Buying first class C

[chuck301]

Afternoon all

My wife and I are planning to invest in a motor home and yes there are forums out there about this but pretty much know what we want except for Brand.

1. can be new or used
2. Not going for top of the line luxo style
3. Want to travel ,anything from weekends to cross country
4. Between 25 and 35 ft
5. Would love to find one where All beds in back.
Not much into the fancy master bedroom type
6. Price range up to 80,000
7. We have been looking at them but need some unbiased input on what is currently
The best value out there. Gas or diesel.
Thanks

[stevekk]

Bang for the Buck. Lazy Daze Class C factory direct.
Made in So Cal.
New starting at 86K. So you could look for a real good used one.
Beds are in the back on most.

[Artum_Snowbird]

I'll venture a bit of an opinion, having owned one similar to what you seem to be asking about.

You said "all beds in back". Well then you are perhaps looking for a B+ category instead of a Class C. B+ units often have an entertainment unit across the top of the front, and not a bed. They enjoy a better upper view from inside the cab while driving. Great for mountain viewing. Not as good because while sitting, often windshield drips come off the front from the roof.

With a unit like that, gas engines are almost used in every one except Sprinter models. Often it is a Ford E450 frame. That in itself is something you need to know about. Frames all have maximum weights, and an E450 uses up a lot of it's carrying weight when it gets 28+ feet long. After that, you have to go to a larger frame and a much heavier overall frame. Looking at Super C units? Not many available at all, and even fewer under your $80,000 price.

In a Class C unit you generally get the living area in the middle of the unit, and do not usually get views out the front windshield, or the rear. If it is to be just enjoyed by the two of you, they are not as common, and often harder to sell because of the lack of beds.

There really is so much to learn and to consider. Spend the time to really check out many options, rent and try (it is money well spent), and check out the differences between brands to know quality before you go look.

[DrewE]

You might want to ask a moderator to move this to the class C forum if that's what you're looking at primarily. Many class A motorhomes are around or above the top of your length limits.

My general suggestions: I would strongly recommend buying something used to begin with. The initial depreciation on RVs is significant, and as (apparently) first time buyers, you're at a bit of a disadvantage for knowing exactly what you want to look for and what works best for you. There are many things and preferences that you really only find out with some use. If you find after a year or so that what you have doesn't really meet your needs and wants as well as you had initially supposed, you won't take so bad of a financial hit when selling it.

Along those same lines, I would suggest renting an RV for awhile before buying one, even if it's not quite the same sort of thing as you'd buy.

Look for a usable layout first of all. Since you'll be traveling on the road a fair amount (it sounds), rather than staying in one spot for a good length of time, pay some attention to how usable things are with any slides pulled in while in the travel mode. Access to some areas is sometimes quite restricted, occasionally making it very hard to get to the restroom or fridge without extending a slide.

For used units, look at condition, and particularly the care spent preventing leaks. Water damage tends to be quite costly and/or time consuming to repair, and is often more extensive than it first appears. Some roof designs are better than others at keeping water out, but all can work and all need at least some periodic attention.

The differences between specific brands are not as huge as might be imagined. Certainly some are built to higher standards than others, and there can be differences in construction techniques and workmanship with different brands (and different lines within a brand), but many of the basics are much the same regardless. The appliances and windows and whatnot come from the same few companies, there are only a few different chassis and drivetrains, etc.

Gas or diesel engines, in and of themselves, are way down on the list of things I worry about. As it turns out, though, the engines that are available correspond very closely to some of the broad divisions in chassis. On a class C, a diesel is pretty much only available on the smaller units (based on a Sprinter or ProMaster chassis) or on the very large units (based on medium/heavy duty truck chassis), while the middle-of-the-road units are practically all based on Ford or Chevy van chassis with gas engines. For class A motorhomes, diesels nearly always imply a rear engine pusher configuration, while gasoline powered ones practically always have a front engine setup. The chassis differences (front vs rear engine, etc.) do have a significant effect on how the motorhome behaves.

In terms of mileage or engine longevity, I'm not sure it makes much practical difference. Mileage is poor in any case, and with a bit of care the engine typically will outlast the rest of the motorhome whether it's gas or diesel.

(By the way, a motorhome is not an investment in the financial sense.)