My wife is twisting my arm to buy a motorhome. First we looked at Class A's and now she's thinking about a Class C. Are there any simple (?) rules/thoughts as to how to make a practical decision as to whether a Class A or Class C fits our needs? I guess my biggest concern is the handling characteristics. Although I have to admit that I like "being able to get under the hood" and having the doors up front. Has anybody experience with both styles and wishes to comment?
We have had both. We had a 34 ft. A and recently downsized to a 26 ft. C.
We did this because we wanted a smaller coach for easier access / egress into just about anywhere. Also since we keep the motorhome at our house the smaller size is more manageable too. Then, of course there is the advantage of the front doors, which I really like (although some A's have a driver's door).
The C's seem more solidly built, probably because the cockpit is a van; it seems safer, and probably is because it has all of the safetly features such as the airbags, etc.
Keep in mind that the larger C's dont have much CCC, so if need a larger motorhome and a certain minimun CCC an A may be your only choice. Along with CCC, how much storage space might you need? Also, pay close attention to the holding tank sizes, especially if you intend to boondock; A's generally have larger holding tanks.
The Minnie 26A is working out perfectly for us. It has a large amount of storage space, plenty of CCC, plenty of holding tank capacity and its much more nimble and easier to manage than our A was. With the rear trunk / garage, we can load it with as mush stuff as we had in our A.
Personally, and for our needs, we much prefer the C. I hope my ramblings helped a little.
* This post was
edited 07/10/05 08:45am by minnie26a *
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We "needed" a class C, but I "wanted" a class A. I just like the looks of class A's better and the view is great. We have a young family, and I would absolutely kill for that extra full size overcab bunk. I can come up with a million reasons to buy a class C. It was a tough decision for me; good luck.
When we had to make that same choice about a year ago we finally went to the biggest dealer we could find (the one we chose had over 1200 new and pre-owned A's and C's) and we looked at many floor plans and coach lengths and drove a number of them.
We chose an older Class A instead of a newer Class C for several reasons. Though there are only two of us and toy dogs traveling we wanted the comfort of a 36 ft. rig.
Class A's are roomier inside as the pilot (driving) area is also part of the living area and when the capt's chairs are rotated inward it's very nice.
We found the A had bigger and more comfortable capt's chairs making driving more comfortable. Our coach has a driver side door but I seldom use it.
The cargo carrying capacity (CCC) is so much greater than any Class C we have seen.
I suggest you do some careful and realistic thinking about your own lifestyle and needs and then apply them to being on the road and camping and then take plenty of time to make your buying decision while looking at a lot of new and pre-owned A's and C's. We are still very, very happy with our choice and hope you will be as well.
GoodLuck
JimAndCat
We also had a tough time deciding between class A & C, we finally went with the C. We like our Minnie and are pleased with everything "except" the lack of large basement storage. Of course everything is a compromise, I wanted the Jayco 35ft. Seneca and the DW was leaning toward the Minnie because of the kitchen. I personally feel the "Super C's" offer the best compromise. You get the large CCC's, the safety of a truck cab designed by G.M. and a diesel engine if you just have to have one! Now if I had unlimited finances, we'd be driving a Newell!! LOL
We went with the Class C as we have small kids (4 and almost 1). We figured when they are older they will want to bring a friend, so the extra sleeping capacity is a plus. Having an area where my son can play and have his toys on rainy days without me tripping on them is definately a good thing. My son also loves bunk beds. If I had brought something home that did not have a bunk, I might have had a revolt on my hands!
I had a 1999 32' Royal Classic C and now have a 36'+ class Newmar Mountain Air A. The difference is night and day. If you want to view what my C looked like follow the link in my signature.
1) I could sleep 6 in the C and 4 in the A.
2) Much more room in the A with 2 slides and the drivers/passengers seats rotate for more chair space.
3) The C I had had very good basement space but the A has more.
4) The 8.1 Chevy is better than the old V10 although mileage was bout the same. Considering the weigh difference - 14,500 to 22,000.
5) If I have to replace the tires the C wins hands down... 16" versus 22.5". Do the math.
6) The C had a Generac generator that was very loud and the A has an Onan which is very quite. But, the Onan is enclosed and the Generac was not. The std generator in the Mountain Aire is a Generac and I was able to see one and it was almost as quite as my Onan and I could have saved $1300.
7) Driving is very different. In the C it like driving a pickup. You set low, behind the front wheels, seats set more inboard, you have a drivers door and the A is just the opposite. It takes some getting use to.
8) Now the new C's with slides and a diesel may make a difference. Price wise it can be a toss up depending on the make and models. You really need to compare apples to apples. It is hard to compare my Mountain Aire to an entry level C or entry level A to a say and Endura with all the bells and whistles.
9)I would look at like floor plans, engine combos, options, price and dealer after sale service.
* This post was
edited 07/10/05 07:20am by oemtech *
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First thing to consider is how are you going to use the RV? Is it for camping, touring, visiting relatives etc. Consider if you want to tow a car and if you do, how much length of the total set up can you be comfortable with. Who is going to do the driving? (Many woman feel intimidated by the large Class A and will not drive them, but will drive the Class C's.) If you do use it for camping, what kind of places do you like to camp in, small campgrounds, large resorts, do you like to visit towns and want to drive in small towns? I chose my unit because I knew that I liked to use state parks and wooded campgrounds. Some of them are too small for larger class A's. Let us know what you decide. Good luck.
i have a 24ft C and a 33ft A they both have there good points, the class A have a lot more room in them, my A could sleep 8 the C only 4,but i can go anywhere in the C but the A i cant because of the much bigger size of it,you dont need to tow anything w/the smaller C, where a tow vehical comes in handy when driveing the bigger class A,but for liveing and sleeping for a longer period of time you cant beat the class A
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