4x4van wrote:

The difference between a 24' and a 26' is negligible;
...

Reading what the OP is planning makes me think that they want to do the same type of camping that they always have, i.e. boondock tent camping, and in the same locations, but with the amenities of a class C RV. Sadly, I don't think that is possible, and while I could be wrong, this kinda looks like a train wreck waiting to happen, particularly considering the OP's eyesight issues and admitted problems with parking a car. Realistically, buying a transit van and installing just a sink, stove, fridge, and porta-potti, leaving room for the OP's camp chair and cot, would be the best answer.

pnichols wrote:


Here's us driving out of a woods campsite alongside a river that has overflowed it's banks ... it probably takes a Ford or Chevy chassis under a Class C to provide this kind of stock ground clearance (we now have larger-than-stock-diameter tires on it for even more ground clearance):

mountaintraveler wrote:



That's very impressive, sounds like a good rig, I didn't know they could do crossings like that.
I got E450 Ford chassis. Cleareance isn't high, not much higher than my Toyota Camry, actually, because of just one certain low spot (exhaust manifold I think), plus generator exhaust pipe could be sitting higher. It's been very hard to buy a rig in good condition and low mileage, mine had low and gentle usage, was stored inside - I'm lucky to have found it - took me entire crazy adventure to get it out of Northeast during historic ice storm while towing my car behind it all night, never having towed anything before.
I constantly get compliments to my rig in random store parking lots, people want those rigs.

I'm being extra cautions and don't go anywhere where I have the slightest doubt about clearance. I did master very tight turns on narrow windy roads. I'm glad that I got class C, for me as a begginner is the best option overall. The tail starts sweeping up about halfway past the rear wheel. I just avoid questionable dips and the only time I tail-scraped, ironically, so far, was getting out of RV repair shop in Phoenix, AZ 3 months ago - !!
I carry roof shingles, rubber mats, shovel, carpet and 2x8 pieces in case I'd get stuck, also.
I managed to do all kinds of camping in low clearnace sedans over the last 15 years, so I know how to avoid problems.

I've been boondocking non-stop since mid-February, mostly in the deserts, trying to stick to flatter areas. In the real mountains, I guess can go to spots I already know about where I camped with a sedan, plus I use phone apps to find out non-high clearance spots. Apps are often not accurate, and I use topo and LIDAR maps to verify terrain.

Glad I didn't go over 26' - I was able to park in busy store parking lots and make turns to get out of bad roads, where a longer rig wouldn't be able to.

I've seen some camper vans for sale before I got my class C - it's awful to have to live in one, spaces are so tiny, except in summer when you can just tent-camp all the time and many of them don't have toilets or shower stall. A compact full-amenities trailer, may be "expedition" type trailer, with 4x4 truck would be the best option, I think, if I wanted to branch out into more off-roading.

pnichols wrote:



In my earlier photo of us driving on a road that was flooded alongside a river - in our slideless E450 24 ft. Class C motorhome - was probably made safely possible not due to it's stock "ground clearance per se" that kept water out of the coach's floor area ... as the water was probably all around the differential, springs, driveshaft, shocks, etc..

What kept the coach dry was more likely the fact that our Class C was of a "basement" design: The coach floor starts about another 5-6 inches above the top of the E450's frame. This means that 1) there is a step-up from the cab floor to the coach floor, and 2) that the outside cabinets are quite tall, so as to provide good exterior storage volume.

The outside storage cabinets are all steel lined and have pretty solid rubber gasket sealed doors. A couple of the outside cabinets even have inclosed 5" tall storage areas starting at the top of their back walls that run laterally all the way across to the other side of the coach - in between the chassis frame and under the bottom of the coach flooring. This allows for outside, but still enclosed, storage of long items such as fishing poles and shovels.

FWIW, I'm a believer in increasing ground clearance via only using larger diameter tires - instead of keeping stock tires but then having the whole vehicle's structure being lifted above the axles ... which still leaves chassis running gear (differentials, driveshafts, shock ends, spring ends, etc.) exposed low to the ground.

pnichols wrote:

If I was a bit younger and much richer, I think I'd consider this - 19'8" long and AWD - probably install a bit taller tires on it for more ground clearance, though:

https://pleasureway.com/models/ontour20/

pnichols wrote:

Ann Cat,

Hmmmm ... you mention regarding your Onan - "have to set altitude every time".

I've never adjusted the altitude setting on our built-in Onan generator regardless of what the manual may or may not say. It has always started right up and "run fine" at sea level or up in mountains. I wonder what the downsides of doing this were/are?

(However, from experience I know what goofing up and running an engine too lean, too long, can do to it. So I guess that my Onan may have only been run too rich on a lot of our motorhome trips.)