36' vs. 39' long - is there much parking/driving difference?

[content]

Can you please help me learn from your experience? I continue to unintentionally try to upsell myself to a larger Class C

My question: Is the 39' Force HD or DX3 much different to drive and park compared to the 36' Force HD or DX3? Is there really any advantage to the 36' unit?

I started out wanting something no larger than 28' with a cab-over bunk. The primary reasons for wanting to stay shorter are availability of parking/camping spaces and maneuverability.

However, I would prefer a chassis/engine other than the E450 or Chevy 4500, and a little more room/CCC than the Mercedes Sprinter chassis units. This led me to look at the Isata 5 30FW, which is 32'. While the 30FW is a pretty cool unit, there are necessary compromises to get to that length. Therefore, we got to looking at 36' units!

Once you get to 36' (I said to myself ), wouldn't the M2 chassis be better since the cab is at the same level as the living area (i.e. you don't need to do the squat/kneel/crawl to get into the back from the cab).

Which then led to these thoughts: 1) if you are up to 36', you've kind of left the small/maneuverable thing behind ; and 2) if that is the case, does it really make much difference if you go on up to 39' (if you like the floorplan better)?

Thanks for any thoughts on this. We went from an 18' bumper pull to a 26' bumper pull to a 34' fifth wheel relatively quickly, and we are trying to avoid that with the Class C!

[I5PhilGa]

It all boils down to personal preference and comfort level. I have owned a 37 foot class A DP, class A 36 foot gas, 32 foot class A front engine diesel and a 24 foot C class Sprinter. To me the length is less of a concern than the width. I chose the Isata 36 DS because it is 96 inches wide and drives like a dream. My wife has no trouble driving it as well, the 5 or 6 inch narrower width reduces her stress level. Dynamax also provides somewhat longer than average wheelbases which improves the ride. You may want to test drive them all before you decide. God luck with your search!

[halla]

We had a 35' Super C back in 2014 and then went up to the Force and now Force HD family. I dont notice much difference in the length, I actually think the turning radius on the big truck (M2) makes it a lot easier to drive, the 35' I had sat on a Ford F550 and did not have a big turning radius, so it was harder to drive.

I think the Force drives as easy as my pickup truck, just longer and more to watch for in the mirrors.

[RV Randy]

Once you go beyond a certain length (I think its 33') then you're too big for any National Park access. Thats never been a concern for us, but just saying.

We have the DX3 37TS which is 39' long. On the DX3 the tail (the part of the chassis behind the rear axle) is a little bit longer than some rigs due to the shorter wheel base. This gives you a better turning radius, but you need to watch the tail swing in your mirrors in tight quarters to make sure you dont tag something (like a bollard pipe when you're pulling away from fuel pumps, etc). If you tow a trailer, I've found the extra tail swing makes the trailer follow in the same track as the rig. This makes doing corners easier as the trailer is less likely to cut the corner shorter and clip a curb, etc.

I dont think you would really notice a 36' to 39' difference being a problem parking and such, so if the longer length gives you the floor plan you really want I would recommend you go for it.

[formerFR]

my take is that 'maneuvering' is easier with a coach that has a shorter wheelbase, no matter the 'tail swing' length(past the rear wheels)... when it comes to driving, turning, and backing.

tail swing is what most folks are afraid of, and it really is the number one cause of accidents, even within the motorhome transport industry, especially with new drivers trying to fuel up a gas motorhome at 'regular' fuel stations. If you don't plan your 'out', just as well as your entry, you can find yourself in a position that can easily lead to a bruising of your ego, in public.

There are extremely long coaches with tag axles and very little tail overhang, and some gas coaches with short wheel bases and very lengthy tail overhang lengths. Each has it's own driving concerns, but once you become used to your coach's length, you start to develop driving habits that help keep the rift from the raft!

Maneuvering slowly, slowly, slowly, is your best friend, no matter what length coach you drive. I've owned a 42' fifth with a diesel F250 dually, a 38' Class A towing a car dolly, and our now 34' diesel pusher towing a 4-down Focus, and have delivered many different gas and diesel coaches, both ClassC and ClassA, some with tag axles, and ALL have to be driven slightly differently, with different aspects being more important on some than others.
Most of my diesel transports, and my one Palazzo, are always fueled at 'regular' fuel stations - as a confident driver, I don't worry about anything other than can I maneuver effectively within the station and it's fuel pumps, and can I enter and exit easily. If it has diesel, I'll fuel there just as well as anywhere, if the price is right.
As for gas RVs, you don't have much choice other than 'regular' stations, other than the few and far inbetween 'rv lanes' that a few places offer, though I've found that those can be just as tight and almost worst to use than just finding a clear fuel pump just like everyone else uses.
Class A gas units also have fuel fills at different locations - some are located somewhere down the driver side, near the rear, other have one located ON the rear, but near the driver side edge, and still others have it completely centered on the rear(the worst!). What makes these difficult is that you have to almost 'guess' as to whether you have pulled your rig up far enough for the fuel hose to reach your fuel fill. If not, you have to go back in and pull the rig up farther, etc. The fills on the rear can be even more difficult, because now you also have to make sure you are close enough for the fuel hose to actually get all the way over to the center of the coach! Crazy.

[The Renegade]

I can't offer you years of experience but I can give you a first time motorhome owners view. Never had one, never drove one, heck had not even walked in many of them but went straight to a Force HD37TS. It is 39' overall length. To me it is no big deal at all to drive. Like others have said above, you have to be careful and watch the tail swing but they are really easy to drive. I have drove and pulled horses and cattle all over the east so the size and weight was no big deal to me. Dont let the size intimidate you but at the same time just give it respect.

[CaptnJohn]

You do NOT want to join the thousands of us ~~~

[Steveboe]

When you drive and back up you will appreciate a shorter length unless you plan to park for a longer time at a time.
31 footer is the longest I have had. Sometimes it was difficult to use, especially when launching a boat with it. Back bumper went into the water.
The kind of travel and camping I do lately is best with less.
Campground's run out of big sites first.

[steverkemp]

Best advice I can give is buy what you really want and can afford. Otherwise you’ll probably finding yourself wanting to upgrade in short order. I went from a 38’ bumper pull to a 32’ E450 class C. Had that for 2 years missing the open floor plan of my TT and upgraded to the 37TS.

You’re definitely in the right forum asking this question. Dynamax all the way!

[Bill Davis]

I, as Several other people on this forum have downsized to smaller coaches. I went from a 40’ diesel pusher pulling a 24’ trailer to a 24’ sprinter pulling a 12’ trailer. We love it. It’s so much easier to find spots at National and State parks which are our favorite places to camp. The coach has plenty of room for the two of us. Our kids are grown so we don’t need the extra bunks.
Just thought I would throw in another perspective for what it’s worth. Bigger is not always better.

[CaptnJohn]

Depends~~~ we have ha them all. Every TT was too small no matter how long. A super C still felt small and like I should be driving. The diesel pusher was great except for the maintenance costs. No way was a class A gasser going to work fighting the gas islands. A 35' 5er worked great on trips of up to 2 - 3 weeks. The best for us is the 43' 5er! We still do the 1 - 3 week trips and also the 1 - 3 month trips. My wife says there is no going back from here, I agree. King bed, large shower, stack washer/dryer.... and RV fridge for the times we spend a week boondocking without running a genny.

[DR Quest]

Can you ever go to big?

[Bill Davis]

Originally Posted by DR Quest

Can you ever go to big?

I have.

[content]

Originally Posted by Bill Davis

I, as Several other people on this forum have downsized to smaller coaches. I went from a 40’ diesel pusher pulling a 24’ trailer to a 24’ sprinter pulling a 12’ trailer. We love it. It’s so much easier to find spots at National and State parks which are our favorite places to camp. The coach has plenty of room for the two of us. Our kids are grown so we don’t need the extra bunks.
Just thought I would throw in another perspective for what it’s worth. Bigger is not always better.

Thanks everyone for the replies and perspective above. Thanks Bill Davis for your reply immediately above. We continue to debate the pros/cons of going with a smaller setup like you describe. It is helpful to learn through the experience of others.

[ETF]

To answer your original question, "Is there much difference driving and parking a 36' as opposed to a 39'?", and no there is not or at least I've never found it so.

The size that best suits you wholly depends on how and what you want to use it for. State and National Parks can be a challenge if your rig is too long, if they are even allowed. Full hook-up, pull through, luxury sites can get expensive if you use them a lot. We found sprinter size units to get crowded and claustrophobic after a short length of time in them but I have an acquaintance who spends weeks at a time in his and loves it. I think that finding a floor plan that works for you is more important than the length. Little things can become major annoyances after 2 or 3 weeks in an RV.

Unfortunately, and I don't mean to be discouraging, but I can't think of many people who got it exactly right with their first RV. I know that I didn't. I think that a first RV is as much a learning experience as anything else. You learn what you like about it and what you don't, what you can compromise on and what ends up just plain annoying you. I'll say that after 12 years and several RVs that I've never found a perfect one but the Dynamax 37TS comes pretty close straight out of the box.

[content]

For the benefit of others thinking about this, I wanted to share our experience after a couple of months and about 3,000 miles.

We went with the 37BH (39' long) and we are very happy with this decision so far. It drives great and we have been able to get wherever we needed to go.

I don't think the 36' floorplan would have made much difference in drivability and parkability, and we are very happy with the benefits of the 37BH floorplan with the extra 3'.

I'm sure in the future we will find the open campsite that we can't use because we are too long, but overall happy with the longer rig.

[Mythplaced]

I have "squeezed" a 40' into a Natl Park 32' space. Took some back and forth jockeying but got it in there.

[formerFR]

good point, and our experiences, too...as many new to RVing 'worry' about a specific length of RV for 'where' they think they will be traveling, or camping....

but what we've found is that 'measurements' of sites and length 'maximums' by some national and state parks are not what you and I would measure, when it comes to 'usable' site lengths.
Many sites, if not most, don't even consider the 'hangover' portion at the rear of the site, if there are no trees or obstacles blocking it, as most don't. This gives most any RV, trailer, or motorhome an extra 5-15' or sometimes more. Some only measure the 'gravel' or 'paved' portion, and yet the rear end of the site, past the gravel or pavement, is still fine to park on.

I think the measurements also take into consideration a tow vehicle, for trailers and fifth-wheels, and a toad for motorized RVs, and sometimes even an 'additional' vehicle. We've seen sites advertised as 'limited to 25' be usable for up to 60' of parking...crazy. Whoever makes these measurement 'determinations' either doesn't understand the realities of RVing, or doesn't have a measuring tape long enough to do the job!

We rarely 'worry' about site lengths, as even when I'm considering making reservation at a park that has them, I 'know' reasonably that their measurements probably won't impact the stay there. I highly doubt anyone simply uses the length of the RV as the only part of the equation, they usually are contemplating tow vehicles and toads and therefore there is usually 'plenty' of space, if you are in the 'neighborhood' of the limit. A 25' limit probably easily allows for a 35' coach and toad, and even more, and a 35' limit probably can handle the longest of motorcoaches, even if the toad is detached and parked somewhere else.

Also, I don't that I've EVER had anyone with a measuring tape come out of the 'office' and measure our coach, no matter what 'length' site we reserved or was offered. Employees and owners aren't out to 'limit' the public from using their facilities - but they offer these limits as a way to make sure the RV owner is aware of what they are getting into.

no worries....go, enjoy!