Community Forums

NerdyNomad · 06-13-2014, 08:27 PM

To be used full time over at least a 4 year period with not very much traveling planned. (Except for at least 3 moves, one of which I know is going to be 2675 miles. )

Class A Gasser:
Pros-
1. More storage and interior space
2. Better "Cockpit"
3. Leveling Jacks
4. They generally have a wardrobe of a normal size, so my work uniforms will be kept in good order more easily.

Cons-
1. My purchasing dollar doesn't go as far in a Class A as it does with a Class C.
2. More equipment means more to go wrong and cost $$$ to fix.

Class C:
Pros-
1. See cons of a Class A and invert.
2. I'm more confident in being able to perform maint. and repair tasks on my own with a basic tool set.

Cons-
1- See pros of Class A and invert.
2- Userful Load margins are tighter in a Class C.
3- Smaller holding tanks make boondocking not last as long in between having to come in and dump, clean, refill.

A final thought that does mean something to me, but not enough to put on a list is the wonderful "Pride of Ownership". There is a difference, to me, between owning a crash pad on wheels (Class C) and a ship of the road (Class A Gasser).

Any thoughts or input would be greatly appreciated. I know this has probably been beat to death, but it is a current issue for me. (And my efforts to search for previous threads on this topic haven't been very fruitful).

scenic route · 06-13-2014, 08:57 PM

I can't imagine full timing in a Class C...yeah, people do do it. After taking two, five month summer trips in our 36' A, the inside seems to get smaller - the outside, not so much. We try very hard to travel 'lite', but where would I keep my stuff in a 'C'?

stisdal · 06-13-2014, 10:49 PM

In my area, (buying used) you can get much more for the money in a class A than you can in a class C. Also, the C's I looked at in my area in my price range almost always had more than double the mileage on them compared to the A's. I found a great deal on a used A (1998) in excellent condition, with a large slide, low miles (40,000) that had all new flooring, all new (3) batteries, and brand new tires all around for 15k....

Do I expect a few issues with an older coach? Yes. But with the low initial outlay I can afford to fix up what I need to or want to. So far it's been great! (On a shakedown run right now up the Mississippi River road)

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89sandman · 06-14-2014, 12:56 AM

I've owned both and there are pro's and con's to both. I always figured if your gonna go 30 foot plus the class a is the way to go. The thing that I always liked about a 27 foot or shorter c with a rear bath or kitchen is you have the bed above the cab so your not using up living space for a bedroom. As I get older getting in and out of that bed gets to be less appealing

Cousin Ed · 06-14-2014, 08:21 AM

If I was not going to travel much, I'd have a trailer. You get much more bang for your buck. Cons are you need a substantial tow vehicle and set up takes longer. Also no kitchen or bath available while in motion.
If you're getting a MH try both. I love the view out of the Class A.

Fl_Richard · 06-14-2014, 09:22 AM

I dont think there is much more to go wrong in a class A. C's and A's have many identical systems. Maybe one more AC in a class A but water sewer, etc are similar fitments.

1ciderdog · 06-14-2014, 10:23 AM

For me A or C doesn't make the difference - it is finding the floor plan that will work best for you. Since you will be living in it and not traveling all that much would a trailer work out? May be less expensive and no engine to maintain. Just a thought.

NerdyNomad · 06-14-2014, 10:46 AM

When I do travel, there is no choice about it. (Uncle Sam tells me where to go :-) ). So it has to happen and it's not my choice as to when. Also, we don't have a tow vehicle. Lol.

aauummm · 06-14-2014, 11:10 AM

I've owned both and the class C has a hood and cab that is included in the advertized length and that area is not usable except for the bunk over the cab. In a class A the usable area extends clear to the dash as the captains chairs can be turned around and used and the dash can be used as a computer station. Thus a 31 foot class C has a lot less livable space than a 31 foot class A.

As has already been mentioned by others, the class A will have a lot more storage space both inside and in the basement.

NerdyNomad · 06-14-2014, 12:12 PM

I thank all of you for your input. You're pretty much confirming what I've known but haven't been able to articulate to myself. I certainly appreciate it.

vapor3000 · 06-14-2014, 12:16 PM

I have owned both and hands down the Class A is the way to go. In my region the Class C will cost more with less equipment. I would not go less than 35' and at least two slides. You will be amazed what you can buy in a 10 to 15 year old coach once you have decided on the floor plan you want.

BCook57 · 06-14-2014, 12:19 PM

We recently downsized from a 43' diesel pusher to a 32' class C. We've also owned a 38' gas class A. The reason we went back to a C, which we have also owned before, is because we were NOT going to be living in it for 6-7 months per year as we were in the diesel pusher. You can't get around the fact that there is more usable room in a class A compared to a same length class C. It was no longer important to us; if it was, I'd still own the 43' Newmar.

Orangepeel · 06-14-2014, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NerdyNomad

When I do travel, there is no choice about it. (Uncle Sam tells me where to go :-) ). So it has to happen and it's not my choice as to when. Also, we don't have a tow vehicle. Lol.

In your first post I got the impression it was just you. In this post you used the word WE. If there is two of you definitely consider the A.

frankdamp · 06-14-2014, 12:38 PM

We started out with a 26' Class C (very used) just to see if we liked the RV lifestyle. Love the lifestyle but definitely not that old dog. The layout had no slides, a corner bed alongside the bathroom, a very small pull-out table ahead of the house door with two chairs, a three person sofa behind the driver and two pedestal tables that you used while sitting on the sofa. The steel table legs went into holes in the plywood floor - real steady!

In contrast, our 21' Class A has two slides, a "shuffle-round" domestic-size queen bed (when the slide is out) a dinette that (marginally) will seat four, a 3-seat jack-knife sofa with a barrel chair opposite and captain's chairs that swivel a full 180 degrees when in camping mode. It has a typical size RV kitchen, unusual in that the propane kitchen stove has an oven. DW is happy with that as she's a keen baker. She makes bread when we're camping just like at home.

Our "C" was an '85, on a Ford E350 chassis with a 460 (carb) motor. We got about 6 mpg at sea-level and maybe 4.5 in the mountains. Our "A" is an '02, on the Ford F53 chassis with the V-10. We get between 7.5 and 8.5 mpg independent of altitude.

There's just so much more space in an A, since the driver's area is the same width as the rest of the body, and you don't bang your head on the overhead bunk, because there isn't one. Ours has the living area floor on top of the chassis, giving us acres of storage underneath. With two people and two Labs, we've never come close to filling the stowbins, even when taking a Weber Q-100 barbie along.

We also have dual a/c, but it's only 30A electrical, so the generator has to be on to power the second one. Where we travel, needing both is rare.

We bought from the original owners when it was 8 years old with only 12,000 miles on it. We've put 5,000 on it since, but we only did one trip last season because of medical issues. We're getting to a point where the steadily increasing costs of gas and campgrounds is becoming untenable. We'll probably only use it this season as auxiliary housing for visitors, keeping it parked on the driveway. It will be on the market shortly.