Community Forums

kmsquared · 09-01-2014, 05:40 PM

(Pardon me if this turns out to be a second reply; I goofed on the first one.)

What is "UVWR," please? I hope to tow a SmartCar; I'd rather keep my Honda Element, but I think it is too heavy for the Winnebago Via 25.

For floor space/layout, the Winnebago Via 25P with one slide-out and the loft bed (for the cats) is what I'd prefer.

Sounds as if you've had some experience with composting toilets. Please enlighten me! I have had experience with holding tanks and am not crazy about them. Besides this site, I also follow some others, including "Gone with the Wynns." They have installed a composting toilet in their 33-ft. Class A coach and seem very happy with it.

So I should be very interested to hear YOUR opinion of/experience with composting toilets, which would (to me) seem very handy for camping in less-developed campgrounds.

Thank you!

kmsquared · 09-01-2014, 05:42 PM

Oops, I meant to reply to you but accidentally replied to OYLEN. I hope you'll read my reply/questions there. Thanks!

GaryKD · 09-02-2014, 09:51 AM

Hi kmsquared,
UVWR = Unloaded Vehicle Weight Rating
This is the weight of the coach as it leaves the factory. It includes all engine and generator fluids and a full tank of fuel.

The weight of fresh water and propane is not included.

WDW · 09-02-2014, 05:32 PM

I'm going to suggest the new Trend. You won't need a toad, it gets 16 MPG and is very nimble. Had it not been for a space issue with medical equipment we would have one today!

Donn
Western New York
2014 Mini Winnie 27qp
"The Trolley"

kmsquared · 09-03-2014, 04:04 PM

Thank you! I note, however, that the Trend may be too small for full-time living.

Also, I regard any Chrysler product (i.e., the RAM chassis and cab) as inherently terrifyingly unreliable -- *Consumer Reports* will back me up on this.

"Toad"? Equals "towed"? I don't want to have to drive the motorhome once it's in its space, "stretched out," and hooked up. Having to stow everything and unhook the motorhome in order to drive it, lurching and top-heavy, to the day's destination and back, and then having to park again (usually in the dark), hook up again, and un-stow everything I carefully stashed before leaving....DRIVES ME NUTS!

That's why I should rather tow a tiny vehicle, an arrangement that is not without its own problems, I gather, but which at least avoids the above painful transitions.

Thanks, though, for the suggestion. I enjoyed looking at the Trend brochure I downloaded!

nothermark · 09-03-2014, 05:03 PM

I would not touch a Sprinter based RV for what you want. You will never get back the cost difference on one hand while restricting layout choices and towing capacity on the other. As long as you are planning on a towed you will not put enough miles on the house to worry about fuel economy or having it last a million miles.

The big thing you will need for full timing is a comfortable box to live in with enough storage for what stuff you need to get by. That will include files and stuff you normally do not take on the road. With a C you get a front attic. ;-) If I was you I would go looking and think about how you would live in any box you look at. Can you take a shower, sit on the toilet and at the table, store clothes, make and eat a meal and watch television comfortably? Can you do it with the slide in? You will not want to put the slide out to get to the bathroom or bedroom when on the road as opposed to in camp.

FWIW Smart cars are cute but there are a lot of small sedans out there that weigh under 2500 lbs so you will be able to find one you can tow the way you want to. They may be a much better choice.

micd · 09-03-2014, 06:08 PM

For the size you are looking for I really like the Leisure Travel Vans. Take a look at the floor plans and see if there are any that appeal. They seem to be much higher quality than most when you see them in person.

Leisure Travel Vans - The Leader in Class B Innovations

kmsquared · 09-03-2014, 07:22 PM

P.S. I'm wishing you well with your medical issues. Thanks again for your suggestion.

lacdubonnet · 09-04-2014, 11:04 AM

Good luck
I would say go into a small class c better for all around towing and handling

who knows you probably will meet some one nice on the road just kidding good luck on your travels

NorthernDriv · 09-04-2014, 11:25 AM

My vote is for the class A. Good luck on your search. Research towing a Smart Car, I read something somewhere(being a high mileage teenager, my memory slips). How well do the cats travel?

kmsquared · 09-04-2014, 10:25 PM

Thank you! I had initially thought of a Class C, as my cats (Da Boyz) might just love the cabover for their very own lair. But research has convinced me that for full-timing, the Class A provides a sturdier unit, chassis and body having been purpose-built. Now I need to identify a small but capacious Class A, which I still think the Winnebago Via 25P is, and get a used one at a steal. Oh, and find the money for it, too! Again, my thanks!

kmsquared · 09-04-2014, 10:29 PM

Thank you so very much, lacdubonnet, and please see my reply to you and Northern Driv, below (or above? I still am not quite sure where these replies end up!).

Good point about towing the Smart Car. If "Gone with the Wynns" can do it, I hope I can, too.

Is a "toad" a towed vehicle? New terminology to this RV Kindergartener!

POPPASMURF · 09-05-2014, 11:06 AM

Another thought on this-you will on occasion need some service. Occasionally you will need emergency type service. There is always more problem finding someone who will work on a Class A than on a Class C. A Class C can be or will be serviced by most automotive dealers. Also inform yourself as to how difficult it will be to do simple checks of engine and transmission oil levels. As to purpose built, the Class C is built on a heavy van chassis which is exactly the same as all the Class A that we can afford (exception being the likes of Newell and Prevost) It has also been my experience that most neophytes to larger RV's take to the Class C to drive-more readily than the Class A. A lot of this is based on the fact all controls are where they are expected to be and operate as the driver normally expects them to-no retraining to find push button gear shifts, numerous switches for security lights, clearance lights, headlights, radio controls, mirror controls. Try all styles out and take them for a drive down highway and in tighter roadways. Have some fun shopping and enjoy the experience. The more variety you try out the clearer it will become of the best match for your needs.

kmsquared · 09-05-2014, 10:53 PM

What excellent suggestions! Thank you! I had no idea there were such differences, and I think you have changed, or at least opened back up, the decision I had considered "made." I plan to attend an RV show coming up in early October at the Los Angeles Fairgrounds in Pomona, CA, and shall now take multiple days to make sure I can see all that I need to see. Again, my great thanks!