New to class c

[c5er]

Hi looking to buy a class C. Have ha a TT and 5th wheel 10 years ago.
Goal: do a 2 week or couple 1week trips per year with a few weekends scattered in.
Goal2: pull our rubicon JKU along.

Our favorite floor plans are the leprechaun 260ds and sun seeker 2500ts. We like these two because of shorter length open feeling and neither have the typical dinette seating. We like the j seating and sofa of the leprechaun, but I prefer the fiberglass roof and the drain plumbing setup of the sunseeker better.

Looking for any thoughts on these two units

Thanks

[Jack_Spratt]

When we got our 260DS I thought the window might be an issue,
being used to windows on either side of the bed.
But it has never bothered us. The bedroom is much quieter without a side window open.

[c5er]

Also for those with a 260DS, do you find an issue with only the one window, and that being a escape window in the bedroom? I kind of like the idea of the open side side windows on each side of the slide out of the Sunseeker 2500.

[c5er]

We did a closer look at the Sunseeker and leprechaun, still torn. I really like the floor plan and j dinette with coach, but really concerned about the open belly and low crossover dump tube. While I agree that tpo and fiberglass tops still require the same maintenance I would expect the fiberglass top is easier to clean. It seems like it was at least have a day to scrub the tpo of our 5th wheeled back to a color that somewgphat resembled white.

For those with the 260ds or 2500ts any comments on the use ability of the bathrooms.? What about useability of the kitchens?

[jimx200]

Our 24' Class C has been great these past 3 years. We test drove the Same model with the Chevy engine in our Sierra's here in N California and then rented a Ford V10 model and wow, that V10 has much more power and why we went with it. Try before you buy.

[4x4van]

While the fiberglass roof is a plus, as camperdave said it still has seams and penetrations, and will still require annual inspection/resealing. That's a once a year proposition (on either), while the floorplan is "every day". Just like "location, location, location" is important in a S&B house, with an RV it is "floorplan, floorplan, floorplan".

[Harvey51]

Our class C experience has been excellent. We’ve grown to feel it’s our little cottage on wheels that resides at various lakes we choose. It’s more comfortable than a motel room. And it can reside at a hamburger takeout so we can stay with our dogs for supper. Ours has never been to a garage or RV shop in the 11 years we’ve had it so no excessive costs. It does make a difference to learn how everything works and tackle fixes that are a little bit challenging.

[Jack_Spratt]

c5er wrote:

Jack Spratt wrote:
We chose the 260DSF and have no regrets not choosing other floor plans.
The recliners and the j lounge dinette are probably our favorite options.
We also enjoy all the storage over the cab which we would have forfeited
had we chosen the entertainment center.

Jack, any concerns the way the dump outputs are hooked up under th chassis( exposed)? How’s the process for dumping the tanks?

How about the spli mattress comfort?

Did you get electric or hydraulic jacks and how did they work?

Thanks

The dump outlets do appear low and some day I may raise them a few inches.
It hasn’t been an issue but I try to be aware of where I’m driving.

The mattress is very comfortable, we did add a 1-2” foam pad.
It was a concern until we actually slept on the mattress.

The Bigfoot leveling system works great.

We also added a solar panel which keeps the batteries topped off.

No buyers remorse.
Two of us and 80# dog enjoy the room, but then we traded in our truck camper
so it was a quantum leap for us.
Jack

[c5er]

Jack Spratt wrote:
We chose the 260DSF and have no regrets not choosing other floor plans.
The recliners and the j lounge dinette are probably our favorite options.
We also enjoy all the storage over the cab which we would have forfeited
had we chosen the entertainment center.

Jack, any concerns the way the dump outputs are hooked up under th chassis( exposed)? How’s the process for dumping the tanks?

How about the spli mattress comfort?

Did you get electric or hydraulic jacks and how did they work?

Thanks

[Jack_Spratt]

We chose the 260DSF and have no regrets not choosing other floor plans.
The recliners and the j lounge dinette are probably our favorite options.
We also enjoy all the storage over the cab which we would have forfeited
had we chosen the entertainment center.

[theoldwizard1]

c5er wrote:
One last note, since the plan is to drag the jeep behind the RV, and the jeep weight 4400lbs dry (by spec) i fugure i am pushing too close to the 5000 towing capacity cited for the Chevy, so I need to be looking at the ford which indicated 7500lbs.

I would seriously consider a diesel engine option. I will add a lot to the cost, but I think you going to need the power especially if you have to travel trough any hilly/mountainous area.

Or, be content to going up hill at less than interstate speed with your foot to the floor. The engine and transmission WILL take the abuse. Check the rear axle ratio. You want a 4.10 or higher.

[magnusfide]

I'm with the others on the fiberglass roofs. You can also get a coating for the rubber roofs that resembles the bedliner for pickups. We put that on our older used mh (before we bought the current one) and 7 years later the guy who bought it said there's still no leaks. Now we own a Phoenix Cruiser 2551 with a fiberglass roof and we love it.

I get the idea you're buying new instead of used so you do have more wiggle room on the layout priorities.

One thing I'd suggest is to do an honest appraisal of the closet space on each. The more closet space, the more clothing you can take on a trip. It helps when you want to spend your time sightseeing instead of in the campground laundromat.

Personally I prefer the Chevy chassis. We bought a Vespa for our get-about vehicle and love it especially for going into towns that might have limited parking. You might want to consider something like that instead of the expense of a towable and it's connectors.

[camperdave]

I understand the advantage of a fiberglass roof over rubber, mainly stronger resistance to damage from branches and a longer overall life. However the main failure of most roofs is leakage, which usually happens at a junction. In that case, they are the same, aren't they? A fiberglass roof has the same number of seams and penetrations as a rubber roof right?

From a maintenance standpoint, they are both going to require the same inspection and resealing on an annual basis. The rubber will need a re-coating in 10-15 years though.

[c5er]

One last note, since the plan is to drag the jeep behind the RV, and the jeep weight 4400lbs dry (by spec) i fugure i am pushing too close to the 5000 towing capacity cited for the Chevy, so I need to be looking at the ford which indicated 7500lbs.

[c5er]

I agree its an expensive option, but we also have dogs which its nice to bring them along. we stayed at the lodge in yellow stone last year, and the DW really felt like we missed being part of the experience by staying in the lodge vs a camper.

I am torn on the two, the leprechaun gives more space and better seating, but sunseeker may be a bit easier to maintain. they look to be sitting about the same price. So basically a space / layout vs maintenance question.

I don't have indoor storage this and live in Wisconsin, so need to deal with winter, which makes me lean toward the fiberglass roof based units.