Community Forums

hummingbird2 · 06-06-2014, 06:24 PM

Hi - I'm a new member and am a widow who wants to go full timing. I would like to purchase a 40' beaver, but I think that would be biting off more than I can chew......so the next best thing (I think) would be a 32' class C. I'm wondering how difficult it is to drive one and would like to know how other class Cers do with their rigs.

Also what about a toad? Would a 32 footer pull one easily?

Steve Ownby · 06-06-2014, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hummingbird2

Hi - I'm a new member and am a widow who wants to go full timing. I would like to purchase a 40' beaver, but I think that would be biting off more than I can chew......so the next best thing (I think) would be a 32' class C. I'm wondering how difficult it is to drive one and would like to know how other class Cers do with their rigs.

Also what about a toad? Would a 32 footer pull one easily?

Hummingbird,

Before you do any further, why don't you take a trip down to Livingston and visit with some of the Escapees. If you are open to the idea of learning to drive a large coach, I'm sure they could help you. For full time living, a 40' coach is sure nice. Even if you decide on a smaller coach, make the decision based on your need and not fear of your capabilities.

Steve Ownby
Full time since '07

adamfolger · 06-06-2014, 07:01 PM

If you have many yrs driving a car, you can learn to drive any length of class A or class C. It is mostly a mental adjustment and skill will come as you learn the curve. As a fulltimer myself I can assure you that the most important "thing" is that you like the inside of your motorhome. I would not suggest a rig under 30' for fulltimeing, class A or C. Driving a class C is like driving a large SUV with a bed over the cab. Personally I would never give up the big view windows in my Class A. In a class C a driver may feel like their rig isn't so big but I assure you it is. Might as well have the big windows.

danleininger · 06-06-2014, 07:13 PM

Why don't you rent a class C for a long weekend and see how it feels. Then rent a class A and see how you like it. If neither of these are a good option, at least test drive both.

Different people choose different RVs for different reasons. One of the bigger considerations when fulltiming is storage. Think of putting everything you own or need into any RV you are considering.

Good luck.

jfran304 · 06-06-2014, 07:16 PM

Hi Hummingbird and welcome to IRV2.

After you get used to it you will enjoy driving a Class A more than a Class C in my opinion. You have more visibility and room to move around in.

As far as pulling a toad it will depend on what size toad you have and which motor you have in the RV. We pull a Chevrolet Spark with our gas Class A. The Spark is light and small so you really don't even notice it.

Good Luck
Jon

frankdamp · 06-06-2014, 08:54 PM

IMHO, long Class C's are an accident waiting to happen. When we were shopping for a MH 5 years back, we drove several 31 and 32-foot C's. They were scay, even for a retired transit bus driver.

The big issue was the amount of body extending beyond the rear wheels. I came close to hitting things on test drives because of the amount of tail swing the C's had.

In the end, we went Class A. Our 32-footer is very easy to drive and tail swing is a minor problem because the back wheels are so much closer to the back of the coach.

If you're locked in on Class C's, look very carefully at the amount of rear overhang. We drove one rig whose owners' manual required that the black and grey tanks be empty before driving it (they were way behind the rear axle). I was even concerned that a full gas tank could overload the back axle.

If you're not locked in on C-Class, there are some very reasonable used Class A's in the 30 - 35' range out there, shortly to include ours.

wimberleyman · 06-06-2014, 09:27 PM

Hummingbird2,
If you are considering a 40 ft. Beaver I assume you are looking at a diesel pusher. A coach that big definitely has a learning curve, especially the air brakes. Also, a DP requires a lot of maintenance that will run you 1k or more per year. I agree with several posts that you should not sell yourself short by purchasing a class C, especially if you plan to full-time. There are a number of excellent gas Class A coaches in the 35 to 37 ft. range out there that should suit your needs nicely. We (my wife and I) have met a number of single ladies (divorced, widowed and otherwise) who full-time comfortably in a gas Class A. Those who originally purchased a DP that we have met mostly scaled back to a gasser due to maintenance and other issues.

I suggest you look at floor plans and number of slides you need and let that be your first requirement. Also, most of the ladies we have met have the Ford V10 engine chassis. Since we have a DP I don't want to get into the Ford / Chevy thing. I am merely making an observation. That engine seems to pull a small to medium toad nicely. There are probably a lot of gas Class A owners out there that can chime in on this but that would be my recommendation.

Good Luck in whatever you decide,
WM

myshaggydog · 06-07-2014, 07:57 AM

Hummingbird:

First welcome to the Forum. I think it is fantastic of you planning to fulltime. There are many solo RV'ers that fulltime with a car and small trailer up to larger Motorhomes. You should look at as many different trypes of RV's as you can and imagine living in each one. You may have already done that and decided on a Class C or the Class A. Next you need to decide on what you would be comfortable living in. How many slides, floor plan, etc.

My wife and I did the above and decided on a Diesel Pusher Class A approx. 39 feet long. Although we had experiences camping in a trailer and 5th wheel we had never driven a class C nor Class A. We took the free driving confidence course at Lazy Days and bought our used Newmar Dutch Star DP. The Dealer (Independence RV in Florida) also took us around and spent a couple hours with us on the road. We have owned it about 6 months and both my wife and I are comfortable driving the MH. In fact we both love it over pulling a trailer or fifth wheel.

Once you decide on an RV you need to decide how to pull your car (toad). Are u going to pull 4 wheels down or pull on a dolly? The weight of the toad is important because a lot of gas model MH's can only pull up to 5,000lbs, while many DP can tow up to 10,000lbs. So Be sure to check on how much weight you can tow.

If you are going to fulltime then weight you put into the MH is important because you are going to be taking most of your things with you.

So keep reading and posting questions. Also there are several fulltiming books out there that have a wealth of information. We read several when we had made the decision to full time.

Best of luck and let us know how you made out.

Happy RV'ing

JFXG · 06-07-2014, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hummingbird2

Hi - I'm a new member and am a widow who wants to go full timing. I would like to purchase a 40' beaver, but I think that would be biting off more than I can chew......so the next best thing (I think) would be a 32' class C. I'm wondering how difficult it is to drive one and would like to know how other class Cers do with their rigs.

Also what about a toad? Would a 32 footer pull one easily?

Hummingbird...... Welcome! And good luck with your search!

Short answer: I sincerely believe you'll find a 40ft Class A far more satisfactory and easier to handle than a 32ft Class C.

Point 1: You're not going camping. You're going to live in it. Buy something a bit bigger than you think you need. The sensation of "too big" will fade to "normal" fairly quickly, but "too small" will last forever.

Point 2: You will learn to drive whatever you buy. The fact that you're even considering it shows that you're not afraid to deal with a challenge. Now, the engineering: A 40ft Class A is upper mid-range in size for a motorhome. It is generally intended for more travel than a Class C, and is built on a longer, heavier chassis to support the weight. This gives you a stronger structure and a longer wheelbase, both of which make driving and handling much easier.

A 32ft Class C is about as large a C as you'll find. Many Class C builders target a somewhat lower price point than a Class A, and one way they control costs is to build the unit on a smaller, lighter chassis. This accounts for the loooong rear overhangs you see on many of these units. The manufacturers sell "better handling" as a benefit of the shorter chassis, but in reality you have a unit that is too big and heavy for its own framework, won't carry enough weight, lacks stability on the highway, but is a little bit easier to turn in a parking lot. I think frankdamp's comments above are spot-on.

So.... my advice is to go for a 38-40ft Class A. To assist in evaluating, I'd suggest you go to RV.org, join up, and do some homework. This is certainly not "rocket science", but there are some things to learn, and you have to learn them. Their knowledge and evaluations were extremely helpful to us when looking for the right unit.

Good Luck!

RickO · 06-07-2014, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFXG

Hummingbird...... Welcome! And good luck with your search!

Short answer: I sincerely believe you'll find a 40ft Class A far more satisfactory and easier to handle than a 32ft Class C.

Good Luck!

X2

We had never owned any type of RV and following my retirement, we jumped right in with both feet and bought a new 40DP. Driving it became second nature very quickly.

As already mentioned, do your research and buy what you decide upon but don't choose based on your fear on not being able to handle a 40DP because you CAN drive one with just a little bit of practice.

You'll be living in this rig and I promise you that a 40 footer with slides will make your "home" much more comfortable than a stretched Class C. Now if you plan to do a lot of boondocking and going to national parks, etc... a 40DP will present some challenges due to its size but if you're willing to often times stay outside the parks and explore them with your toad it'll work out fine.

Best of luck.

Rick

Brockx · 06-07-2014, 02:03 PM

One thing you will find very important is storage space. Go to a large dealer and look at the C's and A's. As someone mentioned the Diesels are a little more complicated and require some specialized maintenance. The Gas A's are the similar type running gear as a large SUV or for that part your car. My personal opinion is the class A offers more visibility and flexibility than the class C.

hummingbird2 · 06-09-2014, 11:30 AM

Thanx to everyone who responded to my questions about the beaver do a opposed to a class c. Most encouraged me to get the class A, and not be afraid to learn how to drive it. So excited to get such helpful feedback. I love this site and all you rvers.

RickO · 06-09-2014, 12:04 PM

Glad you got the answers you were looking for.

When driving a big rig, it's just important to ALWAYS remember how big you really are and you need to change your mindset when driving them. Do not have the same mindset you have when driving a car. You're now driving your home and everything you own down the highway so don't be in a hurry... always drive looking WELL ahead of you for any potential trouble... back up using a spotter...have an exit route planned before pulling into someplace that might not have an easy exit...etc.

I'm sure you'll do just fine once you get over the intimidation factor.

Best of luck.

Rick