How is life in a class C with towing a car

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cehilli

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Hello, I'm looking at buying a Class C 30' Motorhome.  I'm trying to come to terms with how it will be when I get in a RV Park & realize I need milk, beer or something else.  It sounds like a pain to have to put the slide away, put the awning away & drive into town.

Can you please put my mind at ease and tell me how you people do it.
 
Most people soon decide to tow a car and avoid the breakdown & set-up whenever you want to go to the store or sight-see. Not everybody - I see a couple smaller B's or C's do it every week in the campground where we are spending the summer. Having a car handy is much more convenient, but is still just "convenient" as opposed to "necessary". You may be able to tow a car you already have with a tow dolly, for a cost in the $1000-$1600 range.  Used tow dollies are widely available for around $1000.
 
Some also use bicycles or electric bikes. Proper planning will help eliminate some of the trips, but we all know how that proper planning thing works.
 
For me it is more about having a vehicle to sight see and do things. Some of the places I go you need a vehicle to get access. If you have the money, get a tow vehicle. A 30 ft would be a PITA to run around in.
 
Newbie here. Just had my used class c a few months and jumped right into towing. Like you, we couldn't see sightseeing or resupply runs in our rv. Quickly realized that we really didn't want to break it down until we're ready to move. Have and 06 Camry that we wanted to tow. (can't afford purchasing a new vehicle for 4 down towing) Went with a Master Tow dolly w/electric brakes. Our first 2500 mile trip went extremely well with no issues. Happy with our choices. A little work to load/unload and probably a hit on mileage but acceptable.
 
we are doing only recreational trips, mostly weekending.
and so far have done ok without a toad.
I can see where it would be nice though, no doubt.  We did a multi-week trip out to to TX where we could have used a car, but only a time or two truthfully. 
And just last week we returned form a week up in NC.  Had a time finding a parking space when we visited the town of Blowing Rock.  Ended up asking a hotel if we could use there mostly empty lot for a few hours to visit their town.  Thank you Meadowbrook Inn!
I surely would have loved to have a car then!!!

BUT as a counter-point
on the way home we pulled into a cracker barrel for dinner.  The RV spaces held our MH just fine, but we would not have fit with anything in tow.
 
We're long-time RVers and over the years have had three class Cs and two Class As.  Initially we had no tow car.  The first motorhome was only 18 feet so wasn't too difficult to get around in.  The second one was 22 feet and we started getting tired of always hooking and unhooking to go places.  Toward the end of that ownership we got a small Geo Tracker which had decent off-road capabilities and was a lot of fun.  At 30 feet we knew we had to have a car and upgraded to a Jeep Grand Cherokee.  We sold the Tracker to a couple who had been fulltimers for three years and the wife REALLY wanted a car so she could go shopping etc.  So, yes, towing a car is significantly nicer, not just for running errands and sightseeing but also for unforeseen things like medical emergencies.  I had one of those and between hospital visits and physical therapy we were really thankful to have a car to get around.  Even sightseeing is better.  For example, we had no car on our first visit to Alaska.  We had a great time but it wasn't until our second visit with a car that we realized how much we had missed the first time because there were a lot of places not suitable for a large and heavy RV.  Yes, some people do get along just fine without a car and more power to them but it doesn't suit our needs.  Why not wait until you have the motorhome, take a few trips to find out how you do without one, and then make your decision.  We each have different needs and wants.  By the way, in my opinion towing four-down is the easiest but for starters do what you can afford.  It's very hard to know what you'll like and dislike ahead of ownership.

ArdraF
 
I have been full-timing for four years without a tow.  Mostly, I just stock up on stuff and run errands between campgrounds. 

Partly, the decision to tow will depend on how often you move and what kind of travel style you have.  I tend to move every 2-7 days, so not towing is a good option for me.  If I were to stay in a campground for an entire season or do work camping, I would have a towed vehicle.

I also am a minimalist and do not spread out a bunch of stuff around my site, so packing up and moving is fairly easy.
 
We typically rent for any week long or longer stays in one area.

Otherwise, it's really not that hard to roll up the awning, lock away a few things and take off.  It's definitely more than jumping in the car, but we've never had an issue.  We as a family of 4 usually were only good for 3 days at parks without sewer on site, so we had to move the House anyway. 

We try to build 3 day stops on our way to our week long getaways.  Once your moving anyway we just stop and replenish. 

 
Thank You very much, it's good to get all of your perspectives. I'll likely try my first season without a tow and learn for myself.

Cecil,
 
JudyJB said:
I have been full-timing for four years without a tow.  Mostly, I just stock up on stuff and run errands between campgrounds. 

Partly, the decision to tow will depend on how often you move and what kind of travel style you have.  I tend to move every 2-7 days, so not towing is a good option for me.  If I were to stay in a campground for an entire season or do work camping, I would have a towed vehicle.

I also am a minimalist and do not spread out a bunch of stuff around my site, so packing up and moving is fairly easy.
What size is your mh ? It's not over 23 feet for sure !
 
Absolutely, it IS considerably over 23 feet.  My Class C motorhome (2012 Tioga Ranger 31N) is 32'.  I have put 85,000 miles on it over the past 4 years and 3 months, so I do keep moving. 

I have driven over steep mountain passes, along very narrow and curvy roads, and can back up like a champ!  It just takes experience to get the confidence to go places with a big rig. 

And I can be packed up and out of a space in a very few minutes--4-5 if all I have to unhook is electric and water.  Maybe 10-15 if I have sewer hooked up and need to dump tanks.  Most of the time, I keep stuff picked up inside so all I have to do is start the engine and push a couple of buttons to put slides in. Then hit another to put TV away.  Stuff everything on counter into sink, and unplug electric and water hoses outside.  I will have already put chairs away the night before or just leave them and hose out if I am just going out for the day. You get fast at it with practice.

Obviously, I am limited in shopping to large stores like Walmart and places like Lowes and Home Depot, but I have taken my rig into small and large towns and found parking, even in a side street.  Sometimes I have to park in a shopping center and walk a block or two, but I manage very well for a 73 year old woman traveling alone!

Oh, and I also almost entirely park in state and national parks.  Very, very seldom problems getting a spot because I make reservations far in advance.  I am in a COE campground in ND along Missouri river right now and there are dozens of empty spots here to fit even a much larger rig.  Not having a tow vehicle means I don't need space to park it, either.
 
We traveled without a toad...once. Never again. Just too much to see and do along the way that you can never get to without a toad.
 
JudyJB's testimonial reminded me of another story form my recent mountain trip. 
(My class C is the same size as hers)
We were pulling into the parking lot of Linville Caverns.  It was a busy weekend day.  A fellow that was pulling out (in a car) waved at me and basically advised that he had given up finding parking, and that there was no room in there for something big like that.  (said in the tone of shock and surprise at ever driving something that big....)
Well, i was already committed to to the driveway, so really didn't have much choice...
and besides, I can back up with the best of them....
so I pulled in.  no big deal, there was space to turn around in the lot, then parked along the shoulder of the entrance road.
really, no big deal at all...

I think I've written before about parallel parking the thing a few times along side streets too.  Even in down town Baton Rouge once!

We have very often just left our bikes, chairs, and patio mats out for a quick drive into town.  Sometimes I'll lock the bikes to the picnic table just to keep ne'er-do-well kids honest..... but it depends....
 
I have a small c - 25' - which can go almost anywhere and I still pull a toad. Dirt roads and back trails attract me :) but I don't want dirt or scratches on my MH. The toad also makes a great place to carry lawn chairs, small tables, portable solar, etc.
 
As you can see in my signature, I have the RV, a VW beetle, and a TW dual sport motorcycle. I have no problems going sightseeing.
 
cehilli said:
Hello, I'm looking at buying a Class C 30' Motorhome.  I'm trying to come to terms with how it will be when I get in a RV Park & realize I need milk, beer or something else.  It sounds like a pain to have to put the slide away, put the awning away & drive into town.

Can you please put my mind at ease and tell me how you people do it.

I suggest you have a list of your "need to have" items and check each time you are ready to hit the road. At least you will be able to have a beer when you stop  ;D

Happy travels, I'm sure you'll be fine, there are lots of folks on the road in motorhomes not towing anything.
 

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