Question Poll to learn more about the community.

[marc2912]

So my wife and I are looking at getting a class A diesel pusher within the next 6ish months to start traveling with what will be 2 kids by then 4 and < 1. From all my research and all my convos on forums etc. I feel like we're a minority age wise when it comes to Class A coaches. This is not just from communicating with owners but looking at owners at campsites and seeing that coach designs are primarily targeting retirees. It seems 5th wheel and tow behind are much more family friendly.

So Class A owners where do you fit in?

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

I think your assessment of Class A owner demographics is pretty much on target. No poll needed.

The two primary reasons I see driving that is (a) the cost of Class A coaches and (b) the fact that until recently, ”working from home (i.e. a motorhome or 5th wheel)” has not been an option for most non-retirees. Younger, working people frequently have less financial resources available to buy expensive coaches and, since they need to work to produce income, unless they can work remotely living in an RV isn’t practical. As a result, the target market manufacturers design for is retired couples or singles. No mystery there; you build for your target market.

Are there exceptions? Sure, but not enough to drive the marketplace.

Now, as for the floor plan design of Class A vs 5th wheel trailer, those demographics do drive what’s available. I think you are correct in viewing the 5th wheel market as having designs more conducive to families, though not exclusively. The other major difference between the two is mobility; the 5th wheel is frequently parked for long periods of time as a semi-permanent residence while motorhomes tend to be used more for visiting difference locations. Again, there are exceptions, but that’s my assessment after owning both 5th wheels and Class A motorhomes.

TJ

 

[marc2912]

I think your assessment of Class A owner demographics is pretty much on target. No poll needed.

The poll was also to see who the users are in the forum.

I agree that businesses need to build to their target demography. I do think though that there's been a market for coaches for younger families for a while. While Covid might have increased that, the remote workforce has been getting larger and larger over the last decade or so.

My take, and this is just an opinion is that the market as been very slow to react. There is probably multiple reasons why. New floorplans etc cost money to design and test, might require new technologies, training etc, if a business can keep building the same thing and make X profit margin why invest a lot of money to only make 1/3 or 1/2 X. It's an investment with no guaranteed return.

In the meantime though it has made it tougher for younger people with available disposable income to enter the market based on offering.

 

[Neemer]

Demographics have been shifting slightly younger. We began this lifestyle in our early 50s and felt as though we were on the young side of things. Since that time, more people have figured out how to work remotely or retire sooner. I see lots of millennials in motorhomes on our travels. With that said, seniors still dominate.

 

[marc2912]

Demographics have been shifting slightly younger. We began this lifestyle in our early 50s and felt as though we were on the young side of things. Since that time, more people have figured out how to work remotely or retire sooner. I see lots of millennials in motorhomes on our travels. With that said, seniors still dominate.

I feel like most younger demographic i see though are still primarily in 5th wheels and Class B & Cs still. Honestly can't wait to pull the trigger on a Class A that's right for us.

 

[tims5842]

The Class A selection is not just an age demographic, but also related to financial affluence. My experience, for those that like the drive and camp style, the Class C's are more popular with younger families (vs Class A) because a) they generally have more sleeping space for kids, b) they are more affordable, c) it doesn't seem so intimidating for a newbie to drive something that feels like a van or pickup when you sit behind the wheel.

If you plan on traveling in the the motorhome with the kids, pay particular attention to the usability of the floorplan with the slides retracted. Some of them will get very tight, and others may have poor views for the kids while riding. That makes it hard to let them see the countryside while you travel. Also check for seat belt locations. I haven't seen any with tethers for car seats, although they may be there and I am just not aware. Generally, the fixed couches and the dinette booths have seat belt options while recliners and other movable furniture does not. This complication has made it difficult for us to take our grandkids in the past (FYI, a car seat in the dinette booth required us to drop the table down for it to fit). I think all of this makes the Class A less "family friendly" than loading them into your truck and hitching up a 5th wheel.

That said, I've had a Class A DP since I was in my 30's and don't like to travel any other way. You just have to find ways to make it work for you.

Good luck, and keep the questions coming - it's a great place to get answers (or at least opinions).

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

The poll was also to see who the users are in the forum.

The way the question was worded appears to solicit input from Class A owners, however. Since this was posted in the RV Lifestyle forum, it is likely that responses will come from owners of all types of RVs. Are you looking for the age demographics of just Class A owners? If so, you might want to post this in the Class A Motorhomes forum. Otherwise, the demographics you will get will, at best, reflect the age range of all RV owners.

TJ

 

[marc2912]

The Class A selection is not just an age demographic, but also related to financial affluence. My experience, for those that like the drive and camp style, the Class C's are more popular with younger families (vs Class A) because a) they generally have more sleeping space for kids, b) they are more affordable, c) it doesn't seem so intimidating for a newbie to drive something that feels like a van or pickup when you sit behind the wheel.

If you plan on traveling in the the motorhome with the kids, pay particular attention to the usability of the floorplan with the slides retracted. Some of them will get very tight, and others may have poor views for the kids while riding. That makes it hard to let them see the countryside while you travel. Also check for seat belt locations. I haven't seen any with tethers for car seats, although they may be there and I am just not aware. Generally, the fixed couches and the dinette booths have seat belt options while recliners and other movable furniture does not. This complication has made it difficult for us to take our grandkids in the past (FYI, a car seat in the dinette booth required us to drop the table down for it to fit). I think all of this makes the Class A less "family friendly" than loading them into your truck and hitching up a 5th wheel.

That said, I've had a Class A DP since I was in my 30's and don't like to travel any other way. You just have to find ways to make it work for you.

Good luck, and keep the questions coming - it's a great place to get answers (or at least opinions).

Yeah, it's interesting that they cram more sleeping solutions on a class C that's smaller than on an A. I do like my comfort and if we're going to take longer trips I'd much rather the larger area. While I'm not going to f/t but more 1/2 or a little less I still want something as comfortable as possible. As for the driving part in a much younger life I regularly drove 30+ feet box trucks so totally not worried or concerned.

Good call on floorplan with the slides in, I do need to keep things semi usable. Tether for car seats though are a HUGE great callout. I rented an RV and they did have tethers on the dinette seats behind the cushion and i took that for granted as standard (I did have to drop the table to give my son more legroom).

I think that last statement is where I agree whole heartedly. "You just have to find ways to make it work for you." Floorplan will be the deciding factor I think and now that I've made up my mind on other things, i.e. diesel pusher, class and budget it's a matter of time before finding our solve. Good news is I'm in no rush.

Thanks again for the thoughts though, I very much appreciate it.

 

[Alisonlaila]

So my wife and I are looking at getting a class A diesel pusher within the next 6ish months to start traveling with what will be 2 kids by then 4 and < 1. From all my research and all my convos on forums etc. I feel like we're a minority age wise when it comes to Class A coaches. This is not just from communicating with owners but looking at owners at campsites and seeing that coach designs are primarily targeting retirees. It seems 5th wheel and tow behind are much more family friendly.

So Class A owners where do you fit in?

My husband and I just put the down on an A DP after years of borrowing the in-laws coaches. We are thinking of full-timing actually. He's 56 and I am 46 so we kinda fall into the minority population I'm seeing. Just tired of living tied down and considering hitting the road... at least for a year to see what it's like. The kids are grown and out so it's just us and our Doodle. Wish you the best in your decision making and safe and fun travels to you and your crew.

 

[marc2912]

My husband and I just put the down on an A DP after years of borrowing the in-laws coaches. We are thinking of full-timing actually. He's 56 and I am 46 so we kinda fall into the minority population I'm seeing. Just tired of living tied down and considering hitting the road... at least for a year to see what it's like. The kids are grown and out so it's just us and our Doodle. Wish you the best in your decision making and safe and fun travels to you and your crew.

OOOffff we started late, at 46 I'll have a 6 and 9 years old. I have a while before they are "out of the house". Congrats though it seems you're going to be able to really go out and enjoy life just the 2/3 of you.

 

["EZ"]

I think your assessment of Class A owner demographics is pretty much on target. No poll needed.

The two primary reasons I see driving that is (a) the cost of Class A coaches and (b) the fact that until recently, ”working from home (i.e. a motorhome or 5th wheel)” has not been an option for most non-retirees. Younger, working people frequently have less financial resources available to buy expensive coaches and, since they need to work to produce income, unless they can work remotely living in an RV isn’t practical. As a result, the target market manufacturers design for is retired couples or singles. No mystery there; you build for your target market.

Are there exceptions? Sure, but not enough to drive the marketplace.

Now, as for the floor plan design of Class A vs 5th wheel trailer, those demographics do drive what’s available. I think you are correct in viewing the 5th wheel market as having designs more conducive to families, though not exclusively. The other major difference between the two is mobility; the 5th wheel is frequently parked for long periods of time as a semi-permanent residence while motorhomes tend to be used more for visiting difference locations. Again, there are exceptions, but that’s my assessment after owning both 5th wheels and Class A motorhomes.

TJ

TJ is spot on.

 

["EZ"]

The poll was also to see who the users are in the forum.

I agree that businesses need to build to their target demography. I do think though that there's been a market for coaches for younger families for a while. While Covid might have increased that, the remote workforce has been getting larger and larger over the last decade or so.

My take, and this is just an opinion is that the market as been very slow to react. There is probably multiple reasons why. New floorplans etc cost money to design and test, might require new technologies, training etc, if a business can keep building the same thing and make X profit margin why invest a lot of money to only make 1/3 or 1/2 X. It's an investment with no guaranteed return.

In the meantime though it has made it tougher for younger people with available disposable income to enter the market based on offering.

What are you not seeing in the current Class A floorplans that you need? The only thing I can think of is a bunk ROOM that has it's own door where you can close the kids up at night at bed time and maybe the TV won't bother them. A Class A has bunks but there is usually no door. Other than that what am I missing? If it's cost, don't forget the $70K for the pickup truck you need to pull the 5th wheel too. This is the main reason I was not looking for a 5th wheel myself. I didn't need a diesel pickup for any other reason and didn't want to have to drive one year round just because I needed it for the camper. I drive a Ram 1500 and that's all the truck I need otherwise.

 

["EZ"]

Demographics have been shifting slightly younger. We began this lifestyle in our early 50s and felt as though we were on the young side of things. Since that time, more people have figured out how to work remotely or retire sooner. I see lots of millennials in motorhomes on our travels. With that said, seniors still dominate.

I'm 59 now but 3 years ago when we first bought our Class A pusher, we went to the FMCA rally in Perry Georgia. There were over 3000 Class A RV's in one spot I believe they said! I looked around and said 'Honey, I think we're the youngest people here!!!" LOL!!

 

["EZ"]

Yeah, it's interesting that they cram more sleeping solutions on a class C that's smaller than on an A. I do like my comfort and if we're going to take longer trips I'd much rather the larger area. While I'm not going to f/t but more 1/2 or a little less I still want something as comfortable as possible. As for the driving part in a much younger life I regularly drove 30+ feet box trucks so totally not worried or concerned.

Good call on floorplan with the slides in, I do need to keep things semi usable. Tether for car seats though are a HUGE great callout. I rented an RV and they did have tethers on the dinette seats behind the cushion and i took that for granted as standard (I did have to drop the table to give my son more legroom).

I think that last statement is where I agree whole heartedly. "You just have to find ways to make it work for you." Floorplan will be the deciding factor I think and now that I've made up my mind on other things, i.e. diesel pusher, class and budget it's a matter of time before finding our solve. Good news is I'm in no rush.

Thanks again for the thoughts though, I very much appreciate it.

My coach doesn't have the dinette. It has a table and chairs just like a house. The car seat anchors are on the couches. They are not visable. You have to reach down behind the bottom cushions to find them. The couches are then bolted to the floor. So maybe you just need a Class A without the dinette? It's something to check into.

 

[marc2912]

What are you not seeing in the current Class A floorplans that you need? The only thing I can think of is a bunk ROOM that has it's own door where you can close the kids up at night at bed time and maybe the TV won't bother them. A Class A has bunks but there is usually no door. Other than that what am I missing? If it's cost, don't forget the $70K for the pickup truck you need to pull the 5th wheel too. This is the main reason I was not looking for a 5th wheel myself. I didn't need a diesel pickup for any other reason and didn't want to have to drive one year round just because I needed it for the camper. I drive a Ram 1500 and that's all the truck I need otherwise.

So a separate room is def a nice one that doesn't exist. While kids sleep deep I don't really want to have to change our lives to end at 8pm when we put them down because there's no doors. Def in the same boat as you and I don't need a HD truck, and is part of the reason (there are others) that I'm staying away from a 5th wheel. Some bunk setups have pocket doors on either side (in some cases) so that could potentially fit the bill. The all star 3950 setup really did have a great floor plan. 4 real captain chairs, and a loft type rooms for the kids, I would just have needed to put a partition wall up. My two issues with it is that it's now old 07 model, and that it's a mid coach diesel pusher, so noise and heat seem to be a factor.

 

[marc2912]

My coach doesn't have the dinette. It has a table and chairs just like a house. The car seat anchors are on the couches. They are not visable. You have to reach down behind the bottom cushions to find them. The couches are then bolted to the floor. So maybe you just need a Class A without the dinette? It's something to check into.

The holiday rambler Nautica 35QZ is also a really interesting design I landed upon with a separate "kids bunk room". Never read much on HR. Is there any good literature you can reco on the brand?

 

["EZ"]

The holiday rambler Nautica 35QZ is also a really interesting design I landed upon with a separate "kids bunk room". Never read much on HR. Is there any good literature you can reco on the brand?

I don't know about literature but Holiday Rambler was built by Monaco back in the hey day of Class A diesel pushers. There were not many any better. Certainly not for anywhere near the money! I wanted a non-emission diesel engine so that's why I bought our 2006. I've sold diesel commercial trucks for a living for 30 years so I knew how bad some of the issues could be with the newer emission diesel engines. There are horror stories everywhere. It's not the RV manufacturers fault and I don't blame Cummins because most of their competition simply quit building on-road diesel engines as the emissions got stricter and stricter in 2003, 2007 and 2010. It almost bankrupted many of them. Somehow Cummins figured out a way to meet emissions with the DEF system but it is FAR FROM PERFECT. That being said, there's not much else you can do if you want a new coach with all the modern amenities except hope for the best and bite the bullet!

 

[marc2912]

I don't know about literature but Holiday Rambler was built by Monaco back in the hey day of Class A diesel pushers. There were not many any better. Certainly not for anywhere near the money! I wanted a non-emission diesel engine so that's why I bought our 2006. I've sold diesel commercial trucks for a living for 30 years so I knew how bad some of the issues could be with the newer emission diesel engines. There are horror stories everywhere. It's not the RV manufacturers fault and I don't blame Cummins because most of their competition simply quit building on-road diesel engines as the emissions got stricter and stricter in 2003, 2007 and 2010. It almost bankrupted many of them. Somehow Cummins figured out a way to meet emissions with the DEF system but it is FAR FROM PERFECT. That being said, there's not much else you can do if you want a new coach with all the modern amenities except hope for the best and bite the bullet!

Once again, thanks EZ. So far, short of getting a 14-15 yo newmar this is the best layout I found, it’s a really unique floor plan. Going to do some research but hoping HR is the same quality it used to be. The nautica is it’s cheapest diesel line and was it’s only line with a floor plan we like but price wise it’s not too bad.

 

["EZ"]

Once again, thanks EZ. So far, short of getting a 14-15 yo newmar this is the best layout I found, it’s a really unique floor plan. Going to do some research but hoping HR is the same quality it used to be. The nautica is it’s cheapest diesel line and was it’s only line with a floor plan we like but price wise it’s not too bad.

Look at the Fleetwood brand too. It's also made by REV like the Holiday Rambler is now. We really liked the Fleetwoods at the shows we've been to. They are very similar to the HR line but each has it's own personality.

 

[marc2912]

Look at the Fleetwood brand too. It's also made by REV like the Holiday Rambler is now. We really liked the Fleetwoods at the shows we've been to. They are very similar to the HR line but each has it's own personality.

I had. Unfortunately only the discovery lxe has something that aligns and it’s msrp is over $500k. Nothing on the American coach line.