40 ft vs 43 ft feedback

[travelhawk]

As you can tell from the responses, there's no best/right size or even floorplan. The suggestion that you try to envision how you would LIVE in a particular rig is essential. None of the eye candy will matter if you can't be comfortable and at-home in your rig.

It is essential to determine what YOU need from a motorhome? Several passengers? Count up seat belts, do not assume. There are large couches with few belts. Changing a dinette from booth to table will lose seatbelts. Consider the toilet location vs. black tank, when gravity isn't useful some rigs require power systems to flush, a critical problem when it fails. Consider closet and cabinet shapes vs. what might be stored. A big factor is cooking -- do lots, some, or almost none?

Liveability is not woodwork and floor tile, it is furniture that is bolted in place. What is the view from inside, from where you'll spend the most time sitting? Looking at your campsite, or being looked at by your neighbor? Looking at scenery at road pull-outs, or looking at a windowless wall? Look beyond the fancy upholstery, are the seats what you want to sit on again and again, is there a place for your cup/mug/glass/bottle, does the dash/cockpit have places for the stuff you need at-hand (a big failing of many rigs)? Need to carry anything bulky? Does it fit somewhere? Etc, etc.

The considerations are endless, but for me what the motorhome makers focus on and brag about is mostly meaningless. I travel to see the country, not admire the decor of my rig.

Note that our trips range from a week to a couple of months. We are travelers, lots of driving, not sitting around a campsite. (No opinion on what is best for full-timing.)

I had a Monaco that was 39'10" true length (a model 38, essentially a model 40 with a few less cabinets to be shorter to comply with California laws). At Yellowstone's Fishing Bridge (the only campground with hookups), they said it was too long. But they found a spot, had to cut off a branch AND put orange cones around my front because I was hanging out in the road.

After 4 years of thinking "why do we need two sofas and two bathrooms, there are just two of us, this coach much bigger than we need" we switched to a 31' Winnebago and found it much more livable because the floorplan was better -- less floor but better layout. And we fit many but not all state parks. But it wasn't pleasant to drive so after 3 years we moved on.

We tried a 26' Sprinter-based coach, nice to drive, but not livable for us.

We have determined that all the space we need fits in less than 40 feet, even 35 feet, if the floorplan is smart.

[newmarpusher]

Originally Posted by follows

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One additional important consideration: We actually tried to buy a 40' because the 43' tipped the scales over the magic GVWR 30,000# - in our province you are required to have a commercial trucking license to drive anything over 30,000#. Many states have similar laws (with 26,000# threshold) and I've been told that if you are pulled over travelling through one of these states with a regular car operating license, they can get really nasty. Plus insurance companies can deny a claim.



This link provides a summary of state/provincial RV licensing laws.

At least in the US (don't know anything about Canada), you are only required to have whatever driver's license your home state requires, regardless of the requirements of the state you are traveling through.

In NJ, there are no additional license requirements to drive an RV of any length or weight. Hence, that is all a NJ licensed driver needs to drive that NJ registered RV in any other state.

Btw, I've seen the CA 40' length law stated several times in this thread as "bumper to bumper" length. My 4037 is exactly 40' 0" "bumper to bumper" but is 40' 10" "mirrors to ladder". So which is it? Total length including mirrors and ladders or "bumper to bumper"?


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[travelhawk]

Great question! I've asked at least 5 CHP officers at different times about the 40-ft maximum length and they always said "measured bumper-to-bumper", but was that a precise definition or just a typical scenario? I didn't think to ask about the hardware bolted to the body. Next time I can chat with CHP I'll ask. Possibly the ladder and mirrors are not counted, just as mirrors are not counted when complying with width limits.

It seems plausible that 40-feet-some-inches would not trigger enforcement, just like California's 55mph-max-speed-when-towing law is typically not enforced until a bit faster (as one CHP said to me, "just keep it under 60 and you'll be fine"). But like the speed limit, they have to draw the line somewhere. As another CHP noted, motorhomes with a "40" model number draw their attention because with many brands the true length is a foot or two longer.

Of course, thie pondering begs the question, why does California law say the maximum length is "40 feet"? The answer seems to be, it's an ancient law, adopted when 40 was a rare length, common buses being shorter. As buses got longer, rather than change the law, they added exemptions, for buses in early 90s, then 10 years later for motorhomes. But they tied the exemptions to license and road restrictions, so obviously the belief is that longer-than-40 is a hazard. But is there evidence of this?

[Busskipper]

Just get the floor plan that works for you - If you are not enjoying the travel and the stay, it will not matter how big or small as it will likely be "Sitting in the Driveway"

We love our floor plan and have been all over the USA and the National and State Parks, never been an issue.

[AzGoldDigger]

I lived in Kalifornistan for 25 years. Unfortunately, most of their parks were developed when RVs were much smaller. Some do have larger sites, but I have seen a lot of HUGE sites that are still listed as 24 feet. Logic is forbidden in KA, so don't ask why. They also have really lousy hook ups, if they have any at all. The good news is most of the LEOs are pretty good people and if you are not being a real jerk, they are unlikely to gig you on a minor technicality.

[rlott2k]

Air Brake endorsement IS REQUIRED as a BC driver.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by travelhawk

Great question! I've asked at least 5 CHP officers at different times about the 40-ft maximum length and they always said "measured bumper-to-bumper", but was that a precise definition or just a typical scenario? I didn't think to ask about the hardware bolted to the body. Next time I can chat with CHP I'll ask. Possibly the ladder and mirrors are not counted, just as mirrors are not counted when complying with width limits.

It seems plausible that 40-feet-some-inches would not trigger enforcement, just like California's 55mph-max-speed-when-towing law is typically not enforced until a bit faster (as one CHP said to me, "just keep it under 60 and you'll be fine"). But like the speed limit, they have to draw the line somewhere. As another CHP noted, motorhomes with a "40" model number draw their attention because with many brands the true length is a foot or two longer.

Of course, thie pondering begs the question, why does California law say the maximum length is "40 feet"? The answer seems to be, it's an ancient law, adopted when 40 was a rare length, common buses being shorter. As buses got longer, rather than change the law, they added exemptions, for buses in early 90s, then 10 years later for motorhomes. But they tied the exemptions to license and road restrictions, so obviously the belief is that longer-than-40 is a hazard. But is there evidence of this?

Our 2002 40' Dutch Star was actually 40'-11" but we were never stopped nor questioned about it when in CA.

[mgtr]

We have been motorhoming since 1985 in all lengths of Class A, currently at 43' bumper to bumper (no mirrors, no ladder). Never been stopped, and I think the only times length issue would arise if you were stopped for some other reason, or you were in an accident. Even then, I would guess that if you were respectful to the LEO and complied with requests, length would not come up.

[AzGoldDigger]

Quoted from CA DOT website:

The basic California length law for vehicles is 40 feet unless specifically exempted. On October 9, 2001, Governor Davis signed Assembly Bill (AB) 67 which changed the California Vehicle Code (CVC) to allow motorhomes over 40 feet in length, up to 45 feet, on certain routes. 45' motorhomes are allowed on interstates and on those State routes that can accommodate them.

LEGAL ROUTES
Access Routes: 45' motorhomes may travel on virtually every State route EXCEPT those signed with a 30-foot kingpin-to-rear-axle (KPRA) advisory sign. This sign advises trucks with a KPRA of more than 30 feet not to use the route. There are also KPRA advisories signs with 32, 34, 36, and 38 feet. These advisories that are 32 feet and higher ALLOW 45' motorhomes to use the routes.


45' Motorhomes

There are also maps of specifically banned routes. I've been on a lot of them and the routes are pretty hairy anyways.

[JohnRL]

AzGoldDigger - excellent post.