Moving on

[turnski10]

My wife an I have begun shopping for our new motorhome.
The question is this should we stay gas or diesel ?
Class A or Class C
We want to stay at 32 feet or smaller so we can go into national parks.

Suggestions.

[Bill and Gail]

This would be a personal choice. The main thing to do is find a floor plan you like. We have a Sunseeker 3010DS, which works for us. It's a gas Class C. Forest River also makes the FR3 30DS, which is a 31' 11" gas Class A with the same floor plan as my 3010DS. So the thing is to first decide on a floor plan.

[RVwino]

X2 on finding a floorplan that works for you at the price you want to spend.

You can adapt to drive whatever you choose. But some may find a Class C the easiest to drive because the cockpit layout and the driver’s position behind the steering wheels is familiar. In Class A’s, you need to get used to starting your turns later because you’re sitting on top of the front wheels. Class A diesel pushers would likely be the least familiar as some controls are just below the driver’s side window.

[BehindBars]

The forum members can’t decide what works best for you, be it A, C, gas, diesel.

I can say what works for me- a gasoline class C. I like it because it has cab doors (not just the single house door), a cab that is built by an automotive manufacturer (not an RV assembler), parts for the Ford E series are readily available and relatively inexpensive, it fits under my building’s 12’ garage door, and the wheels are small enough I can change tires myself, and in the case of my model, comes with a spare tire/wheel. I had a 31’4” class C in the past, but downsized to 27’1” for maneuvering ability, shorter turning radius, and better fit on forest campsites. The shorter class C, yet still built on the class 4 truck, gives me good cargo carrying capacity of almost 3000 pounds.

One negative with going too short is you can lose the full time bed, instead having a split mattress on a slideout, or end up with a crowded corner bed.

The wife is very comfortable driving the smaller C so we can share driving duties.

[Sunseeker16]

I have a 2016 3010 DS and one of the selling points for me when I bought it was counter space. Another was the double door absorbsion fridge and the lack of technology, ie everything works on switches not touch pads or apps. One drawback is the furniture. The tri-fold love seat really sucks but I can fix that. I just love the simplicity of set up and tear down.

[turnski10]

We currently have a 2021.5 georgetown 32j the setup is nice ant it's smaller than our old coach which was a 36 t fleetwood.
We are looking at the sprinter / mercedes based class c for maneuverability and fuel consumption, and ease of off use storage.
The downside is they are more costly to repair , as is their larger diesel pusher counterparts. But guess it's all a trade off.

[NXR]

Although I know you're painfully aware of this, be darn certain to look at the OCCC sticker. Some, like the Tiffin Wayfarer, are notorious for very low OCCC. We saw one that was barely 900 lbs.

Ray

[NoviBill]

We have a 2006 26’ with 2 slides. The great thing is a full time bed in back well isolated from the couch in front. So I can get up and read without waking my DW. We also have decent sized tanks, shower and dry bath.

The downside is storage, it’s tight. Also not much counter space, which is mixed, nothing to put away before we drive

Great size and floor plan for traveling and we don’t “need” a toad. Larger would be nice for long stays.

The hard part is figuring out what you want and harder still is finding what you want.

Good luck!

[flyflotrtim]

Originally Posted by BehindBars

The forum members can’t decide what works best for you, be it A, C, gas, diesel.

Too many considerations for us to give opinions. With more information on your camping preferences, folks will give you more considered opinions. How far and often will you travel, length of stay, will you tow, mountains or primarily flat driving, pets, budget, etc.

[turnski10]

Thanks Ray, yes OCCC stickers are notoriously wrong as I've found out . As I cant speak on an open forums but our journey maybe coming to an end next month and we will be moving away from Forest River . Sadly our coach was beautiful to look at and that's it, I will certainly do my due diligence long before our next purchase.

[turnski10]

Thanks, yeah I had a 36 ft for 14 years prior to getting our 2021.5, and have driven Big trucks so turning and swing don't bother me, I think lay out and useable space is going to be high on my list as well as comfort and ease of maneuverability.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Hopefully your next rig will meet your needs.

Class A's have more cargo carrying capability but they're usuall taller and trees can be a problem.
Web surfing can give you an idea of the counterspace in the floorplan so that you can narrow your search. Usable space means different things to different people.
We prefer gas because it's easier to find, but we've got a very small rig.

When you find your next rig, let us know and don't be a stranger. This forum is open to all even if you settle on SOB.

[Falcon900Guy]

Originally Posted by turnski10

My wife an I have begun shopping for our new motorhome.
The question is this should we stay gas or diesel ?
Class A or Class C
We want to stay at 32 feet or smaller so we can go into national parks.

Suggestions.

Man, you opened up a huge can of worms.
It is up to you the buyer.
We had a Class C. Loved t except for:
Drivers seat will only move back so far due to slide out. Being over 6', I had no room for comfort while driving.
No storage. We plan in the future to not full time but take 2-3 month trips. No room. You can only take so much. You also have to think about the GVWR. Class C are usually around 14,500lbs. With self leveling (must have) and two slide outs your weight is up there your storage capacity is limited. We only had 1200+ lbs on a 32'. That weight is for propane, water, food etc. Shorter might be better but for sure something to consider. GVWR its important.
Towing capacity. Ours had 7500 but most are 5000'
Maintenance: Class C gas, usually F450 or Chev. Anybody can work on it. Oil changes are pretty inexpensive. Its just a truck.
Diesel? Depending on your engine, is it not cheap. Most people can not work on their own. Around 7 gallons for oil change. Diesel mechanic has to work on it. My diesel Cumins 350hp oil change was $500.
We traded and went with a Class A gasser, V-10. I have heard of Class C with the new V-8 gasser but not the Class A as yet. I could be wrong. If it is available, I would for are get the V-8.
I, personally find that the Class A is easier to drive. There are some things that you have to learn but they are both 8-81/2' wide so that is not different. It is the length that comes into play. We went from a 32 to 38' and other than delaying your turn a little, not a big difference as you are sitting over or ahead of the front axle. Not really a huge challange. I find backing up into a camp site easier but that is just me.
Think about it and condsider what you want to do with your MH and get what you want in a floor plan and enjoy!!

[Rosko]

Originally Posted by turnski10

My wife an I have begun shopping for our new motorhome.
The question is this should we stay gas or diesel ?
Class A or Class C
We want to stay at 32 feet or smaller so we can go into national parks.

Suggestions.

My wife have stayed with gas for the cost factors associated with purchase and maintenance of diesel. We started with a 23 foot Class C but found it was too tight. Purchased a used Class A Fleetwood Fiesta 32 feet. Loved it. We upgraded to Forest River 2022 FR 30. Perfect size and price for a couple, with some nice features.
Needed to fix a few poor construction issues. Big one was the gaps on doghouse which allowed engine noise to enter cab. Used expanding foam tape on edge and also took the time to apply sound proofing on inside of doghouse. Front engine door raddled and required more than a simple adjustment to secure firmly. Frig drain hose was not attached to drip pan which resulted in water running down and out left side of frig. Bedroom ceiling molding strips began to pull away from ceiling, stables they use are inadequate.
We have enjoyed the unit after these repairs.

[HYDROG]

We started out many years ago with 2 small C class units, then took a big jump to a large diesel pusher, then a big 5th wheel and then downsized to a 32' C class with 2 slides. We have finally found what suited us best in the 2020 3011DS. Features we wanted, in no particular order, included:
-sufficient storage space and carrying capacity for my wife and 2 big dogs for trips of one or two months,
-entry door just behind the passenger seat so the passenger seat can be swivelled around for longer stays, adding a lot of useable space,
-the well tested, reliable and durable Ford 6.8L V10,
-access to everything in the unit with the slides in so it can be used for overnight stops without putting the slides out,
-ample kitchen counter space,
-no need for air brake or heavy weight driving licence,
-easier to drive and park than an A class, in my wife's opinion,
-easier and much cheaper to service than a diesel,
-main TV mounted directly across from the reclining theater seats so you don't have to be looking at an angle,
-large enough to suit our needs while still able to get into most campgrounds,
-shower separate from the bathroom,
-automatic levelling system, and
-large pass though storage space.
This unit is not perfect but it suits our needs better than any of the other units we have had over the last 40 plus years. I am sure eveyone will have different opinions on what is best for them but these are some of the things we eventually looked for and found in the 3011DS. Good luck with your search and I hope you find what you are looking for.