Class C Motorhome With My Wishlist

[2_Beagles]

I am look for a class C motorhome around 24-25 feet with the following:
queen walk-around bed
large dinette
full size overhead bunk
bathroom sink with counter
dual fridge (gas + electric)
gas oven
3 burner stove
electric steps
electric awning
double kitchen sink
diesel engine

Do you know if such a thing exists or anything close to this?

Thanks,
Joe

[bobndot]

klutchdust wrote:

bobndot wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
What scares me about diesel is the refusal to honor warranty when bad fuel has been purchased.

I don't think diesel is cheaper to keep running either.

:(. Yes been thru that with my pickup diesel.

Todays diesel fuel has changed, less sulphur = less lubricity. With my truck I have been putting fuel additives in for years and it runs fine....that is until my fill up at Pilot. They have bio-diesel mixture. I filled

my truck snd drove 150 miles or so and had a "water in fuel" message come on. Well, I purchased my 2500 HD in 2006 and never have seen that message before. I checked and drained some fuel from the

filter and periodically still get that message. It also threw a an exhaust code as well. What have they denied and said bad fuel caused it.

It was a naturally aspirated 7.3, In order to give you an accurate answer, it was too long ago for me to remember what is was. Sorry, I made too many repairs on that truck and my brain automatically cleared its history about it.
I didn't even know I had that function but sure enough, I went into 'my settings', 'General health' clicked 'brain functions' and 'auto clear' was already selected. 🙂
During this pandemic I'm spending a little too much time on my phone.

[klutchdust]

klutchdust wrote:

bobndot wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
What scares me about diesel is the refusal to honor warranty when bad fuel has been purchased.

I don't think diesel is cheaper to keep running either.

:(. Yes been thru that with my pickup diesel.

Todays diesel fuel has changed, less sulphur = less lubricity. With my truck I have been putting fuel additives in for years and it runs fine....that is until my fill up at Pilot. They have bio-diesel mixture. I filled

my truck snd drove 150 miles or so and had a "water in fuel" message come on. Well, I purchased my 2500 HD in 2006 and never have seen that message before. I checked and drained some fuel from the

filter and periodically still get that message. It also threw a an exhaust code as well. What have they denied and said bad fuel caused it.

There are various reports out there similar to this one..

"Adding to the expense of owning a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, these complex systems are so intricate that it’s near impossible to find anyone to work on them. Unless they are a Mercedes certified mechanic at the dealer. Kristen with Bearfoot Theory says “Because the computer on these Sprinters is so complicated, most regular mechanics won’t touch them, leaving the dealer as your only option when you have an issue.”

[klutchdust]

bobndot wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
What scares me about diesel is the refusal to honor warranty when bad fuel has been purchased.

I don't think diesel is cheaper to keep running either.

:(. Yes been thru that with my pickup diesel.

Todays diesel fuel has changed, less sulphur = less lubricity. With my truck I have been putting fuel additives in for years and it runs fine....that is until my fill up at Pilot. They have bio-diesel mixture. I filled

my truck snd drove 150 miles or so and had a "water in fuel" message come on. Well, I purchased my 2500 HD in 2006 and never have seen that message before. I checked and drained some fuel from the

filter and periodically still get that message. It also threw a an exhaust code as well. What have they denied and said bad fuel caused it.

[AJR]

It would be nice if “2 Beagles” responded.

[pianotuna]

theoldwizard1 wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
I don't think diesel is cheaper to keep running either.

Diesel fuel is about 24% higher than regular gas. Add in DEF.

I was not talking of fuel, but rather of maintenance. In my class C diesel an oil change cost up to $136 Cdn. Not so in the replacement V-10, where I can do it for $50.

If I had tons of money I would go for the Lazy Daze 31 foot no slide model.

[MDKMDK]

Usually, if the MB dealer sells Sprinters, they also work on them.
That seems to be a general rule of thumb, although not all dealers are created equal, as we all know.
That applies to Ford dealers as well. I had the smallest Sunstar 26HE (27' long) on the Ford F53 chassis, and the 3V 6spd V10, which isn't that large in motorhome terms, it being one of the smallest. I would have to travel the same distance to get it serviced, about 60 miles, as I do with my Sprinter based Navion, so that's a draw. I was good with that, as it gave me a chance to warm things up on the way to a service appointment. I changed the oil in it once, at an Irving truck stop in Maine, as it was the only place that could handle the length/weight/height. My local Ford dealer and the other 2 nearby ones wouldn't work on motorhomes, as they were simply too large/heavy to lift or to get in and out of their service bays, and they suggested finding a heavy truck shop, instead.
I do believe it's mostly luck of the draw.
As for fuel pricing, I just cheked again and diesel is C$1.07/litre while regular is about 5 cents more. That's here in Canuckistan. Across the river in Port Huron, diesel averages US$2.59/gal, and regular is about US$2.45/gal. Not exactly 25% higher, is it? DEF is cheap, and I'm still at 98% full after driving hundreds of miles on my last fill.
And the Sprinter will get better mileage overall, in some cases near double. I've had the V10 in a heavy motorhome (Sunstar) and it was a guzzler, and I drove it gently to try to improve it, but it was what it was.
As I said before, YMMV.

To the OP, you've got it all laid out for you now. It will come down to whether you prefer diesel, as you originally specified, or if you're willing to go with a gasser.
Either way, good luck with it.

[bobndot]

Dusty R wrote:
We have a 2014 27' Itasca. It has everything on your list except the diesel and the electric step, in fact it does not have an outdoors step. We've had a mh with a pull out step and also one with an electric step, this Itasca has 2 steps inside with the house battery under one. Makes it easy to get to.

That electric step is just one more motor , wiring and sensor to malfunction.
It might not be so bad but the parts used are garbage and the weather and road dirt do not help. It seems like the manufacturers bid out to find who makes the least expensive 12v motor and thats what they use. Rvs are built to get you thru the warranty period then you’re on your own. My advice to anyone looking to buy an rv is to learn how to repair an rv. Try to keep it simple.

[theoldwizard1]

pianotuna wrote:
I don't think diesel is cheaper to keep running either.

Diesel fuel is about 24% higher than regular gas. Add in DEF.

[bobndot]

pianotuna wrote:
What scares me about diesel is the refusal to honor warranty when bad fuel has been purchased.

I don't think diesel is cheaper to keep running either.

:(. Yes been thru that with my pickup diesel.

[Dusty_R]

We have a 2014 27' Itasca. It has everything on your list except the diesel and the electric step, in fact it does not have an outdoors step. We've had a mh with a pull out step and also one with an electric step, this Itasca has 2 steps inside with the house battery under one. Makes it easy to get to.

[pianotuna]

What scares me about diesel is the refusal to honor warranty when bad fuel has been purchased.

I don't think diesel is cheaper to keep running either.

I've had both and would never go diesel again.

Now if I could get an electric C..... * smiles *

[bobndot]

I'm glad to hear that there are more Sprinter service centers available. My local MB where I take the car does not offer Sprinter service. They explained that they need the needed software and its expensive. I guess its a supply and demand situation to make economically feasible to purchase as well as become an authorized center.

Before I would buy any diesel rv I would look into who is available in the area or area's where I usually travel to as well as reside.
As for over the road travel, you'd be on your own but as long as you keep up with your servicing, which is going to be on the expensive side, you would limit your chances of getting stuck.
* Research towing limits of the roadside service company you choose. Find one with a lot of miles just in case.

[MDKMDK]

Don't fear the diesel.
My local MB dealer has no problem servicing my Navion on the Sprinter cab chassis. Maybe not always nearby, but many MB dealers will service the motorhomes, and there are plenty of independent shops that also do them. Plus some Freightliner shops do, too.
Where I live diesel is around C$1/litre, doesn't go up or down much, and regular is up around C$1.08 to C$1.15 per litre. YMMV, of course. I get an average of 15mpg @ 65mph when solo, and about 2 mpg less when pulling my Wrangler. If I paid 10% to 15% more per gallon for diesel, but was getting around twice the fuel economy, well, you can do the math.;)
More smaller class C units (24' to 26.5') are switching over to the Sprinter cab chassis. Thor (Tiburon), Winnebago(View/Navion/Vita/Porto), Jayco (as mentioned above), Pleasure Way, LTV, Dynamax (Isata), Forest River (Sunseeker) are all built on the MB 3500 Sprinter cab chassis. They're quieter too, without the Ford doghouse engine noise right hext to you in the cab.
So, you've got a lot of options, and the determining factor would be finding the right floorplan that fits your needs, and there are plenty of floorplans to choose from with all those makes/models out there.
Someone suggested renting a couple (or three?) of these units and see if one works better for you, than another. Good advice.
Good luck with it.

[klutchdust]

Diesel will be the issue. A Ford v-10 is very reliable and any mechanic can work on them. If you get into the Mercedes diesel, servicing and maintenance becomes an issue. Any fuel savings (diesel just went up again at the pump)

is gobbled up by maintenance cost. Plus where do you get it serviced.Call around and ask, the MB dealers won't do it.

I looked for a diesel also in the beginning, had to go to a super c to get it.