Community Forums

jmrace · 06-12-2017, 04:41 PM

We are newbies from Florida. We will be travelling with two medium sized dogs . We are looking at the Jayco Alante 26 x or the 31. Both dogs are good car riders although this will be our first RV, Any ideas are welcome
any opinions of either Jayco model would help us make a decision

Dsallach · 06-12-2017, 04:55 PM

Welcome, everyone started out as newbies. I hope we can answer some of your questions along the way. As for size, that is a personal decision you will have to make. What works for some doesn't for others. What size ��. Are you looking to just do weekends or full time

jmrace · 06-12-2017, 05:09 PM

thanks

weekends and occasional trip

momdoc · 06-12-2017, 05:43 PM

Welcome the forum. The most important criteria are number one Floor Plan, number two would be size. Enjoy the adventure.

momdoc

Stever53 · 06-12-2017, 11:32 PM

this place is great

Safe travels

nosticks · 06-13-2017, 06:06 AM

Tried a 22 foot class c with two standard poodles. Traded it less than a year later on a 29'. If you can get a 31', go for it. Dogs need a space not in the main pathway to call their own.

MSHappyCampers · 06-13-2017, 07:26 AM

Hi !

Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

I would go with the 31!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

Gary RVRoamer · 06-13-2017, 10:27 AM

Most people buy too small, underestimating the hassle of always having to step around each other, the dogs, etc. And the need to move one thing out of the way to have space to do another. And mundane things like a places to put dirty clothes or a trash can. Bottom line: get the larger one.

I also predict that you will soon decide that towing a car is a great convenience rather than a dreaded chore, but time will tell. Breaking camp to drive the RV to the grocery store is a PITA (but that's just my opinion).

**TonyDi** · 06-13-2017, 03:05 PM

Glad to have you here in the forum with us.

Bigger is always better.

Happy Trails!!!

Winemaker2 · 06-13-2017, 05:07 PM

We had a Winnie 31 for 11 yrs and loved the room compared to a previous 28 fter. We especially like a separate shower and the wardrobe / storage on a 31 will be significantly improved. May not be an issue for wkend trips for wks or month you will wish you had the 31.

Brian W · 06-13-2017, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momdoc

Welcome the forum. The most important criteria are number one Floor Plan, number two would be size. Enjoy the adventure.

momdoc

Shouldn't the most important criteria be how well it's put together?

I suggest really looking at the unit first before getting caught up with anything else. Open the cabinets, look under the bed, stand in the shower, etc.

Next, take a test drive. How does it handle. There have been several posts about handling issues with the 31UL. I believe they may have made some changes, but only the OP can tell if they feel comfortable driving it.

Only then would I worry about floor plan.

hilgert · 06-14-2017, 04:44 PM

After owning a trailer for awhile, we decided towing a vehicle behind a motorhome would be more fun than towing a trailer behind a vehicle (we were right...we won't be going to back to a trailer). We spent over a year researching motorhomes, and like many we started out lusting for a large Class A. We finally found a Class C that fit our needs almost perfectly for now. At some point we will start camping over 50% of the time, and then we will will pull out the big bucks and get a nice Class A. However, at this point we are weekenders about twice monthly, and a couple of week-long trips each year. We also (for now) wanted to be able to fit into some parks where a large Class A would have trouble finding a spot.

The major lesson we learned is that there is no one right answer that fits everyone, just a right answer for *our* needs. We ended up listing our needs in have-to-have and nice-to-have lists, and made sure the motorhomes we looked at would meet all the have-to-have items, and as many of the nice-to-have items as possible. I do agree with momdoc...layout is key (if it does not work for you, then other things really don't matter). I also agree with Brian W on build quality (I'm an engineer by degree and *very* picky on quality...salespeople quickly learned to avoid me).

Take your time, go to as many large RV shows as you can, visit as many motorhome dealers as you can (ideally ones that keep all units unlocked where you can wander around without a sales person), and talk to as many owners as possible. As we had a trailer before, we spent a lot of time walking around campgrounds and having conversations with motorhome owners...who were happy to tell us the good, the bad and the ugly.

FYI, our motorhome is about 31 feet (34 feet with the rear bed slide extended), and we've spent several week-long trips in it without issue (and lots and lots of weekend trips). I did replace the refrigerator with a residential unit (if you are buying a motorhome from a dealer have them toss that into the deal).

OLYLEN · 06-15-2017, 08:54 AM

Having down sized from 40' DP to a 31' C the floor plan is the critical piece to the puzzle. We found there was a lot of nice to have but seldom used things along taking up space. We do many 2 to 5 day summer stays and one or two 3 to 4 month trips a year and planning is the key. Food is available everywhere so only carry what is needed, clothing, only what is needed not what you might need. The Tux stays home, two swimming suits not six, you get the idea. Dog space is going to be your hanging point, where to sit where to sleep. Just be slow on the purchase and sit in each size and floor plan you will consider for a few minutes and think about lounging time, travel time, cooking time and sleeping time plus storage for item you will need and how many seasons of clothing.

LEN

hilgert · 06-15-2017, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLYLEN

Dog space is going to be your hanging point, where to sit where to sleep.

Agree. We have three small dogs, but only travel with one (a small long-haired Chihuahua) about 50% of the time. In our C there are two spots behind both the pilot and copilot seats, but before the slides, that are for practical purposes unusable space for humans to stand, etc. As our dogs are 100% trained to pee on a pee pad inside at home (although we have a doggie door and they can/do go pee outside as well), we put a pad on the other side, and a no-spill food/water container on the other side (IIRC we got it at Camping World). Both food/water and pad are there when parked or when in motion.

When in motion, the dog spends it's time in the copilot's lap, up on the dash pressed against the windshield (kind of funny) or sitting on top of the recliners or dinette looking out the side windows. It pretty much moves around as it pleases. Yes, I know the "dog police" will be upset that it's not in a cage when in motion. With medium/large dogs I'd certainly keep them in cage [that is secured so it cannot move] when in motion just due to the ballistics involved in a sudden stop.

When not in motion it wanders the RV when we are inside (mostly on our laps though), and when we are out and about for the day we leave the AC on and it's perfectly happy looking out the windows watching other campers. Whenever we stop for fuel we generally take it for a short walk.

Note on carpet: One of the nice-to-have criteria was no carpet (it was almost a have-to-have, but many motorhomes have a bit of carpet in a few places). Having no carpet is helpful with a dog...any messes (pet or otherwise) are easier to clean with no carpet.