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Motor Coach - Length recommendations

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fmpro

RVF Newbee
Joined
May 10, 2021
Messages
4
First time prospective buyer here! My wife and I are super excited to purchase a new or lightly used class a diesel coach. We are going to a dealership next weekend to try to get a feel of the various size options. Based pictures and videos, the difference between a 39ft RV and a 45ft RV appear to be fairly minimal in terms of living space. It will mostly be just my wife, myself and our dog but I'd love to be able to accommodate four guests in a pinch. It's also important that my wife feel comfortable driving the RV. I'm betting the extra six feet has a fairly significant impact on maneuverability. My question is this: 1. Does six ft in fact impact maneuverability significantly? 2. As far as camping locations, is there a general rule in terms of size allowed in most campsites? I think this will be the determining factor for us. From he research I've done, staying under 40ft is the safest bet but I'd love to hear your experiences. Thanks in advance! Much appreciated!
 
We have a 40' and love it. A 45' gives you an extra set of tires in the rear for stability but also more expense. Most State and National parks have a length limit so if you want to stay in those you need to stay under 36'. But then you lose a lot of inside room...........
 
When driving, you’ll want a 20’ motorhome; when parked, you’ll want a 60-footer. ;) We have a 40’ coach (actually 40’ 10”) that my wife drives very adeptly. I seriously doubt that an added 5’ would make any difference in driveability to her...or, to me. The bigger consideration is how you intend to use the coach. As @EZ mentioned, if you plan on staying primarily in National Parks, you need to stay in the 35-38’ range. If you will be staying in RV parks, 45’ would be no problem. As far as being “able to accommodate four guests in a pinch, in our experience, that is pretty tough in most coaches...and, would likely be impossible in a 36’ coach. We have conveniently had two guests in our 40’ coach, but four guests would have to sleep in shifts.

TJ
 
If you want to sleep 4 guests in a coach you'll have to have the over the front seats retractable bed option PLUS the couch that folds out into a bed option, BOTH. Look at Holiday Rambler and Fleetwood. They both offer this package.
 

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