Best C ever?

[DonaC]

I was browsing around for class Cs for sale and came across this Country Coach class C. The more I look at it the better I like it. Is this the best built C ever made? Too bad they stopped making them.

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/...421366807.html

[Rzrbrn]

Owners of Big Foot C's seem to like them also. They are no longer being made. You might be able to buy a pre DEF diesel if you buy an older C.

[DonaC]

Coincidentally I have a Bigfoot and do like it a lot. But this Country Coach is one more notch up. It looks like a nice class A that has had the body shortened and installed on a cutaway chassis. Look at that molded fiberglass roof construction, that's really built to last.

[Ron Dittmer]

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It is too easy to make a list of gripes with every class C, regardless of brand.

To get all that good outdoor basement storage, they raised the floor quite high which places the center of gravity significantly higher. This also adds an extra step to get inside, and a high step up from the cab to the house. So getting "better" outdoor storage came at a sacrifice in other areas. Then there is the question on how much outdoor storage can be utilized before over-loading the chassis. It's fine if carrying light weight stuff, but nothing useful is lightweight.

Which brings up my next point.

I wonder about the capability of a 1997 E-series chassis. I don't think the E450 came out that early. If not, that means GVWR would be a mere 11,500. Looking at a few of the pics, the rear looks very heavy with the tires deep in the wheel wells while the front is high in the air. E350 or E450, it suffers the usual over-loaded rear axle from so much over-hang behind the rear axle, and an under-loaded front axle. The wheel base looks like it should have been made longer. Fortunately something can be done to address a sagging rear and high-riding front.

I also dread the window in the upper bunk facing forward.

But there are many exceptional points that make the stand out well beyond average, so I can see why you feel the way you do. I particularly love the roof cap and floor plan, most especially the bedroom layout. If only it did not include a slide-out for the couch. A 25 year old slide-out requires scrutiny.

Condition, miles, one owner, and price make it an interesting find.

As far as "Best Class C Ever?" Of coarse it's our rig HERE.

[dons2346]

I would not be afraid of that rig, looks pretty good

[Mr.Mark]

'Lazy Daze' class-C RV's, that are made in Montclair, CA, are also interesting and are still being made.

I have not been in one myself but their simplicity seems like a plus. One of their trademark styles is the partial skirt covering the rear wheels.

And yes, that Country Coach looks nice!

Safe travels,
Mark

[DonaC]

I checked the 97 Winnebago class C brochure since I don't have anything from Country Coach, obviously. The GVWR was 14,050 on the bigger Minnies that year. Same as my 2003 Bigfoot model. Up from 12,400 on the 96 models. So that should have been adequate. It does look like the weight could be a difficult issue for the designer then as it remains today.

[Phil G.]

Originally Posted by Ron Dittmer

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It is too easy to make a list of gripes with every class C, regardless of brand.

To get all that good outdoor basement storage, they raised the floor quite high which places the center of gravity significantly higher. This also adds an extra step to get inside, and a high step up from the cab to the house. So getting "better" outdoor storage came at a sacrifice in other areas. Then there is the question on how much outdoor storage can be utilized before over-loading the chassis. It's fine if carrying light weight stuff, but nothing useful is lightweight.

Which brings up my next point.

I wonder about the capability of a 1997 E-series chassis. I don't think the E450 came out that early. If not, that means GVWR would be a mere 11,500. Looking at a few of the pics, the rear looks very heavy with the tires deep in the wheel wells while the front is high in the air. E350 or E450, it suffers the usual over-loaded rear axle from so much over-hang behind the rear axle, and an under-loaded front axle. The wheel base looks like it should have been made longer. Fortunately something can be done to address a sagging rear and high-riding front.

I also dread the window in the upper bunk facing forward.

But there are many exceptional points that make the stand out well beyond average, so I can see why you feel the way you do. I particularly love the roof cap and floor plan, most especially the bedroom layout. If only it did not include a slide-out for the couch. A 25 year old slide-out requires scrutiny.

Condition, miles, one owner, and price make it an interesting find.

As far as "Best Class C Ever?" Of coarse it's our rig HERE.

Ron ... is your rig a "real Class C" (in that it doesn't have a full queen bed above the cab that extends over and past the front cab's windshield)?

You might have a "Class B+" instead.

By the way, a "basement design" Class C indeed does have outside storage cabinets that can actually be used for "real storage". Our outside storage cabinets allow our Class C to carry along enough equipment so as to be ready for anything at anytime.

We do not have to pack differently for different type trips. We carry all we need all the time. The height to the top of our A/C unit is about 11'6". However, the E450 chassis under our 24 ft. Class C does indeed provide way more weight carrying capacity than we will ever need.

[Rzrbrn]

Originally Posted by DonaC

Coincidentally I have a Bigfoot and do like it a lot. But this Country Coach is one more notch up. It looks like a nice class A that has had the body shortened and installed on a cutaway chassis. Look at that molded fiberglass roof construction, that's really built to last.

DonaC, I own a 2019 Big Foot 25RQ, bought new. It has a solid fiberglass roof. I am on the BF forum and the BF motorcoach owners state that their rigs have all fiberglass roofs, just to let you know. Built in Canada and are, supposedly, 4 season. I am not saying they are better or worse than Country Coach. I say supposedly because I have been sleeping in my trailer over the holidays just for yuks, and last night it was 26° outside and 48° inside using an oil filled electric radiator heater at about half power. I did not use the furnace or other heat sources because I just wanted to test how it handles the cold while hooked up to shore power. Frankly I am a bit disappointed.

The BF motorcoaches were last built in 2008 if I recall correctly. The company went bankrupt about that time, supposedly due in large part to the cost of manufacturing the class C and super C motor coaches, which required the company purchase the chassis prior to manufacturing. The company was purchased some time later by a new group of investors, and reopened to manufacture only travel trailers, but using the same molds, facilities and workers, etc.

The BF motor coaches were sold as a 3000 series using gas engines, and 4000 series using diesel engines. All had fiberglass roofs which included a fiberglass cap in the front and, I think, rear. I got all this from the BF forum and have not personally seen a BF motor coach.

[DonaC]

I'm an enthusiast of the Bigfoot RVs, I'm on the BOCI forums as DonC.
The Bigfoot roofs are not all fiberglass, it was optional on the older models. Anyway, I started this to see what thoughts others would have about the Country Coach that I linked too, not to toot my own horn about my RV. I'm still impressed with it. I'm thinking that being a 97 you would have the spark plug ejecting issue on the V10, and if I'm not wrong, that year also had the plastic intake manifold that sometimes leaked coolant. Both fixable. And the mauve interior trim, don't know about that.