O/T: Advice on Class C motorhomes?

Hey gang,

My wife and I are talking about looking at motorhomes, nothing too fancy. Between 25' and 30'. We are not purchasing anything too soon, if at all. I was wondering what any of you have or have experience with. I don't even know where to start comparing. We have driven around Giant RV in Irvine. The price is between $45K and $60K, without all of the options and service plans. We are not sure of our budget yet as we have just started thinking about it.
Now to bring it in to XJ talk: The RV will need to ba able tow my XJ or other feature items like a boat or quads or something along those lines.

One of the reasons we are thinking of this is that we plan on traveling more each year as our son gets older. Also, we can attend the offroading events easier.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

If your new to motorhomes, go rent one and try it out first, then you will know what type, size etc. that works for you.

As for brands, models, I do not have enough experience with any of the newer models.

For towing be sure to check the CGVWR of the rigs. I have seen some motorhomes so loaded with goodies, that they were close the the max limits before being loaded for camping, add a tow vehicle and its possible to overload some motorhomes.

Look for a used one, it will save you money. Go look at what some of the options are (bed size, sofa vs sigle chairs, bathroom and shower together or separate, engine sizes, passenger capacity, washer/dryer, whatever...) and pick a couple that you feel would make or break a deal for you guys. Find a few that meet those needs and are in your price range, then look a the differences between them and pick the best one.

Don't look at the big picture all at once, your head will explode. Break it down then you'll see it's not as huge of a deal as you think it is.

Ask Andy, he does the motorhome-XJ thing, he might have some ideas for you. Personally, we had a 29' Tioga (94ish) with gear for 4 plus any visitors, and towed a river boat with it just fine.

-Marisha

rpraterxj said:

Hey gang,

My wife and I are talking about looking at motorhomes, nothing too fancy. Between 25' and 30'. We are not purchasing anything too soon, if at all. I was wondering what any of you have or have experience with. I don't even know where to start comparing. We have driven around Giant RV in Irvine. The price is between $45K and $60K, without all of the options and service plans. We are not sure of our budget yet as we have just started thinking about it.
Now to bring it in to XJ talk: The RV will need to ba able tow my XJ or other feature items like a boat or quads or something along those lines.

One of the reasons we are thinking of this is that we plan on traveling more each year as our son gets older. Also, we can attend the offroading events easier.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Robert
I'll second Wanderer's think'n... I grew up in RVing family so I have some fun memories.... BUT ! think and ask yourself..... how many time a year will I/We use it... I'd say 6 or more times for sure a year..... then buy... if not I think it's better to rent. I just last April did this with the family and we had a good time.... it was a "local" trip to the desert so the mileage on the M.H. wasn't an issue, but it worked out to be a good experience. This way you can see what you like & how you'd want to to equip one in the future...... I know it sound odd but I've done a 180, I'll rent till I can be sure of at least 6 trip a year. I rented a 30' class C for about $125 a night 3 night min. Yes they have goofy fees like a generator fee, tow rig fee, but it's cheaper in the end.
And I do mean "the END"....
Look at it this way....
Maintanance & up keep on a Motor, Trans, Axle, Wheel bearings, possibly a Smog Cert. every other year, then there's the box.... Maint. & up keep of several systems...... then the batts. & tires. The payment (a write off thats true) and Insurance.
If you still want to buy look into used or a repo. or even a rental one that's up for sale....... try to get a diesel..... I'd get a diesel & no tip out before I got a gas with a tip out.....just me.
I will get a M.H. down the road, but I'm not on that road yet.
Just something to ponder or at least check into.......
See YA !
Curt

Thanks guys.

We will be renting one to try it out and see what we think. Like I said, we have just started toying with the idea.

Keep the advice coming...

Thanks!

Hey Robert.

I myself agree with alot of the feedback you have been getting. Since this has been a discussion for myself and my future wife.. I have been looking into a used 30~35 ft motorhome. You also have to consider your citys laws on parking and if you are allowed to store the thing in your driveway or not? I totaly recomend renting one for the first few trips, and change the size too... I rented a 27ft for TDS 4 years ago, and a 31ft 2yrs ago, and towed the jeep behind both.. Thats why I built my rear axle fullfloat with locking hubs...so if I have to, I can flat tow the XJ... Just my .02 worth to the pot...

Scott.

Robert,

Michaelle and I bought a 32' class A MH used, three years ago. I flat-tow the Jeep behind it, but the weight of the Jeep and the stuf we pack in the MH sure does stretch the limits of the GCVWR. I had a complete Banks system installed last year and that did help a lot in flattening some hills, but it's still slow going heading uphill on just about every grade. It was impossible to tow up the hill on SR18 from Lucerne Valley last weekend. Had to disconnect the Jeep to make the climb. First gear... 5-10MPH all the way. Michaelle followed in the Jeep.

If I had to do it again, I would definitely buy a diesel pusher. On the Great Plains, a gas MH does okay, but out here in the west, with all the big mountains, the power of a diesel is obvious.

Depending on how many children you have, a Class C might be a better choice as a Class C tends to have more sleeping options. Consider the electrical needs... TVs, microwave oven, DVD players. Make sure it has a big enough generator and at least four, 6 volt batteries.

Basement storage with large access doors to accommodate plastic storage containers is awfully handy. A separate bedroom for noisy, restless passengers during long trips might make the journey more pleasant. Either that or the aforementioned basement storage. :laugh2:

Andy Steiner said:

Robert,

Michaelle and I bought a 32' class A MH used, three years ago. I flat-tow the Jeep behind it, but the weight of the Jeep and the stuf we pack in the MH sure does stretch the limits of the GCVWR. I had a complete Banks system installed last year and that did help a lot in flattening some hills, but it's still slow going heading uphill on just about every grade. It was impossible to tow up the hill on SR18 from Lucerne Valley last weekend. Had to disconnect the Jeep to make the climb. First gear... 5-10MPH all the way. Michaelle followed in the Jeep.

If I had to do it again, I would definitely buy a diesel pusher. On the Great Plains, a gas MH does okay, but out here in the west, with all the big mountains, the power of a diesel is obvious.

Depending on how many children you have, a Class C might be a better choice as a Class C tends to have more sleeping options. Consider the electrical needs... TVs, microwave oven, DVD players. Make sure it has a big enough generator and at least four, 6 volt batteries.

Basement storage with large access doors to accommodate plastic storage containers is awfully handy. A separate bedroom for noisy, restless passengers during long trips might make the journey more pleasant. Either that or the aforementioned basement storage. :laugh2:

Click to expand...

Thanks Andy. BTW, it was great wheelin' with you. I do know that if/when we get a motorhome, I do want a diesel. Thanks for the info on the generator ans such...

If you're going to tow, is there some reason you're not looking at trailer/camper/truck combos?

--ron

Captain Ron said:

If you're going to tow, is there some reason you're not looking at trailer/camper/truck combos?

--ron

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I have thought of this as well, but not sure I want to have a truck and a camper/trailer to park. Though I do like some thinkgs about it. One thing my wife an I talked about was just a camper/trailer becuase she has a Chevy Tahoe Z71 with tow package. Will defintely be cheaper, but then I could not pull the Jeep and a Camper. then I would be putting gas in both the Jeep and the Tahoe when going wheeling & camping.

Luckily, I don't have to make any decision in the very near future.

Thanks!

there are a multitude of RV choices out there. They are not cheap, so be sure to get what you really enjoy using. Otherwise it will end up as a storage shed, like my old MH did.

My dream MH.......http://earthroamer.com/ cool, but $$$$$$$$$

I think I have done the whole pick-up to monster motor home thing.
You know, pick up, then pick up with camper shell, then pick up with cab over camber, to class C to a old class A to a newer Class A.
You can be happy with any of them if you got power!
Goatman has an awsome cab over camper that works great..but not enough room for a family.
One thing I have found is that you can not justify the cost of owning one.
You will never use it enough to make it cost effective to own over renting.
Having said that, I own a 35' with a Ford V-10. Doesn't like towing anything. But will haul ass on the flats!
Buy used, buy nice.
Don't buy a new stripped down model, buy a used high end model. You will be glad you did.
Take your time ( I spent the good part of a year before I found one both myself and my wife liked.)
You want all the good sh*t! Ice maker, full size shower, island bed, storage etc etc.
Rick R

rpraterxj said:

I have thought of this as well, but not sure I want to have a truck and a camper/trailer to park.

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There is one very nice setup that is rarely seen. A pick-up towing a fifth-wheel trailer that's flat towing a Jeep behind the trailer.

Upside... wife has a vehicle in which to sight see while you are off wheeling.

Downside... finding a place to park an extra vehicle in small campgrounds.
More downsides... usually need to have a Class A driver's license to tow multiple trailers. Total length limitation usually 65 feet.

Option number sixty-two... Toy hauler. Those things are getting pretty damn nice these days. If you really wanted to go all out you can get one like SeanR on here that has something like eight bedrooms, six baths, four stories, and a pool*.

Seriously though if the Tahoe can pull good weight (I don't knwo jack about them...) I'd consider them - just make sure to look at them with a tape measure to make sure your Jeep will fit!

*It's possibly I'm slightly essagerating the size and luxury of Sean's luxuro-toy-hauler. It's still damn nice though for a heavy 5th wheel unit.

GSequoia said:

Seriously though if the Tahoe can pull good weight (I don't knwo jack about them...) I'd consider them - just make sure to look at them with a tape measure to make sure your Jeep will fit!

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The Tahoe is the Chevy Tahoe, as in large SUV, not the Tahoe trailer/camper. It will tow the Jeep, don't ask how I know (remember my Holy Jim story a little over a year ago??)

Anyways, Thanks for all of the advice. This is really helping me prepare in my quest. It will be a while before the decision is made.

My wife and I just finished a 3000 mile trip from SoCal to Wyoming and Colorado in our 2003 23.5' Class C, with the Cherokee in tow. Colorado has got to be one of the best 4X4 states with all sorts of great trails to test your rig on.

Our MH has a V-10 that handled all the grades. Some of the 11,000 passes did slow it down a bit but not too bad.

Buying a quality used unit is a good idea. Our first RV was a ten year old class C on a Chevy chassis. We wore it out and then bought the new one.
Today, most class Cs are built on a Ford chassis. I would recommend that you spend the additional money for a 97+ model so you get the V-10 and 4R100 trans. It is a better motor/transmission combination than the old 460 and has proven to be very reliable in fleet usage.
Stay away from the diesel Class Cs. Ford is the only company building them and the Powerstokes used in van cutaways do not have intercoolers which significantly reduce the power and economy.

Try to avoid the temptation to buy the biggest RV you can find. All the extra room is nice but the weight adds up quickly. Once you get to the 30'+ models, they become underpowered when towing.
If you want to go bigger, take Andy's advice and get a diesel pusher. Just be prepared to spend a huge stack of cash.
Our philosophy is that the RV is for traveling, eating, sleeping and showering; not for spending large amounts of free time in. We travel to get outside and see the sights so a large RV is not needed or wanted.
Our 23.5' class C can still be parked in most parking lots, something the bigger one cannot do.

lazyxj said:

Try to avoid the temptation to buy the biggest RV you can find. All the extra room is nice but the weight adds up quickly. Once you get to the 30'+ models, they become underpowered when towing.
If you want to go bigger, take Andy's advice and get a diesel pusher. Just be prepared to spend a huge stack of cash.
Our philosophy is that the RV is for traveling, eating, sleeping and showering; not for spending large amounts of free time in. We travel to get outside and see the sights so a large RV is not needed or wanted.
Our 23.5' class C can still be parked in most parking lots, something the bigger one cannot do.

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Good advice. Lazyxj. I bought a 30' class A, I really wanted a 26-28' class C.Needless to say i see another motorhome in the future. My 30' was soo cheap I couldnt pass it up, but I should have.

Another thing I have noticed from experience, the longer the trip is, the bigger the RV should be. I had a 19' MH and a three week trip is very difficult to remain at peace with 3 people. With my 30' MH. 3 weeks is no problem, in fact I usually end up sometime on the trip, sitting on the beach somewhere, calculating how much money I need to quit work and live in the MH.

\\'anderer said:

Another thing I have noticed from experience, the longer the trip is, the bigger the RV should be. I had a 19' MH and a three week trip is very difficult to remain at peace with 3 people. With my 30' MH. 3 weeks is no problem, in fact I usually end up sometime on the trip, sitting on the beach somewhere, calculating how much money I need to quit work and live in the MH.

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There is no way the two of us could full time in a 23.5' motorhome but we could deal with fit or many months, just give us a chance!

I hope you are in your MH and somewhere cool right now. The SF Valley is hot enough, I can't imagine being in Palm Springs now, with all the humidity.

It ONLY made it to about 102 today but we had at least 40% humidity

right now 8:45pm 92deg and 53% humidity.:rattle:

Vacation is soon, takin the motorhome North to Oregon along the coast. takin the xj (first trip with it in tow) I'll even have to bring a jacket woo hoo!

\\'anderer said:

It ONLY made it to about 102 today but we had at least 40% humidity

right now 8:45pm 92deg and 53% humidity.:rattle:

Vacation is soon, takin the motorhome North to Oregon along the coast. takin the xj (first trip with it in tow) I'll even have to bring a jacket woo hoo!

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Really?

No, Really?

--ron