Community Forums

elektron · 09-11-2014, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HK2NY

Hi All,
I am totally new to RVing and to this site. I would be very appreciative if I could get some opinions on which new MH to buy.

My wife and I have 2 children under 2 yrs. old and we are looking to take frequent short trips (long weekends) and perhaps a few lasting about 2-3 weeks. I want to be maneuverable in cities, yet have all the amenities and storage, so we are thinking of a class C around 22' or 23'

I started looking last week, but they all seem the same. Same layout, same features, etc. What is the best brand? I'd like to find the BMW of 23' class C motorhomes. I'm looking for the best quality, with the fewest problems, best warranty/service, ease of part replacement, best features and amenities, etc. Price is not a major consideration.

Any and all opinions will be much appreciated!
Thank you!

What have you looked at so far? I was at the Hershey RV show yesterday and looked at a number of Class A, B, and C RVs. I find the Winnebago Trend at 23' to be interesting, especially with it's six speed transmission.

None of the NEWEST Sprinters (usually 24') appear to have arrived at the show yet. The newest Sprinters have a 2.1 Liter engine with a 7 speed Transmission as an option where the standard engine is a 3 liter with a 5 speed transmission. The trend is towards smaller engine with turbo charging and more transmission gears which can significantly improve fuel mileage.

Other than the Trend, I have not looked at any other 22-23' RV. My wife and I found these too small for our planned long distance trips. I would think that having two small children might be a safety problem. I would be very concerned on how they could be strapped in and kept safe. The Class C's I have seen have seat belts for four people, but these are probably not suitable for small children. I don' t believe LATCH attachments are available in the RVs that I have seen.

The Car Seat Lady – Traveling in RVs with Children

Since there is no standard secure attachment for child seats in an RV, that I am aware of, this seems to prohibit the use of an RV until your children are significantly older.

boiledfrog · 09-11-2014, 01:03 PM

I've seen RVs built on Ford F450 and F550 quad cab chassis that would provide safety for more than the driver and passenger. They make a smaller one two that might fit your needs. Can't remember the name though.

LesView12 · 09-11-2014, 05:28 PM

My 2012 View on the Sprinter chassis has one dinette seat with child seat attachment points. Five seat belted positions ( including front seats) total.

elektron · 09-12-2014, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LesView12

My 2012 View on the Sprinter chassis has one dinette seat with child seat attachment points. Five seat belted positions ( including front seats) total.

Is that the J or M model?

LesView12 · 09-12-2014, 07:51 PM

It is the J model.

HK2NY · 09-13-2014, 05:58 AM

I bought the 2015 Winnebago View 24J at the Hershey RV Show yesterday.
It looks awesome and the wife loves it too. I think it is the perfect balance in size - big enough to accommodate our small family and small enough to go anywhere and maneuver through city streets.
The combination of Mercedes Benz and Winnebago are also the quality I was looking for.

We won't receive it for 12 weeks, but are excited for our first adventure! Going to hit all 48 contiguous States in 5 years

Thank you all for your help! See you on the road!

elektron · 09-13-2014, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HK2NY

I bought the 2015 Winnebago View 24J at the Hershey RV Show yesterday.
It looks awesome and the wife loves it too. I think it is the perfect balance in size - big enough to accommodate our small family and small enough to go anywhere and maneuver through city streets.
The combination of Mercedes Benz and Winnebago are also the quality I was looking for.

We won't receive it for 12 weeks, but are excited for our first adventure! Going to hit all 48 contiguous States in 5 years

Thank you all for your help! See you on the road!

My guess is that you have already made the correct choices for equipment in your new View. There are a couple of things that I would think that you might want to obtain.

Electrical Surge Suppressor - Can be attached to the end of your power line or wired in permanently (I had mine wired in by the dealer)
Electrical connector adapters for 15, 30, 50 Amp service. An extension power cable.
Leveling blocks - necessary to be able to use the Refrigerator on LP Gas.
Bubble Level - tells you when your refrigerator is "level enough."
Paper Cup - Various uses
Rubber Bands - One use is to attach a paper cup to the kitchen spout. Once used there is always water in the spout and it leaks onto the sink cover boards. Mine are wood and have warped.
Flashlight, Scissors, cutlery, LP gas grill lighter, pots, pans etc.
Water Filter - Can be purchased as an option or added later. The on board filter in my Navion is attached ONLY to the kitchen faucet. I also use a 2nd filter when filling my water tank.
Drinking water hose
Gravity Fill nozzle with valve
Black Water Tank deodorizer/enzyme
Sewage removal hose with dump site adapter and a 45 degree clear plastic union connector
Plastic Gloves for handling the sewer hose
RV Cleaning products, such as a long handled windshield washer/squeegee, long handled soft brush for the body, RV wash, wax, wheel cleaner, tar remover, Glass X for the windshield.
Appropriate Bedding including blankets and perhaps a mattress topper
Site rug, chairs, table, table clothes, table cloth clamps, lanterns etc.
Slide seal preservative
A selection of fuses
Other automotive maintenance products
Food, Water (bottled), dust pan, trash bag holder, hand sanitizer, soap, pots and pans as needed, dinnerware, etc.
Vacuum pack bags to allow carrying large amounts of compressibles if you need to.
Laptop or Tablet computer to plan trips and to update the Rand/McNally RV GPS if you have purchased that as an accessory.

LesView12 · 09-14-2014, 03:18 PM

Congrats on the new View. I hope you like yours as well as I like mine.

GandT · 09-17-2014, 10:07 PM

My husband I just bought a new 2015 Winnebago View 24G. We did a lot of research. This was more than what we wanted to pay but was disappointed with the Ford Chassis (no leg room) and the poor quality of other units. We also like the Itasca Navion which are Winnebago too. We will keep you posted if you'd like. Our friends have an '07 and love it.

DieselTech39 · 09-17-2014, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GandT

My husband I just bought a new 2015 Winnebago View 24G. We did a lot of research. This was more than what we wanted to pay but was disappointed with the Ford Chassis (no leg room) and the poor quality of other units. We also like the Itasca Navion which are Winnebago too. We will keep you posted if you'd like. Our friends have an '07 and love it.

Glad you're aboard. Congrats on the new rig. Enjoy your adventures and be safe.

mlo166 · 09-19-2014, 09:13 PM

speaking from experience: Rent the type of rv you think you might want to purchase. Example: years ago, we rented a 27'er and couldn't take it into restaurant parking lots, etc. - only Walmart! Also, bumper would hit things when turning in close quarters. So, we ended up with a 22'r later. We could take it anywhere and park it anywhere! We LOVED it ! Then, we upgraded to a 23'r for larger bathroom and more headroom. We LOVED it too. If we had not rented one, then we would've ended up dissatisfied owning a 27'er w/missing rear bumper! Glad we rented first! tom and rho

mlo166 · 09-19-2014, 09:16 PM

oops! I see where you already got one.... Congradulations! Tell us all about it!

Walter5555 · 09-19-2014, 09:30 PM

I have had an R.V. sense 1989 and the most importing thing about it is (be sure you receive all the paper work) I mean manuals on just about everything thing you have in the R.V.

If you keep it long enough you will treasure those manuals later on down the road when something does not work like it should.
Just a thought.

Tom24M · 09-20-2014, 06:17 PM

I got the 2013 Navion 24 M with the added bed over top, and still love it 35,000 miles later. We put a foam topper over both the air bed and the top bunk. The dinette sleeper is too short for most adults but great for kids. It has the most spacious feel and is the best for evening movies. All the other versions would leave me with a bad neck, either looking way up or way to one side

I got a great deal from John Frankle at Camping World in St. Augustine Florida. I flew there to get it because he saved me so much money - tell him Tom sent you.