Class C Motorhomes: Feedback please!

[itself]

Well, we just got back from Zion and Bryce National parks.  Now that I am looking around at RVs, gosh, we saw a lot of the CruiseAmerica rental ones.  Some were larger than others, and I am curious, on the longer ones, there seems to be a lot of RV behind the back wheels.  It almost seems like on the longer ones, they should put another set of wheels to support it.

Thoughts?  They just seem a bit disproportionate.

We are looking forward to going to a show to check these out, as they seem a bit more manageable than the large Class A motorhomes (that is easier to drive, perhaps).

Thanks!

Lisa

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You have hit on one of the disadvantages of larger Class C that are still built on a van chassis. They have a long rear overhang and often too much weight for the chassis (push it to its limits). There are C's built on medium truck chassis, though, and they have longer wheelbases and plenty of capacity. The Jayco Seneca is one such and the Conquest Supernova another.

http://www.jayco.com/php/products/motorhomes/trailer.php?id=216

http://www.conquestmotorhomes.com/products/supernova/supernova-home.htm

But you are mistaken about a C being easier to drive. That's an illusion merely because the van-based models have a more familiar cockpit layout. An A of the same size is actually easier to drive and more capable and roomy as well. The higher seat position alone is a huge advantage in vision and control.

 

[1joester2]

As an owner of a C, I will offer that entry to the drivers seat is cramped and awkward to a degree, but comfortable once seated.

My obvservation comparing to an A is that there is much more room in the cockpit of the A. Most have captains chairs that will swivel to face teh rear and add seating to the living space. Curtains close to the windshield instead of a curtain that seperates the cockpit area or needing to put the snooze bonnet on when stopped would be another plus for the A.

Our choice was based on the desire to have a rig no more than 24 feet long.  If you are considering a longer vehicle, I would lean towards an A mainly for the reasons Tom offered.

Joe

 

[DonTom]

Well, we just got back from Zion and Bryce National parks.  Now that I am looking around at RVs, gosh, we saw a lot of the CruiseAmerica rental ones.  Some were larger than others, and I am curious, on the longer ones, there seems to be a lot of RV behind the back wheels.  It almost seems like on the longer ones, they should put another set of wheels to support it.

Thoughts?  They just seem a bit disproportionate.

We are looking forward to going to a show to check these out, as they seem a bit more manageable than the large Class A motorhomes (that is easier to drive, perhaps).

Thanks!

Lisa

There are advantages and disadvantages of each.

For the same size RV:

Class C can sleep more people.

Usually easier to repair or have repaired when something breaks.

Has three doors, instead of only one.

Class A's  seem more roomy to most people. You're up higher, get a better view. More glass to look out of. You can see the top better, unlike a Class C where you can forget you're in a RV and forget about the several feet above your head and easily run into something.

In fact, I own a Class C but can understand how a Class A would be easier to drive. The familiar "van" feel of a Class C can be dangerous because of the overhang behind the rear axle as well as above the driver's head where the driver cannot see. The Class C driver has to think about both, especially when driving slow, such as in a parking lot near buildings or fences.

If you drive both, a regular van and a Class C, you better remember which you're in when parking under stuff!

Class A's are designed to be RV's when built. A Class C was designed to be a cargo van and the RV part is added.

This 24 foot class C is a 2000 Express Van made into a RV. Didn't even have a cruise control. But it's designed to be a cargo van, not a RV. So I added a cruise control myself.

When I was RV shopping, I would have considered either A or C, , as long as it was no longer than this 24 footer. But it seems small Class A's for sale are very  rare out here in the west, new or used, but I do sometimes see such on the road.

-Don- in Corning, CA​

 

[itself]

Thanks all for the responses!

Tom, can you clarify??  They make a Class A the same size as a Class C?  I thought all of the Class A RVs were the huge bus-like things!

And yes, you hit right on it, the shorter wheelbase and chassis.  Seems like a design flaw to me.  And VERY intersting about the "driveability" between a Class C and a Class A. 

thanks for educating me, this is a lot of fun.

Lisa

 

[seilerbird]

Winnebago was making class As in the 70s that are 18 foot long. Most class As are bigger than class Cs, but it is possible to find Class Cs that are bigger than class As. It is not length that defines the class.

 

[1joester2]

Don-

Sounds like we have similar C's. Mine is the 2000 Express van cut-away (C3500 chassis) with the Vortec 7.4L.

Have you had issues with the headlight alignment? My adjusters on both headlights broke and I'm wondering if there is an issue there. The headlights would point either correctly or to the side of the road until I stuffed some closed cell foam behind them to force the headlight against the adjuster...

Joe

 

[scottydl]

They make a Class A the same size as a Class C?  I thought all of the Class A RVs were the huge bus-like things!

That "bus" description is how a Class A is shaped, but they are not gigantic compared to a Class C.  Most C models top out in size in the 28-30 foot range, and there are Class A's that start in that size too - so there is some overlap.  I am among many RV owners who started out shopping for a Class C (like you perhaps) but was won over to the Class A once I set foot inside one and realized how much more space existed.  I had driven a Class C several times before buying, but never drove a Class A prior to the moment we drove 600+ miles and bought ours!  So if you understand the methods of "big vehicle driving", a Class A is no harder to maneuver... can actually be easier because of enhanced height/visibility as mentioned.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

When I was RV shopping, I would have considered either A or C, , as long as it was no longer than this 24 footer. But it seems small Class A's for sale are very  rare out here in the west, new or used, but I do sometimes see such on the road.

-Don- in Corning, CA​

I can recall back in the mid 90's when shopping for my first RV I was intrigued with the 24' Safari Trek Class A. It eliminated the need for a bedroom by having a suspended bed that dropped from the ceiling of the living area. Here's a link to a 2002 for sale, e.g, -- note the bed in the up position in picture #3. They had the room of a 29-30 footer with all the advantages of a Class A over a C. The earlier models had a flat bus type front end that I liked better than the later models.

http://www.rvregistry.com/used-rv/132172.htm

So are you and Tom finding a lot of excitement in beautiful downtown Corning??  

 

[vmax1]

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj251/Richdurango/chateau1.jpg     You wont have any problems with class C
[edit]Fixed link.[/edit]

 

[ArdraF]

Lisa,

You'll notice in looking at Class As that many, especially newer ones, have three axles instead of two.  This is because manufacturers have to comply with some federal regulations concerning how much weight can be on each axle.  All axles have a 20,000 pound maximum and the RV manufacturers have to work around that number.  If they have a 40,000 pound motorhome, they may have to design it in such a way that the front axle load is 10,000 pounds, the rear drive axle load is 20,000 pounds, and the rear "tag" axle load is 10,000 pounds.  In other words, they shouldn't have only two axles carrying 40,000 pounds.  Years ago motorhome manufacturers didn't pay much attention to axle weight limits and there were a lot of overloaded vehicles.  Today we have more rules specifying some of these things.  When looking at motorhomes you want to look at the overall weight and how much carrying capacity it has.  The magic number here is the CCC or Cargo Carrying Capacity (found somewhere on a label within the RV) which is what's left over for you, your passengers, and all your "stuff."  I've seen RVs with 600 pounds CCC which is ridiculous.  Say the couple have a combined weight of 300 pounds.  That's half the CCC right there.  Then they have two kids weighing 150 pounds.  Ooops!  That leaves only 150 pounds left for food, cooking and eating utensils, clothing, toys, bicycles, tools, etc.  The reputable manufacturers do a much better job of designing their vehicles within reasonable weight limits.  As an example, some 40,000 pound motorhomes have a CCC of 6,000 pounds.  If you see an older 40,000 pound chassis without a tag axle, it might be overloaded.

Class Cs with a long overhang can be problematic.  For example, entering driveways with inclines and turning corners.  We've had both and the As are really easy to drive and often handle better simply because they're heavier and have a longer wheelbase.  Test drive an A before crossing them off your list.  Class As generally are about one foot higher than Cs but you get used to the additonal height very quickly.  They have better visibility too.

ArdraF

 

[DonTom]

Don-

Sounds like we have similar C's. Mine is the 2000 Express van cut-away (C3500 chassis) with the Vortec 7.4L.

Have you had issues with the headlight alignment? My adjusters on both headlights broke and I'm wondering if there is an issue there. The headlights would point either correctly or to the side of the road until I stuffed some closed cell foam behind them to force the headlight against the adjuster...

Joe

I have had no such problems and I love the way my bright lights light up the entire road better than any other vehicle I have owned. And they seem to be dead center on the road. I never had to touch the adjusters.

BTW, is yours also a 24D Tioga?

-Don- SSF, CA​

 

[DonTom]

Thanks all for the responses!

Tom, can you clarify??  They make a Class A the same size as a Class C?  I thought all of the Class A RVs were the huge bus-like things!

And yes, you hit right on it, the shorter wheelbase and chassis.  Seems like a design flaw to me.  And VERY intersting about the "driveability" between a Class C and a Class A. 

thanks for educating me, this is a lot of fun.

Lisa

Class A's as well as C's can be of equal size. But it seems to be the norm for a full-timer to have a large Class A. Class A's are usually better built and better designed, as they were designed to be a motorhome to begin with. But even after all this stuff is considered, it's no reason to not consider a Class C.

Just be more aware of what you're doing with most class C's, especially when driving SLOW, such as in a parking lot or gas station, or even parking sideways next to a fence, or near being under something. Coming out too sharp will crash the overhang into the fence. Some Class C's have a lot more overhang than others. Mine has a lot. In a way, that's good, because it forces me to think about it and to be more careful.

BTW, I have also seen some Class A's that have a lot of overhang behind the rear axle.

The important thing here is to understand the differences to help you decide. I cannot say you will like one better than the other. For one example, I like the three doors of a Class C, which few others even seem to think about.

-Don- SSF, CA​

 

[DonTom]

      You wont have any problems with class C

I think that has the worse overhang I have ever seen. It looks like almost half the RV is behind the rear axle.

-Don- SSF, CA​

 

[DonTom]

I can recall back in the mid 90's when shopping for my first RV I was intrigued with the 24' Safari Trek Class A. It eliminated the need for a bedroom by having a suspended bed that dropped from the ceiling of the living area. Here's a link to a 2002 for sale, e.g, -- note the bed in the up position in picture #3. They had the room of a 29-30 footer with all the advantages of a Class A over a C. The earlier models had a flat bus type front end that I liked better than the later models.

http://www.rvregistry.com/used-rv/132172.htm

So are you and Tom finding a lot of excitement in beautiful downtown Corning??  

I really like the design of that small Class A. The type we were looking for last January. But we are happy with our Class C. It ran great and never gave us any hint of a problem during our last trip all over Canada. Ate no oil and got better than 9 MPG during the entire trip with a couple in the low ten's. And was comfy enough for us and the two doggies.

And in Corning, Tom was in the Casino  and I stayed in the trucker's section of the parking lot that has free, fast wireless internet, with a strong signal. There was a sign on highway five that said "even your dogs will love this casino". And they were right, as there were many fields there for the doggies to run loose.

BTW, it seems there's free wireless internet almost everywhere these days. The entire city of Kamloops, BC even had it!  Only needed my V/WL account a couple of times. ALL of the RV parks we stayed at had Wi-Fi too.

-Don- SSF, CA​

 

[1joester2]

I have had no such problems and I love the way my bright lights light up the entire road better than any other vehicle I have owned. And they seem to be dead center on the road. I never had to touch the adjusters.

BTW, is yours also a 24D Tioga?

-Don- SSF, CA​

I completely agree with the brightness of the headlights. They are incredible, and I really feel sorry when I forget to dim them for oncoming vehicles. When we first got the RV, I had visions of adding driving lights, but found out quickly that they are really not required.

We have a Coachmen Catalina sport, model 220RK

Joe

 

[Ian]

I can recall back in the mid 90's when shopping for my first RV I was intrigued with the 24' Safari Trek Class A. It eliminated the need for a bedroom by having a suspended bed that dropped from the ceiling of the living area.

Bob, I have seen that in the Australian Winnebago Freewind.  Here's the floorplan showing that the bed drops down electronically. I thought it was a great solution to the problem of providing comfortable space in a smaller vehicle.

PS: The Aussie Winnebago web site is close to atrocious. What madness led them to going for such small print and small pictures. The majority of the market for RV's is not with the age group that has good eyesight LOL

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

They make a Class A the same size as a Class C?  I thought all of the Class A RVs were the huge bus-like things!

The Winnebago Vista Class A starts at 26 feet and the Sightseer at 29 feet. Fleetwood Terra is 30 feet.  Class C's are often 31 feet these days and the "super C's" run to 35 feet or more.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Bob, I have seen that in the Australian Winnebago Freewind.

Thanks, Ian -- I checked out the Freewind.  Had never seen the auto pull down bed in a Class C before. It gives that living room segment the dual duty of a bedroom as well - without the 10 or so feet needed in MH length otherwise.

Have attached a couple of pics I hi jacked to compare the two. The Trek bed comes down lower for entry via the couch plus has the openness of the front of the Class A (TV and such). With my brand new hip replacements, doubt I could climb into the Freewind bed.  

 

[scottydl]

Those Trek drop down beds are certainly one-of-a-kind.  I wonder if there would be any way to fabricate such a thing in a non-Trek (like mine).  Drop a bed like that down over our jackknife couch, and a bunk that size could definitely fit all 3 of our boys even when they're bigger.