Used Auto Parts Subaru

Q.I wonder if anyone with motorhome experience could give me their thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages of Class A and Class C MH's. I'm planning on purchasing a used one in the 25' to 28' size, and can't decide between Class A and C.

A.First of all, please be advised that these comments come from someone who is a retired safety professional and accident/crash investigator, drag racer, sports car rallyeist/autocrosser and a 34-year RVer who has rented a popup, a Class A and a TT; and owned two popups, two Class C's, one 5W and two TT's, as well as boats, motorcycles and many cargo/utility trailers. You all have your opinions and I have mine, so don't take this personal. I think that my thoughts are most valuable to newbies. I prefer a Class C over a Class A for many reasons: (1) Convenience: A Class C has three doors, rather than the typical Class A's one (or maybe two). When we stop for fuel, for example, I can exit my driver's door and fill'er'up and get back in without walking through, and dirtying, the motorhome's carpeting. And, of course there are safety benefits in having more exits, especially compared to a Class A with only a bus-type front door, which can easily be jammed in a crash. Also, since I'm often in and out of the cab for some reason while we're in a campsite, the front doors are handy in this regard, too. And we store our expensive folding chairs in the cab overnight, rather than putting them back into the motorhome's basement. Also, because we have a mid-curb side door, too, we don't have to walk through most of the motorhome everytime every time we go into the motorhome to use the bathroom or get something from the kitchen. This is a wear-and-tear issue, not a "lazy" thing. Another advantage is that you have more doors to enter/exit if the door hardware in the coach section malfunctions. It happens. (2) Safety: The E-450 Ford Econoline cab/chassis our Class C is constructed on is crash-tested. Class A motorhomes aren't (yet!). Although Winnebago (our manufacturer) test-drops their motorhomes on their roofs to check structural strength, I fail to see how this relates to crash-worthiness. Our Class C has Ford-designed/engineered safety belt assemblies and two supplemental restraint systems ("air bags"). Our lap belts cross our hips at the preferred 45 degree angle . . . unlike in many Class A's. Geri and I are surrounded on four sides (left/right/front/above) by steel instead of an aluminum or fiberglass/insulation/luan plywood "sandwich," typical of most Class A's. See RV Consumer Group (http://www.rv.org) publications for photos of Class A's that came apart like a shoe box in a crash or rollover. I think that bus conversions are the most crash-worthy of all Class A's, by the way. Most (all?) Class C's have front and rear bumpers, unlike most Class A's. What "looks" like a bumper on many Class A's is nothing but a protrusion or bulge in the fiberglass, with nothing behind it. Another safety factor is that driver and navigator are sitting further back from the vehicle's front end, compared to those in a Class A. (3) Serviceability: We don't have to worry about our Class C becoming an orphan. Even IF Winnebago goes out of business (pretty unlikely), I can get fenders, doors, front end body parts, windshield, dashboard components, etc., at any Ford dealer or used auto parts place (i.e., "junkyard"). And I can buy windshield wiper refills at any auto parts store, too! By the way . . . who DOES make that windshield wiper motor or heater control valve in that Class A motorhome, anyway? A fellow I met in Maine had to wait for two weeks to have BOTH windshields replaced on his Safari motorhome, after he twisted the chassis while making a U-turn. Admittedly, he hung a set of duals over the shoulder, but I bet this wouldn't happen with our Class C. Did you know that there's a problem with windshields falling out of some Class A's 'cause the manufacturer simply mounted them in the fiberglass opening instead of a metal frame? Winnebago mounts theirs in steel, by the way. (4) Repairability: We can go to any auto repair/maintenance facility and they're no stranger to what's under our Class C's hood and dashboard. EVERYONE'S familiar with Ford Econoline vans, right? They may have to do the repair outside or halfway through the garage door, but at least they know what they're looking at. Did you hear the one about the old Class A where they had to cut a hole in the roof to remove the engine? Honest! Many of the newer ones reportedly aren't much easier. And even changing drive belts can be a major project. And because manufacturers sometimes don't provide adequate air space around the engine in a Class A, it has contributed to overheated exhaust manifolds and starters. The grille and engine doghouse in a Class C is supplied by the chassis manufacturer. So it's not a problem with a Class C. (5) Miscellaneous: We actually love our Class C's front cab overhang (in our case, it's an entertainment center). In fact, it's virtually eliminated the need to wear sunglasses while traveling. It's really spoiled us. It also eliminates the tremendous heat gain common with Class A motorhomes' huge windshields (we generally don't even use the windshield shade). And we can see the mountains as well as anyone else. Honest. (6) Ergonomics: I love the ergonomics of a Class C's driver's compartment, compared to the vast majority of Class A's whose driver seat I've sat in. First of all, neither seat shakes. The excuse that most Class A seats shake 'cause they rotate is not a valid excuse, in my opinion. If anything, it says that they're weak. Safety belts in our Class C fit properly (at a 45 degree angle over the hip bones) and it's easy to reach all HVAC (heating/ventilation/air-conditioning) and sound system controls while buckled up. There's no reflections on the gauges. No gauges are blocked by the steering wheel. Neither outside mirror is blocked by a window or door frame. The defroster works well without the benefit of auxiliary fans. And dashboard A/C cools us very effectively without having to use the generator and roof air. (7) Driveability: A Class C is less intimidating to drive. It's much like driving a regular Econoline van (albeit longer and wider

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