class c RV

[bobbyr]

We're pondering getting an RV. Just curious who has one and how they like it?

It would mostly just be me and the DW and 4 dogs (15-30 lbs)...tooling around the south in small chunks. I also like that it would be living quarters when we lose power (instead of buying a whole house generator).

We sat in a friends 32 ft recently and it was good. Would probably go a little smaller though.

 

[Fermion]

4 dogs! Do they stay pretty well behaved while the vehicle is moving?

 

[aja8888]

Rent one for a month and then rethink the idea.

 

[punkinhead]

We travel in a 23 foot class B with 1 dog. 4 dogs? Not a chance. Like ^^this guy^^ said, rent one and try it. Four dogs would give the phrase "under foot" a whole new meaning.

 

[REWahoo]

Rent one for a month and then rethink the idea.

+2

Nothing better than first hand, real world experience.

 

[bobbyr]

+2

Nothing better than first hand, real world experience.

yes - renting is a great idea.

The 4 dogs are old and pretty quiet. I actually think we may have less than 4 by the time we might buy an RV.

Our friend had a lifetime Senior pass ($80) for parks from USGS store. He ends up paying I think $12 night for electric and services (bathroom) at parks in Mississippi.

 

[bobbyr]

4 dogs! Do they stay pretty well behaved while the vehicle is moving?

they are pretty calm and good - I think they would be good

 

[MBAustin]

Agree with renting, although you may have some trouble finding a rental that would allow 4 dogs. RVShare.com is like AirBnB for RVs so you might check to see if they have units in your area.

We have a 26' class C, 2 of us plus 1 small dog. I firmly believe that dogs should be restrained or crated while you are in motion, but I'm sure there are others who would disagree. We do mostly short trips to state and other government parks - Corps of Engineers are plentiful in TX/OK/AR which is where we spend most of our time.

There is a huge variety of build and drivability quality among class C vehicles, as well as corresponding price variations. Don't rule out buying a used unit - many are pampered by their owners and you will find out about the quirks that every unit has in advance.

 

[bobbyr]

Agree with renting, although you may have some trouble finding a rental that would allow 4 dogs. RVShare.com is like AirBnB for RVs so you might check to see if they have units in your area.

We have a 26' class C, 2 of us plus 1 small dog. I firmly believe that dogs should be restrained or crated while you are in motion, but I'm sure there are others who would disagree. We do mostly short trips to state and other government parks - Corps of Engineers are plentiful in TX/OK/AR which is where we spend most of our time.

There is a huge variety of build and drivability quality among class C vehicles, as well as corresponding price variations. Don't rule out buying a used unit - many are pampered by their owners and you will find out about the quirks that every unit has in advance.

Thanks. We like the idea of short trip to state and ACOE parks. Also like class C around that size.
I'll check RVShare

 

[38Chevy454]

26-30 ft Class C is probably a good size for what you want. I agree used market is good place to start with first purchase. That way you can get better feel if you want to stay with it, or get a different size or style RV.

I have a 37 ft Super C style, and DW, me and 2 dogs do fine with it. I like the Super C for more storage, bigger chassis with (essentially) unlimited towing and weight capacity. Some Class C are close to the weight limits of the chassis once you are loaded up. You can get a lot of info on a sister site to this one at www.irv2.com where you can learn a lot. Other RV forums as well. Once you narrow down some, you can also find mfr specific forums for details about models and typical problems or things to look out for once you get serious purchasing one.

 

[skyking1]

We have had several RV's and many friends who RV, and used is the way to go.
Everyone with a new rig has had significant warranty issues, significant in the fact that it was down and in the shop during prime camping season and they do not hand out loaners.
That plus the drop in value really stung them.
All the issues get worked out by those first owners, and after a year or 3 they are more relaiable overall.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We bought a 14 year old 27 foot motor home in excellent shape that hadn’t been used much. At the time we had 4 Maltese and that’s why we bought it. It was so much easier traveling that way than a car. They were all pad trained so didn’t have to stop for the bathroom breaks.

Then we inherited my son’s 84 lb husky shepherd mix and it was still fine. We would travel for a month and none of the national parks had a dog limit. Private rv parks did but I would often choose individually owned parks instead of chains and then call them to explain the situation and most would let us stay. One park said to only have 2 dogs at a time out of the RV so no one would know.

Cost got to be the biggest factor as we only got 9 mpg and gas is expensive in the West. Many of the RV parks were very expensive. We kept it for 13 years and then sold it. We also went camping with friends but eventually that ended. The last big trip we took was 4K miles for a month with the big guy and 2 little dogs and it was cheaper to drive the car and pay for motels. More motels are dog friendly as I had the entire trip booked in advance.

One of the issues with RVs is that everything is plastic and things keep breaking. Plus you can’t drive them as fast as a car so trips take longer. Plus unless you tow a vehicle you have to often rent a car at your destination as you can’t drive a motor home around a national park. None of our vehicles could be towed. You can buy a trailer that’s expensive so a vehicle that can’t be towed can completely fit on it. Then you have the entire length of both items to contend with to park, etc.

The bottom line is it enabled us to travel for a month and have fun without leaving the dogs behind which we had no interest in doing. Even people we met with new RVs had things break. It also allowed us to stay right in the national parks which saved us a ton of time versus staying outside the park in a hotel.

 

[TwoBitsCA]

With that many dogs, I'd make sure to get one that has a slideout to give you enough floor space to walk around them

 

[skyking1]

They do excel for traveling with pets. We have 5th wheel trailers and they are a second home for the old ones, they settle right in to RV life.

 

[naggz]

My wife and I are currently traveling in a self converted camper van (we've been out and about since November) . We have an extended length Ford Transit (22' long, but the living area is only about 13' long).


We have 3 border collies. It works for us, but we basically have to live our lives according to the dogs (can't leave them alone of it's too hot outside, need to find dog parks for excercise, can't go some places where dogs are not allowed, etc.)


But we think it's worth it to be able to travel with them.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Our dogs loved it. When they saw we were loading the motor home they would jump in it and not want to get out).

 

[bobbyr]

We have had several RV's and many friends who RV, and used is the way to go.
Everyone with a new rig has had significant warranty issues, significant in the fact that it was down and in the shop during prime camping season and they do not hand out loaners.
That plus the drop in value really stung them.
All the issues get worked out by those first owners, and after a year or 3 they are more relaiable overall.

I wondered if they aren't holding their value better since COVID and boomers retiring?

 

[old medic]

Don't rule out buying a used unit - many are pampered by their owners and you will find out about the quirks that every unit has in advance.

I will 2nd this. Our used toy hauler was 2 years old and barely used at all. 4 dogs will be fun.

 

[bloom2708]

If cash money is no object, go with a Leisure Travel Vans version that meets your needs. Not really a full C. Called a B+.

They are super nice, but the prices. Woohooo. Inflation.

 

[Choosehappy]

We have a Tiffin Wayfarer Class C (~27’). We’ve had it for 4 years now and purchased just after we retired wo any prior experience camping or RVing. We haven’t looked back! We travel with two german shepherds and added a cat last year. They absolutely love it! We’re on the road 4-30 days at a time. The dogs are harnessed to the recliner seat belts when we’re in motion and the cat is in a carrier. We chose the model with a Murphy bed (RW) to give us the most floor space when camping. I looked into rentals prior buying, but they didn’t allow animals (or charged a steep fee). We’ve looked into getting a bigger model, but we find that we like to boondock away from the masses and often on dirt roads. Clearance becomes a bigger problem the longer the rig. We hate leaving our fur babies behind so this has worked out perfectly for us!

 

[bobbyr]

If cash money is no object, go with a Leisure Travel Vans version that meets your needs. Not really a full C. Called a B+.

They are super nice, but the prices. Woohooo. Inflation.

Those are great looking RVs, enjoyed seeing that.

 

[bobbyr]

We have a Tiffin Wayfarer Class C (~27’). We’ve had it for 4 years now and purchased just after we retired wo any prior experience camping or RVing. We haven’t looked back! We travel with two german shepherds and added a cat last year. They absolutely love it! We’re on the road 4-30 days at a time. The dogs are harnessed to the recliner seat belts when we’re in motion and the cat is in a carrier. We chose the model with a Murphy bed (RW) to give us the most floor space when camping. I looked into rentals prior buying, but they didn’t allow animals (or charged a steep fee). We’ve looked into getting a bigger model, but we find that we like to boondock away from the masses and often on dirt roads. Clearance becomes a bigger problem the longer the rig. We hate leaving our fur babies behind so this has worked out perfectly for us!

I always wonder if we should steer away from Mercedes due to higher cost of maintenance or is that different than autos? I always loved my uncle's Mercedes cars back in the 70s, but am too cheap now to pay for the high $ upkeep.

 

[punkinhead]

I always wonder if we should steer away from Mercedes due to higher cost of maintenance or is that different than autos? I always loved my uncle's Mercedes cars back in the 70s, but am too cheap now to pay for the high $ upkeep.

When we were picking a chassis for our RV we went with Ford due to lower repair costs, but even more so because of dealer availability. Every town has a Ford dealer or independent shop that can work on a Ford, not many not only have a Mercedes dealer, but one that can lift a 9000+ lb vehicle. You also have to be careful of what year the chassis is if you buy a used rig on a Mercedes chassis. They had some lemon years due to diesel emissions issues. If you read the various RV forums you'll find a mixed bag of experiences with Mercedes running the gamut from "best chassis ever" to "never again".

 

[Choosehappy]

I always wonder if we should steer away from Mercedes due to higher cost of maintenance or is that different than autos? I always loved my uncle's Mercedes cars back in the 70s, but am too cheap now to pay for the high $ upkeep.

So far so good (knock on wood). No issues and recalls have been easily taken care of though we do live in Phoenix. Hubby does oil changes and we had the transmission fluid changed way early because we tow a Jeep. That cost us $1000.
Ours is a 2020 motorhome with a 2019 chassis (28,000 miles so pretty new).. IMO I wouldn’t purchase anything built during the COVID crazy days of 2021 and 2022 when labor was a mess and supply chain had issues. I’m hopeful things have improved. Tiffin service in Alabama is top notch and helpful. Mercedes also stands behind their Sprinter vans.
Motohomes are inherently expensive to maintain, but if you use it and enjoy it, it’s wonderful during retirement.

 

[bobbyr]

If cash money is no object, go with a Leisure Travel Vans version that meets your needs. Not really a full C. Called a B+.

They are super nice, but the prices. Woohooo. Inflation.

would they pull a Subaru crosstrek? Just wondering if you knew..