Need Advise on Purchasing a Used Class C

[AtWillWanderer2024]

Hello All!
Happy to be here and delving into a new community.

Looking for a used Class C. Budget is 40K...50K max. 2 people traveling.

Curious about what makes and models that would be best to consider.
Going to put some miles on and travel the country.
Interested in reliability, gas/diesel, operating cost per mile, maintenance, quality of build...anything you can tell me.

I don't know enough to know what I don't know. Lol

Total newbie here. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

 

[kb0zke]

Welcome! You may be a bit ahead of yourself, or maybe you have done some research already. Why are you focusing on a Class C? I usually tell people to lay our the mission first, as that will generally help you find the type of RV that suits your needs.

First, are you a weekender, part-timer, full-timer? Generally, the longer you are going to be on the road at any one time the larger the RV you will need. I know a couple who are full-timing in a 1973 (yes, 1973) Dodge van conversion, but they are the exception.

Second, Class C rigs often have very limited carrying capacity. There are a few that are nearly at gross vehicle weight with full fuel and two adults. Food, clothes, bedding, etc. puts them over weight. Pay close attention to the carrying capacity of whatever you are looking at and just what is, and is not, included in the base weight of the rig.

Third, unless you are a weekender, and just going to the local State park once in a while, get used to the idea of something towing something else. Many people fall into the trap of thinking that a Class C can be used as a daily driver as well as the home away from home. Packing up for travel every time you want to go to the store or sight-seeing gets old very quickly. A truck that tows a trailer can leave the trailer set up at the campsite while it goes to Wal-Mart. A motorhome with a towed can be left at the campground while the towed goes sight-seeing.

You mentioned quality, and that is important. Just as important is the layout. I'd suggest you go to every dealer and RV show you can and look at everything to see, from the ratty old pop-up in the back row to the multi-million dollar quad slide motorhome out front. Don't pay any attention to price, just look at build quality and layout. There are only so many ways to arrange a box for living, so it won't take you long to figure out what you need and what you don't want. Look at older rigs to see how well they stand up. Airstreams, Foretravels, and Newells, to name a few, are high-end coaches, and 20-30-year-old ones are often still on the road.

How will you be camping? Will go go from one resort-type campground to another? Will you be going to State parks or COE campgrounds? Will you be boondocking? If so, how far off the highway do you want to go?

Don't worry about asking lots of questions. Back when we were researching it seemed that every question I got answered generated five more questions. I'm sure that some people here and on the other forums I frequented got a little tired of my questions, but they generously continued to answer them. I started saying that I'd rather ask 1,000 questions before writing a large check than to ask one question 1,000 times after writing that check.

One last tip: one filter I used back then was to see if there was an on-line owners group for any brand I was considering. If so, I joined it. If not, I dropped the brand. There was one brand that was frequently suggested to me, but when I tried to join the owners forum I was told that i had to own one in order to join. I dropped that brand from consideration. I also limited my search to those brands that were still being produced.

You are wise to be considering used rigs as your first one. Very few people get it right the first time, and even they have circumstances change over the years, so that what was right to start with no longer fits their needs. We started out in a 1993 Foretravel U300. That lasted us nearly 10 years, when we realized that it no longer fit our needs. We wanted an Airstream, but hadn't found one when someone bought the Foretravel, so we bought this Grand Design Reflection 315 RLTS travel trailer. This fall we will be actively searching for the Airstream we couldn't find last year.

[sandsys]

The Class C the two of us traveled in full time was a Winnebago View. It was built on a Sprinter Chassis so had a diesel engine, was quiet, and got excellent mileage. It is only 24 feet long and we were in travel mode so we didn't tow a car. We just stopped at grocery stores and laundromats while we were traveling from one place to another.  If I was shopping for a Class C again I would look for one of their model G units as it has a walk around bed which my old body would appreciate.

Linda Sand

[Kirk W]

You have been given some good advice, but I'll offer a few additional thoughts. If you are not familiar with current RV models, you would be wise to spend some time at a large RV show or several large dealerships and look at everything, just to get a good idea of what is available and the things each one offer. You would probably also gain a lot of knowledge by renting an RV for a week or two trip and the class C is the most available type of RV rental. In order to get a feel for what is available in the used RV market for your budget amounts, I suggest that you spend some time on site of The RV Trader and compare the different types and models. The other important advice that I will offer is that as you shop used RVs, the condition becomes more important than the brand name or reputation of the manufacturer. Once you find an RV that you are serious about you should pay for a professional RV pre-purchase inspector to go over it and evaluate it. While that service is not free, it can save you from a financial disaster. 

[jamescapes]

At your budget I'd suggest looking at Winnebago View, Coachmen Clipper or Roadtrek. Diesel pusher models like Sprinter or Transit give better mileage and towing if you want to tow a car later. Be sure to get any used RV inspected by a pro. Also consider renting different types first to see what works best for your needs. Safe travels as you start this adventure!