Motorhome Opinions

[Tflow]

What up dudes,
My family has grown a bit. My son was born at the end of 2025. My wife and I agreed that we should start saving for a motorhome for family desert trips. My previous setup was a Palomino pop-up camper that I had in the back of my F250. I sold that a few months back because we knew it was too small for the three of us and a big dog.

This is a big purchase, so I'm trying to do my due diligence here. I'm liking the Super C with Ford F550 or F600 chassis, 6.7 Powerstroke with a 10-speed. I have had good luck with those trucks at work. It isn't worth buying brand new for me, so I'm trying to find a used rig in good shape. I need something that can tow my Tacoma on a flatbed trailer. I don't want anything too big, but enough space if we do have another kid down the road. I'm thinking of something between 32'-35.'

What's your guy's experience towing a prerunner out to the desert in a motorhome? What setups do you like or dislike?

Have any of you dealt with RV financing? I'm not a big fan of financing toys, but I don't have $100k+ cash to drop on something. It's something I'm willing to look into. Obviously, I wouldn't want to put my family in a bad financial situation.

 

[Austen2019]

Rv is the best way to go in my opinion now I have been in super nice rv and basic ford v10s and the older Winnebago itsacas. If your doing desert the super nice rvs are just as loud driving down the road with just as many problems as an older rv. Unless you’re rich it’s a huge waste of money buying something in the 100k range. My buddy has a newmar rv older one takes it to the desert and river. It’s super nice and he almost never has issues and has triple towed with it. I would look into those before dropping 100k. Just my opinion and experience good luck and congrats on the kid

 

[Klever]

Since you're towing your Prerunner....definitely get diesel. (don't take my word for it as I don't have a motorhome but I have friends with V10's and they suck ass at towing)

 

[95Bronco]

I'm in the market too. I'd like to safely tow close to 10k and looked at the Super C. I'm surprised how little payload the capacity is on a F550, down to near 1000lbs. Guess that's why they rolled out the F600. They can tow the best for sure though.

Currently I'm shopping small Class Cs on an e-450. Model year 2021+ with the 7.3 gas which everyone says is a great motor. This combo on a 24' floorplan has great payload, but the hitch is till rated to a max of 8k. I'd be pushing it but see it done all the time. These RVs are out there for $60 to $75k. Ultimately want to do the U-joint 4x4 conversion and still be under $100k all in.

 

[troysladeck]

Just my opinion but I did the opposite of what you are trying to do and think truck campers are the way to go haha. Had a 38 ft RV and towed a 20ft flatbed with my jeep on it. It was extremely inconvenient for trips shorter than 3 days, which most of my camping trips are. Also worth noting that if you ever plan to go somewhere besides an open desert that it is extremely tough to find a parking spot. We go to the mountains often and it was a PIA with a 60ft setup. So we downsized to a full size truck camper with a bathroom, shower, etc and life became a lot easier. Weekend trips aren't a pain anymore and finding camping spots is easy AF. If I were you I'd look into a bigger and roomier truck camper for your growing family; new ones have multiple slides and are badass. My wife and I have a 2 year old whose playpen goes in the dining table area and we now have a 2 month old so we plan to use a portable bassinet up in the bed with us. Our first camping trip with the newborn is actually this weekend so we'll see how it goes.

 

[Tflow]

Rv is the best way to go in my opinion now I have been in super nice rv and basic ford v10s and the older Winnebago itsacas. If your doing desert the super nice rvs are just as loud driving down the road with just as many problems as an older rv. Unless you’re rich it’s a huge waste of money buying something in the 100k range. My buddy has a newmar rv older one takes it to the desert and river. It’s super nice and he almost never has issues and has triple towed with it. I would look into those before dropping 100k. Just my opinion and experience good luck and congrats on the kid

Thanks! I'm not rich by any means, but I'm willing to spend a little more on something if it results in fewer problems. I guess I'm also trying to find that fine line on the used motorhome market of what's too old and what's not.

 

[Tflow]

Just my opinion but I did the opposite of what you are trying to do and think truck campers are the way to go haha. Had a 38 ft RV and towed a 20ft flatbed with my jeep on it. It was extremely inconvenient for trips shorter than 3 days, which most of my camping trips are. Also worth noting that if you ever plan to go somewhere besides an open desert that it is extremely tough to find a parking spot. We go to the mountains often and it was a PIA with a 60ft setup. So we downsized to a full size truck camper with a bathroom, shower, etc and life became a lot easier. Weekend trips aren't a pain anymore and finding camping spots is easy AF. If I were you I'd look into a bigger and roomier truck camper for your growing family; new ones have multiple slides and are badass. My wife and I have a 2 year old whose playpen goes in the dining table area and we now have a 2 month old so we plan to use a portable bassinet up in the bed with us. Our first camping trip with the newborn is actually this weekend so we'll see how it goes.

I always hated loading and unloading the camper in the truck haha. I was thinking it would be easier to hop in a motorhome and go. I get what you're saying about being so big, that's something I'll forsure consider. The bigger truck bed campers sure do look nice. The only thing is that they seem very heavy, and you damn near need a dually to haul it around. That means I would need a new truck too haha

 

[troysladeck]

I always hated loading and unloading the camper in the truck haha. I was thinking it would be easier to hop in a motorhome and go. I get what you're saying about being so big, that's something I'll forsure consider. The bigger truck bed campers sure do look nice. The only thing is that they seem very heavy, and you damn near need a dually to haul it around. That means I would need a new truck too haha

Yeah that's a good point but electric jacks would make it a lot easier. I guess it just depends on how long and often you go camping for. We'll usually go 1-2 short trips a month year round, and using the truck camper is definitely less work. It actually enables us to go camping more often. But if you only make a couple long trips during desert season then a RV totally makes sense

Ours weighs 3200 lbs which still leaves plenty of capacity for towing, but yes the bigger ones with slides are heavy bitches

 

[84Prerunner]

I work in the RV industry, what I’ll say is the more money you spend on an RV, the more money you’ll need to put into as time goes on. Almost every single person I talk to with the big expensive RVs is full of stories of things failing (leveling jacks, trim falling off, DPF issues, etc) and costing $$$. On the flip side you have someone that buys a 20 year hold 15k Moho and just drives the shit out of it with no issue.

 

[84Prerunner]

I started with a cab over, it worked but I got tired of the cramped space. Bought a 40’ 5th wheel that my preseunner fits in. It’s not a perfect setup but it works.

 

[Tflow]

I work in the RV industry, what I’ll say is the more money you spend on an RV, the more money you’ll need to put into as time goes on. Almost every single person I talk to with the big expensive RVs is full of stories of things failing (leveling jacks, trim falling off, DPF issues, etc) and costing $$$. On the flip side you have someone that buys a 20 year hold 15k Moho and just drives the shit out of it with no issue.

Yeah it seems like all RVs have their problems. The crazy part is that 20-year-old diesel motorhomes are going for $50k-$80k. Well atleast the Super C's are going for that much. I guess I can find a good deal on an old Class A

 

[84Prerunner]

Yeah it seems like all RVs have their problems. The crazy part is that 20-year-old diesel motorhomes are going for $50k-$80k. Well atleast the Super C's are going for that much. I guess I can find a good deal on an old Class A

Imo an older pre def 8.3l Cummins diesel pusher is a solid “budget” choice. The 5.9 versions are solid but very slow towing

 

[WW_RANGER_X]

Being in the RV industry, i see all sorts of different setups coming through the shop. A class C with a v10 will do the job, but like Klever said (depending on what you're pulling) they tend to struggle, especially with a full tank of fresh water, fuel and all the other needs in the RV along with what's on the trailer you're pulling. It just obviously adds up. A lot of the class C's we work on come in for hitch repairs, complete hitch rebuilds or sway control and weight distribution hitches for the trailer they're pulling.

If you're willing to spend $40k-50k look into a mid 2000's Jayco Seneca. Things are solid. GM C5500 Kodiak, and half the price of a new Freightliner cassis Seneca.

 

[Brett_408]

DO NOT get a gasser motorhome and tow it sucks! I use a 38' class A workhorse chassis motorhome with a chevy 8.1 big block and it almost goes backwards up grades its so slow. That being said the motorhome is the best for desert trips when you have a prerunner and kids hands down.

 

[Tflow]

Being in the RV industry, i see all sorts of different setups coming through the shop. A class C with a v10 will do the job, but like Klever said (depending on what you're pulling) they tend to struggle, especially with a full tank of fresh water, fuel and all the other needs in the RV along with what's on the trailer you're pulling. It just obviously adds up. A lot of the class C's we work on come in for hitch repairs, complete hitch rebuilds or sway control and weight distribution hitches for the trailer they're pulling.

If you're willing to spend $40k-50k look into a mid 2000's Jayco Seneca. Things are solid. GM C5500 Kodiak, and half the price of a new Freightliner cassis Seneca.

That’s funny I started out looking at those. My buddy is a diesel mechanic and told me to stay away from them. He said he’s had a bunch of problems with the kodiaks with duramaxs. He’s also working on all construction fleet trucks that probably live a rough life haha

 

[Tree trunk]

When you are talking about financing the motorhome, do you mean the 15year loans they have now for newer RV’s or just doing a loan for RVs in general?

 

[Motiracer38]

I had a a camper that I loved towing with but with three little kids it was too small. A 5th wheel was nice for the room but unless you buy a semi truck then you can't put a truck in the back, expect a stick built trailer to stay together, and you look ridiculous crawling out of your window. I now have a 2008 34ft Super C with 8.1L gas motor and have towed up to my 6000lb Sequoia. It isn't super fast on the hills but the Allison trans gives confidence you'll always make it to the top at 6mpg. I never had a brake controller but it certainly didn't like stopping an extra 7k or so, put one on finally and it handles 8k great now. Drawbacks are with the van style you have a small windshield so it seems like there is always four of us trying to look out the front, especially on road trips. I have a stupid amount of overhang and you can tell the years of towing are taking it's toll. The next generation freightliner chassis did not have that problem. If I weren't so cheap I would have swapped to a Class A just for the windshield after our Utah trip years ago and am getting more interested in a diesel pusher just for the ease of towing. Trouble is finding one with more than 300hp and less than 36ft long.

 

[Tflow]

When you are talking about financing the motorhome, do you mean the 15year loans they have now for newer RV’s or just doing a loan for RVs in general?

Last weekend, we went to a local RV show to check things out. When we were walking through a few different motorhomes, a salesman was giving me his pitch. He started telling me how we can do a 15 or 20 year loan, which I thought was crazy haha. That's a straight up mortgage, but I guess that's what some people do. I'm just curious about how other people have financed an RV and their opinions.

 

[Tflow]

I had a a camper that I loved towing with but with three little kids it was too small. A 5th wheel was nice for the room but unless you buy a semi truck then you can't put a truck in the back, expect a stick built trailer to stay together, and you look ridiculous crawling out of your window. I now have a 2008 34ft Super C with 8.1L gas motor and have towed up to my 6000lb Sequoia. It isn't super fast on the hills but the Allison trans gives confidence you'll always make it to the top at 6mpg. I never had a brake controller but it certainly didn't like stopping an extra 7k or so, put one on finally and it handles 8k great now. Drawbacks are with the van style you have a small windshield so it seems like there is always four of us trying to look out the front, especially on road trips. I have a stupid amount of overhang and you can tell the years of towing are taking it's toll. The next generation freightliner chassis did not have that problem. If I weren't so cheap I would have swapped to a Class A just for the windshield after our Utah trip years ago and am getting more interested in a diesel pusher just for the ease of towing. Trouble is finding one with more than 300hp and less than 36ft long.

Class A's are huge, and I don't want a super long setup. That's why I was interested in Super C's because there are a lot of models that are 32'-34.' They are just very expensive motorhomes.

 

[sixdee9er]

i Have a lifted Class C on 33" with the V-10. I regularly tow a 24' enclosed fully loaded and filled with 100 gals or water and 65 gals of fuel. It is quite literally not a big deal. It goes 65 MPH no problem and stops with no drama.

I worry more about the trans than anything (even if ford says its supposed to run at 220+). Manageable by just backing off the speed.

I'm going to be listing it after presidents day if anyone is interested.