|
|
mountaintraveler
mountains
New Member
Joined: 12/17/2022
View Profile
|
Grit dog wrote:If the length “limit” you’re targeting is due to actual physical access limitations rather than mainstream public campground “rules” then I would think a Class C would be VERY limiting due to the long rear overhang poor departure angle and lowish ground clearance.
In other words I could hypothetically take your Corolla more places than a 25’ long Moho. Realistically as well.
Everything RV related is a compromise.
If you don’t like the lack of space in a 24’ then you may not like a TC but I don’t see either being limiting for one person to full time and explore in.
However if exploring is the priority like it appears, then a dually pickup with a 10’ ish single or double slide out camper on it will check the “exploring” box much better. Greater ground clearance, much better departure angle if you get the right camper, lots of extra storage if you get a crew cab and the ability to live in the camper for an extended period off the truck and have a passenger vehicle for getting out without folding up camp anytime you want or need to go somewhere.
Interesting that class C might be able to go to less places than Toyota sedan. It's not Corolla, it's Camry, which has quite a low clearance but it got me to a few places over rough roads. Class C RVs have higher clearance than Camry, normally, also one can install bigger tires, do some other stuff with suspension but I don't plan to.
I don't plan to go anywhere too wild in terms of road clearance.
I think class C without too much overhang should at least go where Camry can go - ?
(I know that TC with pickup would give me a lot more options as to where to go, but I mentioned I already considered this option and for many reasons it's not something I can go with)
|
mountaintraveler
mountains
New Member
Joined: 12/17/2022
View Profile
|
time2roll wrote:mountaintraveler wrote:Do you think I can get away with 26' in 24' spaces? Mostly yes. My 26' trailer has fit in a 18 to 24' spot plenty of times. Never seen a tape measure come out.
That's very good to know.
Another question would be about road curves, like in Wheeler Peak road with 24' road limit.
|
pnichols
The Other California
Senior Member
Joined: 04/26/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
Ann ... are you going to be traveling/camping alone or will there be two of you?
The length you get should not be determined only by what's allowed in the campsites you may want to use. It should also - and probably more importantly for safety and emergencies - be determined by the type of roads you need to use to get to the campsites.
Myself and my wife have RV'd for 17 years in a 24 ft. Class C with no slides, and have been completely satisfied with it. We take it carefully on dirt/gravel roads to explore and camp as needed.
If it's just a small Class C for yourself, here's what I would recommend:
- Choose a slideless model to maximize overall coach reliability.
- Choose a model with high stock ground clearance ... this probably means being built on the Ford or Chevy full size van cutaway chassis instead of the various smaller van chassis such as the Ford Transit, RAM ProMaster, Mercedes Sprinter, etc.. These smaller chassis can be "lifted" of course, but their ground clearance is not very good when left in stock form.
- For a good feeling of "room/comfort" in a small Class C, get a model with BOTH ... either a separate lounge chair from the dinette and/or cab chairs that can be retrofitted to swivel arond to face the coach, PLUS coming stock with a standard dinette seating/table area.
- After purchase have the dinette seating area retrofitted with two full sized tilt-back/foot rest lounge chairs with a small table between them.
- Finally, if it's only yourself living in this small Class C ... sleep in the rear bed and use the overhead cab bed for a whole bunch of storage space.
When combineed with a built-in generator fueled by the main chassis fuel tank, a large-as-possible solar panel array on the roof combined with lithium coach batteries, a good heating system, a large enough air conditioning system, and a satellite based Internet access system ... you have a small enough Class C to access most campsites in the U.S. while at the same time having all the comforts of home out in the middle of nowhere.
P.S. For improved access to even more small/intimate/remote camping areas in a larger variety of weather conditions ... after purchase you can have a four wheel drive system added to it.
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C
|
mountaintraveler
mountains
New Member
Joined: 12/17/2022
View Profile
|
It seems like a lot of things point to getting a 24'.
- poor campsite and boondocking spot availability these days, places are very popular and longer spurs are taken first. Favorite campgrounds have 19'-21' site limits.
- I looked up online and seems like there're a lot more affordable options to put RV < 25' length in storage. Longer storage is harder to find/more expensive and I'll be moving back to Europe in a couple of years, but want to leave the motorhome in storage first
- maneuverability might be an issue with longer motorhome because of my inexperience, mountainous nature of places I need to go to, me having bad eyes and eyeglasses plastic frames limiting the field of vision, not having anyone with me to help parking, not having a toad to scout the road (but I guess I can carry a bicycle). Needing to do shopping in town, parking there, and to have more options than Walmart for that.
- longer tail alone can create problems, not all the above mentioned stuff related to parking, but also it can scrape more and I want to be one some rough roads (not 4wd kind of rough but still)
- 26' will likely fit where the limits are much smaller. At the same time not always and I'd be stressing out driving to places, wondering if I could fit it in or not. Some places I camp in, even a Camry isn't easy to park, that's how small the spurs are. I get tired from long drives and become lousy at parking.
I came up with the idea to gut some furniture out and put it in storage if I get 24'. My camping furinture I use in the house (I never use regular furniture, only camping cot and chairs) is small/narrow. I can free space by removing RV furniture that isn't of any use to me anyway. I have no use for sofa, swiwel chair, or table seats.
|
mountaintraveler
mountains
New Member
Joined: 12/17/2022
View Profile
|
pnichols wrote:Ann ... are you going to be traveling/camping alone or will there be two of you?
The length you get should not be determined only by what's allowed in the campsites you may want to use. It should also - and probably more importantly for safety and emergencies - be determined by the type of roads you need to use to get to the campsites.
Myself and my wife have RV'd for 17 years in a 24 ft. Class C with no slides, and have been completely satisfied with it. We take it carefully on dirt/gravel roads to explore and camp as needed.
If it's just a small Class C for yourself, here's what I would recommend:
- Choose a slideless model to maximize overall coach reliability.
- Choose a model with high stock ground clearance ... this probably means being built on the Ford or Chevy full size van cutaway chassis instead of the various smaller van chassis such as the Ford Transit, RAM ProMaster, Mercedes Sprinter, etc.. These smaller chassis can be "lifted" of course, but their ground clearance is not very good when left in stock form.
- For a good feeling of "room/comfort" in a small Class C, get a model with BOTH ... either a separate lounge chair from the dinette and/or cab chairs that can be retrofitted to swivel arond to face the coach, PLUS coming stock with a standard dinette seating/table area.
- After purchase have the dinette seating area retrofitted with two full sized tilt-back/foot rest lounge chairs with a small table between them.
- Finally, if it's only yourself living in this small Class C ... sleep in the rear bed and use the overhead cab bed for a whole bunch of storage space.
When combineed with a built-in generator fueled by the main chassis fuel tank, a large-as-possible solar panel array on the roof combined with lithium coach batteries, a good heating system, a large enough air conditioning system, and a satellite based Internet access system ... you have a small enough Class C to access most campsites in the U.S. while at the same time having all the comforts of home out in the middle of nowhere.
There's very little choice as to units, most units in my price range sell like hot cakes, small units are a hot item these days. Everything is sold out.
I don't have much choice really, the only choice is length, I found only few units, that a win already considering insane prices and demand these days. I'm not a rich person and yes I'm traveling alone.
As I mentioned above, I'm thinking of gutting some useless to me furniture out and putting it in storage, to use my small folding camping furniture instead and even folding it up, as needed, to make space.
|
|
|
pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
Senior Member
Joined: 12/18/2004
View Profile
 Offline
|
mountaintraveler,
What is your price range?
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.
|
mountaintraveler
mountains
New Member
Joined: 12/17/2022
View Profile
|
I think I should go with 24'. Looked at 26' more closely and oh my those tail ends are long.
It's not if, it's when they'd be scraping the ground in places I need to go to. And parking that....makes me wonder. Again it's not if, it's when I hit another pine tree.
I have no use for queen beds in the back, only for luggage storage, and it's too hard to remove them, seems like would be dragging huge queen bed I won't even sleep on while risking things because of long tail overhang.
Don't think I can correctly guess where 26' long tail can safely drive to, would need more experience. May be see with 24' and learn these things, and trade up later if it's too small.
* This post was
edited 12/18/22 09:42pm by mountaintraveler *
|
Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
Senior Member
Joined: 05/06/2013
View Profile
Offline
|
I’m going to respectfully say that driving a large RV is not the best idea. Hopefully you keep the mishaps and whiskey dents to yourself and things like boulders and trees…
Not to sound crass, but we don’t get to camp a lot and my truck/camper been hit twice by inexperienced camper jockeys likely half your age or less who likely had about the same level of experience and aptitude without any of the impediments…. (Both were rentals hence my inexperience deduction and both couldn’t come to terms with the fact that their Prius driving butts didn’t have the spacial awareness to safely pilot a 10’ wide 30’ long vehicle.)
At least I only lost a mirror and thankfully the other hit the rear step bumper on my TC.
Neither had any interest in owning up to their mistakes.
Not a fan of folks who are consciously working to raise MY insurance rates!
I’d suggest a pop top short wheelbase B for your best bet at not hitting anything….even though it sounds like you shouldn’t be driving at all.
Just because your license hasn’t been revoked doesn’t mean you’re ok to drive.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold
|
Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
Senior Member
Joined: 05/06/2013
View Profile
Offline
|
mountaintraveler wrote:Grit dog wrote:If the length “limit” you’re targeting is due to actual physical access limitations rather than mainstream public campground “rules” then I would think a Class C would be VERY limiting due to the long rear overhang poor departure angle and lowish ground clearance.
In other words I could hypothetically take your Corolla more places than a 25’ long Moho. Realistically as well.
Everything RV related is a compromise.
If you don’t like the lack of space in a 24’ then you may not like a TC but I don’t see either being limiting for one person to full time and explore in.
However if exploring is the priority like it appears, then a dually pickup with a 10’ ish single or double slide out camper on it will check the “exploring” box much better. Greater ground clearance, much better departure angle if you get the right camper, lots of extra storage if you get a crew cab and the ability to live in the camper for an extended period off the truck and have a passenger vehicle for getting out without folding up camp anytime you want or need to go somewhere.
Interesting that class C might be able to go to less places than Toyota sedan. It's not Corolla, it's Camry, which has quite a low clearance but it got me to a few places over rough roads. Class C RVs have higher clearance than Camry, normally, also one can install bigger tires, do some other stuff with suspension but I don't plan to.
I don't plan to go anywhere too wild in terms of road clearance.
I think class C without too much overhang should at least go where Camry can go - ?
(I know that TC with pickup would give me a lot more options as to where to go, but I mentioned I already considered this option and for many reasons it's not something I can go with)
This response shows that you can’t even conceptualize one of the most obvious limitations of a C. Now imagine your Car is twice as long, twice as wide and over twice as tall with an 8’ tail swing and you can’t see out the back windows.
Being brutally honest here, a vehicle that would require a DOT registration and drivers file to drive commercially is not in your wheelhouse. Save yourself and whomever you forget is next to you when you make that last turn into the campground some money
|
mountaintraveler
mountains
New Member
Joined: 12/17/2022
View Profile
|
Thanks for all the replies.
Very good points had been made about Sierra Nevada campgrounds, how tight the spaces can be, and about the length of the tail overhang part that might limit things.
May be good to start with smaller 24' unit and see if there's room for upgrade.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
