Class C upgrade to Class A

[Kocomo]

I have a 2018 Jayco Redhawk 32 XL. I have been very happy with this unit but still find I am limited for split space. I am thinking of upgrading to a class a unit where it takes full advantage of the floor plan. I think it also provides some extra benefit from dual air conditioning as I live in Florida. I think diesel is out of my price range. Any recommendations on what I should look for or avoid.

[Jopopsy]

Pay attention to the build quality of the coach. Beyond what you see on the surface, look at how its assembled. Behind the panels, underneath, etc.

When you go to a Class A, you lose the benefit of Ford building the complete chassis. Aside from the steering wheel, engine, and frame/tires you're dealing w/ the coach builder for everything else. Your dash probably doesn't rattle in your E-Series Superduty ....

Also, Class 'A' doesn't always mean more capacity. Especially those on GVWR frames less then 22k pounds, you may find you have comparatively smaller tires and Class 'C' carrying capacity even though you have more space to put things. So pay attention to the yellow CCC sticker!

[Kocomo]

Thanks for the info. I expected for comments on this. I guess this isn’t the best place to ask.

[OnTheGo]

It's an excellent place to ask, but your post is only a day old. Also it's a hard question to answer without knowing your wants and needs.

I'm about 80 miles south of you and have a class c with dual A/Cs. I prefer a class c because it's like driving my pickup, only bigger. We curtain-off the cab area because we don't use it. I'm sure that space is importatnt to others. I would go with floorplan for the house area behind the cab.

About quality: I think it like a roll of the dice; you get a good one or you don't. I've never let that stop me though. If you find one you like go for it.

Regardless of what brand you buy and how much you spend, you still have to go through the "pain Period" to get everything working/right.

I'm a Jayco fan and have been for years, but I sent them a "very dissatisified email" when I found out my kitchen drained into the black tank.

[Foretm]

Assuming you want to stick with a bunkhouse, then the precept 36a or precept prestige 36b is the likely Class A for you, since you mentioned diesel is out based on pricing. Not sure what you mean by "limited for split space". Can you elaborate?


Class A in general, look for 22.5" wheels it helps with stability of the coach. For those with longer overhang in the rear, you may need suspension upgrades (trac bar / steering stabilizer) to help the sway from longer overhang. Some class A have energy management systems with dual 11K BTU ACs so they can have a 30amp power requirement, some are dual 13.5 or even 15K/13.5K mix and run on 50amp. Know which one you want so you can plan, but if you're up into the prestige line, they're all 50amp to my knowledge. From there, just make sure you get the floorplan you like and do as much research as you can on that floorplan. Some have their own quirks and issues vs others.

[Kocomo]

Thank you all for the words of advice. Very helpful. The RV show is coming here to Tampa in a couple weeks and I wanted to do some homework so I can look at them in person while there. Again thank you

[TGoldsbury]

We're very happy with our 2018 Precept 31UL.
Likes: Longer wheelbase gives better handling, bigger tires, opposing slides up front give you a big space to add company.
Dislikes: Longer wheelbase tighter in turns

I advise buying used, let someone else pay the initial cost and work out all the little problems.

[osbornk]

Originally Posted by TGoldsbury

We're very happy with our 2018 Precept 31UL.
Likes: Longer wheelbase gives better handling, bigger tires, opposing slides up front give you a big space to add company.
Dislikes: Longer wheelbase tighter in turns

I advise buying used, let someone else pay the initial cost and work out all the little problems.

I agree. I recently bought a 2014 Precept 31UL from a friend. I still looks and performs almost like new. He bought it from the original owner when it was almost new and it was under 10 miles away. He fixed the issues he found and replaced both the tires and batteries in June, 2021. I had a Class C and there is a world of difference. It was around $124K when new and I paid $52,500. The new ones are around $170K+. The 31 UL is short compared to most of the other Class A models I looked at. I was looking for shorter because of the length limitations I find here in the mountains.

[Rice1951]

If you look at a coach with opposing slides make sure you are comfortable with how much room there is with the slides in as that is what you’ll have when going down the road. The longer the wheelbase the more likely it is to ride better. Also, check out the type of hot water system - tank versus tankless. Sit in the drivers seat and make sure it’s comfortable because you’ll be spending a lot of time in that position. Check out the power cord and what it takes to set up. Does it have a power reel or do you have to feed the cord through a tiny opening every time? How big is the fridge? Is the shower big enough to fit your needs? Does it have a rear ladder? Some people don’t care while others like to climb up more often for inspection or cleaning. Does it have slide toppers? Does it have one AC or two? Most class A’s don’t have an oven so how important is that? Lots of stuff to consider but it is also exciting. Find one you like and do your homework and you will have fewer regrets. Enjoy.

[Kocomo]

It is done. The redhawk is gone. I was at the Rv show and walked through a bunch of RVs. I looked at the precept and got some numbers. The wife and I looked farther. We ended up looking at the fleet wood fortis and found that the quality looked noticeably better inside and out. Done deal.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Kocomo

It is done. The redhawk is gone. I was at the Rv show and walked through a bunch of RVs. I looked at the precept and got some numbers. The wife and I looked farther. We ended up looking at the fleet wood fortis and found that the quality looked noticeably better inside and out. Done deal.

Which Fortis did you get? We looked at a couple of them online.

[Kocomo]

Fortis 36DB. Pick it up next Monday.

[JohnK]

Originally Posted by Kocomo

Fortis 36DB. Pick it up next Monday.

Wow that is quite a difference from a Redhawk. Nice layout. You might get lost in all that extra space.

I am so jealous of your delivery we have been waiting since September for ours.

Regards,

John

[ependydad]

Congrats!

[Kocomo]

Thanks. Looking forward to it.

[aaurbane]

It sounds like you've made the decision but I went the other way - class A to class C. We were not comfortable with the lack of basic safety equipment on our class A. The view was great in the A but sitting on top of the engine was noisy and hot. The A did not have a firewall and the console was made of sticks and staples like the typical RV (I exaggerate - lots of A and C RVs also use some screws.) No air bags in our A and no obvious crash protection. I admit we were somewhat naive buying the A but simply did not appreciate the lack of basic safety equipment. I also prefer having the Ford console. Maybe higher end As like diesel pushers have the type of basic safety equipment we've come to expect in vehicles but I've not seen As properly equipped. I'm surprised the RV industry is exempt from safety regulations.

[BobKantor]

We went from a 32' Tiffin Allegro Open Road Class A gasser with a tow car, to a 23' Winnebago Fuse Class C. As much as we loved staying in the larger Class A, that's how much more we hated driving it. We are comfortable going anywhere in our Class C and can cover many more miles on a travel day. Plus, we get 16mpg on the C but only got 7 mpg on the A. Try driving several Class A gassers on a windy day, or with heavy semi traffic before you give up on the Class C. Just my humble opinion.

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by Kocomo

I have a 2018 Jayco Redhawk 32 XL. I have been very happy with this unit but still find I am limited for split space. I am thinking of upgrading to a class a unit where it takes full advantage of the floor plan. I think it also provides some extra benefit from dual air conditioning as I live in Florida. I think diesel is out of my price range. Any recommendations on what I should look for or avoid.

I got rid of my Redhawk and went to a Thor Ace 33.1. It rides 100 percent better than the class c. It doesn't wander down the road like the Jayco. It's no affected by semi's passing, or wind. It has larger tires. It has a king bed that doesn't feel like laying on a rock. I can walk around the complete bed both sides. I push a button to level. Ten times the storage, 4 tv's standard. Better quality materials. The front captain chair's that spin around with a table in the middle. A large flat screen on the dash with automatic side cameras and a much better rear camera. A ceramic toilet, USB ports everywhere. Rear tires have valve stems right there easy to fill. Solar panel keeps batteries charged and it comes with two batteries. Two ac units and 50 amp service. Turns on a dime compared to the Redhawk

[Glenns]

You should also consider that Class C’s have safety air bags and the cabs are designed user friendly for the most part. You do lose legroom on the e-series passenger side.
Glenn S
2020 Greyhawk 31 F
Toad 2011 Malibu

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by BobKantor

We went from a 32' Tiffin Allegro Open Road Class A gasser with a tow car, to a 23' Winnebago Fuse Class C. As much as we loved staying in the larger Class A, that's how much more we hated driving it. We are comfortable going anywhere in our Class C and can cover many more miles on a travel day. Plus, we get 16mpg on the C but only got 7 mpg on the A. Try driving several Class A gassers on a windy day, or with heavy semi traffic before you give up on the Class C. Just my humble opinion.

My class c got 8 miles per gallon and as far as going down the road I was like the steering wheel was connected to the wheels with rope it wandered all over the road, everyone said if I spend 3 to 4 thousand dollars I could make the class c go down the road without wandering