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What are the pros and cons for Class A vs Class C Rvs? I know what each looks like (bus vs truck cab with camper). I would think that a Class C is easier to drive/ maneuver, but what else? We would like to maybe "see America" during retirement and possibly snow bird so we would be living in it for extended time. Thanks.
Having had a Class C and now on my second Class A, I can only give you my assessment.
The Class C was a 27' with no slides. It had a nice wardrobe where we could actually hang clothes (some only have shirt closets that aren't deep or long enough for actual adult shirts), a double bed (we needed a queen), a pull-out pantry, a very small bathroom (think bang your elbows against the walls when lifting your arms), and a double or queen bed over the cab that we used for storage. It had a dinette and one chair, so seating was very limited. It was fine as a weekend up to a couple weeks camper. But it was tight - very tight. More than two humans and it would have been miserable.
We moved up to a 33' 2004 Itasca Sunrise (Chevy big block gas engine on a Workhorse W-22 chassis) after doing several months of research on what we wanted versus what was available in our budget range. She had two slide-outs, a short queen bed, a huge wardrobe with 9 drawers underneath, a very spacious bathroom, two slide-out pantries, a dinette, sofa sleeper, lounge/recliner, 3-burner cooktop and microwave/convection oven and so very much general storage space. The "basement" storage was vast. She easily towed our Jeep Liberty. She took us across the country and back several times, we lived in her full-time immediately after selling our house before I retired, until we found this retirement home. We updated her a few years ago and kept on going. She was every bit worth having.
This year, we finally realized she would not be able to get us to Alaska and back at her age, so we bought a new one, 2018 Winnebago Forza, Freightliner chassis and Cummins diesel. This one is 36' with two long slides, a full queen, bigger wardrobe but fewer drawers, a residential refrigerator, a love seat/sleeper instead of a full sofa, a twin bed that comes down from the cockpit ceiling, bigger panty, electric fireplace, and a washer and dryer. I think her basement storage is less than the previous one; or maybe I'm simply not yet seeing all the new ways to store things. Her shakedown cruise was to Alaska and back. Now she's in for warranty work (that shakedown cruise really shook some stuff out), and when she comes home, we're off again. We don't have a toad yet, but it will likely be another Jeep. For now, we ride with our friends in their F-350 that tows their Fifth Wheel.
I do believe if one plans to full-time, cargo capacity and higher weight limits are very important. It needs to be powerful enough to tow your chosen toad, whether that be a Jeep, a Mini Cooper, or a full-size towable auto, yet still not exceed all of your weight and tow limits. I was very comfortable living in the Sunrise, not so much in the Forza. Now driving the Forza is great -- lots more fun.
Don't know if this helps at all, but I will say do a lot of research, then go visit dealers who have that floorplan in stock. Spend a lot of time in the potential choices, so you'll get a good feel for how it would be living in it.
I graduated from a camper van to a ordered new 2017 Coachman Leprechaun Class C, biggest mistake I ever made, they're being made very cheap, from drawer latches to slide leaks, things were breaking constantly, check engine light came on and stayed on, dropped it off at the Ford dealer, had to order parts, and there it sat for longer than I would have liked, bad enough that the dealer was 50 miles away, imagine if we were on the road somewhere
and had to put up in a motel in Timbuktu.
Reminds me of when I had a boat; happiest day is when I got it, and the second best day is when I unloaded it.
If you go used I don't care how mechanically inclined one is, if you don't have the parts your stuck.
If you decide on a C, take it for a highway test ride,
bring it up to speed to see if you can stand the noise from the wind and engine.
Then park and turn the HVAC on, imagine trying to sleep with The noise from it.
If I was to take the plunge, it would have to be:
Class A with engine in the rear, preferably Diesel Pusher.
I had your dream: retired, trips North to see family, Snowbird during Winter.
80K later, took a few trips, nothing but problems, sold it to an RV dealer, lost my shirt but rid of it.
I own a 2018 Winnebago Navion Class C and love it! It’s 25.8’ long on a Mercedes Benz Sprinter chassis. It’s easy to drive, gets great mileage, and is a very comfortable space to live in. I had to cut my last trip very short because my dog became very ill and still put 9,400 miles on it since mid March 2018. I don’t tow and can pretty much go all over. If you have a small Class C and make a mistake in your directions you can always easily make a U turn and turn around which you can’t do in an A. Also, a Class C has airbags whereas a Class A does not.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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our 'large B' 'just right... (for traveling and LONG trips, but tiny to live in (for more than one)
(technically a C but only 22 ft and single wheels and levels, and 18 - 22mpg) Winnebago Rialta Motor Home
Started out with a travel trailer, then got married and the wife did not like the rough ride of the F250 4x4. Purchased a Class C (can't remember the length) and was out camping almost every weekend, after a few years the Class C seemed to small so purchased a 32 foot Class A gas (no slide) and continued our weekend camping and week or two vacations, usually towed a "toad" with both of them. Then decided to go fulltime with the 32 foot Class A. Stayed with the 32 footer for about 3 years then stepped up to a 40 ft diesel pusher (no slides). Out of all of the motorhomes I thought the 40 ft diesel pusher was the easiest to drive and handle. Yes I admit that you are not going to get a 40 footer in some campgrounds, but we never had a problem in the 6 years that we had the 40 ft. Why do I say the 40 ft was the easiest? Well air ride suspension, enough power to climb 6% and over grades, and exhaust brake to slow you down going down those grades, air brakes, 6 speed Allison transmission. When we took the 40 footer for a test ride the wife asked me why I was driving so slow...I was doing around 80 down the interstate...she was convinced it was the rig for us. Did she ever drive it? No, and the reason was I was required to hold a Class B CDL (written and driving test but no medical checkup) and she didn't want to do it.
The one thing that concerned me about a class C when we were looking was that it had a nice wide windshield just like a class A, but when parked (no driving), in order to see out the front in a class C you'd pretty much have to get down on your hands and knees. Having a class A it seems like you have a home with a picture window.
Started out tent camping in the 49-50's, moved up to an Airstream travel trailer in the 70's, which didn't have enough storage space. From there as I was already driving big rigs for 25 years, went with a Super C which has plenty of space - more than any "A" and an easily accessible engine and components - never liked the diesel pushers much - too tight to get in to work. Bluebird would have been my next choice but I stayed with what I had - until it became too difficult to climb into it. Also, burning 300 gals day became costly to move it cross country. I sold it for more than what I paid for it. Can't say that about any other vehicle I ever owned. I drove every highway in the country and a great many backcountry areas. After selling out the properties in WY, MT and CO, I moved to GA and now down to the coast, where I now live aboard a nice sailboat and burn 60 gals/month. It's amazing what you can see from the deck, at a slow speed, enjoying the view, the bird life and at a slower pace. It's not for everyone, but there are plenty of older drivers here in my marina that now have a second chance.
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