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Best Used Class C's? Rank your top five.

Wildlands1
Explorer
Explorer
Post your opinion of the top five used market Class C's. I'm looking for a well used one, rear bed, about 24' long and considering a Born Free, then a Lazy Daze, then ??? What others? Born Free's, my top choice, are usually way over NADA asking prices. Comments?
30 REPLIES 30

ron_dittmer
Explorer
Explorer
pnichols wrote:
The extra cargo carrying capacity of the E550 would have permitted heavier water tanks, grey tanks, black tanks, propane tanks, and battery storage compartments - in a small footprint compact motorhome. The ride in the front of the E550 was probably pretty rough, though, because I think that the front springs were leaf springs.
In many class B+ and C motor homes, typically it is the lack of physical space to provide larger tanks.

You are right in that the front suspension of an E550 has leaf springs....just like a class A and Super C.

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
ron.dittmer wrote:
In my book the E550 pictured places a motor home into a "Super-C" category....so much more heavy duty than an E450. I thought it was a great platform for the over-30-foot range.


Well ... there may have been one specialized use of the E550 chassis ... and that use is similar to what I see in the expedition vehicle forums: The E550 would have made a good chassis underneath a small 2WD or 4WD rough surface Class B/B+/C motorhome.

The extra cargo carrying capacity of the E550 would have permitted heavier water tanks, grey tanks, black tanks, propane tanks, and battery storage compartments - in a small footprint compact motorhome. The ride in the front of the E550 was probably pretty rough, though, because I think that the front springs were leaf springs.
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

ron_dittmer
Explorer
Explorer
In my book the E550 pictured places a motor home into a "Super-C" category....so much more heavy duty than an E450. I thought it was a great platform for the over-30-foot range.

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
John S. wrote:
I have had three Born Free units since 2006. Only thing done is new front tires on my current one. One ford recall on my first one. If you can find one on the f550 you will have a huge grin and never get rid of it till it wears out.


I assume that you meant an E550 ... not F550?

Here's a photo of a bare E550 cutaway van chassis that a Class C builder would have started with. I believe that Ford only offered them for a very short time - this one is a 2003 chassis:


If you meant E550 ... are you saying that Born Free actually offered a Class C on the E550 chassis?
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

John_S_
Explorer II
Explorer II
I have had three Born Free units since 2006. Only thing done is new front tires on my current one. One ford recall on my first one. If you can find one on the f550 you will have a huge grin and never get rid of it till it wears out.
John
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on a Ford 550
2018 Rubicon
Boo Boo a Mi Kie
42' 36' & 34 Foretravels sold
2007 Born free 24 sold
2001 Wrangler sold
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland sold
Susie Dolly, Lolly &Doodle (CKC) now in our hearts and thoughts

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
garyhaupt wrote:
pnichols wrote:
When we were shopping for a good used or new Class C back in 2005-2006 I ran across a used slideless 2004 24 foot Bigfoot Class C. I had studied them pretty thoroughly and really thought that I wanted to go with one ... however at the last minute I discovered a gotcha in that used Bigfoot. The shower was not tall enough for me to stand up in it .... for some stupid design reason!!!

Our E450 24 foot Itasca does not have that problem, plus does not have a lot of other problems and poor design issues that I read about in the forums regarding other Class C brands and model years. The bad news is, Winnebago quit producing this model and feature-set in about 2006 or 2007. About the only Winnebago Class C offering in a small footprint that I would consider today would be their 22M on the optional Ford E450 chassis -> other than I can't buy into the 22M having a slide due to our off-highway camping need for overall reliability and ruggedness.


Man..a low shower design? Was the RV interior tall enough for you. One of the things of my Triple E Regal...tall enough for my 6'2" handsome height.
Gary


Gary ... yup .... that Bigfoot Class C had a shower with a floor that was raised just slightly enough such that my head bumped into the ceiling when standing in it unless I tipped my head.

Our good old Itasca has great ceiling height (6'8") everywhere inside, but maybe it's overall roof height is taller than that of the Bigfoot. If I was to run stock tires on our Itasca, it's advertised roof height is supposedly 11'5" ... thus probably allowing for it's great interior ceiling height and it's basement design. A basement design provides taller outside cabinets for improved storage volume, but also pretty much prevents having it's passenger seat swivel backwards due to the cab-coach floor height difference.

I wonder if I could design and have built an RV with no trade-offs ... if I was to win the lotto? ๐Ÿ˜‰
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

garyhaupt
Explorer
Explorer
pnichols wrote:
When we were shopping for a good used or new Class C back in 2005-2006 I ran across a used slideless 2004 24 foot Bigfoot Class C. I had studied them pretty thoroughly and really thought that I wanted to go with one ... however at the last minute I discovered a gotcha in that used Bigfoot. The shower was not tall enough for me to stand up in it .... for some stupid design reason!!!

Our E450 24 foot Itasca does not have that problem, plus does not have a lot of other problems and poor design issues that I read about in the forums regarding other Class C brands and model years. The bad news is, Winnebago quit producing this model and feature-set in about 2006 or 2007. About the only Winnebago Class C offering in a small footprint that I would consider today would be their 22M on the optional Ford E450 chassis -> other than I can't buy into the 22M having a slide due to our off-highway camping need for overall reliability and ruggedness.


Man..a low shower design? Was the RV interior tall enough for you. One of the things of my Triple E Regal...tall enough for my 6'2" handsome height.

Gary
I have a Blog..about stuff, some of which is RV'ing.

http://mrgwh.blogspot.ca/

memtb
Explorer
Explorer
Weโ€™ve got the 450 chassis, but the unit is quite low. The exhaust tailpipe , several feet in front of the rear wheels and is definitely our low point. Just having a muffler shop extend it and exit immediately behind the rear wheels would give an additional 3 to 4 inches. We were on a pretty nice two track last summer, which needed โ€œcreativeโ€ driving to travel. โ€œIfโ€ and I do mean โ€œifโ€ we ever converted to 4x4, the conversion would include massive sway bars to minimize body roll. It wouldnโ€™t help with the elevated center of gravity..... but couldnโ€™t do anything but help with stability. With the 4x4 conversion, it would include a 2 speed transfer case, which would help with โ€œcreepingโ€ along backroads, as well as help on a steep boat ramp! I wish this thing had 1/2 the clearance that our 5er has!
Todd & Marianne
Miniature Schnauzer's - Sundai, Nellie & Maggie Mae
2007 Dodge Ram 3500, 6.7 Cummins, 6 speed manual, 3.73 ratio, 4x4
2004 Teton Grand Freedom, 39'
2007 Bigfoot 30MH26Sl

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
memtb wrote:
I guess that Bigfoot didnโ€™t account for the โ€œBig Guyโ€.....only the average rvโ€™er! ๐Ÿ™‚ Sorry that Winnebago eliminated your preferred pkg. It seems that many manufacturers quit the good models in search of the โ€œHoly Grailโ€!

Off-roading......Winnebago builds a good solid unit....do you think your slide cautions are justified? Also, how much ground clearance do you have? We couldnโ€™t clear a tall ant hill! I would really love to do the 4x4 conversion with a slight lift.....but itโ€™s hard to justify. Weโ€™re just not using it enough at this time! So....about all I can do, is go with a little taller tire next time. But, that will only buy an inch or so!


Slides are just more mechanisms to get jostled around and maybe mis-aligned from travel on rutted and tipped dirt/gravel roads. They also add additional weight, and that weight can be off-center/off-balance if single or double slides is/are only on one side of the coach. Slides also compromise the shear strength of the coach walls they're in and compromise the overall strength of the frame box that surrounds the coach.

Our 24 foot E450 Class C came new with about the ground clearance of a stock pickup truck without nerf bars. Getting down on my hands and knees and looking horizontally across the undercarriage areas - there is no plumbing or tank bottoms showing, no built-in generator frame bottom showing (the generator's exhaust pipe is even right up tight against the coach's skirt wall edge) , no propane tank bottom showing, and no retracted automatic coach step mechanism showing ... just like there would be none of this showing under a stock pickup truck without nerf bars. Also, the bottom edges of the coach wall skirt areas from the rear axle on back to the rear bumper height starts tapering upwards immediately starting from the back axle - with no horizontal run for a few feet before starting it's taper up to the rear bumper height. This helps to improve the approach angle in the rear of our rig.

I've also increased the ground clearance of everything by using tires that are larger diameter than what came on it ... which is superior to merely lifting a vehicle because lifting a vehicle does not increase ground clearance of the axles, the spring mounts, the differential(s), the steering components, the lower shock mounts, etc.. Lifting a vehicle - unfortunately usually necessary to provide mechanical clearance for added 4X4 drive components - also introduces the big negative of raising the overall center of gravity.

The bottom line is - going with larger diameter tires is not only a quick and inexpensive way to gain ground clearance - but IMHO the best way. However, larger diameter tires on a small Class C for moderate off-highway use (whether it be a 2WD or 4WD setup) are best if the chassis is an E450 one instead of an E350 one -> due to the E450's lower rear differential gear ratio being better able to offset the slight loss in drive axle torque introduced with larger diameter tires. Of course maintaining gas engine drive axle torque via proper overall drive system gearing is important for slow speed off-highway travel, especially in high ambient air temperatures that are hard on transmission cooling during slow travel speeds. What this means is, an E450 chassis is superior to an E350 chassis if one wants to employ larger diameter tires on a Class C.

All the above being taken into account, a lot of the newer small Class C motorhomes on their modern van chassis types that I see on the highway and in the adds really seem not well suited at all for any off-highway use due to their low-slung coach wall skirts and low hanging undercarriage coach components. They definitely appear to only be suitable for use how most of them get used - as low slung streamlined highway queens. They would never do for us when we're out 2WD exploring and camping while looking for rocks or fishing ... with all the comforts of home!
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

Puttin
Explorer
Explorer
I don't think anyone has mentioned Lazy Daze yet. Very solid and although no slides are offered the floor plans are pretty good. Good retro design as well- all aluminum exteriors.

Although our both our C's were Fleetwoods- the first was a Tioga, then a Jamboree. Both were good although admittedly not the best.

memtb
Explorer
Explorer
I guess that Bigfoot didnโ€™t account for the โ€œBig Guyโ€.....only the average rvโ€™er! ๐Ÿ™‚ Sorry that Winnebago eliminated your preferred pkg. It seems that many manufacturers quit the good models in search of the โ€œHoly Grailโ€!

Off-roading......Winnebago builds a good solid unit....do you think your slide cautions are justified? Also, how much ground clearance do you have? We couldnโ€™t clear a tall ant hill! I would really love to do the 4x4 conversion with a slight lift.....but itโ€™s hard to justify. Weโ€™re just not using it enough at this time! So....about all I can do, is go with a little taller tire next time. But, that will only buy an inch or so!
Todd & Marianne
Miniature Schnauzer's - Sundai, Nellie & Maggie Mae
2007 Dodge Ram 3500, 6.7 Cummins, 6 speed manual, 3.73 ratio, 4x4
2004 Teton Grand Freedom, 39'
2007 Bigfoot 30MH26Sl

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
When we were shopping for a good used or new Class C back in 2005-2006 I ran across a used slideless 2004 24 foot Bigfoot Class C. I had studied them pretty thoroughly and really thought that I wanted to go with one ... however at the last minute I discovered a gotcha in that used Bigfoot. The shower was not tall enough for me to stand up in it .... for some stupid design reason!!!

Our E450 24 foot Itasca does not have that problem, plus does not have a lot of other problems and poor design issues that I read about in the forums regarding other Class C brands and model years. The bad news is, Winnebago quit producing this model and feature-set in about 2006 or 2007. About the only Winnebago Class C offering in a small footprint that I would consider today would be their 22M on the optional Ford E450 chassis -> other than I can't buy into the 22M having a slide due to our off-highway camping need for overall reliability and ruggedness.
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

memtb
Explorer
Explorer
Phil, It sounds like Winnebago did a good job for probably 90+% of the rvโ€™ers, without going all-in for extreme conditions. Iโ€™m glad I didnโ€™t insult your Winnebago by excluding completely from my list. ๐Ÿ™‚ Hopefully, the large majority of class c owners never test their units at below zero F temps. Our use definitely falls outside the norm. I should stay out of the opinion polls, as my opinions are heavily biased toward temperature extremes....both hot and cold! ๐Ÿ˜‰
Todd & Marianne
Miniature Schnauzer's - Sundai, Nellie & Maggie Mae
2007 Dodge Ram 3500, 6.7 Cummins, 6 speed manual, 3.73 ratio, 4x4
2004 Teton Grand Freedom, 39'
2007 Bigfoot 30MH26Sl

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
memtb wrote:
pnichols (Phil), As the tanks, and sewer lines and valves are not inclosed within the heated area (forced air) of the unit....I donโ€™t consider it winter (cold ) weather capable. Or maybe, Iโ€™m still misreading the construction specs! Of course, everyone has their own definition of โ€œwinterโ€! For me โ€œwinterโ€ starts at zero F, and goes down from there! ๐Ÿ˜‰


Well ... the sewer lines and valves on my Winnebago Itasca Class C are not exposed, per se, like those hanging down under many TTs. They're up under the coach contained within areas inside the coach wall skirts and thus protected from direct contact with the outside air.

The Winnebago Winter Package includes black and grey tank 12V heaters. When these tanks have their heating pads turned on, it of course means that the liquid in them is heated and this heated liquid is also filling the sewer lines between the sewer line valves and the tanks. This warmed liquid is right up against the sewer line valves on the tank sides of the valves - so no wrapping of the black and grey sewer lines is needed to keep these lines and valves from freezing if the tank heating pads are turned on. Of course, the sewer lines on the other side (outside side) of the valves are empty of any liquid, so there's nothing in these lines to freeze.

I prefer 12V pad grey/black tank heating for two reasons: This means 1) that cold weather drycamping does not require an inverter to power the pads, and 2) that cold weather driving doesn't require the coach propane furnace to be operating when going down the road.

The entire fresh water system is contained within coach interior areas that are warm if the coach is kept warm, so no problem camping in cold weather regarding fresh water.

At least for the year of our Class C, Winnebago got it right with their Winter Package ... other than we don't have double-pane windows.
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C