Hello everyone, well after a few years of checking out class a's, my wife and I have decided it's time to give it a try. First off, we have 2 young sons and 2 dogs. We decided on a Class A because over the years a have driven or rented both A's and C's. I prefer the A's. We have a budget of under $15000, so I believe we are going to be in the mid-late 1990's years. My wife and I are at a stand-off a far as length. I'm leaning towards more of the 28'-30' range. I'm thinking about better gas mileage and maneuverability in tight spaces, driving into parking lots, through small down-towns. We are more road warriors than camp ground people. She is thinking 28'-30' is way to small, and jumping up to say a 34' won't matter. Also, I have been a Chevy guy my whole life, so naturally the 454's draw my attention. Am I wrong? Is the 460 a better engine? And finally, opinions on the BEST mid-late 1990's Class A. There are so many it makes my head spin! Thank you all.
1st Time Motorhome Buyer
- Thread starter MJP1966
- Start date
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SeilerBird
Well-known member
Most people spend the majority of their time living in an RV and only a small percent of the time driving it so it makes sense in my book to optimize the RV for living and not for driving.
The 454 and the 460 are both great engines. How well they have been taken care is far more important than the badge on the engine. Same thing with make and model. Don't shop by looking at the model or manufacturer. Shop by looking at condition and floor plan, both of which are far more important. If you decide something like Chevy only you will really be restricting the number of models you can look at and you might pass up a real bargain.
The 454 and the 460 are both great engines. How well they have been taken care is far more important than the badge on the engine. Same thing with make and model. Don't shop by looking at the model or manufacturer. Shop by looking at condition and floor plan, both of which are far more important. If you decide something like Chevy only you will really be restricting the number of models you can look at and you might pass up a real bargain.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
If you don't tow a car, it may make sense to keep the motorhome smaller, so that you can more easily take it places. But if you tow a car and use that to sight-see and shop, it makes more sense to get a coach large enough to meet your comfort needs. Fuel economy differences between 30 and 34 feet is going to be trivial, I think. Think of convenience and comfort first - it's not all about driving. Your wife has to "keep house" in that small space and her ability to do so without hassle is paramount. Think about galley size and usability, closet space, where to put the dirty clothes (and how they get washed again), where you will sit to watch tv or use the PC, etc.
scottydl
Site Team
With 2 boys and 2 dogs, a 28' motorhome would get crowded fast. My advice is to go as big as you think you can handle. We camped in a 35' Class A (1994 Thor Residency) with 2 boys which became 3 boys when 3rd child was born... and I never wished the RV was smaller, that's for sure!
Floorplan and condition of the RV are far more important than any specific make/model. For $15,000 you should be able to find a lot of late 90's models and maybe even some early 2000's. Once you decide on definite floorplan wants/needs, that will limit your make/model options and narrow the field of choices. Research, research, research! (this forum is a great place for that
)
Floorplan and condition of the RV are far more important than any specific make/model. For $15,000 you should be able to find a lot of late 90's models and maybe even some early 2000's. Once you decide on definite floorplan wants/needs, that will limit your make/model options and narrow the field of choices. Research, research, research! (this forum is a great place for that
)
K9_Iraq
Active member
"Welcome aboard... Scottydl...I am a 1st time m/h owner as well. I purchased a 2012 [new] Winnebago 'Vista' 27 footer. It's only the wife and our Westie 'Fergus'. We have plenty of interior living space and our purchase was based on several 4-6 day trips to CA & AZ...
The 158" wheelbase is great for quick entry into any r/v space or small towns and shopping areas. Not to mention the better gas mileage with no toad and a Ford V-10 gasser... ;D
'Hack'
Charlie 5320
Well-known member
When I was looking to buy my currant coach, I looked at several from 26 to 36 ft long. What I didn't like about the shorter As was the corner bed. The 30 ft coach I bought fits me perfect, but my DW wanted a bathroom altogether instead of a split bath. I also noticed there wasn't much difference between the 30 and the 34 fters except the bath arrangement, and the 34 had more overhang behind the rear wheels. I choose the 30 because I couldn't make it in my drive way pulling my race car and trailer with anything more than 30 ft. I use the coach much more than my DW, but we have plenty of room when we go camping or visiting friends that live out of state. We are comfortable with our 2 dogs but if there were 2 children, might be a little crowded. Got to remember they grow up real fast, and what may seem ok today might not be so 3 years down the line. I remember back when my kids were small, I bought a Nissan cab + truck thinking the kids would use the seats in the rear. They only fit in those seats a couple years before we out grew that truck.
Drive several coachs with both power plants. What I found is I didn't like the way the Ford chassis drove, in the mid to late 90s. I liked the gm trans better, the way it shifted, I pull a car and trailer most weekends during racing season, in OD without it shifting up and down all the time. When it's time for me to buy again it will still have a GM drive train, but that will limit me on how new I can go, because GM don't build their big engine anymore. Maybe Ford has improved the trans in the later years, lets hope so.
Drive several coachs with both power plants. What I found is I didn't like the way the Ford chassis drove, in the mid to late 90s. I liked the gm trans better, the way it shifted, I pull a car and trailer most weekends during racing season, in OD without it shifting up and down all the time. When it's time for me to buy again it will still have a GM drive train, but that will limit me on how new I can go, because GM don't build their big engine anymore. Maybe Ford has improved the trans in the later years, lets hope so.
