Class A is the biggest, Class B is the smallest, and Class C is somewhere in between. To further confuse the matter, some manufacturers have tried to straddle those categories and blur the lines between them, particularly with the new categories of B+ and C+.
Class A motorhomes
Class A motorhomes (like the one shown in Figure 2-1) are the most common type of motorized RV you’ll find on the road. One way you can spot a Class A and tell it from other types is that the front end is usually flat, without a hood and with a big picture window for the windshield. Driver and passenger seats are right up in the front, like sitting in the front row of a movie theater without anyone blocking the view.
Photograph courtesy of Christopher Hodapp
FIGURE 2-1: Class A motorhomes are the big dogs of the RV world.
Class As generally range from 25 to 45 feet in length (more than three times as long as your average midsize car these days). They’re typically roomy enough on the inside to comfortably accommodate 8 to 12 people as you roll down the road or turn in for the night. They can also be some of the biggest and most luxurious RVs around.
Class As tend to be wider than the average towable, which means more space inside. Class As are most likely to have the latest features and gizmos, the most automated accessories, the most interior decor choices, and even the kind of full-size appliances you’ve got at home. It’s common to find Class As catering to the market of full-time RVers, with a king-size bed, lots of closet space, multiple and roomier bathrooms, big living and dining room areas, washers and dryers, and sometimes even dishwashers. Some have outdoor flat-screen TVs and stereo systems so you can sit around the campfire and still watch the football game. Some have exterior kitchenettes with a sink, fridge, and maybe even a microwave or gas stovetop, in case you prefer cooking outdoors. And some even have a large toy hauler (a garage compartment in back), so you can bring your Harleys, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) or even a small car with you.
Class As usually have gobs of storage inside and out because of the way they’re designed. In most cases, the indoor living space sits high off the ground, with tons of “basement” storage compartments down below that are accessible from hatches on the outside. And as if their bus-size bodies weren’t ginormous enough, many Class As built after 2000 have between one and four slides (slide-out extensions that expand the indoor living space dramatically when you’re setting up camp; see Figure 2-2) — it’s sort of like driving your own personal Transformer robot that turns into a condominium. Class As are the hands-down favorite choice for people who want to live full-time on the road and feel like they’re in a house, yet mobile enough to easily move day after day.
Photograph courtesy of Christopher Hodapp
FIGURE 2-2: A typical Class A motorhome with its slides extended.
SAFETY SYSTEMS
Class As may be the most expensive, most luxurious, most option-packed motorhomes on the road, but they typically don’t have air bags and are not required to be crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Other types of motorhomes (Class Bs and Cs, described later in this chapter) are built around an existing truck cab that comes from the auto manufacturer with airbags and other safety systems you’re accustomed to in a modern car. They also come equipped with in-dash entertainment packages, and heating and air-conditioning systems that keep the driver and passenger in the cab comfortable. Those systems were engineered into the vehicle by the original truck manufacturer and crash-tested by the NHTSA.
None of that is the case with the typical Class A motorhome cab, which is custom built by the RV maker. In addition to few or no airbags, Class As rarely have any kind of anti-collision warning or avoidance system at all. If you’re driving a diesel-pusher, you don’t even have a big, heavy engine block out in front of you to at least absorb some head-on collision impact.
If the lack of these types of safety systems is a deal breaker for you, you may want to compromise a little and look at a large Class C motorhome or a fifth-wheel trailer instead.
Getting used to driving
Even though they’re big-rig trucks or buses under the floor, these monsters of the RV world really are remarkably easy to drive. These massive rigs generally have air suspensions and air brakes for a smoother ride and greater safety, so you won’t feel like you’re hauling a load of railroad ties to Poughkeepsie. They’ve got automatic transmissions, cruise control, power steering and brakes, everything you’re used to in your Subaru, just a lot more of it. The driver and passenger seats can feel a lot like a La-Z-Boy recliner. And the most recent models are bristling with video cameras and a big video monitor to help you see everything around you before you change lanes or back up.
Considering the pros and cons
Class As excel at being self-contained, with large water and fuel tanks and electric generators. You can pull over anywhere and boondock. They’re quick to set up when you stop and quick to be ready to leave. And they’re among the most spacious RVs available.
But
