Driving differences between 25', 31' class C's.

[bobbyg123]

I'm a longtime travel trailer owner, and now that my boys have gotten older, I'm excited to step away from hitching & towing and move to a motorhome. My current F350 longbed and my 34' trailer makes me feel like I'm driving a semi. We do a lot of tailgating for sporting events, and trying to maneuver in crowded parking lots is too stressful for me anymore.

For those of you who have owned and driven different length class C campers, what key differences did you experience with regards to driving, parking, etc.? Like everyone, I'm trying to decide between a 25' - 31' camper, but I don't want to go so long where I'm running into the same problems with parking that I currently have with my TT.

Thoughts and feedback appreciated!!

[sullivanclan]

We have the 25 foot Jayco with the Ford 450 and we looked for it specifically for that size so that getting in and out of State and Federal Parks was a bit easier in the West. Plus we do a lot of dry camping and tend to get off the beaten road a little. It's just the two of us and it works well, plus we have the additional payload and we often flat tow a jeep to various events.

[pnichols]

From a handling and general convenience viewpoint stay as short as you can tolerate ... floor-plan-wise ... and built on as heavy duty chassis as you can find for minimum worries on how much weight you might ever want to tow behind, or carry in, the motorhome.

The DW and myself and one small dog have been completely happy with a 24 foot Class C for years. It's built on the Ford E450 chassis so we have no concerns about how much we load it up. It handles and drives like a rock solid and stable van in all situations - due to it's heavy springs, stock front/rear sway bars, stock front steering shock, large brakes, and wider rear dually stance (than that of the new crop of narrow Sprinter-type Class C motorhomes).

On fishing trips it tows our fishing boat as if it wasn't back there. Otherwise we don't tow anything on RV trips because it's short length allows us to park in small campsites and park right at a lot of sight-seeing, eating, and shopping locations.

We like having our complete little self-contained home with us at all times. As appropriate and needed, we leave our little pet-person in the coach with the A/C running, or a powerfull 12 volt fan running, or both the A/C and the fan running.

[gmctoyman]

Artum Snowbird....
Nailed it.

[ron_dittmer]

bobbyg123,

You received lots of useful information from others. Here is my addition.

In inclement weather, do your tailgate parties become an indoor activity with many other people? I will assume outdoors with others, indoors with only who you bring along. I also assume a full size awning would be very useful on hot sunny days and rainy days.

Given "mobility" is a mentioned factor, you primarily travel with your 2 young sons, and you imply you are fairly nimble, it seems the right motor home would be...
- a rear corner double or queen bed in back for you will provide lots of outside storage for all your tailgate stuff
- a large front cab-over bed for your sons would be well utilized
- decent capacities for fresh and waste water to share your toilet with other sports fans
- as short as you can find, less than 25 feet long would be better yet

We own a Ford E350 rig that fits the description with exception to the cab-over bed...our has a B+ cap. It measures 23'-8" end-to-end with a standard 158" wheel base. At 93" wide, it is more narrow than a typical motor home. When not towing our Jeep, it is very easy to get around in tight places. My confidence driving it solo is very high. I do feel if it was longer, I would be less confident. Each foot longer would reduce confidence less and less. A 31 foot rig driven solo in a sports arena parking lot would seem hair-raising.

If your needs are basic, I vote for less than 25 feet.

[map40]

I own a 25, a 28, and 4 33s. The 25 has the original chassis lenght, which means it has good turn radius.
As you get them progressibly longer the turning radius gets worst. A 33 class C can't do U turns.
As far as how confortable and the driving characteristics, it depends on the suspension improvements. The shorter ones don't ride too good, they are too bumpy. The 33s will let you feel the chassis flexing as you drive, and they will be more unstable at highway speeds.
I personally preffer the 28. Is long enough to give you a good ride, short enough that is not affected that much by the other vehicles on the road.

[Chum_lee]

Artum Snowbird wrote:
A lot of C's in that range will come on a E450 Ford Chassis. That usually means they all have the same maximum weight when fully loaded. When you start looking at the specs of various rigs, you will notice that the unladen weight goes up with length, and the carrying capacity goes down. If you plan on towing, the tongue weight of your trailer, and a full tank of water (usually under the back bed) can often put the back axle into overload for long C's with multiple slides. Definitely something to watch out for. Watch your wheelbase too. Manufacturers tend to use the same wheelbase for several feet of overall length. It is better to be on the shorter overall length of a wheelbase size, than at the maximum overall length for that wheelbase size.

All good points. Not only do the longer length C's carry less payload, but you have to be more aware of HOW you load it. With long overhangs off the back, it's easy to overload the rear axle AND under load the front axle. That will cause a change in front caster angle and reduce the front braking/turning effectiveness on slippery surfaces. Reducing the caster angle will lessen the self correcting tendency of the steering and affect the headlight efficiency.

Chum lee

[NWboondocker]

Another thread full of opinions:
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29764098/print/true.cfm

[bobbyg123]

These are great replies everyone. Thank you. I’ve been towing travel trailers for over 10 years, so I get the pros and cons with regard to length. It’s completely subjective, based on individual need.

Back in the day when Grandma and Grandpa came all the time, we needed space and we went to state parks all the time. Now they don’t come as much, and I use it more for tailgating and spontaneous weekend get always. Given that, I don’t think I need more than 30’. Me and my boys aren’t big people. I’m 5’8 / 170lbs. My boys are 65lbs. We’d like a bunk over can, a dinette, a small sofa, and an RV queen in the back. I don’t even care if it’s not a walk around bed.

28’ sounds perfect for me.

[BFL13]

Off topic, but note the thread on propane tank sizes. It seems you get a bigger propane tank on some than with others. 40 lbs vs 76 lbs can matter (or not)

[Desert_Captain]

If you end up going with the 30'+ Class watch your payload. Most of the larger C's, especially the ones with slide{s} and levelers come up very short of payload. You will want at least 1,500# and not many larger C's can give you that.

As noted the close quarter handling of any C over 30' can be a serious challenge.
Our 24' C is a dream to drive, fits into any site and makes for a fine grocery getter or sightseeing platform. The large, slideless floorplan works very well for us but we are usually just two and though we can do 4 it is a crowd.

:C

[T18skyguy]

I use to own a 22 Foot Jayco Eagle motorhome, and now I have a 32 foot Greyhawk. The Eagle was so easy to park and drove like a dream with no unstretched chassis, but we suffered inside with 3 of us and not enough room. Our 32 foot drives like a dream, harder to park, but once set up with the slides it's so much more livable. One thing I notice is the steering is much heavier on the bigger rig. One nice surprise is they both get the same gas mileage thanks to Fords new 6 speed tranny(10 mpg).

[bobndot]

here is an rv net link with a lot of opinions.
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/14335100/print/true.cfm

[bobndot]

From my experience of owning class B's and TC's at 21 ft opposed to MH's and TT's.
The shorter the rv the more options for a site, like a tent site .
When a campground is near full at peak times and you don't have a reservation or you have to move your site because it floods in the rain. A shorter rv will give you more options.

At 21-24 ft you probably wont need to tow a car but 32 ft, you probably will.

Im not sure if the rear overhang formula of 55% comes into play or not regarding 24 ft or 32 ft models. I would look into it to be sure. You want to make sure you do not scrap your rear overhang backing into sites or entering driveways.
The longer wheelbase will require wider turns and comes into play when maneuvering in cities/towns.

"The wheelbase-to-length ratio is the ratio of the length of the wheelbase (measured from the center of the front axle to the center of the rear axle) to the length of the motor home. We consider 54 percent as a minimum wheelbase-to-length ratio for safe highway travel".

[akrv]

It all depends on the wheel base. The shorter the better for tight campgrounds and not so good for on the road. Check the overhang behind the rear axle it should be less than 50% to the wheel base for better ride an handling.