Why We Chose a Class A RV

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Sabrina and I are often asked why we chose a Class A RV over other RVs. In this Minipod, I will share our thoughts on why Class A was the right choice for us.

How Will We Use It

When we were shopping, we looked at everything from pop-up campers to diesel pushers and everything in between. It gets a bit crazy when shopping for an RV because there are so many choices, not just brands but types of RVs and like a million floorplans. To stay focused, we always kept in mind how we would use the RV. We knew we would live in it full-time and cover many miles yearly because we were using it to crisscross across the country for Sabrina’s work. We also knew that we would have our dog with us and that we were not putting anything in storage. Everything we owned went with us for this new journey.

When we would tour a new RV, we would play house for as long as possible. What I mean by that is we pretended what it would be like to wake up in the morning, get out of bed, imagine what the bathroom use would be like, where we would keep our clothes, and what space we had to get dressed. Then we would make pretend meals in the kitchen to see where silverware, spices, plates, and cookware would go. We would quickly eliminate RVs by doing a mock day in the RV. For example, without wardrobe space for Sabrina’s work clothes, the RV would quickly get taken off the list.

RVs that we liked and thought would work would stay on our list. We would add what we liked about that particular RV and its strengths and weaknesses. Yes, we had a list! It was the only way to keep all these floorplans straight.

Making a List and Checking It Twice

After a few months of shopping, we knew we would need a large towable, Class C or Class A. From there, we decided only to start looking at motorized and stopped looking at towables. It was challenging to find ones that had enough cargo space for us and still tow with our van. We also liked the idea of being motorized because everything would be self-contained. If the weather was bad outside when we arrived at our destination, we could move into the living space of the RV without needing to go outside. Same for bathroom breaks or stopping for a quick bite. We figured it would be nice never to need to go outside to enter our living space. Additionally, the living area would always be at a comfortable temperature.

After a few more months of shopping, we decided to look only at Class As as we felt they offered the most relaxed atmosphere of the motorized RVs. When we walked into Class As, we felt there was plenty of space to move around. With the large windshield, they even let a decent amount of light in compared to the Class C with the cab over bunk.

We also found that Class As typically had larger capacities for the fresh water and holding tanks. Also, the exterior cargo bays were usually larger, allowing easy access to move things in and out. Overall, we felt we could get a Class A under 30ft that still gave us all the space we needed. One of our goals was to stay under 30ft to get into all the national parks. So far, this has worked out for us.

Finding Our Winnebago

Our favorite way to shop other than videos on Youtube was by going to the RV shows in person. This let us compare different RV brands side by side and very quickly. We would hop in one RV, make our list, run to another brand on the show floor, and repeat. It was great seeing just about everything out there in one place.

When we stepped into the Winnebago 27N, we both said this could be the one. It was a Class A with a large kitchen, which was very high on my list. Other features included a full-size microwave/convection oven, a full bathroom with a large shower, a full-size wardrobe, two mini wardrobes, and a solid bedroom door. The door was important since Sabrina worked a lot of nights. It had a large tv in a good position from our captain’s chairs. This RV checked every box we had, except it did not have a sofa. It only had a dinette and the captain’s chairs for sitting, but we thought that would be enough for the two of us. It has been except for the time when the family wants to visit.

Researching Winnebago

Now that we thought we had found the floor plan, it was time to research Winnebago as a manufacturer. At the time, we didn’t know anyone who owned a Winnebago. We started with the unit at the show, opening cabinets to see how things were put together. Winnebago offered factory tours at their manufacturing plant, so we drove to Forest City, Iowa, and took a tour. The factory tour was enjoyable, and the company’s transparency about its build process was refreshing. Winnebago builds a lot of the RV in-house, including furniture, cabinets, and water tanks. They make pretty much everything except for the appliances and chassis. We also discovered that the Winnebago Class A’s were weather resistant and didn’t need tank heaters to keep the plumbing and tanks warm. As long as we were at a comfortable temperature inside the RV, so were our tanks.

Buying Our RV

After we picked the brand, type, and floor plan, there was only one thing left to do: find one for sale and buy it. I think that is a story for another time in another mini pod which I will call why we bought used instead of new.

What was your process for buying your RV? Let us know in the comments or through our Contact Us page.

Take care of all, and safe travels!