24 ft.Class A used - Am I looking for love in all the wrong places?

[vdubgurl]

I have found very few Class A 24-26 ft motor homes in my searches. Are they that rare?  Could someone recommend a shorter Class A? Should I stick with my Class C plan?  I am looking to spend about $25,000. 

I like the class C 22-24 ft. with the bed in back. I plan to sleep up top and take the bed in the back out for a tiny studio. (If someone comes along I can always put a inflatable bed back there.)

BUT....all the fabulous advice from this site, I am thinking I should consider a Class A. For longer engine life, storage and the better views out the front. I went and looked at a few 30 ft and bigger units and they are just too big, it's just me and the furkid

1. If (or should I say when) I break down, which is easier to get repaired, Class A or Class C.
2. Which would be cheaper to get repaired.
2.  I plan on keeping my new home for 10 years. Should I get gas or diesel.
3.  I want a smaller unit to get into more areas. I will be traveling into the city quite a bit and my
      reasoning for a smaller unit is it would be easier to find parking. Is this true? Does 4 ft really make a    difference?
 

Thanks in advance for any advice. I have been reading for 4 days straight! I have had my 79 VW camper for 14 years now and this girl is ready to have a bathroom and shower on board!! LOL

 

[seilerbird]

Here is one for you:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/used-rv-24-01-Traillite-LOW-MILES-FREE-DEL-WARRANTY-/130616215669?pt=RVs_Campers&hash=item1e69554875#ht_36606wt_1165

 

[1275gtsport]

We just went from a 22foot class C to a 26 foot Class A with almost the same layout. I can tell you that 4 feet is a big difference when parking. with the 22 foot the wheel base was also shorter and I could back into spots on the edge and let the rear over hang on the grass. the front was then level with the rest of the line. with the 26 footer the wheel base is different and there is only about 3 feet beyond the rear most wheel. Makes for a very nice ride mind you.

 

[seilerbird]

I have found very few Class A 24-26 ft motor homes in my searches. Are they that rare?  Could someone recommend a shorter Class A? Should I stick with my Class C plan?  I am looking to spend about $25,000. 

Yes, short RVs with a diesel are very rare. Diesels don't become common until you get over 30 feet.

BUT....all the fabulous advice from this site, I am thinking I should consider a Class A. For longer engine life, storage and the better views out the front. I went and looked at a few 30 ft and bigger units and they are just too big, it's just me and the furkid

I have been living in a 1985 27 foot class A for the last two years with my two cats. It is a nice unit but I am currently shopping for something in the 30-36 foot range. The bedroom and the bathroom are just too small for me. A class A is what I recommend.

1. If (or should I say when) I break down, which is easier to get repaired, Class A or Class C.
2. Which would be cheaper to get repaired.

RV shops charge around $100 per hour for labor. It doesn't matter if it is a class A, B or C, the rates are the same.

2.  I plan on keeping my new home for 10 years. Should I get gas or diesel.

Gas and diesel are different tools for different jobs. If you are going to be full timing, towing and climbing mountains then the diesel is your best answer. If you are a weekender, not towing and not doing much mountain driving then a gasser might be a better choice.

3.  I want a smaller unit to get into more areas. I will be traveling into the city quite a bit and my
      reasoning for a smaller unit is it would be easier to find parking. Is this true? Does 4 ft really make a    difference?

Doesn't bother me. I don't tow and I drive my RV around in cities all the time. When parking an RV you don't use the normal parking places found on city streets. I always find a shopping center. They have gigantic, easy to park in parking lots. I have been full timing for 9 years in class A, B and Cs and parking just isn't an issue.

I spend about 95% of my time inside my RV and about 5% driving it. So therefore I want the RV to be as big and comfortable as possible because I spend the vast majority of my time living in my RV instead of driving it.
 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Well, yes, a 24-26 foot Class A is fairlyrare. They existed back in the late 70's and 26 footers have recently begun to be offered again after the fuel crunch hit, but in between not all that many were produced. That makes used ones fairly rare, I imagine.

GMC made a rather elegant 26 foot coach in the 70's and they have become a classic. Many of them have been lovingly maintained and upgraded with more modern components. Here's one:
http://www.rvt.com/rvdetail4627733.htm

Winnebago also made the Chieftain and Brave models in that size during the 80's and 90's, so you should find some of them too. Fleetwood also had some 26 footers in the Flair & Southwind lines.

Try a website such as rvt.com, where you can specify RV type, length and pric range as search parameters and you will turn up some candidates.

Here are a few more from RVT.COM

http://www.rvt.com/rvdetail4812129.htm
http://www.rvt.com/rvdetail4829993.htm
http://www.rvt.com/rvdetail3818228.htm
http://www.rvt.com/rvdetail4816064.htm

 

[JimM68]

I'm thinking you want to look at units based on the Mercedes Benz Sprinter chassis. These will be class C or B+, 24-26 feet, small diesel, great mileage. Not real big, but very liveable. Somewhat costly compared to conventional ford based class C's.

Diesel or Gas, Class A's under 30 feet really don't exist anymore. Makes me think of the old GMC's from the 70's and 80's, I love em, but would never want to live in one.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Diesel or Gas, Class A's under 30 feet really don't exist anymore.

Winnebago would be surprised to hear that, Jim. They  produce brand new 26 foot Class A, the Vista

 

[Dan Walters]

Not many are available in that length, but you can find them with a little looking.  I sold my 1998 Allegro 26' Class A motorhome last year and now have a 40' diesel pusher.  When I was looking to buy the Allegro back in 2005, I found a few others of that length, some of which have already been mentioned.  I saw a Fleetwood Flair that was 25 or 26 feet that was about the same year as the Allegro that I bought and I looked at a Winnebago that was close to that size, so they are available if you search for them.

As far as gas or diesel, if you are going to drive it a lot of miles and keep it a long time, the diesel might make sense, something like the motorhomes built on the Sprinter Chassis like Jim mentioned.  But if you are not going to put a lot of miles on it, the gas motorhomes will work just fine and be cheaper to buy and maintain.  Good luck with your search.

Dan

 

[Water Dog]

We just sold our 26' 1994 Fleetwood Flair Class A last month that was in really nice condition and had less than 40,000 miles on it for less than half of your budget, and I have seen quite a few others advertised on Craigslist and Ebay. I'm sure you will find something you like in that size that fits your budget.

 

[vdubgurl]

Thank you for advice and suggestions! You guys are so helpful.  The 22 ft vs. 26 ft parking was something to think about. Decisions, decisions...Do you think you get better deals in the winter vs. summer? I am going to go test drive a few next weekend. Maybe that will whittle down my "not so sure" list. 

Hope everyone had a good holiday.

 

[Jim Godward]

Just a comment.  I have had a 24' Jamboree class C, a 33' SeaBreeze class A and now have a 38" Dutch Star.  Of the 3 the Dutch Star is by far the easiest to drive once you get used to the length.  It took my wife all of an hour to transition tot he 38' from the 33'.  She had never drive anything larger than a 68 olds Cutlass prior to the 33' MH so she took the RV Driving school driving class and in 2 days she was a very good driver in the larger vehicles.

For my self and one cat, a 38' would be just comfortable with my computers, radios and other hobbies.  Since I have a wife, the hobbies suffer but we are not full time so it works out.  Full time, We would need 40+', single the 38' would work for me.

Don't let the size scare you away from being comfortable in living in an RV.  Too many people start small and find that they are cramped and uncomfortable in the smaller MHs.  Go for comfort and learn to drive whatever you get as any MH is far different than driving a car.

 

[scottydl]

As Jim mentioned, a few feet is not all that significant in driving.  Of course some rigs are more nimble and maneuverable than others, but regardless of size you always need to learn about watching mirrors and rear ends.  Same principles apply to driving most sizes in other words.  After some experience driving a 28' Class C for work, we ended up purchasing a 35' Class A and I never really had any problems driving.  The Class A is more enjoyable to drive, with a higher stance and more big windows to see the world around.

$25k can buy you a lot of motorhome.  Winter may be a better time to find deals because more people would consider selling than in the spring/summer when they are planning trips.  But, the best deal can come along any time.  It's just a matter of staying "on the hunt" and finding the right rig and seller to meet your needs and budget.

 

[Carl L]

3.  I want a smaller unit to get into more areas. I will be traveling into the city quite a bit and my
      reasoning for a smaller unit is it would be easier to find parking. Is this true? Does 4 ft really make a    difference?

You will find that the parking space standards are going to make looking to park most any A or C motorhome a bit of a misery in an urban setting.

From the Wikipedia article on Parking Spaces:

In North America, the width of angled and perpendicular parking spaces usually ranges from 2.3 to 2.75 metres (7.5?9.0 ft). For example, normal parking spaces in the city of Dallas, Texas are 8.5 feet wide, while compact spaces are 7.5 feet wide.[2] Because the boundary between parking space and driving area is not always well-defined, the length of a parking space is more difficult to establish. However, most angled and perpendicular spaces are considered to be between 3.2 and 5.5 metres (10 and 18 ft) in length. Parallel parking spaces are typically cited as being approximately 2.76 metres (9.1 ft) wide by 6.1 metres (20 ft) long

Speaking as resident of a large urban area, Los Angeles, let me say lots of luck on finding that 18 foot angled parking space.  Those 20 foot parallel spaces include  the roughly 4-5 feet of surplus that one needs in manuevering parallel parking.  You will find yourself using the back areas of shopping mall lots, residential other unmarked streets, or taking up two adjacent spaces and paying for two parking meters.  (And/or being subject to lots of hate from other folks desperately looking for a parking space too.  :  )

In short, a few feet on a A or C motorhome is not going to matter all that much in the hunt for a place to park in cities.  There is a reason people haul toads.  ;D

 

[PancakeBill]

Depending on parking, every foot makes a difference, especially on city streets.  No matter what you drive in an RV, street parking is not great because of the crown to the gutter.  Puts your coach on a side leaning angle, on my coach this is bad if the steps decide to deploy.  On a small C you would likely use the drivers door, but fridge, sink toilet etc prefer level.

A small used car set up to tow behind solves a lot of those issues.  Aside from Tom, most folks prefer a small toad.

The Sprinter chassis units mentioned will be about double your budget, so that wouldn't work. 

Have you considered a slide in truck camper.  Depending on unit, pretty good use of space.  Plus, you can either drive it into town or unload at campground.  Just something else to consider.