Class A vs Class C

[cyrus arefi]

Hi everyone, i am looking to buy my first rv and handling and performance are very important to me, having said that which would you recommend on the same 32' rv
1-32' class C with a wheel base of 224"
2-32' class A with a wheel base of 180"??????????????
any advice is appreciated

[450Donn]

Generally speaking the MH with the longer wheel base will handle and ride better. As far as overhand is concerned, shorter is better IMHO.

[cyrus arefi]

thank you for the info.

[WeatherTodd]

Originally Posted by cyrus arefi

Hi everyone, i am looking to buy my first rv and handling and performance are very important to me, having said that which would you recommend on the same 32' rv
1-32' class C with a wheel base of 224"
2-32' class A with a wheel base of 180"??????????????
any advice is appreciated

isnt that sort of an oxymoron? Can we assume they are both Ford V10 powered?
The class A will feel unnatural to drive at first... if youve never driven one.

Personally the A chassis will less likely be overloaded and I can pretty much guarantee the MPG will be the same.

[historyljc]

Hi Cyrus, welcome to the forum. Could you give a few more details about the coaches themselves? We could better evaluate and possibly give a much better answer.

[Tha_Rooster]

I have only owned class A's but here's a few differences class c's have basically no basement storage,when parked front seats are not used,probably overweighted and may have sway problems going down the freeway which happens also on some class A's. Do your home work and find a floor plan that suits your lifestyle.

[Steve N Sal]

We have owned both a C and a couple of A's. The C was great when the kids were small, in offering more sleeping area and at 24' it was great for handling. Now that the kids are grown and just the two of us (well except for our two furry kids) it's a total different type of traveling for us. We're gone 3-4 months at a time and believe me the extra storage room that the "A" has is a big benefit. More living area just more open overall. If you intend to do some extended travel I would opt for the Class A I think you would be much more happy. As far as mpg I don't believe there would enough difference between them to even be a concern. We avg. 7 to 8mpg towing our PT. Good Luck in your search.

[TXiceman]

I would look for a class A but on a longer wheelbase chassis.

ken

[wolfer]

Originally Posted by TXiceman

I would look for a class A but on a longer wheelbase chassis.

ken

I concur. I had an 85 Winnebago clone and it was 34' on a gm chassis. It was short wheel base and I had to watch the back swing always. It got me into trouble a few times. I went another 34' Safari and long wheel base and it is like driving a van. No problem with back swing.

[Doug Sage]

You said that this will be your first RV. You should test drive both types. Neither one will handle or accelerate like a car. They are trucks and will not corner or stop or start like you are used to with your car. Don't try to drive one like a car.

[alvinc]

My observations, in general.

The Class A advantages:

• Higher towing capacity. When we were looking all the Class C's could tow 3500 lbs, even the smallest Class A's could tow 5000 lbs. Supposedly there are Class C's with more than 3500 lbs towing, but you have to look.
• Driver and passenger seat are part of the floor plan. This means a more open floor plan.
• Basement storage. Many Class C's have little or no outside storage, mostly because they sit lower to ground.
• Most items on a Class A will be larger than the equivalent Class C. This means larger grey, black, fresh water tank sizes, larger refrigerator, larger bathroom, etc.
• When we were buying, we found no Class C's with a queen sized bed, except over the drivers seat (hard to get in and out of).
• The 34' Class C's had one air-conditioner, the A's had two.

The Class C advantages:

• Both Driver and Passenger have doors.
• In general the Class C's will sleep more people
• More often available with a Diesel engine without spending a lot of money.

Notice I favored the Class A.... maybe they have changed in the last 10 years, but the above are at least some comparison points.


Good Luck.

[Barbaraok]

224" wheel base on the Class C at 32' sounds like a Super C, so this may not be a good comparison. Would be better is we were told the actual rigs and engines.

Barb

[matt.brown]

I recently purchased a "Class C" and probably should have gotten an "A". The extra sleeping space in the "C" is nice but rarely use it. Going to make an Alaska trip this summer in it and then look to trade in on a used Class A.

[emiddleb]

You mentioned driving and handling are important. If so, then there is no question that you need to drive both to see which you prefer.

You are comparing apples and oranges. The driver position is different both in height and more importantly in relationship to where the front wheels are located. This greatly affects the feel of turning because in one case you are behind the front tires and in the other case you are in front of them. This is probably the biggest difference you will feel between the two.

In a C you are lower and have the big overhang on top. In an A you are much higher and feel more detached (for lack of a better term) from the road. A C will feel like a large U-Haul truck, if you've ever rented one. An A will feel like a small bus.

Cs and As are different as far as the base chassis, suspension etc. People mentioned the greater CCC of the As... in some cases, not all of course, its because the Cs are pushing the limits of their chassis while the A has more ability to handle weight. Yes, there are some loaded As too with little capacity but my point is you need to be comparing a lot more than simply body style and wheel base. This could affect the amount of sway you feel and the impact of a side wind and/or being passed by a semi.

You can give more info, but there's nothing better you can do than take both types out for a spin and see which you prefer.