Class C vs. TT?

[labdogs42]

I'm starting to dream about moving up from the pop-up. I just don't know what I want to move up TO! I have always dreamed of having a motorhome, so the Class C's look about our speed right now, price-wise. Or We could go with a new tow vehicle (we tow the pup with my minivan now) and a TT. Oh, the possibilities! No matter what we get, we'll probably go with something used, they seem like the best deal. What do I need to consider? Help me dream about my next step in camping! Thanks!

 

[DaveInTN]

Dreaming is half the fun you know! Now, in my opinion the decision between a TT and a MH depends on your use. If you typically stay close to home, with maybe one longer trip a year, a TT makes the most sense. We had a TT for several years and loved it. And even if you take longer trips they work great. But many people prefer a MH if they take longer trips. We bought our MH 3+ years ago when we decided to start going further...like to the Fort, to Williamsburg, the Smokies, and even a 3 week loop of the northeast. For us, we love traveling in the MH as it provides a kitchen and bathroom while on the road, and is great for stretching out. The cons of course include much higher maintenance compared to a TT, and higher cost as you are purchasing another motor vehicle that has a limited use...at least with a TT your TV can double as your daily driver.

So, how you intend to use your RV is a primary factor in deciding which way to go, IMHO.

 

[labdogs42]

I'm thinking I'd LIKE to start taking longer trips. How hard is it to tow a car with a motorhome? It seems tough to get somewhere and then not have anything to drive but your motorhome, so I'm guessing we'd have to take a vehicle too. Right now, we usually do long weekends in the pop up. We did about 5 short trips last year and I hope to do at least that many this year. My SIL and BIL live in NH, so we'd like to visit them, I'd like to go to the Fort, we want to go to Maine...all pretty long hauls from PA. My dogs could go along easier in a MH, too. So many things to think about!

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

We went in the opposite direction, from a class A to a TT. For me, I like that the travel trailer gives us a greater variety of floor plans to choose from so we could get something that really suits us. In the class A, there was no space for the kids and their "stuff" except for our living area. We looked at a few class Cs with the overhead bunk but there two things I didn't care for; the lack of space for the kids stuff and the passenger seat. I guess the class A spoiled me but there just didn't seem to be a lot of leg room. But, with three kids, our needs are different than most.

I have to say, there is no better way to travel long distances with kids than a motorhome.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I have always been a TT guy - I just like the idea of dropping the condo on wheels off and using my truck wherever I end up. Also, I am not too excited about maintaining another vehicle that I only use occassionally when camping. But that's just me.

You are central to a lot of good rv dealers who are more than willing to give good advice without high pressure - Tom Schaeffer's, Harold's, Fretz RV just to name a few. I would stay away from Boat N RV near Cabellas - they are pretty high pressure, although they do have a lot to look at.

 

[labdogs42]

I have always been a TT guy - I just like the idea of dropping the condo on wheels off and using my truck wherever I end up. Also, I am not too excited about maintaining another vehicle that I only use occassionally when camping. But that's just me.

You are central to a lot of good rv dealers who are more than willing to give good advice without high pressure - Tom Schaeffer's, Harold's, Fretz RV just to name a few. I would stay away from Boat N RV near Cabellas - they are pretty high pressure, although they do have a lot to look at.

Good thoughts. We actually have to take the pup to Harold's for inspection this week, so I'll probably poke around when we go up there. I hear you about Boat n RV. I wish I could wear a big "I'M JUST LOOKING" sign when I go in there! I didn't think of Tom Schaeffer's -- I'll check that out, too.

If this helps you give insight, we have 1 kid and 3 dogs. We'd like to take all of them camping! (we don't usually take the dogs when we go now)

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Good thoughts. We actually have to take the pup to Harold's for inspection this week, so I'll probably poke around when we go up there. I hear you about Boat n RV. I wish I could wear a big "I'M JUST LOOKING" sign when I go in there! I didn't think of Tom Schaeffer's -- I'll check that out, too.

If this helps you give insight, we have 1 kid and 3 dogs. We'd like to take all of them camping! (we don't usually take the dogs when we go now)

Schaeffer's has a much larger selection than Harold's, so it would be worth the trip for you. We have purchased two TT's from them. They have a great service department, which is really important, but so does Fretz and Harold's. If you are interested in taking a peak at mine sometime, I have it opened up in the driveway (although I am doing some installation of stuff and it is a bit of a mess) - just PM me and I can give you our address. Mine is a bit small for 3 dogs, but might give you an idea and a starting point.

 

[DaveInTN]

How hard is it to tow a car with a motorhome? It seems tough to get somewhere and then not have anything to drive but your motorhome, so I'm guessing we'd have to take a vehicle too.

If you go the MH route, towing a car is pretty simple once you get set up initially. I utilize a tow bar which attaches to the hitch receiver on the back on my MH and there is a baseplate permanently installed on the front of my vehicle, which is hidden from view. Takes me about 5 minutes to hook up and go. You have to find a vehicle which can be towed with 4 wheels on the ground, but with a family your size you have LOTS of options, and may already own such a vehicle. If you wanted to use a dolly to tow, your options are even greater.

Whichever direction you decide to go, you have tons of options to sleep 3 people in a MH or TT. Make sure you get something with at least one slide so you have adequate space for your dogs.

I'm getting excited for you! Have fun shopping.

 

[labdogs42]

We have browsed TT's and motorhomes at the RV shows. We went to the Lehigh Valley one not too long ago. We like them all! Thanks for the invite to check yours out. We maye take you up on that some time!

 

[Magicbus]

I dove in. Never had any kind of a RV but I wanted a class A MH. I went to the biggest RV show in the country here in FL. Found one, bought it later. Then I told the wife, guess what I bought.
Anyway, make sure you are ready for the added responsibilty. It's like owning a second home, but even more. In my case, most FL developments do not allow parking anything other than cars in the driveway. It would block half the road anyways, so you need a place to store it safely. It's very expensive to own.
It needs to be washed and waxed every six months, huge job. There is always a shake down period for problems no matter how much you spend. So think about it very carefully. If you have a busy life now, it might not be a good time.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

I agree with Jim. we too are TT folk. We once thought about a motorhome,,but we could only afford a small one, not one big enough to suit us.
Sooo, we have a 30 foot TT,,if you buy a 30 foot motorhome,I'll guess that close to 8 feet of that is your driving & motor area and can't be used as actual living space,,all 30 feet of our TT is living space.

As Jim said, we don't have to tow a toad,,just drop off the TT and go in the truck.
But that just my opinion.

 

[des1954]

There's much to be said in favor of both a Class C or a TT.

The obvious reasons for a TT are there are more available floor plans, less over-all maintenance, and you will have a vehicle to go places in. They are also cheaper & less $$ to insure. As far as FtW goes - a bad reason for a TT is that some of the sites are at a weird angle and hard to maneuver a TT into. It seems that there's always that recycle station, trash can, tree, or neighbor's vehicle in the way. We've never had problems backing our MH in - even when we had a 45' MH. (or should I say my DH has never had a problem backing in!).

Good luck in your search, and be very patient, waiting for just the right RV to speak to you. In this economy, it's not as easy to sell or trade if you don't get just the right one the first time.

 

[labdogs42]

Good luck in your search, and be very patient, waiting for just the right RV to speak to you. In this economy, it's not as easy to sell or trade if you don't get just the right one the first time.

I think this is the key. I like the idea of waiting for the one that "speaks" to us. We don't need to do this right away. We are getting some clearer idea of what we would want and wouldn't want in our next RV, be it a Class C or a TT. I guess it is sort of like planning a Disney trip -- the research/planning is half the fun!

 

[DaveInTN]

Hey, there's someone that used to post on this board that probably speaks to her RV. At least she speaks to horses. How different can an RV be? And if you let her, she'll speak to YOUR RV too. And your grill.

 

[liv luvs disney]

Hey, there's someone that used to post on this board that probably speaks to her RV. At least she speaks to horses. How different can an RV be? And if you let her, she'll speak to YOUR RV too. And your grill.

Oh lordy, must we go there?

 

[thegooftroopfla]

i vote travel trailer. i split a mh with my brother and the maint. was incredible and pricey. also alot more can break on trips. in my opinion. we now own a tt and love it. other than when driving the tt feels more like home to me. you loose a bit of space with motor, generator steering wheel and so forth. i would put this in there. my brother does alot of trips where they drive a day, stay a day then drive again in order to hit a bunch of different campgrounds. so it is nice to have the mh so the family can play cards watch movies and more. i most of the time drive to a campground and stay for a couple of days and explore what that area has and save the next campground for the next trip. so if you are going to do option a the mh really pays off. however if you are just going one place and staying most of the time i like the tt. because you only have to worry about entertaining the little ones for the trip there and the trip home. hope i made sense

 

[Magicbus]

Well put. It depends on what your needs are. Staying put for a period of time, 5th wheel or TT is best. Bouncing around, MH.
Just keep in mind that, as the PP said, MHs are more expensive to buy and much more expensive to maintain because there is a lot more to a MH. Drive train, suspension, big tires, more hydraulics, generator, more slides, etc. On the plus side, easy and fun to drive, quick set up, looks cool.

 

[labdogs42]

Well put. It depends on what your needs are. Staying put for a period of time, 5th wheel or TT is best. Bouncing around, MH.
Just keep in mind that, as the PP said, MHs are more expensive to buy and much more expensive to maintain because there is a lot more to a MH. Drive train, suspension, big tires, more hydraulics, generator, more slides, etc. On the plus side, easy and fun to drive, quick set up, looks cool.

How did you know I wanted it to look cool? You got it! Who cares how hard it is to maintain? As long as it is cool!! (sadly, the cool factor does appeal to me quite a bit!)

 

[4mickey2]

we have a super c and love it. when we are parked it is really open because of the 3 slides. we looked at a lot of mh's over the years and this was the floor plan we really liked and the vehicle we likes. because it is a chevy dh is able to work on it. it has the same engine as our dually pick up.

we had a lance truck camper before this and liked having everything in one unit. now i love having the fridge, toilet, and couch at my disposal.

we've got a saturn vue and hooked it up to flat tow. but, we've only hauled it once. we have never needed to take it, esp to disney. flat towing really wasn't an issue.

we would never do a tt or the like because we like to be able to haul a trailer (gc's) or have the ability to pull a boat, etc. it is just what we prefer.

 

[ftwildernessrick]

We have had a tent, pop-up, TT, Class C, and on our 5th Class A.
It all amounts to preference & we worked up to what we have today. Mostly we bought used and some nearly new, but our last two were bought new.

We enjoy MH's for ease & convenience. You eat, sleep, & use the bathroom with out stopping (Well, except for me, the driver). The kids traveled a lot better in a MH, but I agree they are more expensive to buy & maintain. Also you will need a dingy. If you have a smaller front wheel drive vehicle now, you could probably find a used tow dolly to tow it.

I know when we travel with others in our group that have TT's, I am usually completely set up while they are still leveling their TT. I drop the dingy, back the MH into the site, hit the automatic levelers, run out the slide outs, plug up the electric, water, sewer & cable, roll out the awning & throw out a few chairs.

But you have to make your own choice - to each their own.