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Motorhome vs Travel trailer Debate

jeeper

jeeper

I live my life 1 dumpster at a time
Location
So Jo, Ut
My family is ready for a new camper trailer. We are really kicking around the idea of a motorhome this time. Mostly because a 4 hour drive to somewhere like southern Utah takes us 6 hours from all the 'I have to pee' and 'I'm hungry' cries from the wife and kids.

I'd like to hear pro's and con's of the motorhome, especially those I haven't thought of. I would for sure go with a class C for the above cab sleeping space, and my perceived availability of parts/tires and ease of repairs.

My personal situation involves a good amount of off-road vehicles (utv/motorcycles).. so we would tow a 20' enclosed trailer behind the motorhome.

I'm capping my search about about $20,000.. so it seems the most common and best option in that range ends up being a 2005ish Fourwinds Majestic 28A built on an E-450 with the 6.8V10. Most have around 120k miles. They don't have a slide out, which is a major bummer.. but for getting our feet wet I want to stay cheaper. If we like it, I'll spend more in the future.

I'm quite concerned with the lower ground clearance and 2wd aspect. Especially as we frequent White Wash Dunes and Yuba Lake beach.
About 95% of the time though I am with multiple people.. so recovery help is usually available... but that doesn't solve ground clearance.

What do you motorhome owners have to say?
 
NYCEGUY01

NYCEGUY01

Well-Known Member
Location
Willard, UT
Ive had about every combo over the years and Id never go back to anything but a motorhome.

If youre staying with gas Id recommend finding a Workhorse chassis with the 8.1 Chevy.
My last Class A gas had that motor and it pulled my enclosed damn good.
All my Ford v10 friends complain about the hi revs and noise constantly.
Although the F53 ? ( I think thats what its called ?, the Ford one ) chassis seems to have the wider stance I like the idea of but never drove them back to back to see for sure if it handled any better.

I liked my Class A WAY better than the previous Class C, The overhead sleeping is pretty over rated if you have bunks or just a couple front fold out couches. Just the HUGE storage underneath the A's is worth not getting a C.

Parts for about all of them are easier than youd think. Most if it is pretty generic stuff ( I have a buddy with a Winnebago and they have a ton of Winnebago only parts though).

Truthfully, a Pusher is where youll end up like everyone does in the end so if you can budget it one now, just pull the trigger and avoid all the trading..lol I can buy Freightliner chassis or Cat engine parts on Christmas day at midnight at any Freightliner shop. My neighbor had an alternator for his big 500 Cummins delivered to the campground in Rexburg, ID 2 hrs after he ordered it for no extra charge...I was truly shocked after buying my pusher after one trip to a Freightliner shop.
 
NYCEGUY01

NYCEGUY01

Well-Known Member
Location
Willard, UT
Also, dont buy anything without a slide...lol Dont do it...
Youll always regret it.
Its gets super small super fast on a rainly day with no slides.
Just walking in and out to get something gets to be a pain in the ass with minimal stuff packed in there.

All the Majestics are used rentals so keep that in mind.
An older low mile unit with a slide is far superior to a newer one only used by people that never RV'd before...
 
jeeper

jeeper

I live my life 1 dumpster at a time
Location
So Jo, Ut
I've seen a few class A's with the chev 8.1. Some have even double slideouts in my price range.. but I've got 3 kids that need sleep space, and we HATE folding down tables... I haven't seen one with bunks even close to my price range yet..
 
NYCEGUY01

NYCEGUY01

Well-Known Member
Location
Willard, UT
jeeper said:
I've seen a few class A's with the chev 8.1. Some have even double slideouts in my price range.. but I've got 3 kids that need sleep space, and we HATE folding down tables... I haven't seen one with bunks even close to my price range yet..
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It seems like the Bounders were always really good coaches. We dry camp alot at the dunes and other spots and never use a rv park and they always had the biggest tanks and other options like inverters and big battery compartments made for actually using when you cant just plug in.

Youll like any of them for a bit if its your 1st go round but I cannot stress enough how much you really want a couple slides, Basement storage, and hydraulic/electric levelers...LOL
 
anderson750

anderson750

I'm working on it Rose
Location
Price, Utah
With what you are looking for, I would recommend making your decision mainly based on what chassis you want. Everything that you are going to be looking at has similar construction and is going to have many of the same maintenance issues from wear and tear. Due to the construction of the boxes being like a camp trailer, you will see a lot of flex which over time can give you some different problems from trailers. General rule of thumb is that the fewer miles it has, the less it has been flexed and twisted.
 
Hickey

Hickey

Burn-barrel enthusiast
Supporting Member
Location
Grantsville, Utah
Motor homes are taxed WAY differently than most other plated vehicles in Utah.

The V10 is a great motor. You will not get good mileage with any motor home.

Tow ratings can be quite miserable (don't be fooled by the 450 badge) unless you buy a diesel pusher.

All class C motor homes are stretched. Horribly.
 
Kevin B.

Kevin B.

Not often wrong. Never quite right.
Moderator
Location
Stinkwater
jeeper said:
I've seen a few class A's with the chev 8.1. Some have even double slideouts in my price range.. but I've got 3 kids that need sleep space, and we HATE folding down tables... I haven't seen one with bunks even close to my price range yet..
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Get one with a "garage" and throw some cots in it?
 
Hickey

Hickey

Burn-barrel enthusiast
Supporting Member
Location
Grantsville, Utah
nnnnnate said:
Can you explain this? Are the taxes higher on them or what?
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They can be. Unless it's changed since I had my Class C, the tax is a percentage of the original purchase price of the coach, with a decreasing percentage as the coach ages. The rates are much more reasonable once the coach is older than 6 or 8 years, but registration and taxes on a $150k coach that's 2 years old will cost about twice the price of a full set of tires for that same rig.

You'll really want to look up the code and pay attention to the tax they charge you each year. The assessors office kept trying to charge me the tax assessment on a 1 year old coach, even though mine was 5 years old at the time. It was about $400 the last year I owned it. They kept trying to charge me $900.
 
Bart

Bart

Registered User
Location
Arm Utah
I like the 8.1 workhorse set up also. I would also try to stay under 35' total, and make that 30' if you want to travel through national parks.
 
N-Smooth

N-Smooth

Smooth Gang Founding Member
Location
UT
Class C’s are lame IMO, especially with v10’s. My parents had a 30’ class A and it was perfection.

Bart is right about the length. Our trailer is 30’ overall and some developed campsites are pretty tight. If you’re just dry camping it doesn’t matter but I like to plug in to power and water.
 
Unimog

Unimog

Eric
Location
Stansbury Park, UT
We have gone back and forth on this over the years: Trailer => Class C => Class A => Fifth wheel => Diesel Pusher. Consensus of the family is that we enjoy traveling in the motorhome much, much more than the trailer rigs. Once we are parked, they are very similar, other than the diesel pusher is on a whole different level of amenities. Another factor is trail exploring in a 1 ton truck is not terribly comfortable. Better to tow a jeep behind the motorhome for running around.
 
Unimog

Unimog

Eric
Location
Stansbury Park, UT
I'll chime in on the class C debate also. We tried that when all 5 kids were at home and the class C ended up not having enough room for the family. You would think with the overhead bunk and all that it would be better, but the class A had more space to spread out during the day. We didn't care if every couch was covered with people while we were sleeping, the problem was during meal times, if it was raining, etc.
 
anderson750

anderson750

I'm working on it Rose
Location
Price, Utah
Hickey said:
They can be. Unless it's changed since I had my Class C, the tax is a percentage of the original purchase price of the coach, with a decreasing percentage as the coach ages. The rates are much more reasonable once the coach is older than 6 or 8 years, but registration and taxes on a $150k coach that's 2 years old will cost about twice the price of a full set of tires for that same rig.

You'll really want to look up the code and pay attention to the tax they charge you each year. The assessors office kept trying to charge me the tax assessment on a 1 year old coach, even though mine was 5 years old at the time. It was about $400 the last year I owned it. They kept trying to charge me $900.
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Which is the reason why my motorhome has blue plates on it. It cost me a fraction of the cost of taxes and registration to set up my LLC and since it is more than 12 years old, the registration is permanent. I only pay a couple of hundred dollars a year to renew my LLC.
 
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