at new coaches nearly as much.
Were happy with what we have now and room and comfort aren't a problem.

Go to a few dealers and drive all three kinds and see which you like best.

BTW a Pusher costs more to buy and service, but it lasts longer and is generally better built with higher end OEM products.

 
I've owned several As and several Cs and the As win. It isn't even a contest. Cs feel like a lopsided pickup truck and an A feels like a smooth bus.

And a diesel beats a gasser by a light year.

Neither one is hard to drive, just slightly different.
 
Granted our A is bigger than our C was but the C always felt top-heavy and was a bitch to drive in the wind. The A isn't fun to drive in the wind but it's a whole lot better than the C was.

Wendy
 
Last year we had a B+ and intended to find a used C over the winter to use this year and looked at a couple but at one dealer, the salesman showed us an A and that was pretty much the end of the Class C idea.  We found an A in the size range we wanted and at a price we could afford. 

The large windshield and the extra height makes it a lot easier to see the road.  With a C you're squashed into a truck cab with the body of the camper part sticking out on both sides and that really limits your vision.  The A's cab is even with the coach and that not only gives you more room inside, it greatly increases your view down the sides of the MH. 

Another vote for an A!
 
We've had three Cs and two As and the A wins!  I've loved driving all of them, but the As are nicer all around and very easy to drive.  Go test drive a lot of them before deciding.

ArdraF
 
For us it was all about vision.  I couldn't see the sides of the rig or out the back particularly well in a C and once I saw how far down the highway I could see in an A we didn?t look at another C.  Also in the A I can use a rear view mirror to see my son sitting in his car seat in the dinette.  Not possible in a C.  The driving experience is completely different but vision was the primary factor for me.

Jeff
 
Thanks so much for all the replies. I think after my wife takes a test drive in both she will like the "A" a lot better. All my research leans toward them.
 
I think it depends upon what kind of A you're looking at.  A gas engine up front is usually built on a chassis without air bags, etc. and is often as close to being overloaded as a C.  On the other hand, a diesel pusher A is the easiest driving motorhome we ever owned.  It will handle wind, curves, etc. without blinking.  Our new motorhome, on order, is a Sprinter chassis front engine diesel.  It's only 24' long and drives like a car.  Very quiet, too.
 
The easiest are going to be by far the diesel pushers on air-ride suspensions.  The air-brakes can take some getting use to as can the exhaust brakes, but VERY comfortable to be in.  Next for me would be the gas class A, you still sit high enough to see well and the you just don't seem to have as many blind spots.  I've driven a couple of class C rigs and it wasn't until I was in a class A that I realized how big of A PITA it was to actually see what was going on around me.

Jeff
 
One comment below about tail swing being the the same between gas abd diesel is not quite on the spot.  The diesel axle is a lot further back than a gas chassis.  The tail swing is dependent on the amount of body behind the axle. 

Considering the OP is deciding between a small C or an A, I think the diesel is a moot point anyway. 

 
PancakeBill said:
One comment below about tail swing being the the same between gas abd diesel is not quite on the spot.  The diesel axle is a lot further back than a gas chassis.  The tail swing is dependent on the amount of body behind the axle. 

Considering the OP is deciding between a small C or an A, I think the diesel is a moot point anyway.
Click to expand...

Not many topics concerning RVing will get such a lopsided response but Bill makes a very good point.  The OP is asking about the ride and driveability.  Sure the DP gives a lot of great benefits but I doubt the choice is between a C and a DP.  With some smaller Class A gassers won't he have many of the same handling challenges as a Class C... with the exception of the top heaviness?

Rick
 
A gas A and a C do not drive alike.  They do have similar chassis components, but different chassis.  They both have overhangs, but that doesn't really have a bearing on going down the road.  Takiing a turn, yes, mostly though in backing into a site, and puuling away from a tight area.  Good rule, try to swing away.  Parallel parking is a talent. 
 
Ned said:
Who makes one of those?
Click to expand...

Just about every single class C ever made is a pusher. The front mounted engine runs a drive train that drives the rear wheels that  pushes motorhome. There are very few front wheel drive that pulls the motorhome.
 
Pusher, as used to describe an RV, implies the engine is in the rear.
 
Woops! Haven't seen one of them myself either. I meant an A pusher, not a C. That typing monkey must have taken over for me again  ;D!
 
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