Advice on advising niece on 1st RV purchase.

[derouen6]

My 63 year old single, fiercely independent niece wants to buy a small MH. She has never owned any RV, but rented a class C years ago for a two week trip. Having owned 4 class A’s she has come to me for advice.
My main question is on length. She will not be towing a vehicle. Is 26ft too long? Should she stay at 22 or so feet? DH and I have always towed. Currently we own a 34ft DP.
We are meeting this week for Motorhomig 101 class. All suggestions appreciated.

Sherry

[camperdave]

If it were ME looking for a solo RV, it would for sure be a class B. A fully self contained van with a couch/bed would do me just fine. I traveled/camped out of a regular low roof van with a bed and a porta potti for years before wife/kids. But it's not me, and it's hard to say what your 63 year old Niece will want!

As to length, I can tell you that 30 feet is too long! I mean it works fine and we can do what we want, but I'm not taking it downtown for sightseeing. I can't use a normal parking lot without taking up at least 2 spaces, and need to pre-plan things more. For solo travel, I would not personally want 8' of width, or any more than ~22' long.

[pnichols]

pianotuna wrote:
26 feet is the ideal size for a class c.

Well ... also 24 feet is the ideal couple-size for a Class C if one of them has a bad back and needs the whole queen size corner bed to themselves and if the other one of them can still get up into the queen size cabover bed.

We take ours all over city/town driving, parking, and sight-seeing, exploring on off-highway roads and going to lakes/rivers, and camping in the older tent-type public land campgrounds.

Peeerrrrfect!

[pianotuna]

Magicbus,

Costs of purchase for a C vs a B are lower. For me, driving a 26 foot C was almost an identical experience to driving a car. ymmv

My cost comment was aimed at class A vs class C. However, the numbers for B vs C are:

Class B 113,000.00

Class C 74,000.00

[magicbus]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi magicbus,

In one word:

Cost.

Hmmm... not sure what you mean. That the OP's niece should avoid a B because you find it costly compared to a C? I don't find my B costly when compared to a C. Did it cost more per square foot? Yep, I bet it did. Were we willing to settle for a wider, less nimble handling C because it cost less, when we wanted a narrower, better handling vehicle that suited our space needs? I won't even get into how much I love having a one-piece metal roof body and no seams to worry about.

My wife drives a truck the size of a C for picking up charity donations. When we were discussing a smaller replacement for the DP I showed her C pictures and she said "No way am I driving something the size of that truck for fun, it can be longer, but I want it as wide as my car." And so we looked at B's. We bought what suited our needs (and she loves to drive it).

To say that the OP's niece should avoid B's because of "Cost" just seems silly. If she looks at them and weighs the pros and cons and finds they don't suit her and a C is less money, then she wins on all counts. Heck she may say "I hate the look of a van-style RV but like the C style". Her choice, all we were asked for is some advice.

Dave

[T18skyguy]

derouen6 wrote:
2chiefsRus,
The above questions will answered tomorrow.
It will be a class C.
My concern is length. Not for campsites but for touring, shopping, visiting smallish points of interest.
Remember, she will not have a toad.

Then it's simple. She needs to get the smallest that fits her needs. The bigger the rig, the more difficult it makes shopping and visiting small points of interest. I did that well when I had a 22 footer. Now I have a 32 and I can't imagine enjoying it without a toad. When I had the 22, all I had to do was disconnect the electric and go. I pumped water from on board and would dump sewage at the end. Even with a short one, it's a pain to have to relevel it every time you come back. A 22 or a 24 max I would say, especially if she intends to be in cities a good bit.

[pianotuna]

Hi magicbus,

In one word:

Cost.

magicbus wrote:

Personally I can't wrap my head around a class C, why not go right to a class A? But that does not mean there aren't a lot of reasons for some people to choose a C rather than an A, it just doesn't work for me. I keep coming back to parking but that is because I am thrilled to be able to pull over anywhere I want without worrying that I am driving a 8+ foot wide, 52 foot long coach and toad combo.

Dave

[Grit_dog]

And just like every other “which camper to get for my needs “ thread, there’s always more to consider.
Full time?
Stay in one place for long periods or move regularly?
City folk or out in the boonies ?
Ability to drive a bus vs intimidated by anything bigger than a Toyota?
Loner vs social butterfly?
Lots of miles vs a few?
All seasons/climates vs following the good weather?
Simple get by with what’s on your back vs bringing everything and an extra kitchen sink?

[Grit_dog]

I’d say the old wizard has the best advice thus far. Not knowing the financial means of the person in question, it’s easier to work your way up than have serious buyers remorse.
Renting for any significant length of time, if serious about it, imo , is throwing good money away.
Jump in with both feet, but into shallow water. Do some window shopping to get a general idea what size and configuration and find a deal on a used one.
Roll with that one for a while and then she will know exactly what she does or doesn’t like about it all while being out there in the rv world which will provide even more information based on others she sees or checks out with other rv ers.

[magicbus]

pianotuna wrote:
Generally it appears that class B cost more and offer less convenient amenities than a class C. For example storage, and a dedicated bed, for a c vs little storage, and making up a bed each time you want a little snooze.

A 26 foot class c with the 179 inch wheel base drives more or less like a van.

Well, not everyone needs a lot of storage, some of us like having a vehicle that parks in a standard width space, and some of us have beds that we do not need to make up to take a snooze (although as with our previous class A we make the bed when we get up in the morning 🙂 ).

Personally I can't wrap my head around a class C, why not go right to a class A? But that does not mean there aren't a lot of reasons for some people to choose a C rather than an A, it just doesn't work for me. I keep coming back to parking but that is because I am thrilled to be able to pull over anywhere I want without worrying that I am driving a 8+ foot wide, 52 foot long coach and toad combo.

So a B just offers another set of trade-offs compared to a B+ or C, just as a C does when compared to an A.

Dave

[pianotuna]

Generally it appears that class B cost more and offer less convenient amenities than a class C. For example storage, and a dedicated bed, for a c vs little storage, and making up a bed each time you want a little snooze.

A 26 foot class c with the 179 inch wheel base drives more or less like a van.

[ncrowley]

I also think she should look at a Class B if she is not going to have a toad. I have met a number of single women who travel in a class B without a toad, and they have been quite happy. The van chassis allows them to easily drive almost everywhere. The class B is easy to drive and handle.

[magicbus]

pasusan wrote:
Has she seen a class B? I would think that would be perfect for her - go anywhere and park it anywhere.

My thought too, especially for a single person. Goes anywhere, can park on any street without sticking into traffic, parks in shopping center lots without using 4 spots. I certainly wouldn't dismiss them out of hand without taking a look. Lots of options out there for wet/dry bath, half/full sized fridge, tank sizes, etc.

Dave

[pasusan]

derouen6 wrote:

My concern is length. Not for campsites but for touring, shopping, visiting smallish points of interest.
Remember, she will not have a toad.

Has she seen a class B? I would think that would be perfect for her - go anywhere and park it anywhere.

[2oldman]

Good work on the 'advice' thing.