Bigger Unit?

[Muggs]

We still are considering the question of going bigger than our 2016 Vegas 24.1. Currently we are on the road after 2 weeks of travelling with 9 year old grandson.

The Vegas drives great. Power is abundant and in western NC unit has no issue passing uphills. I drove unit on blue ridge parkway and any bigger would have more than just one branch stuck on unit. Does anyone who went front e450 to F53 want to share driving experience when going bigger?

[Bob Denman]

With all of the good things going for it: why?

[Pete'sMH]

Originally Posted by Muggs

We still are considering the question of going bigger than our 2016 Vegas 24.1. Currently we are on the road after 2 weeks of travelling with 9 year old grandson.



The Vegas drives great. Power is abundant and in western NC unit has no issue passing uphills. I drove unit on blue ridge parkway and any bigger would have more than just one branch stuck on unit. Does anyone who went front e450 to F53 want to share driving experience when going bigger?

We went from a 26 ft Freedom Elite on an E450 chassis to a 29 ft Class A on the F53. They are different but I’d be hard pressed to say one was better or easier to drive. We like the bigger unit better and while it’s not ride related one of the main things we like is the higher seating position and AMAZING panoramic view. Still plenty of power for passing and keeping up. MPG has been 0.4 mpg lower in the bigger coach (7.9 vs 8.3). The class A seems to bottom out on potholes the class C could handle but it doesn’t happen often. One thing to really consider is that the E series has collision air bags and an engine in front of you while the F53 has no air bags and the engine between (and below) the seats. That front fiberglass nose cap offers very little protection in a collision. God forbid! All told we like the new coach a lot.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

We went from a 26 ft Freedom Elite on an E450 chassis to a 29 ft Class A on the F53. They are different but I’d be hard pressed to say one was better or easier to drive. We like the bigger unit better and while it’s not ride related one of the main things we like is the higher seating position and AMAZING panoramic view. Still plenty of power for passing and keeping up. MPG has been 0.4 mpg lower in the bigger coach (7.9 vs 8.3). The class A seems to bottom out on potholes the class C could handle but it doesn’t happen often. One thing to really consider is that the E series has collision air bags and an engine in front of you while the F53 has no air bags and the engine between (and below) the seats. That front fiberglass nose cap offers very little protection in a collision. God forbid! All told we like the new coach a lot.

Muggs has a Vegas which means: No air bags, and they are on top of the engine just like the F53 and the Vegas already has "that panoramic view".

[Pete'sMH]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Muggs has a Vegas which means: No air bags, and they are on top of the engine just like the F53 and the Vegas already has "that panoramic view".

If it’s on an E450 it sits a lot lower than F53 chassis class A’s. Being eye to eye with the truckers makes the view. IMHO.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

If it’s on an E450 it sits a lot lower than F53 chassis class A’s. Being eye to eye with the truckers makes the view. IMHO.

Sure but an Axis or Vegas doesn't have that enclosed cab like a Class C with the van front and big overhang above your head and they do have the big window. We're also sitting up a bit higher than your average E-350 or E-450 driver as the sightlines to the gauges in the dash is off (I have to slouch down to read some of the gauges).

We're not eye level to the big semi's but we are eye level to the next level down trucks..

[Bob Denman]

...And you're about "six eyeballs up": on the typical econo-cars out there...

[axis earl]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Sure but an Axis or Vegas doesn't have that enclosed cab like a Class C with the van front and big overhang above your head and they do have the big window. We're also sitting up a bit higher than your average E-350 or E-450 driver as the sightlines to the gauges in the dash is off (I have to slouch down to read some of the gauges).

We're not eye level to the big semi's but we are eye level to the next level down trucks..

Agree. Exactly why regard your comment on the gauges caused me to find a cheap heads-up display that I plugged into the OBDII port. Now I don't have to look down to see the speedometer.

[upnyfolks]

Originally Posted by Muggs

We still are considering the question of going bigger than our 2016 Vegas 24.1. Currently we are on the road after 2 weeks of travelling with 9 year old grandson.

The Vegas drives great. Power is abundant and in western NC unit has no issue passing uphills. I drove unit on blue ridge parkway and any bigger would have more than just one branch stuck on unit. Does anyone who went front e450 to F53 want to share driving experience when going bigger?

We had a 2017 Axis 25.2 and loved it, we put almost 14,000 miles on it in the 10 months that we owned it.

The Axis has a great view, is easy to maneuver, and ours drove very well, however we found that during the few trips were we had more than just the two of us the Axis became a bit cramped.


We ended up trading in the Axis and ordering a 2018 Hurricane 29M, still a great view, drives extremely well, is only slightly more cumbersome to maneuver in tight places...and we have considerably more outside storage, more room inside, more fresh water capacity, and bigger holding tanks.
We picked up the Hurricane in March and already have over 10,000 miles on it and still love it.

[Mr Sunshine]

Interesting question, but truly it is different strokes for different folks. And needs and wants change over time. We traded our 33' Class A for our Vegas 25.2 three years ago and haven't looked back. We found we could travel quite well with less "stuff" and the space inside is adequate for the two of us and an occasional youngun. We would feel cramped in a 24.1.

Conversely, we know some folks that have traded their Vegas or Axis for a Class A and been quite happy with the change. Your results will vary!

[ACEroad]

We went from a 2016 ACE 29.3 with 19.5 inch wheels to a 2018 Challenger 37 YT with 22.5 inch wheels. Both are on Ford F53 chassis. The ride is greatly improved, but the driving and handling are so much better I would never go back to the smaller RV. The extra weight and larger wheels make all the difference in the world. The ACE was work to drive and the Challenger is a pleasure like driving a car.

[petew]

Originally Posted by Muggs

We still are considering the question of going bigger than our 2016 Vegas 24.1. Currently we are on the road after 2 weeks of travelling with 9 year old grandson.

The Vegas drives great. Power is abundant and in western NC unit has no issue passing uphills. I drove unit on blue ridge parkway and any bigger would have more than just one branch stuck on unit. Does anyone who went front e450 to F53 want to share driving experience when going bigger?

We went from a 2016 24.1 Vegas to a Winnebago Vista 27pe. It is on an F53 chassis .
A couple of feet longer than the Vegas but a shorter wheelbase .
It’s easier to back than the Vegas , Turns tighter , has a ton more storage underneath, turns less rpm’s at highway speeds , quieter (less rpm’s) , and is huge inside by comparison. Averages about 1 less mpg than the Vegas.
It is similar in size to a comparable ACE.
You sit taller ( I like that ) , have a great view but don’t get the sun glare from those high side windows on the Vegas.
I liked our Vegas , it was a good rig with very few issues but the size we have now is better, and much easier to vacation in.
Just got back a few hours ago from a week at Cape Hatteras with the wife , daughter and two grandsons ages 6 and 8 . We had a blast and had plenty of room for us and all of our stuff.
Still fits in the same garage that I built for the Vegas too.

[Kev]

Originally Posted by Muggs

We still are considering the question of going bigger than our 2016 Vegas 24.1. Currently we are on the road after 2 weeks of travelling with 9 year old grandson.

The Vegas drives great. Power is abundant and in western NC unit has no issue passing uphills. I drove unit on blue ridge parkway and any bigger would have more than just one branch stuck on unit. Does anyone who went front e450 to F53 want to share driving experience when going bigger?

We went from a Vegas 25.2 to a Windsport 31s. Did the front end alignment and Sumo Springs and find that it handles fine no problems. The transition to a larger unit was no problem. We are really enjoying the extra space and amenities. We are happy with our decision. Hope that helps.

[Muggs]

For just the wife, dog and me the Vegas is perfect size and very efficient. Trip we finished yesterday was also with 9 year old. Tight at times but effective.

We will likely go look at a couple F53 units in 29 to 32' range. One of the items I ran into is the F-53 has generally less load capacity than e450 Vegas. GCVW is strong on Vegas 24.1.

We figure this fall to decide.

The Pro's for Vegas 24.1 e450:
Power to weight with or without trailer. 12,800/18,500 with cap of 22,000.
Efficiency 9 to 11 MPG towing or not.
Reasonable insurance cost.
General ease of use, quick simple setup using simple systems.

The Con's for Vegas:
Space
Tight shower.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Muggs

For just the wife, dog and me the Vegas is perfect size and very efficient. Trip we finished yesterday was also with 9 year old. Tight at times but effective.

We will likely go look at a couple F53 units in 29 to 32' range. One of the items I ran into is the F-53 has generally less load capacity than e450 Vegas. GCVW is strong on Vegas 24.1.

We figure this fall to decide.

The Pro's for Vegas 24.1 e450:
Power to weight with or without trailer. 12,800/18,500 with cap of 22,000.
Efficiency 9 to 11 MPG towing or not.
Reasonable insurance cost.
General ease of use, quick simple setup using simple systems.

The Con's for Vegas:
Space
Tight shower.

The Vegas cons may also be corrected with a different Axis/Vegas floorplan.

[Muggs]

I plan on looking at cargo capacity on them. The 24.1 on e350 loses 2000 lbs. Bringing it to 1200. Maybe best option is use small box trailer or toad on dolley. I use a polytube ring to keep shower curtain off.
.

[penguin]

I moved up from a 2016 axis to a 2017 Windsport. Got lots more storage, auto leveling, more interior space, inverter and bigger driver cockpit. Glad I made the switch. You have to choose what are the pluses and minuses for your liking.

[Bob Denman]

Muggs,
They always say that "more than half of the fun; is in the shopping!"
So have fun, and I hope that you find the next perfect rig for your family! '

[pstandiford]

We just recently traded our Class C for a Super C. We seem to always find something we like better. In fact, for the first time we have named an RV (after a boat we saw being trailered down the highway. The name - “Never Satisfied”. It was either that or “Mama Said Yes”.

[PaulH]

We went from a 24.1 to 25.2, having had much bigger RV's in the past, and we find that the 25.2 feels much bigger whilst retaining all the advantages of the compact 24.1.
After All, with the rear slide extended it's 30ft long and the rear bedroom is quite spacious as is the bathroom.