A Women's RV Forum run by Women RVer's!

I am still trying to decide on the right RV for me. In the meantime, I have a few questions.

When driving a class C, how annoying is the large overhang over the cab? Just sitting in it I feel like I could get used to it, but then I think about the view.

Slide out vs. No slide out? Will I have to worry more about leaks and bugs with a slide out? Does it affect heating and cooling? Structural integrity?

Heated tanks......Yes or No? I am leaning towards yes.....Just in case they are needed.

Someone once told me that while driving a class C he felt like it was going to tip over all the time, so he bought a class A. I have looked at some of the new RUV's. The floor plan doesn't seem right for me, but they are very cool.

Over hang is a personal thing so I don't know.

Slide vs no slide is a personal choice. Slides do give you more room and can really open up a floor plan. They do require regular maintenance. Mine have a triple rubber seal so it seals pretty good but the insulation is not as thick in the slide. Slides are just about standard equipment these days. In a 5th wheel 3-4 slides is common. Some have a better reputation than others so do a little research. There are 3 or 4 different styles. Some have cables and some are a rack and pinion type, some are electric and some are hydraulic. My bedroom slide is cable and the living room and bunkhouse slides are electric rack and pinion since they are much larger than my bedroom slide.

Unless you will be using the RV below freezing I would not worry about tank heaters. I've heard of some tanks being damaged (melted) when the heater was left on and the tank was empty. If you have an enclosed belly and run the furnace your good to around 20 degrees.

I would get "auto level" before I got the tank heaters.

Any large profile vehicle is going to rock some in the wind. Generally the heavier vehicle and stiffer the suspension the more stable the ride. The lower the center of gravity, the better it will ride. That is dependent on how the vehicle is made, not so much the class. How one loads it, can also affect stability.

Good luck picking the right RV for you.

We about double is width when we open up. The slides in a Class C are probably not as deep but they add a lot of room for us. Look at the RV with the slide open and then with them shut and see the difference for yourself.

I longer notice the overhang at all. And I still love my views.

My last RV had a slide. This one doesn't. I didn't have trouble with leaks, but in wind and colder weather it was harder to stay warm, so wouldn't open the slide. I purchased new this year and this rig doesn't have any slides. I love my floorplan and don't need them. It's really personal preference.

I haven't had heated holding tanks and have been just fine. The compartment they were in for my last rig wasn't heated by my rigs hear, but kept them somewhat protected. This rig they are exposed to the elements. The biggest danger for me will be if the handles freeze. I saw that with several rigs with heated tanks also. I'll work with it.

I have no idea why someone felt they'd tip over.

Had a pick up years ago with a camper and the
overhang didn't bother me a bit.
I have a fifthwheel now with one slide referred
to by the dealer as a super slide, the entire length
of the fifthwheel.....if I'm parked and the slide is
in I can not access my microwave on the kitchen end
or the tv on the living room end. Knowing that now...
I will pay attention to that factor on the next rig I
get.

The class C overhang provides some shade, keeping your cockpit cooler. It doesn't bother me at all while driving. You do not get the wide open views out the front that a class A provides, so it's a trade-off.

I have never had a slide, and don't wish I did. More maintenance, and from what I have seen in rigs that have them is that they mainly provide more open floor space, not necessarily usable space, for me anyway.

When driving hangover doesn't bother me one bit I don't even notice it.. I have a slide and very seldom use it.... depending on floor plan next RV I might get I can do without a slide
I don't feel like I'm going to tip over its like driving a full size van with maybe 29 feet behind me but I didn't have before....donna

I have a TC and the overhang doesn't bother me at all. I have also driven a class c and it didn't feel awkward or like it was going to tip over and again the overhang didn't bother me.

Liz made a point I forgot - that I love about the overcab overhang - the cab stays so very much cooler.

I have had 2 Class C's that had the bed over the cab and I don't remember them bothering me at all. I have never driven a Class A but just sitting in the drivers seat I felt so exposed. Now I have a B+ and I miss the space up there. I have never had a slide but kind of feel like that would be just one more thing to cause problems. Now there aren't many motorhomes without a slide. My tanks are open to the outside but I would rather have them enclosed. I live so far South that I wouldn't pay extra for heated tanks. I would rather have automatic levelers.

Class C's with the overhang are more likely to develop leaks. If I ever bought another one it would have to have the molded fiberglass cap and not one with seams. Be darn sure and not buy one with a front window.

Check to see what you can access with the slides in. I want to be able to use my motorhome going down the road without having to put a slide out to use something.

Martha

After several thousand miles you can adapt to many things. I will second what Beth said about slides in cold weather. I experienced that in my very first rig. My last rig didn't have heated tanks. When I knew I had to drive through really cold temperatures I would use pink stuff in the tanks until I made it home and could winterize or made it south and didn't have to worry. I never sat in one place long enough in cold temperature to have to deal with frozen closures.

Depending upon how you want to use your rig and who may be traveling with you, slides or no slides have everything to do with floor plans and space. Depending upon the size of your Class C remember that slides add extra weight and may leave you less carrying capacity. And as mentioned, check how useable space is with the slide/s closed.

Think about both inside and outside storage and the dimensions of the doors and what may or may not fit in places, and how you will be able to distribute weight so that heavy things aren't all on one side or over one wheel. Lots depends upon what is important that you want to carry with you.

Measure things that are important ( or even your comfortable camp chair ) and carry those measurements with you along with a measuring tape as you look at rigs.

My last rig stayed warm or cool quite nicely but I usually felt a little like I was in a cave because of the windows and the views. There are no answers that are perfect, only answers that fit you..... And most of us will admit to trade offs that we allowed ourselves to accept because some things were more important to us than others.

I was on the fence about the overhang. I wanted it for a place for soft storage (extra blankets/coats). I never thought about the shade it would provide! I think storage is most important to me, having clutter wouldn't allow me to relax.

Thanks for the tip on taking a measuring tape with me. I was planning on taking 2 kids along next time I visit a dealer (or go to the RV show) to see exactly how it will feel with everyone in it (even though they won't be with us very often).

So much has changed since I first started looking. I started out just wanting a "step up" from a pop up. I don't want to set up too much when I arrive at the destination. Then I see stuff that makes me "oooooh" and "aaaaaah." Before I know it I have raised my search price and length way past my starting point. I will find what's right for me.
Thanks for all the great input.

Diane

I love my two big slides and have not had any trouble with them in more than two years of full-timing! They make my place seem MUCH more livable for full-timing, and I have never been in a campground where I could not open them. Also, I have no leaks with mine at all. I have once or twice put them in when we had really horrible winds--over 35 MPH.

You did say how old or new you were considering. The newer Class Cs no longer have windows in the front, which tended to leak in older models. They also have done a much better job of sealing joints and making the cab-over area stronger. I have slept grandkids or even their parents in my cab-over, so it was important to me to have that space. I also have a bunkhouse with bunks that convert to a rear dinette so I can sleep two kids there when they stay with me. (I removed the front dinette and put in my recliner from home.)

One important thing you get with a rear slide is much more storage room for clothing. Accessibility of this storage space is also important. For example, I have a full dresser and two short closets on my rear slide and a couple of feet of space to stand to access them and also to get dressed. My bed is sideways. If you get a rear bedroom with no slide, you will have small closets at the head of the bed on either side and you may have to stand on a step to reach them.

When you look at any RV, imagine where you will put clothing, coats, towels, sheets, extra blankets and bedding, dirty clothing, food, and every other item you plan on taking with you. If you will be using this for only a few weeks a year, you will not need as much storage as someone like me, but it still takes a lot of STUFF to travel.

Actually, there is a LOT less setup with a motorhome than a popup. I pull into a site, push a button to open each slide, pull out the RV plug and plug it in, and hook up my water hose. Once in a great while I will have sewer, but since I am alone most of the time, I usually only dump my tanks every 4 days, so often don't bother hooking up sewer at each campsite.

One correction to Judy's post - they DO still make Class C's with the front window. My rig is a 2014 without, but when looking some still had it. I never had a leak from around my front window in my last rig, like Judy hasn't had problems with her slides. Both are known to cause trouble. And there are several on this forum who have had problems with slides either not retracting or not going out. That said, I liked my slide, but it wasn't on my must have list.

It's easy to keep adding to what you want based on seeing the big, glorious rigs they make. Just be careful you don't change what you really want or how you want to travel. I stayed as small as I could - because that's most important to me and places I want to be able to go, just as most rigs under 35' I feel having a separate bedroom makes the living area too small in most cases. That's another reason you have to find what works for you - as others will say they'd hate to not have the separate bedroom lol

Hello Judy
I am looking for a 2011 to 2015. Which leads me to another question. I hear a lot of "don't buy new" because of depreciation, but when I am searching online there doesn't seem to be much of a price difference between some used and brand new. I suppose it depends on the make and model. What are the ones with the best reputations? Does anyone on here have, or know anyone that has, a 2015 Thor motor coach 24C? That is one I keep coming back to.

Beth
I did look around on here to find pictures of your rig. The Winnebago 25ft, correct? I love, love, love that floor plan! I would love a sofa and dinette. I prefer that style of dinette to the U shape. The U has less leg room for the unlucky ones that end up in the corners.