Just started looking : Do Class C or anything actually sleep 7?

Wonder05 · Aug 19, 2017

Hello!
I thought I'd ask the experts.
Since we are just starting to look into this.

We'd like to be able to have something where we can take our whole family with us on vacations to Disney. That includes us, our three children (5 yrs, 2 yrs and currently 5 months however, we won't go till he's at least a year old though so next year would be the soonest) and my parents.

I was thinking maybe a Class C could work? Something with Bunks although I'm pretty sure our oldest son would be more then willing to sleep above the driver/passenger area.

I have no idea what brands or models we should consider.

I'm not even sure if this is realistic to find something for all of us.
My mom said "You know we should just buy a RV and go" she was half joking but she has mentioned about getting an RV before as it is the only way she would camp (honestly after doing tent camping and every time we tried this it rained as a kid I'm with her lol and quite like having our own bathroom and not traipsing out to get to the public one)

I have some questions so I'll number them to hopefully make this easier to follow. Oh, and We'd give my parents the better bed. We've slept on an IKEA pallets and weird air mattress at home before we got our beds moved into our house so it's ok although I prefer to be off the floor.

1. Since there is a pretty large RV show coming up near us next month and maybe we should go take a look?

2. I'm thinking probably don't need/want a trailer to pull cause I doubt our loaded up Sienna would be able to pull much of anything with all of us in it. And otherwise would need to buy a separate truck plus, not sure how comfortable or difficult it would be to pull something big. Honestly, They kind of scare me on the road. Are Class C's difficult to drive? I

3. Are there any Types, Brand or model that you suggest we look at?

4. I'm assuming there's a way to
Put up a rail to prevent the children from falling out of the bunks? I know they make them for beds.

5. I should've made this number 1. Can we realistically get my parents , Us and our three small children in an RV?

I'm guessing we'd take turns driving it and the Sienna. We would already be taking turns as in who sits in back with our oldest in order to stretch our legs.

Thanks

2goofycampers · Aug 19, 2017

I'll start with #5.
For 7 people I would want a Super C, larger than a Class C in size and $. 2 people in the bed, 2 people in the over cab bed and the kiddos in bunks with the fall out guard. With a Super C you could also tow a vehicle as they are diesel. 2 friends each had a Jayco Seneca. They are super nice. Go to the show and look at your options. My best advice is "buy the one you really want the first time, it's expensive trading up".

North of Mouse · Aug 19, 2017

Wonder05 said:
Hello!
I thought I'd ask the experts.
Since we are just starting to look into this.

We'd like to be able to have something where we can take our whole family with us on vacations to Disney. That includes us, our three children (5 yrs, 2 yrs and currently 5 months however, we won't go till he's at least a year old though so next year would be the soonest) and my parents.

I was thinking maybe a Class C could work? Something with Bunks although I'm pretty sure our oldest son would be more then willing to sleep above the driver/passenger area.

I have no idea what brands or models we should consider.

I'm not even sure if this is realistic to find something for all of us.
My mom said "You know we should just buy a RV and go" she was half joking but she has mentioned about getting an RV before as it is the only way she would camp (honestly after doing tent camping and every time we tried this it rained as a kid I'm with her lol and quite like having our own bathroom and not traipsing out to get to the public one)

I have some questions so I'll number them to hopefully make this easier to follow. Oh, and We'd give my parents the better bed. We've slept on an IKEA pallets and weird air mattress at home before we got our beds moved into our house so it's ok although I prefer to be off the floor.

1. Since there is a pretty large RV show coming up near us next month and maybe we should go take a look?

2. I'm thinking probably don't need/want a trailer to pull cause I doubt our loaded up Sienna would be able to pull much of anything with all of us in it. And otherwise would need to buy a separate truck plus, not sure how comfortable or difficult it would be to pull something big. Honestly, They kind of scare me on the road. Are Class C's difficult to drive? I

3. Are there any Types, Brand or model that you suggest we look at?

4. I'm assuming there's a way to
Put up a rail to prevent the children from falling out of the bunks? I know they make them for beds.

5. I should've made this number 1. Can we realistically get my parents , Us and our three small children in an RV?

I'm guessing we'd take turns driving it and the Sienna. We would already be taking turns as in who sits in back with our oldest in order to stretch our legs.

Thanks

Camping with family is great, but------you've got lots of expectations, and really need to do some research and thinking!! It's quite the way to vacation with children - we had many great trips with our three.

Most any type camping RV - motorized, or not, will always 'say' they sleep more than is practically comfortable. You have to personally take into account ages and sizes of who will sleep where. Wall to wall beds are not very convenient for bathroom or kitchen accessibility.

Also, for safety's sake everyone 'should' be belted in when the RV is moving - except for quick necessary breaks. I know families that let children roam around while traveling and it really scares me.

On our last trip in our mh (class A), someone pulled out right in front of us from shoulder of Interstate, and my dh fought to stay in control while slamming on the breaks. Anything loose (not much , thankfully) slammed to the front - would have been disastrous with loose people or dogs. Missed the vehicle by inches, as they did use their powerful motor!!!! :scared:

Definitely go to shows, do your research, then choose from what you learn - sounds like you are giving yourselves time. Not trying to scare you or discourage you, just being realistic. We've had various types RVs for 48 years and we're still learning and enjoying as we go!

Class C's are not hard to drive, but longer ones tend to be harder to maneuver, say in gas stations, close places. Also, for over the cab beds, there isn't a lot of head room, very easy to get claustrophobic, but most children don't seem to mind - I couldn't do it!

Have fun looking and deciding - we still enjoy going to shows even though we have no intention of buying - we are very satisfied.

Happy travels! :woohoo:

PaHunter · Aug 19, 2017

Let's start with Number 1, yes Hershey is coming up, and if you can attend go. A few Disers will be going, we will be there on Sat.
Number 2, while class C's may be inviting, remember if that is all you are driving, you must pull up camp and drive to the grocery store for that one item you forgot, while everyone sits outside at the campsite, during the inevitable rain storm that pops up.
Number 5, take what they tell you a camper will sleep with a grain of salt. Sometimes they tell you a dinette will sleep 2, only if they are Snow Whites dwarfs, same for some of the sofa's.
I know you did not want to look at trailers, but some has 2 separate queen bed and bunks, I believe it was made by Chaparral.
And remember no matter how big a camper seems for "sleeping" remember all 7 may end up in there for a full day if it storms, although not so much at Disney.
Just a couple of opinions, if you are going to Hershey, enjoy. Take a notebook, and take pictures, put in notebook which pictures go to which trailer or class C, believe me with 33 football fields, they all look the same after about trailer 100.

Mary74 · Aug 19, 2017

1. Definitely go to the show so you can check out all of the models in one place. But be careful not to buy until you have had time to really think about the model you want and if you want new or used.

2. I find that most rvs are pretty easy to drive. Take one for a test drive and see what you think.

3. Look at and research all the brands. Everyone prioritizes different things.

4. They make rails but I have honestly never used them.

5. You can all fit in an rv. I have fit 8 adults in the class c with the back bunk beds and in the largest cruise america model. It will be tight and you will have to pack light but it is doable. My husband, 4 kids and I all fit in our 22' roadtrek. We also bring a big tent for our longer stays and that is something to consider. We wanted a small rv so it would be more versatile and a tent gives us an extra room if we are staying for a few nights. On the other hand my parents drive a 36' class a Monaco for just the two of them and sometimes they think it is tight so really it is more about what you prefer than what other people tell is or is not possible. Definitely get enough seat belts though. RVs are relatively safe, with few deaths a year attributed to their accidents but small dogs and children will quickly become little least missiles if you stop fast and could get seriously injured. Also understanding what chassis the rv is built on and it's safety, is something to consider.

Hope this helps.

Wonder05 · Aug 19, 2017

PaHunter said:
Let's start with Number 1, yes Hershey is coming up, and if you can attend go. A few Disers will be going, we will be there on Sat.
Number 2, while class C's may be inviting, remember if that is all you are driving, you must pull up camp and drive to the grocery store for that one item you forgot, while everyone sits outside at the campsite, during the inevitable rain storm that pops up.
Number 5, take what they tell you a camper will sleep with a grain of salt. Sometimes they tell you a dinette will sleep 2, only if they are Snow Whites dwarfs, same for some of the sofa's.
I know you did not want to look at trailers, but some has 2 separate queen bed and bunks, I believe it was made by Chaparral.
And remember no matter how big a camper seems for "sleeping" remember all 7 may end up in there for a full day if it storms, although not so much at Disney.
Just a couple of opinions, if you are going to Hershey, enjoy. Take a notebook, and take pictures, put in notebook which pictures go to which trailer or class C, believe me with 33 football fields, they all look the same after about trailer 100.

Thanks Everyone!

Yup, Hershey
Thanks I will take a notebook. We are possibly going to bring my parents along plus the children will enjoy it (our 5 year old loves to look at cars and has been to a plane show and loved that so this will be a real treat for him. 2 year old will probably be going "ooh soo pawitty"
As she just enjoys watching everything and if it's shiny or has lights it's got her attention. The baby won't care as long as Mama's right there.

We won't buy anything there except obviously food. We really like to weigh and consider our options.

Not totally against hulling a trailer or a fifth wheel (not sure if the differences besides the obvious gooseneck ) it's just that we've Never done that so it's unknown to us.

We would be bringing our Sienna regardless as that's our main form of transportation with the kids and can think of several reasons to drive that down. Just got it back today after having to get the one rear window replaced as the other week someone smashed it while it was sitting in our driveway (nothing was taken and we suspect some older kids probably did it and didn't fess up )

Oh and no worries, no one will be loose in Any moving vehicle. That we Don't do.

I appreciate all the advice!

Wonder05 · Aug 19, 2017

Mary74 said:
1. Definitely go to the show so you can check out all of the models in one place. But be careful not to buy until you have had time to really think about the model you want and if you want new or used.

2. I find that most rvs are pretty easy to drive. Take one for a test drive and see what you think.

3. Look at and research all the brands. Everyone prioritizes different things.

4. They make rails but I have honestly never used them.

5. You can all fit in an rv. I have fit 8 adults in the class c with the back bunk beds and in the largest cruise america model. It will be tight and you will have to pack light but it is doable. My husband, 4 kids and I all fit in our 22' roadtrek. We also bring a big tent for our longer stays and that is something to consider. We wanted a small rv so it would be more versatile and a tent gives us an extra room if we are staying for a few nights. On the other hand my parents drive a 36' class a Monaco for just the two of them and sometimes they think it is tight so really it is more about what you prefer than what other people tell is or is not possible. Definitely get enough seat belts though. RVs are relatively safe, with few deaths a year attributed to their accidents but small dogs and children will quickly become little least missiles if you stop fast and could get seriously injured. Also understanding what chassis the rv is built on and it's safety, is something to consider.

Hope this helps.

Wow! Thanks. We have done close quarters (my parents were without electric including heat during a snowstorm one week and stayed with us. Nearly all slept in the master bedroom (granted its pretty still it was the two of us on a Queen, baby in her bassinet my parents on a air mattress and our son floated from our bed to , my parents and even the floor. When it was just the two of us we spent about a week at Disney in a small Value resort room in December and it was crazy cold out.

I'll have to look into that.

Wait, do they drive them at the show or do you mean dealer lot? Haven't been to an Rv show since I was a kid and all I really remember was Busses and pop ups lol which my parents seriously considered after a rainstorm and ending up spending the night on Grandma and Grandpa's truck!

PaHunter · Aug 19, 2017

Towing with the Sienna you are limited to 3500 Lbs, there are some ultralights, pop ups and a liners that would be towable by your vehicle. They are not going to sleep anywhere near 7 people.
Travel trailers are usually lighter in weight, then fifth wheels, not always. And towing with either one is not too hard once you get used to the fact something is behind you.
Again, enjoy Hershey, it is a great place to research ask questions and have a good time. Don't forget to pack the sunscreen.

PaHunter · Aug 19, 2017

Wonder05 said:
Wow! Thanks. We have done close quarters (my parents were without electric including heat during a snowstorm one week and stayed with us. Nearly all slept in the master bedroom (granted its pretty big but still)

I'll have to look into that.

Wait, do they drive them at the show or do you mean dealer lot? Haven't been to an Rv show since I was a kid and all I really remember was Busses and pop ups lol which my parents seriously considered after a rainstorm and ending up spending the night on Grandma and Grandpa's truck!

You would have to go to a dealer to test drive, there is no room at Hershey for that.

Wonder05 · Aug 19, 2017

PaHunter said:
You would have to go to a dealer to test drive, there is no room at Hershey for that.

Yeah , that's what I figured still thought I'd better ask.

Wonder05 · Aug 19, 2017

PaHunter said:
Towing with the Sienna you are limited to 3500 Lbs, there are some ultralights, pop ups and a liners that would be towable by your vehicle. They are not going to sleep anywhere near 7 people.
Travel trailers are usually lighter in weight, then fifth wheels, not always. And towing with either one is not too hard once you get used to the fact something is behind you.
Again, enjoy Hershey, it is a great place to research ask questions and have a good time. Don't forget to pack the sunscreen.

Yeah , we were thinking we'd have to get a truck to go that route. Cause my parents CRV probably isn't gonna cut it either.
Mama's bag always has Badger sunblock in the summer and baby has a hat and gauze wrap blanket so we've got that covered.

FtW Mike · Aug 19, 2017

Having done Hershey in the past I would also recommend some cheap ponchos Last time we went a huge pop up T storm came rolling in we barely made it inside the arena for a bite to eat while it passed Didn't last long but very intense.

PaHunter · Aug 19, 2017

FtW Mike said:
Having done Hershey in the past I would also recommend some cheap ponchos Last time we went a huge pop up T storm came rolling in we barely made it inside the arena for a bite to eat while it passed Didn't last long but very intense.

On the plus side, there are a lot of open RV's to hide in while the storm passes....gets very crowded tho.

FtW Mike · Aug 19, 2017

PaHunter said:
On the plus side, there are a lot of open nto hide in while the storm passes....gets very crowded tho.

We were preparing to leave so were closer to arena than any units we might be willing to consider so an overpriced lunch became order of the moment.

Wonder one thing that would be very useful to consider is your kids. Now unless you can convince them to stop growing until you A) Decide to upgrade or B) They move out how will it meet your needs down the road. So when you go remember A TAPE MEASURE IS YOUR FRIEND
Consider that when we bought our Ambassador we had 2 ten year old dogs and a 12yr old and a 8yrold cats. ( See Sky and Katie's First time adventuring thread in Camping Community forum check out Maggie(60lbs) WookieBear(75lbs) Chester and Chubbs (each 15lbs) ) It was fine space wise. Since then we lost Maggie and got adopted by the Kids ( Sky and Katie) then they went 23 and 27 Lbs respective Now they are 40 and 73 and while they love to go ADVENTURING space is at a premium. So we are looking for 3rd slide even though our cats no longer come with us we need the extra room for the kids
We are now looking at Booth style Dining that converts to bed as where we hope they will curl up while we are on the road (Sky is okay while we travel but gets nervous when trucks pass us and so my DW ends up on the couch with her on her lap) Converted to a bed it is just big enough for all 3 to have a spot

FortForever · Aug 19, 2017

Wonder05 said:
Yeah , we were thinking we'd have to get a truck to go that route. Cause my parents CRV probably isn't gonna cut it either.
Mama's bag always has Badger sunblock in the summer and baby has a hat and gauze wrap blanket so we've got that covered.

You only need a truck with 5th wheels. You can trade in your Sienna on a full sized van that will easily tow a large travel trailer.

morrik5 · Aug 19, 2017

Wonder05 said:
Hello!
I thought I'd ask the experts.
Since we are just starting to look into this.

We'd like to be able to have something where we can take our whole family with us on vacations to Disney. That includes us, our three children (5 yrs, 2 yrs and currently 5 months however, we won't go till he's at least a year old though so next year would be the soonest) and my parents.

I was thinking maybe a Class C could work? Something with Bunks although I'm pretty sure our oldest son would be more then willing to sleep above the driver/passenger area.

I have no idea what brands or models we should consider.

I'm not even sure if this is realistic to find something for all of us.
My mom said "You know we should just buy a RV and go" she was half joking but she has mentioned about getting an RV before as it is the only way she would camp (honestly after doing tent camping and every time we tried this it rained as a kid I'm with her lol and quite like having our own bathroom and not traipsing out to get to the public one)

I have some questions so I'll number them to hopefully make this easier to follow. Oh, and We'd give my parents the better bed. We've slept on an IKEA pallets and weird air mattress at home before we got our beds moved into our house so it's ok although I prefer to be off the floor.

1. Since there is a pretty large RV show coming up near us next month and maybe we should go take a look?

2. I'm thinking probably don't need/want a trailer to pull cause I doubt our loaded up Sienna would be able to pull much of anything with all of us in it. And otherwise would need to buy a separate truck plus, not sure how comfortable or difficult it would be to pull something big. Honestly, They kind of scare me on the road. Are Class C's difficult to drive? I

3. Are there any Types, Brand or model that you suggest we look at?

4. I'm assuming there's a way to
Put up a rail to prevent the children from falling out of the bunks? I know they make them for beds.

5. I should've made this number 1. Can we realistically get my parents , Us and our three small children in an RV?

I'm guessing we'd take turns driving it and the Sienna. We would already be taking turns as in who sits in back with our oldest in order to stretch our legs.

Thanks

We rented before we purchased our first RV which was a Class C. Typically Class C's sleep more than a Class A. Just make sure you check the number of seatbelts in the unit as you will need to have one for each child as well as adult passengers. And lastly, if you start slowly, you can rent a car at your destination if necessary before paying out all of the dollars to be able to tow a vehicle behind you. Towing expenses such as the electric brake and wiring etc. add up. Have fun whichever way you decide to go.

MomTo3PrincessesInNJ · Aug 22, 2017

Wonder05 said:
1. Since there is a pretty large RV show coming up near us next month and maybe we should go take a look?

2. I'm thinking probably don't need/want a trailer to pull cause I doubt our loaded up Sienna would be able to pull much of anything with all of us in it. And otherwise would need to buy a separate truck plus, not sure how comfortable or difficult it would be to pull something big. Honestly, They kind of scare me on the road. Are Class C's difficult to drive? I

3. Are there any Types, Brand or model that you suggest we look at?

4. I'm assuming there's a way to
Put up a rail to prevent the children from falling out of the bunks? I know they make them for beds.

5. I should've made this number 1. Can we realistically get my parents , Us and our three small children in an RV?

I'm guessing we'd take turns driving it and the Sienna. We would already be taking turns as in who sits in back with our oldest in order to stretch our legs.

Thanks

We're a family of 5 that never camped before buying our Class C on a whim 3 years ago. I call it my DVC on Wheels. My favorite way to use our RV is camping at Disney or as a vehicle to get us through the 17 hr drive to Disney. Everything else is just so we feel like we're using it. We chose the Class C because we currently have a minivan and an SUV, neither of while is suitable for towing anything. I didn't want to pick up a truck payment AND a trailer payment, so we went with the C. We went to a local RV dealership because there's no way we could afford new and I only wanted to see something that I could actually buy, not get my hopes up, haha.

As PAHunter mentioned, it is annoying to not be able to unhitch. We have never had a problem in Disney, but we also camp in Eastern PA, Northern NJ, and the South Jersey Shore, and there are lots of times when I'd like to hop in the car to go see some local attraction and it's just not possible in a Class C. I don't feel like going through the hassle of unhooking and all that mess. Again, never an issue in Disney. The camp store has anything we'd need, and all we want to see and do is right there.

Our 3 girls (11, 8, 6) all sleep in the over-the-cab bunk. They sleep vertically,not horizontal, and nobody has ever fallen off. My 11 y/o's feet do dangle off a little, but she's never complained. They've also had at least 1 other friend fit up there. I'd say the dinette and jackknife sofa are good for 1 adult each, or 1 adult and 1 small-ish child each. We purchased thick mattress toppers for both of those "beds" that we store in our "master" bedroom because they are really uncomfortable otherwise.

As for driving, I don't know -- I've never driven. I'm an excellent co-pilot, but H is the driver. He's never had any experience driving anything larger than our minivan and he says it's easy to drive the Class C (ours is 32 ft long).

And your question about fitting everyone in, I think for Disney it shouldn't be a problem because you'll only be inside to sleep, but if you plan on regularly camping with other people it would be tight. We spent a week at the Fort with my Mother in Law and it didn't feel cramped at all, especially b/c her and the girls all showered in the bath house. But we've had 9 people sleeping in ours when we took a joint family Disney vacation. We drove another family down in our RV (we all stayed in a hotel that trip, we were saving money by driving vs flying, our RV has 9 seatbelts) and on the way home we camped in SC for the night. It was fine for 1 night, but we all agreed that we won't make a habit of it.

Good luck with your shopping!

parrothead64 · Aug 22, 2017

If you go to Hershey which I highly recommend, leave the children at home. The show is HUGE and its makes for a long day especially with kids. My brother and I go every year just to look and when I took my wife she couldn't believe how many RV's were at the show. Good luck on your hunt.

Wonder05 · Aug 22, 2017

My mom told me a lawyer had previously told her new Class C vehicles there are No Lemon laws? Is this true

KristinU · Aug 22, 2017

We have a 31.5 foot class C that probably technically sleeps 7, but comfortably? Probably not. Ditto teh suggestions to poke around Hershey, especially good advice to do it without kids in tow if you can. Even Hershey with one 11 year old a couple of years ago was not as thorough as it would have been just DH and I (and we weren't even shopping for an RV, but still...)

As for test driving: unless you're looking at super C, you'll likely be on a Ford Econoline chassis (I'm excluding the Transit and Mercedes chassis since they're the smaller C's)...anyway, the best way to test drive IMHO is to just go rent a Uhaul on an E350 or E450 chassis for $20 and drive it around town. You'll be able to do a lot more real test driving than with a dealer, if you can find one that will let you test drive before getting really serious to begin with. I find ours really easy to drive, and very comfortable on the long hauls.

Another thing to keep an eye on is Cargo Carrying Capacity. Once you get the whole family in there and the gear/clothes/food etc., you will be adding weight pretty quickly. Some of the C's with multiple slides don't leave a ton of CCC.

Just started looking : Do Class C or anything actually sleep 7?

Mouseketeer

Sounds like something a camping trip could cure!

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