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Most reputable Class C manufacturer?


TxCowboy

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DW and I are discussing getting a Class C for travel. We're still keeping our 5th Wheel for long-term living but don't want to be dragging that around the country -- we're weird, I guess. :) Also, after pricing the truck we would need to haul around a huge 5th wheel, we realized that we could likely purchase a very nice Class C.

 

I'm very familiar with Class C's but never thought about owning one until recently. I have no idea who the most reputable manufacturers are and/or what the more popular models might be.

 

Any suggestions from those that are or have been long-term Class C owners?

Jeff & Laurie

South Texas

Hounds: Auggie (beer drinking English Cocker Spaniel)

Angus (five pounds of bad azz chihuahua)

Homebase: 2015 Heartland 365 Key West -- The "Uno Mas"

The Office: 2016 Crossroads Hill Country 26RB

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I had a Lazy Days 30' a few years ago, purchased after much research. It may seem a bit "quirky" dealing directly with the factory, but they are very well built. I think they have 24-27-31 foot models. Many loyal and long-term owners.

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Lazy Daze owners here, Tx, for seven years, and we've never had a problem with any system yet. None of the proverbial fixes to new rigs that you hear about with so many manufacturers. I'm not an engineer but the input I've gotten from engineers I know is that LD is one of the safest engineered rigs. We drive their smallest unit, rated at over 14, 000 gvw and whenever I weigh fully loaded for a trip I've never hit much over 12,000. I've had to drive a couple of times in some really strong winds and she has always handled well. No white knuckles.

 

SWRick can give you better input on how much cargo space (weight) the 30' models have, but my sense is that they run closer to the gvw limit, so therefore less available for cargo weight.

 

I have no idea how costs among manufacturers compare now, but when we bought our rig the LD was by far the best deal for the money on comparable quality.

Clarkie
Dick & Linda, hosting Abbie, our miniature Dachshund.
23.5' Lazy Daze MH
Newberg, Oregon

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As others have said, Lazy Daze are known to be about the best and are hard to find used because they sell immediately. Born Free is often treated as a close second with Phoenix Cruiser also in the running if you are going small. About every other brand is a drop in quality from these three, since they are made by companies that also make trailers and/or Class As, and their Class Cs are built as lower end products.

2004 40' Newmar Dutch Star DP towing an AWD 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid, Fulltimer July 2003 to October 2018, Parttimer now.
Travels through much of 2013 - http://www.sacnoth.com - Bill, Diane and Evita (the cat)
 

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Thanks for the suggestions. Now, I'm getting to work seeing what each one offers. :)

Jeff & Laurie

South Texas

Hounds: Auggie (beer drinking English Cocker Spaniel)

Angus (five pounds of bad azz chihuahua)

Homebase: 2015 Heartland 365 Key West -- The "Uno Mas"

The Office: 2016 Crossroads Hill Country 26RB

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Winnebago

 

You know that those posting will say what they own. To be the best. :rolleyes:

 

 

Not Always, but of what has been discussed, Lazy Daze has been the best for us. I won't even list the numerous 5th wheel trailers that we have owned. We have previous ownership experience with Phoenix Cruiser, BT Cruiser and now a Lazy Daze.

 

If TxCowboy got lucky and found a used one, that would be a good buy. Ours is a 2006 rear bath model. 26RB. It is great for 2 adults, and our dog & cat. We have spent 2 months up and down the east coast in it, with only one return to home for a few weeks of work. If you are looking for something maneuverable BUT comfortable when parked, I highly recommend the 26RB. I think there is only a couple for sale nationwide on rvtrader. Ours is NOT one of them, there's nothing we've seen to replace it.

 

 

And by the way TxCowboy ...

We're still keeping our 5th Wheel for long-term living but don't want to be dragging that around the country -- we're weird, I guess.

 

 

We must be weird too. In addition to the Lazy Daze, we own a Jayco 5th wheel that we plan on taking to FL in the winter. But it will stay there since we will spend months there at a time. The class C we use for "local" trips of shorter duration.

 

Crazy huh ?

 

BC

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Lazy Daze motorhomes, regardless of year or model or aftermarket amenities, don't necessarily "sell immediately". Depending on model desirability, condition, age, mileage, price, location (a big factor is a buyer isn't willing to travel), and "seller", i.e., private or turned over to a consignment lot or a dealer, some rigs seem to be available for quite a while.


LDs are advertised on Oodle, RVT, Craig's List(s), and several other "classified" sites, of course, but one should also look at the "LDs For Sale" folder on the Lazy Daze owners' message board. Subscribe to the board, click on "Files" on the home page, go to the "Buying and Selling" folder, and click on "LDs for Sale" (or similar wording). Note: owners are requested to follow an ad template for posting their LD, but some don't. :wacko:



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  • 5 months later...

Hello again, all.

 

We are continuing our search for a late model Class C so DW and I have been reviewing your recommendations. We've come to a conclusion, of sorts -- there are a ton of good Class C's out there!

 

We've decided to constrain ourselves a bit and are limiting our search to Class C's with slides and a length of 27 to 31 feet. Trying to keep it under 70K to 80K is becoming difficult when you add in the "want-to-haves" like the microwave/convection oven, larger refrigerators, generator, auto-leveling jacks, outdoor entertainment center (a must-have for me), and the interior entertainment center (in lieu of the cab-over bed).

 

We looked for used Lazy Daze but couldn't seem to find one younger than 2006 which makes it too old, in my opinion. The "new" LDs were way above our price point as are the Phoenix Cruiser (which is a very sexy RV, by the way). We have seen online quite a few Four Winds/Forrest River/Fleetwood/etc., so many in fact that they are starting to run together. We have a couple of RV shows (San Antonio, Houston, and Austin) in the next couple of months so we're planning to hit these shows just to get a better understand of the differences in these builders.

 

We did find one that seemed to really stand out to us (OK, me :)) and that is the Coachmen Concorde 300TS. If anyone here has any experience with Coachmen products in general and the 300TS specifically, we'd love to hear from you.

 

Thanks again to all for your input and everybody have a safe and happy holiday season! :)

Jeff & Laurie

South Texas

Hounds: Auggie (beer drinking English Cocker Spaniel)

Angus (five pounds of bad azz chihuahua)

Homebase: 2015 Heartland 365 Key West -- The "Uno Mas"

The Office: 2016 Crossroads Hill Country 26RB

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Well, Cowboy, you've come to the same conclusion many of us do. You started out asking about the "most reputable Class C" and now you've qualified it with "our price point".

 

In my opinion, when you start buying an RV over 3 or 4 years old, condition is as important as who made it. Some people just take better care of their stuff than others.

Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie.  Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die.  Albert King

 

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Well, Cowboy, you've come to the same conclusion many of us do. You started out asking about the "most reputable Class C" and now you've qualified it with "our price point".

 

In my opinion, when you start buying an RV over 3 or 4 years old, condition is as important as who made it. Some people just take better care of their stuff than others.

 

My boldface above -- You are spot on.

 

Like most folks, the first question is "who do you trust" or "who has quality"? After the first question is answered, then you ask the second question: "what do I get for my money, e.g., price point vs. quality"?

 

The "condition" question comes along after you develop the short list of choices so that you don't waste your time inspecting models that don't pass the "trust/quality" and "price" points mentioned above.

Jeff & Laurie

South Texas

Hounds: Auggie (beer drinking English Cocker Spaniel)

Angus (five pounds of bad azz chihuahua)

Homebase: 2015 Heartland 365 Key West -- The "Uno Mas"

The Office: 2016 Crossroads Hill Country 26RB

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In alphabetical order, per the last RV Consumer Group reports I looked at, the highest quality Class C's are Born Free, Coachhouse Platinum and Lazy Daze.

 

I was wondering if anyone was going to mention Coach House which is smaller, I believe, than the other two, but which normally makes the list of the top several. After Chinook folded CH was probably the highest priced of the Class C's. We had a CH in 2005 and had issues with the interior finish not being as good as we felt the price should have provided, but, I think, they undertook some major improvements after that. The single piece outer shell is unique in the industry and does eliminate leaks at seams, although it does limit exterior storage. The company is very responsive to consumer issues and were easy to work with.

Sandie & Joel

2000 40' Beaver Patriot Thunder Princeton--425 HP/1550 ft-lbs CAT C-12
2014 Honda CR-V AWD EX-L with ReadyBrute tow bar/brake system
WiFiRanger Ambassador
Follow our adventures on Facebook at Weiss Travels

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  • 4 weeks later...

What about the Dynamax brand? I thought they were well made...?

That old man, he don't think like no old man.

"I thought I was wrong one time, but I was mistaken." Command Sergeant Major

"He's pinned under an outcropping of rock. Lucky for him, the rock kept the dirt from burying him alive."

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Thanks, RVTEN. I was afraid of that $$$. Oh well, I reckon it's the old "ye get wha' ye pay for" thing, eh? We've only had one VW Campmobile (loved that thing!), and 3 travel trailers, but are now considering a drivable, Class B+ or some such. I like the kind without the cab over sleeping area, but you do lose storage. I've learned that maybe more than other things, getting an RV is definitely an exercise in making good compromises! But, since we're experienced in at least one very small drivable, the VW, and 3 towables, of which, we still have our 25' Aerolite, we know a bit about the compromises. We absolutely loved the convenience of the little VW Campmobile ('74 model we bought new), being able to just stop, have lunch, etc. It didn't have even a fridge or stove!

 

So, even though old timers in the RV world, we will be newcomers to the Class C group when we do get one. Which, might just be very soon!!! We hope. We are pretty excited about this new RV step into a drivable RV.

 

Oh, does anyone have an idea about what kind of mpg we could expect in say an E450 V10? I know, this ain't nary hybrid, but I'd like to get about 10-12 mpg if that is possible. I get 10 towing our trailer now.

That old man, he don't think like no old man.

"I thought I was wrong one time, but I was mistaken." Command Sergeant Major

"He's pinned under an outcropping of rock. Lucky for him, the rock kept the dirt from burying him alive."

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Oh, does anyone have an idea about what kind of mpg we could expect in say an E450 V10? I know, this ain't nary hybrid, but I'd like to get about 10-12 mpg if that is possible. I get 10 towing our trailer now.

 

With our 2005 27' Coach House on a V-10 E450 chassis we got ~9-10 mpg which was the most disappointing aspect of owning it. I typically cruise at 60-65 but the mileage didn't see to change a whole lot regardless of the speed driven.

Sandie & Joel

2000 40' Beaver Patriot Thunder Princeton--425 HP/1550 ft-lbs CAT C-12
2014 Honda CR-V AWD EX-L with ReadyBrute tow bar/brake system
WiFiRanger Ambassador
Follow our adventures on Facebook at Weiss Travels

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