Motorhome owners

[GAFortFans..Shawn 16]

We just got back yesterday from 10 days at the Fort and already counting down the days till our November return! We have a 5th wheel and a Dodge Ram 3500 Dually crew cab currently and considering upgrading to a motorhome. The three kids 13,9,6 start to get a little squirrelly after 7-8 hours in the back seat and I think some room to breathe may help. To all fiend motorhome owners what are good brands, sizes, what to look for in a used coach. Just starting to look around and I see the ford v10 chassis is a popular setup for the price range that I am looking at, although I would like a diesel.

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

They only made a FRED (front end diesel) for a few years so unless you go with a SUPER"C" you will only get a diesel in a pusher and the V-10 was highly used in "A"s. If you don't mind the higher cost I would look for a used "SUPER "C" most were on a KODIAK 5500 with a DURAMAX.

[Retired and Happy (Ken) 101]

The MH market underwent a huge shakeup a few years ago, so used models might be for companies that are no longer in business.  That said, there are support companies that service any MH, so thay can still be a good buy.  We have never bought a new one, but let me encourage you to look at some internet sites such as RVTrader.com and PPLmotorhomes.com for floor plans, prices, engines, transmissions, slideouts, etc.  You can get a good look at what's available and make your list of what appeals to you.  You might also want to visit some local area RV dealers and see what these units actually look like in person.  You will also want to check for the number of seat belts installed...for your family and their friends that might go with you.

 

We recently ( a year ago now) bought a used 37 foot Southwind that had everything we needed; three slides, side bath, sofabed. W/D, table and chairs vs a dinette, large fridge w/icemaker, etc.  As we began to use it, we discovered/realized the sofabed only had two seatbelts and the recliner was free standing.  We usually travel with 2-3 car seats, so we have had to do some inventive work to install an additional belt and tether strap anchors.  And of course we knew the W/D has a small tub, greatly limiting load size.  We had a side room on our previous MH and found we cannot use it on our newer MH because of the location of the furnace exhaust in the galley slide.  We still love the side bath and three slides, and our oldest can now use a small wheelchair around in the front part of the MH. Your results will vary.

 

Be sure to post your progress and results of your decision.

[DinDavie 37]

The manufacturers with reputations for excellent and consistent quality are Winnabago, Tiffin, Fleetwood and Newmar in no particular order.  Yes there are better manufacturer but not in a price range under $300,000.  Ford is popular because it is now the only manufacturer offering a gas chassis.  Go to the web sites and look at the new features.  Many are now coming with bunk beds and lofts so they can sleep more people.  Class C's were often better for the family traveler who had kids and a 1-3 week vacation with ocassional weekends but now the lines a blurred.  Take your time and go to some shows.  There is a lot to making a good decision that will good for you in the long run.  What ever you do stick with quality over price.  Resale value will hold up better and problems on the road will be less.

[PrincessNana 15]

We have had a class c and are now on our second class a diesel pusher. The one thing we found consistent in all three was the lack of seat belts. It didn't matter what floorplans we had...the only seat belts were on the sofa. It is important to think about what your needs are as a family. We didn't need as much sleeping space on a regular basis, but we wanted comfortable seating for watching tv. When we need more beds, we use air mattresses. Good luck on your search.

[WeCampDisney 3]

Hi Shawn. We bought our motorhome 4 yrs ago, after having 2 travel trailers. I studied the options for months, comparing the pros and cons of class C and class A, gas and diesel. Only you can decide what is best for your family, we all have different needs and priorities. We decided that a class A gas RV made the most scense for us. We are 4 adults and 2 small children traveling 1020 miles each way to the Fort. We bought a 2002 Winnebego Brave 34D. It is 35 feet long and has a large slide out in the front living area and a small slide in the rear bedroom. It is a Workhorse chassis with a GM 8.1 liter gas v8 and the Allison transmission. We found it at PPL Motorhomes in Houston, Tx, and paid $37000 for it. It had 27000 miles on it and is nearly like new. I think it probably sold new for around $90000. We found that a comparable diesel unit would cost around $20-30K more and we just couldn't afford that. The diesel does ride smoother, has auxillery brakes, gets better fuel economy. I think to justify the increased purchase and maintenance costs of a diesel I would have to be on the road a lot. We only take a trip or two per year, and I can buy a lot of gas for the $25000 I saved. Ours is a mid sized RV and the modern gas engine is plenty powerful enough. It produces 345 hp and 450 ft-lbs of torque. We chose the class A over the class C for a few reasons; 1) the front seats can swivel around to become living room seating, not in a class C, 2) the class A has much more storage in the basement compartments, 3) the class A has a 75 gal fuel tank where the class C has a 55 gal fuel tank. I hate stopping for gas and this bigger tank gives me much better range. Even at 6.5 mpg I can drive 400 or more miles per tank and still have reserve in the tank. I only have to stop for gas twice on my trip down from east Texas. So, this is pretty much how we deciding which RV was right for us. After 4 years, 3 trips to the Fort and a couple other trips we are still happy with our choice. Good luck and happy shopping Shawn. Oh and one more thing. I chose the Winne brand because of its good reputation for quality, value and its been around forever. I also love the Tiffen brand.

[Cortezcapt (Derek) 156]

This may or may not be a deciding factor for you, but its a problem that my family came across which caused my grandpa to have to trade in a motorhome he had only had a short time.

look for one with a front or back facing toilet.

He purchased one with a side facing toilet once which none of the female members of the family were able to use while the motorhome was moving. (Something to do with pressure or force from the motorhome moving) they had no problems with front or rear facing ones.

He was also one that when we were on the road only stopped for lunch and to sleep at night.

[4mickey2 41]

look at any camper with the slides in and out.  some full wall slides won't let you get into the bedroom with the slide in.  our seneca had a lot of seat belts.  we had 4 at the booth dinette, 2 on the couch and one on the recliner.  

 

insurance is more on an A than on a C.  

[oft013 23]

Our Fleetwood Terra class A has plenty of seatbelts.  The couch has 2 and the benches for the table have 4. 

[JaimeN 8]

We have three kids too (11, 10, and 7) and just upgraded to a new 2014 Forest River Berkshire 400BH. We traded in our 2007 Tiffin Zephyr (which was a larger coach) but the floorplan was less than ideal for a family of 5, who also travel with 2 big dogs. Before the Zeph we had a TT that we loved (it had a bunkhouse) but we wanted a MH. We realized with the MH that we wanted bunks again, it makes it sooooo much easier than folding all the couches out each night. So whatever model you choose, definitely think about floorplan and sleeping space. I've also seen some lovely Super C's with bunks. Every trip we take now DH or I comment on how happy we are with the new coach.

[DinDavie 37]

The other consideration is how will you use this vehicle when not at the fort.  Weekend trips to a state park?  Going to cities or destinations where you will need a vehicle to explore the area.  Class A's work best when you are on the road for a long time or you can tow a car (toad) behind it so you can park the MH and get to the attractions.  How much will you use the vehicle.  From what I've read on this forum it seems that the folks who are still working but using their units a lot seem to have the smaller tow behinds or class C,s.  A class A will give you the ability to camp without hook ups of any kind for at least a week but if you don't need that then why pay for it.  However, if you've got the money then go big or go home.  You can't beat the comfort of having your own bathroom, (no more midnight walks to the comfort station) and matress that is not just 4 inches of foam rubber on a sheet of plywood.  Did I mention the biggest reason why I bought a class A.  Automatic leveling jacks.  No more cranking things up in the darkness or rain for me. 

[Avatab.... Steve 124]

The V10 is a great engine, reliable, lots of power and you can get it serviced at any Ford place across the country.  We had a class C and now a class A  both with the V10 and would stick with it if buying another gas powered RV.

 

The Workhorse/Allison was a good combo from what I have heard (except for brake issues in some of them), but they are not made anymore and it might become increasingly harder to find competent servicing for it.....