Community Forums

Trapper2022 · 11-16-2019, 08:30 AM

Class c is not that bad compared to the 5th wheel but to truly eliminate most of the road feel you need air ride. I suggest you test drive the c before you buy one then find a class a with air ride. No comparison between the two. Also huge cost jump. Good luck with what ever you choose and hope you are able to continue RVing.

Enjoy the journey

pmf · 11-16-2019, 10:15 AM

I would love to but, we don't have the money. I would like to get something between 2011 and 2014. You read so much about newer Thors, Forrest River, Jayco and Winnebago and all the problems. I dont know if they 5 to 8 years ago or the Class C in those years. I'll post something in the Class A forums.

Thanks,
Pat

Thanks,

pmf · 11-16-2019, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KregChar

My wife has Multiple Sclerosis and she too doesn't travel well in neither the Mustang or the Santa Fe we have.
For us a class C worked best because it's low enough for her to get in and out. Pretty much all A's we looked at had too many steps for her.
We ended up with a 2018 Jayco Redhawk 29XK. It checked all the boxes. Easy to get in and out even on a bad day. Enough legroom for her and even a dog. lol. Only one small step from the cab to the main compartment. Seat Belts on couch and dinette. Sufficient counter space in the kitchen. Easy accessible bed during travel. Roomy shower. The only modifications I had to do to accommodate her disability was a small step for her side of the bed after getting a 10 inch memory foam mattress and a residential style elevated, elongated toilet. Oh and a outlet connected to the inverter so she can run her fan by the bed while we are driving.
It did take us 2 years to find the as close to perfect rig, but we did it.
Know what you need and do a lot of walk through's. And don't let any salesman or woman pressure you.
Be aware that some if not most E450's drive terrible and that you will need to make some mods when it comes to suspension, sway bars and so on. The forums are full of complaints and solutions. For us it just took an alignment and a roadmaster steering stabilizer. Others had to do more.

How has the quality been on the Jayco? I know most of the new stuff has quality issues.

Thanks,
Pat

TJFogelberg · 11-16-2019, 03:26 PM

Our 2017 Minnie Winnie (2016 Ford E450) has rear air bags which really improve the ride and handling. 5'11" and 6'6" and we have no complaints about the headroom or legroom. Compared to a Class A, we like the 3 doors. Also, we are lower to the ground, so 1 or 2 fewer steps in and out of the rig. No mods. Yes there is cab noise, have to turn the radio up but it is ok. I've always driven hondas so I am used to road noise. Winnebago Class C manufacturer in Forest City Iowa. They are well made. Can bring in to service center to correct any issues, great service there. The fit and finish are solid. We did work out quite a few bugs (buying new) but seem to be out of the woods now. Nothing I would slam Winnebago for. Mostly flukes, nature of the beast.

Ron Dittmer · 11-16-2019, 06:03 PM

In general, any class C has fabulous serviceability advantages over any class A, especially the low-end A units.

Any class C regardless if it's a Ford E350/E450/Transit, Chevy 3500/4500, or Mercedes Sprinter, you are buying a complete van to the point behind the front seats. Everything is safety approved, well documented, well serviced, with all parts available. You have real vehicle doors with windows and latches that work just like a car.

Every class A is a kit-car. There are so many parts that are RV-brand specific. And the parts are typically NOT protected from rusting like they are on a class C van-portion. If a rock breaks the windshield of a class A, just try finding a replacement on short notice in remote areas of the country. Good luck if you have a problem with the HVAC system. Replacing the radiator often involves strange and extensive disassembly. It is rare, but it sometimes requires removing the entire front of the motor home. This is why auto repair shops avoid working on class A's.

The older a class A gets, the harder the many unique parts are to find for them. A simple frontal bump doing some frontal damage to a class A can be near impossible to find replacement parts. Any class C, new aftermarket and used parts are available for multiple-decades.

This is my opinion.

Stevegd007 · 11-16-2019, 08:11 PM

Well here is my 2 cents on the E450. I owned a Class A 38 ft. for 10 years and over 60000 miles. Bad roads were awful. It's a rolling Earthquake. You ride high with only 1 exit door and no air bags. Short turns on dips will give you a good rock and roll.

2 years now with a downsized Class C 32 foot an loving it. 10000 miles on it. Have lived in it for months at a time. Sure there is leg room concern for some, I am 6'2" and its really not an issue for me. What I do love is my own door that I can step out directly on the ground. With an Air Bag. Short steps and your inside the coach. Tows my CR-V just fine. Plenty of road power. Love the Tow-Haul feature to down hill uses less breaking. Look for a C with ride assist rear air bags. Have no rock & roll. A tiny push "sometimes" by passing Simi trucks, no bad at all. I prefer the C to the Gas A after having spent plenty of time in both. The C can get into smaller RV parking spaces and I find it much easier to get into gas stations. Using lots lets fuel to boot...that's nice. The downside is you will have a smaller living and storage areas. But with more storage I find your hauling around "stuff" you really don't use much.

Good Lock on your choice...

wanderso · 11-16-2019, 10:26 PM

I’ve owned two of the E-Series and presently an E450 chassis class c. I’ve also owned a Winnebago View on the Sprinter 3500 chassis and a Chevy 3500 chassis. The E450 has been just fine and enjoyable to drive. For the complaints about leg room, it’s not length for your legs that is an issue. Rather, some of the consoles on the doghouse are large and restrict the width when getting your feet into the foot well. To resolve that, you can easily remove the console that attaches to the dog house and get a smaller one online on EBay or even Winnebago sells a smaller one.

Ron Dittmer · 11-17-2019, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wanderso

The E450 has been just fine and enjoyable to drive. For the complaints about leg room, it’s not length for your legs that is an issue. Rather, some of the consoles on the doghouse are large and restrict the width when getting your feet into the foot well.

Another restriction for taller people is when there is a slide out directly behind the driver and the transition wall between the van and the house is at 90 degrees. This places the slide out extremely close behind the driver seat, limiting seat travel and recline. If the transition wall is angled like seen below, the slide out is set much further back which allows full travel of the driver seat as well as reclining.

robertkathy · 11-17-2019, 06:42 AM

i was going to chime in with get a class a over the class c due to the amount of living space you are use to with the 5th wheel how ever the with your budget the class a would be used gas units and you are looking for ride and it seems you have unit in mind and ride comfort is not to different.

good luck with what ever unit you get.

KregChar · 11-18-2019, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmf

How has the quality been on the Jayco? I know most of the new stuff has quality issues.

Thanks,
Pat

No problems at all. We did buy it "used" 9 months old with 7000 miles. I don't know if the former owner had to do any repairs. If so, they were taken care of. The only thing I had was the notorious gray water tank cut out. Sure enough some sucker at the factory left it inside the tank and it made it's way to the valve. Fortunately enough the plumbing on the Jayco comes apart without any cutting. That overall was a 30 minute job.
I did put some insulation around the water pump and pipes to reduce the rattling noice and I replaced the tank sensors with those Horst sensors. But that is mostly stuff that you deal with in any rig.
Obviously the built quality leaves something to be desired, but that is industry wide and heavily discussed on plenty of forums. Overall we are happy. Jayco does built good rigs. It's not a Prevost and one needs to remember that.
Since you are planning on getting a used unit also, you should be golden. Do your homework and inspect the rig closely. Be prepaired to walk away.
PM me and I share with you what else I did to make it ours. Not that I am done yet. lol

XLTShaker · 12-16-2019, 08:42 PM

We have a 2017 Coachmen Leprechaun 311FS. I really enjoy driving it and have done over 200 miles at a time without stopping. I am 6'4"" and about 220 lbs. Before getting it I was concerned about the cab space especially the foot wells, but it has been fine. Just recently did a trip to Canada and back through Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee. We are very pleased with the E450, although I did install a steering stabilizer before that trip and will be changing out the front and rear sway bars for Helwig Sway bars. The new bars are patiently waiting in the garage for me to install them.

Our last trip to Sycamore Lodge in N.C., the wife's hip was bothering her so she rode in the recliner. We had recently replaced the jack knife sofa, so this was more comfortable for her. Of course she did use the seat belt.

I guess I have nothing but praise for our Class C.

ThePowells · 12-19-2019, 08:58 PM

IMHO (2nd by SWMBO), my 2004 Sierra 3500 pulling our Grand Design Solitude rides much better on rough roads than our 32 foot class C on the E-450 chassis. Sometimes a change in the combination you have helps out. It is possible to have too much suspension and that will cause a rough ride.

JONWisconsin · 12-20-2019, 07:24 PM

My wife has the same condition plus MS. We used to have a 3500 RAM with a 34 fifth wheel. We did not like the ride and got a Class C. The ride is so much better. I used to be exhausted after 6hrs driving, no more. I am 6'2", 220, the only problem is when you try to move from the seat to the inside, I rarely do it unless it is raining. I use the front door and go around, it actually it is good for my health to move after driving for a couple hours. Won't go back.

riverforest · 12-21-2019, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KregChar

Be aware that some if not most E450's drive terrible and that you will need to make some mods when it comes to suspension, sway bars and so on. The forums are full of complaints and solutions. For us it just took an alignment and a roadmaster steering stabilizer. "Others" had to do more.

as you can see from my signature I'm one of the "Others"

and at the end of the day your still driving a Billboard down the highway...