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Class C RV - Good, bad or ugly?




DonTom

Well-known member (45 ACP)
Forum Supporter
2019 Supporter
#21
Yup, owning an alarm co. in CA, the Electrical Union pressured the government to require us to have an electrician's license to install and maintain smoke detectors. So, I got my C-10 license . . . I wouldn't want to live in a house I wired, but otherwise I know what I'm doing. Sounds like a nice big rig you have there. My little 26.5 foot LD is set up a lot different. 400 watts of solar on the roof, 3KW inverter/charger, 470 AH of battery capacity between two battery banks, so I can run anything on board, including the microwave (but excepting the air conditioner), without running the generator. To make up for that, as we almost never "plug in" to use AC, we have a TurboCool (aka swamp cooler) on the roof. That way it takes very little energy to keep the rig cool. It's pretty much ideal for how we use it.
Yeah, I knew you were into electronics or electricity somewhat, but I didn't how much.

470 AH of battery sounds like a lot. But are they LiFePO4 lith batteries? Besides the fact the lith batteries last a lot longer, I like the fact that they keep the voltage nice and high until they are more than 95% discharged. And can accept deeper discharges than L-A batteries. It's best to not discharge L-A deep cycle batteries much below 50% which is around 12.1 resting (no load) volts.

I only have 100 watts of solar on the roof of my Class A and 80 watts on the roof of my class C. But I have several external panels which I have not used since my trip to the Everglades and also at Organ Pipe Cactus Nat'l Monument, AZ on the way back. I am not picky about where I stay. I can be at a full hookup RV park or be boondock somewhere.

I can also run everything in either of my RVs but not the A/C. At least not for long! But neither of my RVs were purchased that way. I had to put in the stuff myself for the higher power for when boondcked.

Your swamp cooler sounds like a great idea. Did you add it yourself or was it stock with the LD?

I do most of my RVing in the middle of winter--to warm places. The Everglades can get above 90°F. in December and even the nights are quite warm. I was boondocked there last December. That was a 3-month RV trip where I visited many states I have never been in before. And spent a week in many, such as GA, SC & LA. But I spent most of the time in various parts of Florida.

My Class A is exactly 29' 11". That means it can go anywhere with a 30-foot limit such as many federal boondocking parks. I wanted the smallest Class A I could buy, but there were way too many issues with the Thor Axis . Not enough storage space. Compressor only small refrigerator that drew 8 amps on 12 volts. So I paid a bit more and purchased the Entrega Vison 70 instead. Now I feel it was the perfect size for just me anyway. I wouldn't want it shorter or longer. I am quite happy with it. But I still had to add to the house electrical system.

I guess I can say my new RV has 500 AH of battery. 200 AH in the stock L-A batteries and the 300 AH I added in the lith batteries in a separate system. I also have two inverters that I can use at the same time, a 1200 watt and my 4KW watt one I added. But I would need to change the CB for more power if I really need it, which is very unlikley. Both inverters are true sinewave. Works well for the 1500 watt MW oven or hair drier that draws about the same. But the added stuff is also for my ham radio stuff that likes to see around 13 volts or so.

-Don- Reno
 

DonTom

Well-known member (45 ACP)
Forum Supporter
2019 Supporter
#22
  • What's a good size for water (potable/grey/black). I would like to do some boondocking and the occasional Wal Mart parking lot.

  • Do you all have toads? Flat tow or dolly?

  • Can you use the toilet and kitchen without the slides out.
Most smaller motorhomes are good for about a week of boondocking for one person. A few days with two people, etc.

Gray tank is often around fifty gallons and the black tank is usually half that size. Fresh water tank is usually fifty gallons. Usually, a Class A will have larger tanks. In my small Class A, the fuel tank is 80 gallons, the fresh water is 72 gallons, the black tank is 49 gallons, gray tank is 50 gallons. The propane tank is 16.5 gallons. All these tanks are a little smaller in my class C. My Class A is good for almost two weeks of being boondocked.

The generator will normally shut off and will not run if your main fuel tank is much less that one third full. That is for gasoline engines. Some generators run on propane for diesel engines.

I do not tow. I just carry an electric motorcycle on the ramp. Very easy to use its own power to get up the ramp--no clutch and very good low speed throttle response.

I can use everything in my Class A without the slides out except for most of the beds. I can still use one, that was an option in my Class A. But there are RVs made that you cannot use many things, without at least putting at last one slde out a little. Check for such before you buy. Always check and compare slides in and out on any RV you buy.

-Don- Reno
 
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EXCAL

Member (9mm)
#23
For the Alcan - Class A and not a stick and staple one. The Alcan will shake anything to death - I don't think it's been improved much since my mom went to Alaska in 1944 with other Army wives - the men went by ship the wives had to endure a long bus ride. Depending on your budget look for an older Bluebird Wanderlodge. The FC (front engine) are hard to kill and carry 250+ gallons of fuel. Ours had a 12K generator and kept us and 2 neighbors happy during a power outage.
Class C for anyone without a couple little kids to use the overhead are just too much wasted space. The Super C could be a good choice and can rival a Class A for build quality.
Consider a well built travel trailer. Aluminum frame and fiberglass siding. You can easily drop it and have a base while you explore the area in your tow vehicle.
A friend had a great rule for RV shopping. Buy the smallest one that has an acceptable bathroom. Tiny bathrooms get old real quick.
Construction of RV is a crap shoot. Welded aluminum frames with FG siding beat knotty 1x2s stapled together and clad in thin aluminum. Watch older wood one for rot. People are terrible at taking care of RV roofs and leaks can soak insulation and rot the wood in short order. If it smells musty (or like someone is trying to cover up odors) move on. A generator is a big plus. 5-6 K minimum so you can run the AC and Microwave at the same time. The inverter type is a plus to save your electronics.
Started in tents when I was a kid. Ended up with my parents 28' class A. Got an old GMC 23' fiberglass one (made a lot of $ on that collectible). Got a Wanderlodge FC with a 300hp diesel. Decided it didn't fit how we like to travel - a new spot every night. Figured the $200 a day in fuel would get us a nice room for the night we sold it. Missed the RV travel lifestyle so we got a 20' light weight trailer with a pop out. Perfect for 2 (and the grandson when he goes) towable with our Ford Flex. That brings up another thought get the right tool for the job. Our 2016 Flex gets 20 mpg hang the 4200 pound trailer on it an the mileage drops to 10 then you need to stop every 2 hours for gas. Our 2004 Excursion 4wd 5.4V8 gets 15mpg. Hang the trailer on it and it drops to 12 and with 44 gallons of gas you can go most of the day and buy gas when you want not when you need to.
 
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DonTom

Well-known member (45 ACP)
Forum Supporter
2019 Supporter
#24
Class C for anyone without a couple little kids to use the overhead are just too much wasted space.
You can use that area for storage of light items, as I do in my Class C. Just make sure nothing heavy can drop down on your head!

-Don- Reno