Input on foot and leg room in Class C's

[Adverturous]

Hi everyone,
Nearly bought my 1st RV (been looking for quite some time) last weekend, but what is holding me back on this 2008 Fleetwood Jamboree Class C 31ft is the lack of space for your feet and legs in the cockpit.
Plus, I couldn't get the seat back enough to be comfortable.

Seriously, close quarters! I do have back and hip issues..not bad just enough to concern me.
When sitting there for only a moment I was uncomfortable. I wasn't as uncomfortable in the 2013 Thor Class C next to it, but didn't like the superslide in that one as it was lilt on the pavement and did not have hydraulic jacks installed. Neither did actually.

Questions:
1.Sales person said Class C's don't come with jacks, but I have seen some say they do in this forum...DO YOU FEEL YOUR CLASS C needs jacks?
Did it come with it?

2.Do you who own Class C's feel that tiny space for your legs/feet are a hassle? Is it as small as it felt?

3.Does the 'doghouse' (that huge space in between the front seats) area that is soooo huge in these Class C's, get hot? Is it really loud?

I was intent on a smaller Class A but am single and thought I could live in a smaller house if the RV was easier to drive=Class C...and one more question:
Plus, it's 10k less!

1a. Do you feel that one AC Unit is enough for the bedroom to get cool in a 31 ft'r?

Thank you for your time and input in advance,
K.

[Elwood58]

There are Class C available with leveling systems, but newer vintage. Doghouse is a little hot, but not very noisy.

Many claim that Chevy Class C have more feet/leg room than Ford.

I do not think one AC is enough for a 31 foot with slides, and marginally enough without slides. This depends on outside temps. Window awnings and running AC while going down the road can help.

[Newmar2856]

I can answer number 2 as I had a class c for about 3 years and I found the cockpit lacking in space and felt cramped. It wasn’t horrible, but not as comfortable as my truck.

We just bought a class and driving home after our first night out one of the first things I commented about to the DW is how much more leg room I have now compared to our old class c. It really boils down to the fact the cab area is wider and there isn’t a doghouse.

I will say that our doghouse in the class c got warm, but that was back in 2003 and I imagine they are better insulated now.

As for noise, it will be loud rolling up hills as the engine makes it power at high RPMs. On the flat, it’s not an issue.

Good luck finding your perfect rig.

[DirtRider]

I have a small class C (26' overall, no slides). On ours, the 15k unit appears to be enough. On a 31' with slides, I'd question it. Plus, with that vintage, your A/C unit would likely be a 13.5k unit--so less cooling than mine. I don't have any hip/back issues, but I do wish I had a bit more footroom in the Ford cab. The passenger seat is downright cramped. As others have said, if this is a major deal, you can look for a Chevy, but that very much limits your search.

This will all be a search of juggling compromises. You won't find the perfect one, or if you do, it will be out of budget. So, pick what you think is most important. For me, it was towing and wheelbase ratio, along with not wanting any slides. Most people would tell you to focus on floorplan most of all, with all driving concerns being secondary. So, you'll need to think about how you'd be using the thing, and whether the driving piece of it is as important as the parked piece.

[riverforest]

yes, one a/c is not enough for a 30' + rv. so I avoid the desert in the summer.

I haven't notice the dog house getting hot/warm I have E-450

leg room ok. I sat in both Ford & chevy and the ford has more headroom, I'm 6'3"

[1ciderdog]

On my 2007 Winnebago I have adequate foot and leg room but getting up out of that seat to go to the living quarters is a bit of a hassle. I'm 6'1" and about 210 pounds. Often I go out the front door to the rear door as that seems easier on my body. Have had knee and shoulder surgery which may make it a tad more difficult to maneuver. Not much heat from the engine cover and the engine is loud when it shifts down to 4K rpm. (I kind of resolved that with the 5star tuner). One AC unit is marginal, we're about 31 foot with two slide outs - above 90 degrees outside and our unit is keeping the inside about 80 degrees. That's only if the AC is turned on while it is still cool inside. It will not reduce the inside temp if it is really hot inside.

[elite wa]

So I am 6”5 and don’t really have any problems with the room in the class c. We have a 2017 Thor with the E450. Our doghouse got a little warm not unbearable but I added more heat shield and that helped. In regards to the one AC, ours is 32 foot and haven’t noticed any issues the cooling. Our coach is a very light tan and white so maybe that has some to do with it.

[gzvette61]

I bought a Sprinter based unit, in part because of the much better room for both driver and passenger. Driving is very comfortable, allowing changes in position, etc. I'm 6'3", and have plenty of leg room. It also is a breeze to move between cab and main area compared to the Ford units we also considered. It's early days yet, but so far haven't regretted spending the extra for the Sprinter. Our single air conditioner is plenty, but then we are only 25' long with a full wall slide.

[riverforest]

Originally Posted by 1ciderdog

On my 2007 Winnebago I have adequate foot and leg room but getting up out of that seat to go to the living quarters is a bit of a hassle.

yes, noticed that too. my size 13 shoes sometimes gets wedged between seat frame and doghouse.

[L.C.Gray]

Hydraulic Levelling Jacks, 50A service and two A/Cs are some of the reasons I went right on to a Super C over a Class C. Single biggest driver was greatly increased Carrying/Towing Capacity but the other stuff is definitely a plus to have. Two A/Cs on a rig of any size at all is mandatory in Texas.

[paddykern]

Originally Posted by gzvette61

I bought a Sprinter based unit, in part because of the much better room for both driver and passenger. Driving is very comfortable, allowing changes in position, etc. I'm 6'3", and have plenty of leg room. It also is a breeze to move between cab and main area compared to the Ford units we also considered. It's early days yet, but so far haven't regretted spending the extra for the Sprinter. Our single air conditioner is plenty, but then we are only 25' long with a full wall slide.

Agree

[Mr.Goodbar]

Originally Posted by gzvette61

I bought a Sprinter based unit, in part because of the much better room for both driver and passenger. Driving is very comfortable, allowing changes in position, etc. I'm 6'3", and have plenty of leg room. It also is a breeze to move between cab and main area compared to the Ford units we also considered. It's early days yet, but so far haven't regretted spending the extra for the Sprinter. Our single air conditioner is plenty, but then we are only 25' long with a full wall slide.

Agree, also. Our class C is Sprinter chassis. I’m 6’2” and have plenty of legroom. Our dog lays down between the seats while we are moving. Plenty of room for passenger to get up and go back to the fridge while moving.

[Mr.Goodbar]

Originally Posted by Adverturous

Hi everyone,
Nearly bought my 1st RV (been looking for quite some time) last weekend, but what is holding me back on this 2008 Fleetwood Jamboree Class C 31ft is the lack of space for your feet and legs in the cockpit.
Plus, I couldn't get the seat back enough to be comfortable.

Seriously, close quarters! I do have back and hip issues..not bad just enough to concern me.
When sitting there for only a moment I was uncomfortable. I wasn't as uncomfortable in the 2013 Thor Class C next to it, but didn't like the superslide in that one as it was lilt on the pavement and did not have hydraulic jacks installed. Neither did actually.

Questions:
1.Sales person said Class C's don't come with jacks, but I have seen some say they do in this forum...DO YOU FEEL YOUR CLASS C needs jacks?
Did it come with it?

2.Do you who own Class C's feel that tiny space for your legs/feet are a hassle? Is it as small as it felt?

3.Does the 'doghouse' (that huge space in between the front seats) area that is soooo huge in these Class C's, get hot? Is it really loud?

I was intent on a smaller Class A but am single and thought I could live in a smaller house if the RV was easier to drive=Class C...and one more question:
Plus, it's 10k less!

1a. Do you feel that one AC Unit is enough for the bedroom to get cool in a 31 ft'r?

Thank you for your time and input in advance,
K.

1. We have 2 slides, 1 BR and 1 dining. I’ve never felt a need for jacks on either one.
2. & 3. Because ours is a Sprinter chassis, we have no doghouse so there’s more room. Heat is not an issue as it’s all up front.

1a. While we’re driving, the chassis A/C is sufficient for cooling the cockpit. When parked, the one A/C unit is enough for our 26’ unit.

[Adverturous]

I appreciate your feedback.
Yes, I think either going down in length or adding an AC in the bedroom would be the way to go.
I currently live in Atlanta area and cannot wait to get out of this humidity and heat! I will full-time and plan on chasing cooler weather, and really doing that year round...hate heat.
But, I have not exp'd heat with 20% humidity as a lifestyle, and I may be able to handle Arizona, NM and Utah in the spring and fall/winter.
So, in sum...
I cannot do the 1 a/c
Not a horrible driving experience with the Class C foot/leg space
and, heat from the cockpit- not a problem.
Good!
I am seriously into seeing moutainess terrain so thinking the 305hp/V-10 will struggle with Rockies?

Thanks so much for all of your time and input!
Much appreciated.