Need a new camper....Class C vs. Class A? Also, a financing question!

[photogal06...Sommer 10]

We had a rather unfortunate weekend with our camper, and we are calling it quits on this one. It's a tough decision, because we put a lot of time and money and effort into it over the summer, but we're going to cut our losses and move on. On the one hand, it's a relief to have made a decision; on the other hand, we're sad about having worked so hard on it and put so much of ourselves into it, only to have it fail on us. And unfortunately, I'm not sure we can pull it off before our trip next month, so we may not be coming down after all. So, on that happy note......LOL!

I've really enjoyed our Class C, but dh is wanting to look at a Class A. Does anyone here travel with kids and dogs in a Class A? I've always thought of them as more for couples rather than families with kids, because I've never seen them with more than one bed made up and ready to go....I like that our C has two beds ready to go at all times, because we tend to drive very late into the night before stopping. So, advantages/disadvantages of C vs. A when traveling with a child (who's adult size) and two 85-lb dogs? We'd like this to be our last RV purchase for a very long time, so I'd like it to accommodate future friends that DD might bring along. Slides or no slides? I always said we didn't need them, but after spending a cold, rainy day in very close quarters, I'm rethinking that one!

Also, I swore I'd never do this again, but we are looking at financing the purchase. I'd love to find a nice used unit that's a few years old. Is a credit union the best place to go for financing a used RV? I asked at our bank, and they don't do financing on recreational vehicles of any sort. I haven't had to finance anything in forever, so I'm at a loss here.

I'm pretty much at a loss with the whole thing. We had planned to keep our current unit for at least another 5 years, so it's not like I've been thinking about what I want in our next camper! I don't want to cancel our trip, but I don't want to make a bad decision while trying to hurry and get something in place, either. So, can you help me out, Fiends? What do you like or dislike about your Class C or A? Are there brands I should look for or steer clear of?

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

There are A's with a bunkroom.

[caveat lector 181]

I used our local credit union. Process was super easy and they had a great rate. I would definitely use a credit union again

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

There are some very NICE class C's with bunk rooms too

[photogal06...Sommer 10]

I wonder how long the bunks are nowadays? We had a trailer with bunks once, and they were short....too short for me, and dd is taller than I am. That would be a good layout though, if we can get ones that are long enough. There's a credit union right next door to dd's school, so I'll head there tomorrow when I drop her off.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

How old is is your DD? We bought a super C like is about 1 1/2 years ago. http://www.campersinn.com/inventory/176351/Used-2007-Gulf-Stream-RV-Conquest-Super-C--6341.aspx (I like our colors better though.) I wanted a Class C because I wanted the front bunk (we have a teen and a young child). DH wanted a Class A. This has high ceilings like a Class A and has lots of room. We found it to be a great compromise. It also has bunks, so we have PLENTY of room, even if our friends or theirs come. We were lucky enough to find one that had been barely used.

Good luck in your hunting!

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

Slides are a must. They make it much roomier inside. Look around at show and dealers. There are many to choose from and all have good things and not so good things. Pay attention to carrying capacities. Talk to people at the shows, you will find many are already owners. They will tell you what they like and don't like about their RV (always take with a grain of salt). Good luck with the search.

[photogal06...Sommer 10]

Kelly, I like the sound of the super C....I've heard of those before but didn't really know what they were. They do sound like a nice compromise. Dd is 13, so I hope we have lots of years of family camping ahead of us!

Thanks, Jeff. I am gobsmacked at the carrying capacities of the used units I'm seeing online....our current one has very small holding tanks and gas tank, and it would be so nice to have larger ones! I regret missing the Novi RV show a couple of weekends ago....who knew?!

[Tom 15]

some of the class a units we looked at still have the optional bunk over the drivers seats like the class c. Most of the bunks are 73"in the bunk houses that we looked at

[photogal06...Sommer 10]

Tom, thanks....I didn't know that some of the As have that overhead bed. A 73-in bunk would work....that's what we have now. The ones in our trailer must have been extra small or something.

Does anyone know which would be better for towing a small vehicle (Ford Fiesta), probably on a small trailer? The As and Cs I'm seeing both have the same tongue weight. Does one handle better than the other when towing like that? We probably wouldn't do it, but it would be nice to have the option. I know a Super C would tow really well, but I haven't found any of those for sale in our area (yet!)

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Yes, with a 13 year old, you've got lots of family camping ahead of you. We've really enjoyed the larger tanks vs. the trailer we had before.

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

Sorry, while larger tanks are nice pay attention to the weight of people/stuff you can carry (people, clothes, dishes, etc). As for towing capacity it will depend on the size of the motor and weight of the RV. The RV should list it's towing capacity (along with GVW, GVWR). Disclaimer this is not an area I know much about but here are some descriptions. Not to scare you but understanding these can help make you safer (not overloaded).

[DaveInTN 3,247]

We used to have a class A bunkhouse and LOVED it. We had the Itasca Sunova, which is the twin to the Winnebago Sightseer. The bunk model is the 35J. Ours was very similar to this one: http://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2007-Winnebago-Sightseer-35j-105046736

The bunks on this model are 73" long. (I didn't realize the ones on our current trailer were so long....79"). Each bunk had a TV/DVD too, which was nice.

If you have any questions on the model please feel free to PM me or ask here. As I said, we really loved it.

There are also nice Class A bunk models by Tiffin, Fleetwood, Coachman, Hurricane...the list goes on and on these days. My favorites would be the Winnies and the Tiffins.

[PrincessNana 15]

We have a class a with three slides and we have plenty of room for adults, grand kids and dogs. We had to search for a unit that had a booth dinette that would turn into a bed, but they are around. Because we have two slides in the living area, we can also put a queen size air mattress on the floor to sleep more people. We looked at the bunk models, but my granddaughter is tall and the bunks looked a little short for her. I know this isn't the bed situation you are looking for, but it works out real well for our family. We had a class c before we bought this unit, but we like the extra room we have in the class a. For financing, you might contact Essex Credit. They specialize in financing rv's and boats. Good luck on your search.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Check around for financing. We got a much better rate than our credit union.

[caveat lector 181]

If u have a choice in power plant.....go diesel.

[photogal06...Sommer 10]

Sorry, while larger tanks are nice pay attention to the weight of people/stuff you can carry (people, clothes, dishes, etc). As for towing capacity it will depend on the size of the motor and weight of the RV. The RV should list it's towing capacity (along with GVW, GVWR). Disclaimer this is not an area I know much about but here are some descriptions. Not to scare you but understanding these can help make you safer (not overloaded).

Oh, we know overloaded, lol! When we bought our first trailer, completely new to the idea, the dealer assured us we could pull it with our minivan with no problem....he even installed the hitch on the van. We found out quickly that he was a liar....quite a learning experience, that was! Ever since, we've been smart about keeping our weights safe by the numbers, but we've still had some combinations that didn't work for us.....like a trailer that should have been fine weight-wise but seemed to control our Expedition rather than the other way around. I was wondering whether As and Cs are equally adept at towing....I'm thinking they're both big and heavy compared to our teeny tiny Fiesta, but if one is better than the other at making the toad feel like it isn't even there, I want to go with that one!

We used to have a class A bunkhouse and LOVED it. We had the Itasca Sunova, which is the twin to the Winnebago Sightseer. The bunk model is the 35J. Ours was very similar to this one: http://www.rvtrader....r-35j-105046736

The bunks on this model are 73" long. (I didn't realize the ones on our current trailer were so long....79"). Each bunk had a TV/DVD too, which was nice.

If you have any questions on the model please feel free to PM me or ask here. As I said, we really loved it.

There are also nice Class A bunk models by Tiffin, Fleetwood, Coachman, Hurricane...the list goes on and on these days. My favorites would be the Winnies and the Tiffins.

I definitely want to look at a bunkhouse if there's one available here. Your current bunks are really long---that's what I want! Do you have a 5th wheel now? DH really wants a 5th wheel, but one of us would have to use the truck as our daily driver, and neither of us wants to give up our small car (him, because he has a 100-mile daily commute, and me because I lurv my Fusion!) DD is 5'7" at age 13, so she could grow some more, or she could be about done. She has a 73" bed in our current camper, and even though she swears it's long enough, she can't really stretch out in it. I've been perusing Motorhome Magazine for the past few months, and Tiffins and Winnies look beautiful.....which may be why I'm not seeing many of them for sale here in the used market!

We have a class a with three slides and we have plenty of room for adults, grand kids and dogs. We had to search for a unit that had a booth dinette that would turn into a bed, but they are around. Because we have two slides in the living area, we can also put a queen size air mattress on the floor to sleep more people. We looked at the bunk models, but my granddaughter is tall and the bunks looked a little short for her. I know this isn't the bed situation you are looking for, but it works out real well for our family. We had a class c before we bought this unit, but we like the extra room we have in the class a. For financing, you might contact Essex Credit. They specialize in financing rv's and boats. Good luck on your search.

I mentioned the dual LR slide/air mattress idea to my daughter, and her eyes lit up and she couldn't stop talking about the possibilities! I think her ideal RV now is any one where she can plop down a queen mattress and have the dogs sleep with her, lol! That may actually be the best scenario for us, especially if I can't find one with longer than 73" bunks or sofa for sleeping--thanks for sharing you setup! And thanks for the heads-up on Essex. Their rate is a little bit higher than our CU, but they offer a few years longer term, so I will have to see which would work best for us.

Check around for financing. We got a much better rate than our credit union.

I am really surprised at how different the rates are at various places, and that a lot of banks and some CUs don't even do RV loans. And then I was kind of bummed that the one CU in town offers a nice low rate but a shorter loan term than I wanted. I won't be able to pick a lender until we decide on a camper, I guess, because if we can find a lower-priced one than I'm estimating, we can go with the local CU, but if it's on the higher end, I'm probably going to want the slightly longer term....I'm a planner....I like to have everything laid out in advance....this is making me crazy, lol!

If u have a choice in power plant.....go diesel.

Dh has always wanted a diesel, and now that we're looking, we're not seeing any in the used market here. But we've only looked online so far, so we shall see what Saturday's outing finds :)

And now another question: Does anyone know anything about Damon Class As? I'm seeing quite a few of them out there from 2005-2009 model years. The fact that I'm seeing relatively more of them compared to others makes me wonder. Also, the fact that they seem reasonably priced makes me wonder. Is this a good brand? Why are so many of them on the market at a price that doesn't make me cringe?

We are going to see a Damon Class A tonight that's for sale by owner in our city....it's a 2005 which is older than I want, but I'm keeping an open mind! In fact, it's a 2005 with only 7000 miles, so is this a good thing or a bad thing? It obviously hasn't been driven much in 8 years, and if it has its original tires (which I think it does), those are going to need replacing soon due to age, yes? It has a new roof and awning, because they were damaged in a gas station accident, so if the roof was replaced by an RV dealer, should I have any concerns about the installation....especially LEAKS!!! I am super freaky about leaks, as 2 years of constant battle with them is what's caused us to give up our current camper, lol! Anything special I should look for in an older unit with very low miles? We've been down this road before with our 1989, and we overlooked some things we shouldn't have, so we do have a nice 2-page list of things we're planning to check out. It helps to have others' input though, because we always seem to miss something important!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I definitely want to look at a bunkhouse if there's one available here. Your current bunks are really long---that's what I want! Do you have a 5th wheel now? DH really wants a 5th wheel, but one of us would have to use the truck as our daily driver, and neither of us wants to give up our small car (him, because he has a 100-mile daily commute, and me because I lurv my Fusion!) DD is 5'7" at age 13, so she could grow some more, or she could be about done. She has a 73" bed in our current camper, and even though she swears it's long enough, she can't really stretch out in it. I've been perusing Motorhome Magazine for the past few months, and Tiffins and Winnies look beautiful.....which may be why I'm not seeing many of them for sale here in the used market!

No, we have a travel trailer. Keystone Outback 301BQ. Quad bunk in the front...two are 79 inches and the top 2 are 74 inches...the difference due to the slope of the front cap of the trailer. We love our trailer! Great master bedroom in the back. Of course...you've had trailers so you know the tow vehicle requirements.

If you go the MH route, I recommend you tow your vehicle 4 wheels down if possible. It is so easy, and you don't have a dolly to park somewhere. Of course, that's just my personal preference, and you need a vehicle capable of it. You mentioned you have a Fiesta...not sure what year but I do think many of them are towable 4 wheels down. Here is Ford's guide on tow capacities and 4 wheel down towing for 2012 model year. Check out page 14. Your owners manual will give specific requirements for your actual vehicle.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas/topics/2012/12_FLRVTT_gde.pdf

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Also, look at "older new". There have been a couple times when we've been just wandering RV dealers and they had some older, but never titled Class A's sitting on the lot. For example, we saw a 2007 Class A Diesel Pusher on one lot that was discounted from 350K down to 100K and only had about 75K miles on it, (this was in 2010, they used it for RV shows) and they were gonna put new Flat Screens and new tires on it for the buyer. Also would have still had factory warranty.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Also, look at "older new". There have been a couple times when we've been just wandering RV dealers and they had some older, but never titled Class A's sitting on the lot. For example, we saw a 2007 Class A Diesel Pusher on one lot that was discounted from 350K down to 100K and only had about 75K miles on it, (this was in 2010, they used it for RV shows) and they were gonna put new Flat Screens and new tires on it for the buyer. Also would have still had factory warranty.

You don't mean 75,000 miles, right? :rofl3:

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

You don't mean 75,000 miles, right? :rofl3:

Maybe it was 7500, but honestly for a diesel pusher 75,000 miles is nothing

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Maybe it was 7500, but honestly for a diesel pusher 75,000 miles is nothing

I know...I thought for sure I had read your post to say it was a new, unsold unit that happened to be several years old sitting on the dealer lot. Just struck me as funny!

[PrincessNana 15]

The rule of thumb on motorhome tires is 5 years, even if they still look good. Sometimes units are low mileage because the owners were uncomfortable driving after they bought the unit, they didn't have as much time to travel as they had hoped, or they were living in it full time. Check out the wear and tear on the inside...carpet, furniture,appliances, etc. if it was kept outside, check out the roof and ac units. You really need at least two ac units on anything over 30 ft. I'm not sure where Damon motorhomes fit in the quality level, but make sure you check everything out carefully. Motorhomes depreciate probably worse than cars...moral..make sure you like it, the layout, the amenities and the storage. (This lesson was learned the hard way) . If you buy a used unit from a dealer, they can usually find financing, maybe not always at the best interest rate but it could give you some choices.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

The rule of thumb on motorhome tires is 5 years, even if they still look good.

I thought the rule was 7 years. We went 8 years on our set. At nearly $5,000 we didn't want to change them too early!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I thought the rule was 7 years. We went 8 years on our set. At nearly $5,000 we didn't want to change them too early!

Yeah, rubber sure is expensive!