I have a 2000 model 31 foot Class C with the
Ford V-10 gas engine.. It is on the Ford F-450 chassis. Some RV's come on
the F-350 chassis, but a dealer told me that the 450 would do better towing a
trailer. There are Class C RVs with Chevy chassis, but we didn't like them
as much. We pull a steel two horse trailer with it. So far it has
been great. Gas usage is a little over 8 mpg average. BUT I keep it at 60-62 MPH
on the Interstate. Any faster and it drops down close to 7 mpg. It
pulls the hills as well as a pickup does.
I hunted for a used vehicle with the hydralic
leveling jacks option. It is super nice to be able to pull into an uneven
camp site (typical for endurance rides) and jiggle the joystick around and drop
all four legs down until we get level. It takes about 60-90 seconds to get
it done. It costs between $5,000 -$7,000 to add this to an older unit, so
we hunted for one with it as original equipment.
The other option we added were rear auxilury
air suspension bags. We got the kind with their own compresser. What this
does is add or subtract firmness to the rear suspension which helps while towing
a trailer. It makes it so much better when you pass a semi truck on a two lane
road, and in cross winds. It cuts the sway a lot. It costs $700-$1000 to add
this on.
In my mind, the main advantage a Class C has over a
class A is the drivers and passenger door situation. In a Class C, you can
easily get out to check horses, tires, how far you are from backing into that
tree behind you, etc etc. In a Class A, you have to get out on the passenger
side, in the middle of the unit. That is not nearly as handy. My wife was also
concerned about safety. Our Class C came with drivers and passenger airbags.
Most if not all the Class A units we looked at had no airbags.
One thing we did look for was how the frame
extention was put on. I had some experienced RV people look at it, and they said
our vehicle was solidly built. Right behind the rear wheels is where they
extend the frame for longer RV's . Some are built tougher than others. An
experienced RV mechanic can tell you what to look for. The only thing was that
the standard equipment hitch on this model was only 3500 pounds, so we replaced
it with a 7500 pound hitch. Another thing to look for is how far the rear
overhang is. When you go through a dip, the rear end can drag on the ground. Our
unit has skid plates for going through dips. It takes a little getting used to
when you hear metal scraping on the pavement when you pull into a steep
driveway. Not all Ford F-450's have the same wheelbase. The longer the better.
One of the past advantages with diesels was the
supposedly slightly better fuel economy. Now we are seeing gas sell for 50 cents
a gallon cheaper than diesel, so it costs more to travel with a diesel rig.
We bought our used 2000 model Four Winds
Chateau with 15,000 miles for $30,000 from an individual. You can get mid
90's rigs with under 50,000 miles for around $15-$20,000.
We considered shorter units, but my wife wanted a
walk around queen sized rear bed. This way a person can get up in the middle of
the night to check horses without having to climb over the other person in the
bed getting in and out. She also wanted to be able to sit on the toilet
without having one elbow in the sink and the other in the tub. I only agreed in
the interest of keeping my crew comfortable:)
Hope this helps answer some questions about using
an RV for endurance rides.
