Any Issues With 30'+ Class C

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NCSU Dad

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We're thinking about making the jump from a travel trailer to a Class C. In todays hot RV market larger Class C's seem to be available. Looking at 30'+ Class C my brain tells me that's a lot of weight being carried by 4 rear tires. Looking at the picture I've posted of a 33' Class C I wonder what others have experienced.

I understand a Class A would be a better pick in this size. My wife is 100% against an A. She said she'll never drive one.
 

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Most Class C over 30' are almost overloaded without adding passengers or cargo. You also get into problems with side sway from excessive overhang that give Class C that bad reputation. Forget options like outdoor kitchens or entertainment centers, or washer/dryers, etc. If you can live with 30' or less you still can't take a machine shop full of tools but at least you can take food and normal weekend camping items without being overloaded. Plus highway driving will be much better. If you need to go over 30 then get a Class A. Just remember both A's and C's have their pros and cons like very different maintenance and tire costs.
 
I'm with @TheBar. That overhang looks crazy long. I am sure I would not enjoy driving that thing.

Does your wife drive the TT? Do you need more space?

I personally think your current setup is pretty good.
 
A 31 foot floorplan length results in an overall length close to 33ft, and a "C" that size will indeed get near the max weight limit (GVWR) of an E450 van chassis (14,500 lbs). That means there isn't a lot of "cargo capacity" left (see TheBar's reply). But a lot of people love the big C's and manage ok.

Try to get the wife to actually look at/into a 31 ft class A - they are nowhere near as intimidating as the 40-45 footers you often see on the highways. Maybe she will change her mind. Winnebago Vistas, for example, come as short as 27 ft.
 
Many folks, but especially many women, are so easily intimidated by something like a class A. My DW still has moments of discomfort just riding in a class A, even after 11 years, let alone driving one. Gary's right that some folks refuse to do something new like that, mostly out of fear.

My wife is 100% against an A. She said she'll never drive one.
Has she ever ridden in one? You might try a test drive with her in the co-pilot seat to find what her reaction would be. Some people have problems with "Big Sky" country, and some have problems with the wide open view from the front of a bus or a class A, perhaps similar to some people's fear of flying -- it can be hard to overcome.

Or, if it's affordable, you could look at a Super C, but that might get into a different can of worms.
 
It's too bad your wife won't even try an A. In almost 50 years of RVing, we've owned 2 VW Wesphalia "poptops", an 18' C, a 22' C, a 30' C, a 34' DP and a 40' DP. I've loved driving them all but I love our current 40' DP the most (see photo left). I would drive it 100 percent of the time except Jerry wants to drive it too! I encourage other women to forget about their fears, learn how to drive it, and enjoy the experience! It's not nearly as scary as they imagine.

ArdraF
 
In my 50 years I've driven a million+ miles in my car or pickup truck Monday-Friday and the majority of weekends. That is my norm and my comfort zone and probably is for the vast majority of people.

For those who drive a car 50 weeks and 320 days a year then switch to a Class A for 45 days spread throughout the year means it can be stressful. Sitting high in the air right over the front bumper changes your whole perspective. It is ok if you prefer driving a Class A. Others prefer driving a Class C and that's ok too. People and their camping styles are all different.
 
It is ok if you prefer driving a Class A. Others prefer driving a Class C and that's ok too. People and their camping styles are all different.
Certainly it's OK, but doesn't solve the OP's problem, or help the reason he posted.
 
Thanks to all who took the time to respond. After sharing your thoughts with my wife what she really wants is more floor area. Room to walk around. That's why we were thinking 30'+ class C. She has decided to set aside her fear of sitting behind a massive windshield in order to gain floor area. Yahoo! So we will be searching for a used Class A in the 27' - 30' range. Another first for us will be buying a used vehicle.

So any thoughts on a small class A suitable for husband & wife (who still sleep in the same bed) and two 30 lb. dogs?
 
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Certainly it's OK, but doesn't solve the OP's problem, or help the reason he posted.
Really? I think he needs help understanding why his wife is reluctant. I think talking his wife out of her comfort zone is not going to end well. Maybe she'll get over it, maybe she won't. And there might be another little used Class A on the market.
 
I'll have to pin her down on what her fear of sitting so close to the windshield really is. TheBar you are right I'd rather not buy something she won't sit up front or be scared to drive.
 
I'll have to pin her down on what her fear of sitting so close to the windshield really is. TheBar you are right I'd rather not buy something she won't sit up front or be scared to drive.
You know how some people get car sick and others don't? My wife did fine in a car but got nauseous in the Class A. She said it felt like hanging over a railing over a canyon. And stopping felt like her knees would hit the car in front of us. So for years I was driving up front alone while she stayed in the back. The one advantage was she never criticized my driving :)
 
You know how some people get car sick and others don't? My wife did fine in a car but got nauseous in the Class A. She said it felt like hanging over a railing over a canyon. And stopping felt like her knees would hit the car in front of us. So for years I was driving up front alone while she stayed in the back. The one advantage was she never criticized my driving :)
My ex-wife expressed the same hanging over the edge feeling when riding in the passenger seat of our Class A. But she didn't get nauseous or seasick as she came from a seafaring family.

It's not the big windows, it's the seating position. In a car or in a Class C, the front wheels are outboard and ahead of the front seats. In a Class A you're sitting either directly over the wheels or slightly ahead of them. This produces a different motion at the seat as the RV goes over bumps, around corners, etc.

She also said she felt like her side of the motorhome (and her seat) was on the wrong side of the lane marker or fog line, even though if you looked in the side mirror you could see the motorhome was properly positioned in the lane. Again, it's the different perspective from sitting significantly higher in a Class A than when you're in a car.
 
Class A's span a wide range in pricing and configuration, quality. For nice/entry I'd suggest a Jayco Precept. A lot of the common Class A's all ride on Ford's F53 platform, many of them gas V10's, newer ones come with a V8. Not a bad chassis at all.

The killer for me is access to engine, and not having cab doors for easy entry/exit while driving. I just like driving a truck, not something that feels like a living room with a bay window.

If she's stuck on a C, but you want to go bigger than a Ford E-van chassis, I'd suggest a Super C. That's the route we went. It's the next-size up C, on a heavier duty commercial chassis that can carry more weight and is just bigger - including room for driver/passenger. We have an '06 Seneca, which is getting pretty old, but they did make them through 2009/2010 depending on how old you're willing to go. Based on a GM c5500 chassis. Newer Senecas (2011+?) come on a medium-duty Freightliner chassis, like you see box trucks running around with the Freightliner cab. They are fairly modern, diesel, very strong. You can also go with a pickup-truck based "Super C". There are some builders who do them on a Ford F550 chassis cab, or Ram 4500 chassis cab. There's one or two who are using the modern GM C5500/Kodiak chassis which is now the Silverado 4500/5500.

But they're not cheap. Whereas you used to be able to pickup a brand new Precept for nicely <$100k, and a decent brand new Super C for <$160k, prices are just insane right now. It's a crapshoot in terms of what you might find used.
 
I'll have to pin her down on what her fear of sitting so close to the windshield really is. TheBar you are right I'd rather not buy something she won't sit up front or be scared to drive.
She says after looking at various Class A motorhomes she sees the advantages of owning a Class A. I definitely want to test drive a Class A to make sure she is really a convert.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.
 
I suggest you rent both for a weekend and see how she feels. Either one is a significant investment to regret making it. Nothing like first hand experience. We spend. almost six months in our C, and for the two of us, it's perfect. We put a lot of the stuff in the towed car. NP for us.
 

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