Community Forums

FamFun · 05-11-2012, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramblin

Add a toad, and it's more difficult, imo.

Agreed.....can't back, can't turn too sharp, can't get around like the truck and TT can. I prefer the class c but add the TOAD and I hate maneuvering it! I would much prefer to leave the toad but I travel for work and have to take the toad on those trips. BIG BIG BIG advantage though is the toad gets 40MPG and the Truck that I would be using otherwise gets 10-15! Truck with TT would get same MPG as C gets ~9.

GoodTimes · 05-11-2012, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FamFun

Agreed.....can't back, can't turn too sharp, can't get around like the truck and TT can. I prefer the class c but add the TOAD and I hate maneuvering it! I would much prefer to leave the toad but I travel for work and have to take the toad on those trips. BIG BIG BIG advantage though is the toad gets 40MPG and the Truck that I would be using otherwise gets 10-15! Truck with TT would get same MPG as C gets ~9.

Yes, ANOTHER reason to add to my list of "yes" reasons: The truck. We're only weekend campers at this stage in life. We don't travel far. Currently there's no need for a toad. But in the meantime, while the camper is stored during the week, we're driving a truck that is eating us up in gas. We can't sell it because we need it to haul the TT. I know C's don't get good gas mileage but it won't be much worse than the truck during a normal week. Ask me today and the answer will be totally different from my answer tomorrow. We change our minds back and forth!

Scenicgreenr · 05-14-2012, 06:59 AM

We have a freedom elite 21C (Thor). We've had a pop up, 5th wheel, Toy hauler TT and class A. We too wanted something we could hop in and go with that my wife was comfortable driving We finally have it! My wife picks it up at our storage place (10 miles) and brings it home Thursday night. We can then load up the kids on Friday when I get home and head out for the weekend. If we are on a long trip and want to tour a city, we've used the campgrounds tours or just drive in and park...in San Antonio we used two spots side by side and had plenty of room (we did have to pay for 2 spots vs one). This RV is only 3 feet longer than my pick up and has been great for day trips, weekends and 2 week adventures.

GoodTimes · 05-15-2012, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scenicgreenr

We have a freedom elite 21C (Thor). We've had a pop up, 5th wheel, Toy hauler TT and class A. We too wanted something we could hop in and go with that my wife was comfortable driving We finally have it! My wife picks it up at our storage place (10 miles) and brings it home Thursday night. We can then load up the kids on Friday when I get home and head out for the weekend. If we are on a long trip and want to tour a city, we've used the campgrounds tours or just drive in and park...in San Antonio we used two spots side by side and had plenty of room (we did have to pay for 2 spots vs one). This RV is only 3 feet longer than my pick up and has been great for day trips, weekends and 2 week adventures.

Yep, that's why & what we're thinking of. Convenience is a big part of it right now. It SOUNDS silly but we just don't camp often now because of the time and hassle of going to pick up the trailer. If I could do that step alone, it would make a huge difference in our getting ready and leaving on Friday afternoons. We have several more years of camping w/ kids on weekends before we can take long trips on our own. Right now, I'm hating that we don't go as often as we did in the early days because DH can't get off of work early enuf on Thursdays to go get the trailer. Grrrr..... We're giving this some long and serious thought and I SO APPRECIATE everyone's input here, regardless of what they say. It opens me up to thinking in different directions.......and that's a good thing!

Phobos · 05-15-2012, 10:03 PM

All of the reasons stated are the exact same reasons we went from a TT to a Class C. It sounds like you camp a lot like us, mostly weekends, not real far from home and now (since buying the Class C 3 years ago) we go even more often.
Honestly, it's the best thing we have every done, I can be on the road in 1/2 the time it used to take and with a lot less aggravation. Simply put, it's just plain easier all the way around for me. (I would say us, but DW simply isn't into the mechanics of it and I have to do all the outside stuff, including drive)
As for towing a car behind, if you set it all up right, it's no hassle really. I can be hooked up and ready to go in less than 10 minutes start to finish.
Looking back, the only thing I would do differently is go with a Class A instead of a Class C.

wanderso · 05-15-2012, 11:29 PM

We had a TT and moved to a C. This allows us to have a better mpg rig for our 2nd car when we are not camping. We bought a dolly as well, but only use that when we know we will need to do a lot of driving when we reach the destination. Otherwise we just bring bicycles to get around locally. Has made a big difference in the "get ready" time.

Davinger · 05-17-2012, 06:50 AM

I bought a wonderful F-250 to pull a 5th wheel that we were going to buy later. The front of the truck had a plate that had in gold letters 'Driveway Ornament' after 18 months we still hadn't bought a 5th Wheel the truck had 7000 miles on it. We were looking and while on the path an industrious salesman showed us a Class C. I went home and did the math, I would have a truck payment and an RV payment also I have to insure the truck and I have to insure the RV.

Well we looked at the Class A RVs and I didn't like the way they drove but the Class C drove almost like my truck. So after an exhaustive search we traded the truck in on a nice Class C. I start it up and bring it home we pack it with food and add a few gallons into the fresh water tank (to flush the toilet) and we are off. The payment on the RV though a few years longer is less than half of what I was paying on the F-250 and the insurance is about half that of the truck as well.

Unfortunately we don't have cars that can be flat towed so someone has to drive or we will rent a car when we get where we are going.

My truck was Diesel and got 13 MPG without towing my camper runs on regular gas and gets 9 MPG without towing so it is still cheaper to drive.

wanderso · 05-17-2012, 03:03 PM

I also have a rule on daily driver vehicles (we have 2). They must get at least 30 mpg on the highway. (one gets 32, the other 35) Thus, this eliminated the truck as an option. I do miss the utility of a truck but if I need that (refuse trip, etc) I just rent one for $50 or borrow a utility trailer. One of my daily driver rigs can tow 2800 pounds so that fits the bill. If you add up all the $ to pay for driving a pickup around daily or the days you are not camping, it is a lot of $$. I then use the $$ I save each month from that to pay for the RV fuel. I've been way ahead $ wise with that approach.