Fits almost anywhere, power to weight ratio is excellent (especially with the Banks system), less to clean and maintain, quite maneuverable even with the car in tow.
We have a 2005 24 foot Itasca Class C built on the Ford E450 chassis and we still can't believe we found it new - in early 2006 - at an RV show no less.
No slides for long term reliability and leakproofness (no slides is probably why the dealer wasn't able to sell it for about a year), but still gobs of room for the two of us and so much storage room we have to work to fill it. Around 2250 lbs. of extra weight carrying capacity after filling it up with all the "normal stuff", so we pack in everything and anything way beyond normal (including filling two outside compartments that run laterally across under the floor with long stuff like shovels and fishing poles). Drives real nice and tame except for stiffness in the rear due to a 1-&-1/2 truck being used for only a 24 foot 11,800 lb. motorhome. The Ford's cab heating and cooling can heat or cool the entire rig, plus of course the stock propane furnace and A/C easily handle the job, too, because they're the same size units that are used in up to 28 footers. I'm around 6'2" and the ceiling is 3-4 inches above my head - top of the shower is about 2" above my head. Two queen size beds plus the dinette double bed. A couple of 100 amp hour AGM batteries. 29 gallon grey tank, 39 gallon black tank, 46 gallons of fresh water (including the HW heater). Automatic outside coach step. Outside radio and CD player - remotely controlled from anywhere around the rig. Dash standard radio and CD player and weather radio is also remotely controlled from anywhere around the rig. Dash radio is accessible for interconnection to a TV or computer for multi-speaker surround sound thoughout the coaches built-in speaker system, if desired. 4 two-way walkie talkies automatically kept charged and carried in a built-in rack just inside the coach door. All LED interior lighting. Roof vents on each end of the coach - both with secondary protection covers over the primary vent covers for all weather use of the vents and protection of the vents from UV rays. Exterior cellular system antenna with booster amplifier for extended range cell phone service and cellular Internet access (via a wide area router so the computer can be used all around the rig while sitting outside). A built-in Onan generator that is actually installed well so as to be quiet and vibration-free enough to run for hours for drycamp air conditioning in scorching temperatures. 12V heated grey and black tanks to prevent freezing during cold weather drycamping. For use in case of emergency equipment failure, the Ford V10 can be idled for hours with just about "no" noise or vibration for coach heating, coach air conditioning ... plus coach battery charging backup to the Onan and portable 650 watt ultra-quiet Honda we carry (... in one of the 7 exterior, steel lined and carpeted storage bays). Electrically heated and remotely controlled cab exterior mirrors. Heat shielding built-in for the exhaust pipes so hot cab floors don't exist. Coach battery voltage and amperage monitored from the driver's seat while under way. Grey and black water through-the-wall level indicators that actually work accuratley after 5 years. Aluminum framing inside the walls. Roof insulation up to about 3 inches thick. Single piece fiberglass crowned roof with rolled-over edges their entire length along each side. 18 gallon propane tank. 55 gallon gas tank. Spare tire carried underneath up and out of the way out of sight. Coach batteries accessible from inside the coach (for checking in foul weather), but still fully isolated from the living area in a steel-framed and well vented cage area. Coach battery cutoff solenoid switch easily accessible just inside the coach door. 120V AC and 12V sockets "everywhere" inside the coach. Built-in coach night-light is switchable from either end of the coach. Driver's seat can be tilted well back for tall and/or long-legged drivers. Aftermarket battery boost solenoid with silver alloy contacts for long-term reliability in alternator charging of the coach batteries. The entire fresh water system is contained within the coach interior for no freeze-ups during cold weather camping. Also, the fresh water tank level can be visually verified with a flashlight by looking through an interior access port under the rear bed mattress. Looking behind cabinet drawers we see neatly manicured, bundled, strain-relieved, and secured wiring and plumbing. All wiring/plumbing holes leading from the interior to the exterior are sealed with expansion foam. Cabinet doors are mounted on steel tracks screwed into hardwood and use positive gravity latching to prevent opening on rough roads. Cabinets are constructed from solid hardwoods. The bath sink drains into the black tank to help balance grey tank/black tank fill-rates. The stove cooktop and oven heat-exhaust are power vented to the outside.
As you can tell we really appreciate our small motorhome - as I'm sure all other small motorhome owners do regarding the units they've chosen.
Two things I don't like concerning our 24 footer: It has a doggone forward facing window in the cabover - I sure wish it didn't. I also wish it had double-pane windows (however my DW says she wouldn't want them after experiencing what the ones in our house did after several years).
It's paid for.
It's much easier to tow and maneuver than our previous TT, which was 5 ft. longer.
More storage space than we could possibly fill up.
Floor plan, especially the rear kitchen and two entry doors.
"The great object is, that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun." - Patrick Henry
We just got a Coachmen Freedom Express 230BH. Our family of four camped for years in pop-ups, now it's just DW and me. We have plenty of room, and can put our kids in the bunks if they wish to tag along. We normally camp at National Forest/State Forest/State Park campgrounds in PA/WV/VA/MD, so our smaller camper lets us get into spots that we couldn't with a big rig.
We have stayed with a smaller trailer because we do a LOT of camping in the summer, expecially at the beach. Our TT will stay cool in 95 to 100 degree heat even without shade. I have put tint in the windows, but that is all we have done to it. Too many times we have camped next to larger trailers and have heard too many complaints about not enough air conditioning... If we lived up North I am sure the DW would be pushing for something larger, but living where we do we want to stay cool......
Since nobody here has mentioned one, I'll say what we liked about our Jayco 12HW popup. A high wall popup (you don't fold the sink/stove down into the aisle to close) with a king, queen, and slide out dinette that makes into a bed. Opened it was 23' long with 7' headroom, even with the A/C unit. Stove, micro, fridge/freezer, toilet & shower. And a wide open camping feel. Pulled easily behind our Land Rover with a short wheelbase and could fit in the garage.
We replaced it with a truck and 5th wheel because it didn't work for all our long road trips where we wanted access at stops along the way.
Ours is 20 feet and 8 inches long with the step folded.
It's Paid For.
82 inch headroom.
79 inch headroom in the shower.
Twin 34 inch by 80 inch long beds.
Aisle between the beds makes access easier.
Ability to park in most any regular parking space.
Ability to go in bad weather and on bad roads because of the four wheel drive.
Truck and camper can separate allowing the use of either independently.
Allison transmission really helps descending hills.
Duramax really helps ascending hills.
Diesel gives 13 mpg on average when carrying camper. 19 mpg without.
The view out of the dinette window has been just awesome at times.
* This post was
edited 07/11/11 09:46am by Lots of Stuff *
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