Best Built Class C Motorhomes

[Floridastorm]

In the industry what are considered the best built Class C Motorhomes, both new and used? Not only the actual structure of the motorhome but also the quality of engine/transmission and appliances such as a generator,etc. I would think that Mercedes and Airstream would be quality for higher price. However, are there quality built Class C's in the medium price range?

[yr2017]

midnightsadie wrote:
moisheh you facts ? fed X and others have run the death out of those engines and they still prr after 300k.

Early on MB built the vans in Germany, took them apart and shipped parts to Dodge plants to be re-assembled and sold. They did this so they would'nt have to pay the 25% tariffs on vehicles. http://www.autonews.com/article/20141118/BLOG06/141119857/assembly-redo:-how-mercedes-sprinter-dodge...

The Sprinters sold in EU are far different than what's sold here - most are 4cyl inline diesels, not V6. And, the warranty is different too. 3yr/36000mi here. In Oz and EU it's 3yr/200,000km (125,000 mi). Now why would they do that? Then there's the parts and cost of ownership. Rv drivers usually don't drive your vehicles hard and long hours.

Don't know what FedEx truck you're referring to. Most were leased from MB and they run out of warranty about the same time as the water pumps, egr and ecm's go. There were so many failures that FedEx cancelled the remaining 5000 units. Then went back to the Gulfstream step vans. Those are much better, holding twice the amount of packages. Most have Cummins diesels and Ford V8's. They also make good camper conversions.

My grand-son had a Freightshaker with a MBE4000 that spent more time in the shop under warranty than on the road. Coolant and fuel leaks are prevalent. The electrical systems are a nightmare and will often shut off while driving at highway speeds. Unfortunately there's no lemon-law to protect professional truckers from beasts like this.

[ron_dittmer]

Two a/c units in a PC2350.....be sure to wear ear protection. 🙂

As far as the propane fridge is concerned, our works absolutely perfect 10 years running. I can't imagine doing without it.

[ctilsie242]

That is how I handle heating come winter. I have the RV furnace, but it eats up battery like no tomorrow, so I bring along an electric heater and a Big Buddy heater, as well as blankets.

My ideal for a RV electrical system would be a second alternator to feed the batteries. That way, regardless if I had the generator on, the engine started, both, or neither (for small loads from the battery), everything functions the same.

Of course, the roof goes without saying. My ideal would be a one piece aluminum roof, crimped at the sides, crowned, and then covered with an epoxy elastomer coating once all the stuff (vents, A/C, etc) is installed. That will pretty much ensure water is kept at bay, barring physical damage.

[pnichols]

I'm a fan of solar, but as another option to have on an RV in addition to a well installed generator ... with the generator being the higher priority to be have first, with solar to be installed at the same time or sometime after having a generator.

RV self containment with plenty of options so as to be ready for the widest possible variety of situations is the name of the game for us. RV's cost too much and RV travel time is too precious to be severely compromised or ruined by not having several Plan B's for dealing with surprise failures of the important systems or equipment.

For instance, if your engine's serpentine belt ever breaks you're dead in the water no matter where you might be ... so we carry an extra one along just in case. I applied the same approach when backpack camping in the mountains ... by carrying two flashlights and two water containers even though "only one was needed" .... just in case one should somehow fail out in the middle of nowhere.

[ctilsie242]

pnichols wrote:

ctilsie242 wrote:
If I could go with any class "C", I'd go with a 24 foot Phoenix Cruiser on an E-450 chassis, with the Quigley 4x4 upfit, a 5500 watt generator, 50 amp circuitry, and two 15k BTU A/Cs with heat strips. That way, I have something decent for Texas summers.

Now yer talkin'!!

Except I'd adjust your specs just a bit: "I could go with any Class C with a crowned wrap-around fiberglass roof, no front cabover window, in 23-24 foot length, with a rear corner bed, with a 6 cu ft 3-way propane refrigerator mounted on gimbals so the rig didn't have to be level, with a cabover bed instead of an entertainment center, with a swiveling and reclining lounge chair, with a dinette with all the underseat volume available for storage, with a swiveling passenger seat, on an E450 chassis with the Quadvan 4X4 upfit, with no more than 2 inches of lift for the upfit mechanical clearances, with at least 235 M&S tires on it, a 4000 watt gasoline generator properly mounted and enclosed for absolute minimum inside/outside quietness, a 50-60 gallon FW tank, 30 amp circuitry, ducted heating and air conditioning, and one high efficiency 15K BTU A/C."

That way ... we'd be able to go rockhounding for days out in the middle of nowhere with rain, or clouds, or sun, during the day or night!

P.S. Oh, I almost forgot ... in case I wanted to buy new it's list price would have to be no higher than arouund $80K. 😉

Very good suggestions. I would love one of those generators that are used in movie filming vans which is so insulated that it makes almost no noise. Even the mounting of an Onan I encountered on a police cherry picker was nice for the lack of noise it produced.

I would toss the propane fridge though, and get an electric, as well as some solar panels. 250-500 watts would work. That makes a tough choice... two A/Cs or 1-2 more panels.

[pnichols]

ctilsie242 wrote:
If I could go with any class "C", I'd go with a 24 foot Phoenix Cruiser on an E-450 chassis, with the Quigley 4x4 upfit, a 5500 watt generator, 50 amp circuitry, and two 15k BTU A/Cs with heat strips. That way, I have something decent for Texas summers.

Now yer talkin'!!

Except I'd adjust your specs just a bit: "I could go with any Class C with a crowned wrap-around fiberglass roof, no front cabover window, in 23-24 foot length, with a rear corner bed, with a 6 cu ft 3-way propane refrigerator mounted on gimbals so the rig didn't have to be level, with a cabover bed instead of an entertainment center, with a swiveling and reclining lounge chair, with a dinette with all the underseat volume available for storage, with a swiveling passenger seat, on an E450 chassis with the Quadvan 4X4 upfit, with no more than 2 inches of lift for the upfit mechanical clearances, with at least 235 M&S tires on it, a 4000 watt gasoline generator properly mounted and enclosed for absolute minimum inside/outside noise and vibration, a 50-60 gallon FW tank, 30 amp circuitry, ducted heating and air conditioning, and one high efficiency 15K BTU A/C."

That way ... we'd be able to go rockhounding for days out in the middle of nowhere with rain, or clouds, or sun, during the day or night!

P.S. Oh, I almost forgot ... in case I wanted to buy new it's list price would have to be no higher than arouund $80K. 😉

[ctilsie242]

ron.dittmer wrote:

ctilsie242 wrote:
If I could go with any class "C", I'd go with a 24 foot Phoenix Cruiser on an E-450 chassis, with the Quigley 4x4 upfit, a 5500 watt generator, 50 amp circuitry, and two 15k BTU A/Cs with heat strips. That way, I have something decent for Texas summers.

24' with 2 roof-top a/c units? Wow, that seems a bit much. Our 24' 2350 PC has one a/c unit and does okay in hot weather, though I admit it's rarely 100+ here. We deal with lots of humidity at times.

Around Houston, I've dealt with 110 degrees and high humidity rates. Even one 15k BTU A/C can strain to pull the water out, so two set at low can make life decent in those circumstances.

[billyray50]

TxGearhead wrote:
We're thinking about another C for several reasons. Where would y'all put a Coachmen Leprechaun? Azdel wall backer, a slightly better looking front cap, etc. We're looking for something smaller, less than 30ft, and minimal lightweight slides.

We are thinking of leaving the TC world and looking at a 26' Coachman Leprechaun C class too. Seems to a nice model.

[wv_boy]

We have a Forester, which seems to be a decent mid-level coach. It has some nice features like fiberglass roof, ducted air, and a fully enclosed basement. It also came with a very comfy higher end mattress, which is rare. Of course it still rattles and clanks going down the road and handles rather poorly but they all do.

[AJR]

To the OP, The best class C is the one you like for whatever reasons.

I never had an RV that did not have real wood drawers or doors. I never bought new. Maybe that is part of my experience. Mine has an aluminum frame. I like that for resale.

They all make clunkers every now and then. Even the expensive ones.

Pick your poison and live with it.

[ron_dittmer]

ctilsie242 wrote:
If I could go with any class "C", I'd go with a 24 foot Phoenix Cruiser on an E-450 chassis, with the Quigley 4x4 upfit, a 5500 watt generator, 50 amp circuitry, and two 15k BTU A/Cs with heat strips. That way, I have something decent for Texas summers.

24' with 2 roof-top a/c units? Wow, that seems a bit much. Our 24' 2350 PC has one a/c unit and does okay in hot weather, though I admit it's rarely 100+ here. We deal with lots of humidity at times.

[ctilsie242]

If I could go with any class "C", I'd go with a 24 foot Phoenix Cruiser on an E-450 chassis, with the Quigley 4x4 upfit, a 5500 watt generator, 50 amp circuitry, and two 15k BTU A/Cs with heat strips. That way, I have something decent for Texas summers.

[IAMICHABOD]

They must be pretty rugged,they are a staple of the Rental Market

[TxGearhead]

We're thinking about another C for several reasons. Where would y'all put a Coachmen Leprechaun? Azdel wall backer, a slightly better looking front cap, etc. We're looking for something smaller, less than 30ft, and minimal lightweight slides.