Class A Motorhomes At A Glance!
Class A motorhomes are the giants of the RV and motor home world. These massive land yachts often resemble an exotic model of bus. This is partly because many are built using commercial bus frames and body parts. But if you want the most features for you on the road home, these are the RVs to get. Class A motorhomes are the perfect choice for people who are living on the road for long periods of time. The extra room for storage means less that must be left behind. And the lavish interior space delays the onset of cabin fever the can plague inhabitants of the smaller RVs. There are three main groups of class A motorhomes. First, the practical. This are still designed to be family vehicles with all of the same features and facilities of other motor homes. Just in a larger package. They usually feature additional sleeping room, often in enclosed areas. Many come with a master bedroom with smaller alcoves and bunks for the rest of the family. Living rooms, expanded kitchens and other amenities are also common. The second group is the commercial class A motorhome. This is an RV with a mission. Uses can range from a mobile studio for an architectural firm, the on the road HQ for a racing team, or a traveling hospitality suite for schmoozing clients. The final group is the luxury class A motorhomes. Here, the sky is the limit. Teak trim, hardwood floors, home theaters and hot tubs are just a few of the over the top add ons that can fit in a class A frame. But all these goodies do come with a price. Starting with, the price. We are now talking about a massive piece of machinery, with dual rear wheels, over sized tires, super heavy duty transmission and a big diesel engine. Just getting this baby on the road, without the extras, will cost a lot. Fuel costs are large, as well, but not as large as you might expect. Most class A motorhomes have diesel engines, which consume less fuel than a similar sized gasoline engine. And they are powered up for the weight that they will be carrying, so that the engine and drive train will be working at maximum efficiency on the road. Many smaller RVs fail to deliver the expected fuel economy because the smaller engine is constantly straining to haul the weight. One way to trim the costs is to add a towing rig to the package, and you can bring the family car along for the ride. When you get where you are going, you don't have to drive around in the class A motorhome. Just leave it at the park and use the minivan. The final consideration is handling. A class A motor home handles like a bus. Just like a bus. So it takes some practice to get the moves just right. But lots of people drive buses, and the class As are carefully built to make handling as easy as possible. Many come with special cameras in the rear that give the driver view behind the RV on a screen built into the dashboard. While not for everyone, more and more RV and motor home users are trading up to class A motor homes. If you are going to go on the road, go with comfort and in style. |
