HobbyHauler
South of Nashville, TN
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Joined: 08/07/2004
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You will find way more Class C's that are suited for large families than Class A's. The joke on Class A's is that they drink 6, eat 4, and sleep 2. Sure there are a few Class A models that have bunk beads (that takes care of two), the bed in the rear (another two) and sometimes a dinenet or sofa that makes into a bed (usually two children or very short adults).
Class C's are usually more family friendly and the selection will be great. A Super C for your family size would be "super".
Les Stallings
South of Nashville, TN
2002 Monaco Dynasty Jack 38, ISL 400, TAG
Toad: 2003 Saturn LW300
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thgoodman
Where ever the wheels stop (S. Utah right now)
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re: the bunk house suggestion - perfect! but relatively rare. As an alternative, consider a class A toy hauler (rare east of the Mississippi, plentiful in the west) and set up your own bunks.
re: having the kids "go lay down" while en-route - There is usually a TV in the back bedroom of a class A. Plays videos, CDs etc. Keep the little rascals busy for hours. Just be sure the MH you buy has a good inverter for 110AC. You will find you use it under way a lot.
Tom & Jan
Full timers since April '06 - 3 fur kids (George - mini Aussie, Archie - mini Poodle, Kitty - 20 yo blind cat)
2006 Beaver Patriot Thunder towing 2006 Subaru (4 down)
Started workamping Sept '07 - "This isn't too bad. Think we'll do it some more."
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elbmiNrM
Atlanta
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Joined: 08/20/2008
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crasster wrote:I just need advice about class A RV's and if what I THINK I know about them is correct.
What I THINK I know about class A's
1) Kids can go potty on I45 at 60mph
Kids shouldn't be out of seat belts at 60 mph in ANY vehicle. My little trailer has more sleeping room than our 40 ft. motor home had. If "potty" is the main issue, you could pull a trailer the size of mine or a little bigger and you could pull off when someone needed to use the bathroom. It would only be a few steps behind you. Having traveled in a large class "A", I shutter to think about your children becoming missiles in the event of an unexpected stop.
Class "A's" are expensive. The money you would save by purchasing a trailer (you basically live outside with kids, anyway) you could put into a safe tow vehicle. In my mind, safety should be your primary concern. We started camping by backpacking which led to a tent when we had babies, then a pop up, and once our kids were grown we went to a Class A. Since my husband's death, I bought a Jayco trailer. I have everything I need, including a toilet. If necessary, I can pull over and use it any time I please.
This is only my opinion, but I hope that you will look into other options or at least decide to pull your Class A over if your children need to use the bathroom.
I think traveling in America will be a wonderful educational experience for your children. Enjoy every moment.
2004 4X4 Dodge Ram Turbo Diesel with Wheels
2008 Jayco 218
My Two Dogs Take Me Camping
“God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.”....J.M. Barrie
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Rick Jay
Greater Springfield area, MA
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Joined: 02/02/2003
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Hi,
Let me start off by saying that by far, the best way to travel with children is in a motorhome. Class A or Class C, it's a great ride!!!
We have four children in our class A. We do not have a bunk floorplan, we have a dual sofa layout. It works out very well for us. My biggest problem with the bunk models is in most layouts you are swapping dedicated living/storage space for dedicated sleeping space. Changing over from sleep to living mode each morning and evening takes 5-10 minutes tops. No big deal. Also, most of the bunk models have the bunks too close to the "adult" bedroom. We really aren't crazy about having the children's ears about 2 feet away from our space. Crazy as it may sound, my wife and I do enjoy a few "intimate moments" when out camping and it's nice to know the kids are at the opposite end of the RV! 
With 5 kids, you'll need storage space, meaning closet space. In our rig with the 6 of us, we typically have about 36 shoes or so!!! (Each of us has 3 pair: sneakers, beach shoes, sandals/dress shoes.) Then there are shirts, pants, etc. Do not underestimate how much storage space you'll need. Many rigs are short on storage space.
You'll also need adequate food preparation area, so make sure the kitchen area is functional. You'll also need living space and that's why we like the dual sofa layouts. On a rainy day, or at night after a busy day, there's plenty of room for all of us in the living room to enjoy a movie. Or (on those real GOOD nights  ) the kids stay up front and mommy and daddy head to the back of the rig. (Just to watch something different on TV, of course!!!!)
WEIGHT!!! Become very knowledgeable about weight limits of the chassis's. The terms you'll need to know: GVWR, GVWR, GAWR, tow rating and a few others. Some rigs are near overloaded on an axle loaded with nothing more than fuels and water. As a guide, we carry about 2,000=2,500 lbs. of people, food, water and supplies with us. Our rig weighs about 19,000 lbs. empty. (Yes, I have weighed it...many times.) So loaded to go, we're between 21,000 and 21,500 lbs.. The GVWR of the chassis is 22,000 lbs. and each axle is comfortably under it's maximum and tires are properly inflated to carry the load with a safety factor built in. Our Odyssesy weighs about 4,500 lbs. When we tow it, our combined weight is between 25,500 and 26,000 lbs. Our GCWR is 26,000 lbs., so sometimes we do flirt with that number. One time we were over it by 135 lbs. Which was exactly "one grandma", who just happened to be travelling with us. I was going to make her take the bus home, but figured we'd burn 135 lbs. of fuel within a few hours or so! LOL
As for mileage, forget 15 mpg. Plan on 7-9. Sometimes it'll be a bit more, sometimes it'll be a bit less. You'll be towing a vehicle, which drops mileage a bit (about 0.5 mpg) and with a full house, you'll usually be travelling with the house airconditioners on, which means the generator will be running (again, another 0.5 mpg penalty or so).
As for potty breaks while rolling, if the traffic is such that I feel comfortable with them going to the potty, we allow it. Quite frequently you'll hit construction, rush hour, accident or something that will slow traffic to a crawl. We often take advantage of these times to let the kids go potty and mommy dishes out snacks. In this way, we don't lose any travel time making a dedicated stop. One interesting thing to look into: Our rig has a john that faces toward the back of the unit. It never occurred to us before we purchased, but this is probably the preferred orientation if you're going to use the potty while moving. That way, if the rig must slow quickly, the person is pushed backwards against the wall of the RV, not pitched forward or sideways as would happen with any other orientation. Oh yeah, one other thing...the boys pee like girls...i.e. sitting down! LOL
While we're on the topic of bathrooms: we preffered the "all in one" layout. Many rigs split the bathroom: john on one side, shower on the other. The problem with this is if someone uses the shower, they divide the rig in half and the rest of the people in it can't get from the front to the back. With an "all in one" bath, people can always easily move from front to back.
Our rig came from the factory with 12 seatbelts: 3 on each sofa, 4 on the dinette, drive & passenger seats. Check the number and location of seatbelts carefully. You will need at least 7, and it's best to have more to afford some flexibility in seating arrangements. I also installed some belts on the queen bed in the back to help keep the kids from bouncing off the bed should they decide to sleep there while travelling. In my opinion, your safety while travelling increases with the mass of the vehicle. A typical class A is more massive than about 95% of the vehicles on the road, so that gives you an inherent safety advantage over other vehicles. That saide, I view seatbelts on a motorhome like seatbelts in an airplane: they are there to keep you in your seat. But in a catastrophic accident, they're not going to matter much.
I don't believe the Toyota minivan is towable four-down. You might be able to tow it on a dolly (although not too convenient) or put a lube pump or driveshaft disconnect to allow flat-towing. However pre-2005 Honda Odyssey minivans are. We flat-tow our 2001. It works out very well.
If you have any other questions about using a class A with a larger family, plesse let me know. You can send me a private message if you'd like, or through the forums. I'd also recommend getting familiar with the "search" feature on the forums. You'll be able to find specific information on a variety of topics.
Hope to see you around the forums.
~Rick
* This post was
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2005 Georgie Boy 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22 (Class A)
Rick, Gail, 1 girl (13-Angel, Lexi96.org), 1 girl (8), 2 boys (9 & 6).
2001 Honda Odyssey, Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.
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SemperFiCop
USA
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Joined: 10/19/2007
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If on a Budget,
with a Large Family,
The Best Bet Might Be a Class C
for example,
Look at the Forest River Sunseeker, Quad Bunk
New for Under $50,000...
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Rick Jay
Greater Springfield area, MA
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Joined: 02/02/2003
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SemperFiCop,
The problem with your suggestion is that any E-450 based rig with a slide (or two) will be WAY overloaded weight-wise (especially on the rear axle) with a family of 7 on board. Without a slide, they'll be very cramped. We did some pretty extensive research, but there was no way a rig on that type of chassis could offer us the space and weight carrying capacity our crew would need.
One of the most popular surprises of "newbies" looking at motorhomes is the fact that a manufacturer would actually build a rig on a chassis with GOBS of storage space (or not), but that space is not usable due to the weight limits of the chassis. Here's an interesting thread about a member whose Forest River 2861DS that had a weight problem right from the factory. Imagine how bad it would be if there were 7 people and their stuff on board. This problem IS NOT limited to Forest River, it's just an example. (Be sure to read that entire thread, his true over-weight problem got worse as the analysis progressed.)
However, I would recommend looking at some of the Kodiak chassis based "Super C's". They were just coming out when we bought ours. We haven't found one yet that we like better than our A, though. We just love that "picture window" view of the road while travelling, and the kids get a better view out the front as well. Plus the cab area is so spacious and becomes part of the living area once parked. But certainly they should be checked out. My recommendation is to make sure it's on a 22,000 lb. GVWR chassis and has an unloaded vehicle weight of 19,000 lbs. or less.
Regardless of what type of RV you're looking at, weight issues are very important if you're safety minded.
~Rick
* This post was
edited 09/05/08 03:02pm by Rick Jay *
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Maj Easy
Oklahoma
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Joined: 06/21/2007
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buy a dodge diesel pick-em-up truck from ebay... it took me 2 to 3 months to find exactly what i wanted but i got an awesome deal on a dodge cummins diesel, it had just come off lease, it was leased by an oil service company.. roughnecks cosmetically beat my truck up a little.... i bought a 19K used pick-up for 9K.... then after you get your pick-up, search for and buy the 5th wheel of your dreams... forget the A's, forget the C's "fivers" are the only way..... A's are best for "2" old retired folk like me and wifey....
* This post was
edited 09/05/08 03:19pm by Maj Easy *
2009 Safari Cheetah 42ft tag axle by Monaco
400hp C-9 Cat 6sp Allison in motion satelite
Quad screen color LCD gps factory installed in dash
Dinghy is a 2600lb 08 Toyota Corola 5-spd manual 37mpg
Tow Bar by Blue Ox Avanta LX 10K
Equal balancing polymer
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YC 1
Yuba City Calif.
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Joined: 01/11/2005
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Since you already have talked yourself into it.
You will love the storage. Being able to stop along the road to have lunch and a nap. Having a bit of room for the kids to spread out.
As they grow a bit older they may wish to use a small tent. Our daughter and Springer loved to share a tent.
You will love the larger frig. Cabinet space is tremendous. Lots of bennies. Yes cost is a bit more but I don't plan on leaving it to my family. I want to go out with the last dime and slide into the grave, saying, "man what a ride".
You don't have to go for a $200K + diesel pusher. There should be plenty of entry level A's floating around right now.
H/R Endeavor 2008
2007 Hummer H3 toad
Ranger Boat
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Buck62
Charleston, South Carolina
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Joined: 04/28/2005
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Wow, 5 kids in a pop up camper, my hat is off to you, what a guy. Go for the class A. We thought about pull behind trailers, 5th wheels, toy haulers and after a lot of consideration realized that Class A is the way to go. You have full use of you bathroom facilities, DW makes sandwiches as we travel and always a cold drink in the frig whenever you want one. With the generator running, you have a fully operational house rolling down the road. We have never regretted our decision for buying a class A. Go for it....
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crasster
Dallas
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Joined: 07/06/2007
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Thanks so much everybody. Class A or C is it!
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