RV shopping

[Waterjunky]

Hello all;

The wife, Kid and I have outgrown our cabover and are looking to jump to an RV. We have done the fifth wheel thing before and liked it but something about having interior access with a 4 yr old is appealing. Bathroom breaks, snacks and such along with him being able to stand up and stretch now and again is talking to us. We were looking at class A for a while but have stumbled into super C's and think that is the way for us to go. I can tow the boat or almost anything else I can get tied to the back, literally. We are looking at a 17 Jayco Seneca 37TS. So, what do people know about these and the freightliner, 6.7 Cummins, and Allison 25800MH? I am open to other brands and suggestions but that layout is the best we have seen so far. We have only been in a small hand full of super C's in person but have done enough camping in the old 5er and cabover and in enough other units to know roughly the differences between some features.

What are peoples thoughts on super C's?

 

[mesquito_creek]

I dig them.... They actually are safe if you crash one and any diesel mechanic in the country can work on it for the most part...

 

[c_land]

These are my favorite Super C. They are factory 4x4.

 

[Waterjunky]

I dig them.... They actually are safe if you crash one and any diesel mechanic in the country can work on it for the most part...

Those are both strong reasons why I am looking at them over an A. I see some of the messes that the A's turn into when trying to do basic repairs and maintenance. This gets to be especially true when they get 10 years old or so and start needing things like hoses, a seal somewhere, a waterpump. Things get crazy trying to get to the simple parts needing attention. With this you just pop the hood and there it all is. If there ever is an accident , I will be very happy to have that heavy motor and 5' of real steel frame in front of me VS a few inches of frame, a little fiberglass, and everything chasing me.

 

[senorpdog]

I had the exact model you were looking at for three years I absolutely loved it the diesel mechanic thing is good and bad if it’s under warranty you have to go to Freightliner and they really don’t prioritize you because the semi trucks are more important than a guys motorhome but other than that the thing was flawless I towed a 24 foot enclosed trailer full of sand toys and never had a problem. I believe the model year 2019 they change the suspension mine was an 18 and I spent about five grand getting it to ride the way it should but I’m told the new suspension is way better also make sure you lower the tire pressure they pump them up like you were towing a 53 foot trailer and it rides a little rough.

 

[HB2Havasu]

These are my favorite Super C. They are factory 4x4.

Thor makes the Magnitude, a 4x4 Super C on the F450 Chassis with 6.7L Powerstroke. https://www.thormotorcoach.com/magnitude/ If I was doing mostly boondocking this would probably be the way to go!

 

[phuggit]

We have a 2019 HJ model. Cummins 6.7ISB 360HP/800TQ. We flat tow our Jeep without any problems. Depending on wind, hills or speed I see fuel mileage anywhere from 6.5 to 9 mpg.

We love the ride and the ease of maintenance with a freightliner truck cab is a plus. Weve had a couple issues with the house part of the RV but Jayco took care of them.

Good luck

 

[mesquito_creek]

I really like the Ford and Dodge entries into the C market with diesels.... But does a diesel C really make it a "Super C"? I think a Super C has to tow 20K and be on a similar chassis and frame to class A to be "super"...

 

[pwerwagn]

We have had an artic fox cabover, lance cabover, a TT, a 5th wheel etc, and we currently have an older super C and we love it. Mine is a Gulfstream Conquest Ultra on the 5500 Kodiak chassis. I tow ~10K with it often. My dad also has a Supernova super C on the IH chassis, and he loves everything about it except the VT365, but everything else is awesome.

As with everything, they all have plusses and minuses.

 

[Done-it-again]

When we were looking into them a few months ago and doing some research. The TS models had some water leak issues on the slide of the bunkbeds ....people were needing to have the floor slide rebuilt in little over a couple if years owning it

I still would consider the seneca over the smaller ford/dodge cabs. So much nice to have a large cab to drive in.

 

[pwerwagn]

I really like the Ford and Dodge entries into the C market with diesels.... But does a diesel C really make it a "Super C"? I think a Super C has to tow 20K and be on a similar chassis and frame to class A to be "super"...

My "super c" actually says "super C" on the side, and its on a 5500 chassis and has a 10K towing capacity. Mine is not a diesel either, it has the 8.1/allison combo. I feel a super C is a class C on a bigger than 1ton chassis and not based on a van. Thats how I delineate them, but it does seem to be a huge grey area!

 

[Groper]

After 3yrs of issues, I got out of a Dynamax Super C 37HDBH HD with a 8.9L last year and went back to a Class A Tiffin Allegro RED.

Super C pros:
Drives like a big van
It's on rails in the wind and passing other Semis
Great visibility when operating ie: turning corners, Dash configuration, mirrors, sun visors when driving into the sun.
Driving at night you can darken the front cab with a curtain and eliminate any light reflections from the rear.
I loved having a wind wing
Towing CAP 20k
Some C's have a bit more side compartment storage than A's
Tires cost less due to the size thats common with semis.
Larger motor with more Torque

Cons:
You lose 8'-9' with cab in total living space and total over all length.
Passengers visibility sucks while underway forward, claustrophobic for some.
Visibility when parked camping out the front in Nil, none, and makes it dark inside.
NO Pass through basement storage, with the exception of maybe a 6" from one side to the other.
Most have only (2) slides that are short in depth.
Small kitchen counter space.
Limited pantry and kitchen cabinets and the loss of forward over head storage.
Overall height, mine was 13'
Overall inside felt very small even though it was 40' TOL
The cabover bunk kills it with a headwind.
Driver and passenger seat sucked and were very uncomfortable.
FUELING saddle tanks was a PITA and I had to use truck bays 99% of the time. If they could have run just a 6' hose to the other tank
It also uses more fuel from a 8.9 to a 6.7

Cons for both the newer A & C's have awning windows, they suck for overall ventilation. The Dynamax had no operating rear windows or ceiling vents, you had to run the AC full time unless it was 30' deg.

Structurally my Dynamax had issues, It was way out on weight per axle and side to side like almost 1000lbs if I remember right. The way the generator, batterie and 100gal water tank were mounted on the drivers side front to rear.
My tile floor broke down the middle TWICE, the last time the floor was cut open to the frame and c channel was installed it was in the shop for several months at a time with other warranty issues.

Senicas also have issues, electrical and very poor craftsmanship IMO
Stay away from any Forest River Product. The list is goes on forever.
Im sure there's more.

 

[X Hoser]

I've been through most all of them. Older gas class A, fifth wheel, toy hauler fifth wheel, diesel pusher, tow trailer and now another fifth wheel. I understand all of your concerns but having the kid up walking around while traveling is a risk. The seats for passengers in the back with seat belts suck. The game changer for me is the maintenance, registration and tires that go into a motorhome. I also decided that if I was going to tow I wanted to be in the comfort of my truck, with a back seat for those traveling with us towing something. The fifth wheel is so easy to hitch, unhitch and maneuver. But, you cannot tow a boat too! Gotta go with what works best for you.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Purely from a mechanical standpoint, I feel a Freightliner super C is a pretty decent setup. The Cummins/Allison setup is pretty well proven in a medium duty chassis. It is real easy to pop the hood, and put eyes on most of the important things. This is good for repair guys, but really good for owners, as they can catch a leak or loose part before it has to get towed. The coaches really benefit from having a tune, better throttle response and mileage. The other option would be a Duramax powered setup. Only bad repair I've done on one of them was an injector pump...and they suck to do in any chassis.

As for interior, finish and such, I have no input. I only get to drive them when fixing someone else's. This week has been an 06 pusher. At 14 years old, absolutely beautiful. Stuff does get old though. Not real accessible, and parts aren't cheap. Pick wisely!

 

[Waterjunky]

I think part of the issues is that there is no official or legal definition of super C. The market is getting flooded with anything not on a one ton van claiming the title. In this case, I am looking only at the heavy trucks like the Freightliner. I have considered the 650 based but have settled on the larger chassis. Kind of nice knowing that within reason I cannot overload it and systems like the brakes. That said, how you use and drive it makes a huge difference. As a second note, the kid would not be running around on a regular basis. more of just to the bathroom or because he has been strapped in for hours and need 5 minutes.

 

[buck35]

Friend of ours has a super c ,frieghtliner I I think .lost the tranny on his way to the drags at Pomona. 3 weeks and about 25 grand later he flew back to cali to drive it and his car home. Yikes!

 

[DuttonDave]

I would call Preston at Horizon Motorsports in Lake Havasu... he knows the RV market especially the secondary.

 

[Waterjunky]

Well, the truck and cabover just went up on craigslist. I am thinking this road is started...….
I will probably post on here soon also.

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

We have had many, Showhauler, Renegade, and a Haulmark. They are fun to drive and my wife has no problem driving them, she was never comfortable driving our diesel pushers. They are all built to a much higher level of quality then any other mass produced motorhome, especially the ShowHauler, all of the cabinets were hand made by Amish craftsman. We are going to pick up a Seneca 37TS here pretty soon.

 

[renodaytona]

The wife and I are literally on this same program right now. I have to either buy another truck or off the 5th wheel and get a motorhome. I'm not doing two trips to the lake and back every time we go out, I did it once with the little Nautique last year and told myself once the Daytona is back on the water the program needs to change. The wife is game for the motorhome so we are shopping now.