Читать книгу RVs & Campers For Dummies - Christopher Hodapp - Страница 36

Class A motorhomes (like the one shown in Figure 2-1) are the most common type of motorized RV you’ll find on the road. One way you can spot a Class A and tell it from other types is that the front end is usually flat, without a hood and with a big picture window for the windshield. Driver and passenger seats are right up in the front, like sitting in the front row of a movie theater without anyone blocking the view.

Photograph courtesy of Christopher Hodapp

FIGURE 2-1: Class A motorhomes are the big dogs of the RV world.

Class As generally range from 25 to 45 feet in length (more than three times as long as your average midsize car these days). They’re typically roomy enough on the inside to comfortably accommodate 8 to 12 people as you roll down the road or turn in for the night. They can also be some of the biggest and most luxurious RVs around.

Class As tend to be wider than the average towable, which means more space inside. Class As are most likely to have the latest features and gizmos, the most automated accessories, the most interior decor choices, and even the kind of full-size appliances you’ve got at home. It’s common to find Class As catering to the market of full-time RVers, with a king-size bed, lots of closet space, multiple and roomier bathrooms, big living and dining room areas, washers and dryers, and sometimes even dishwashers. Some have outdoor flat-screen TVs and stereo systems so you can sit around the campfire and still watch the football game. Some have exterior kitchenettes with a sink, fridge, and maybe even a microwave or gas stovetop, in case you prefer cooking outdoors. And some even have a large toy hauler (a garage compartment in back), so you can bring your Harleys, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) or even a small car with you.

Class As usually have gobs of storage inside and out because of the way they’re designed. In most cases, the indoor living space sits high off the ground, with tons of “basement” storage compartments down below that are accessible from hatches on the outside. And as if their bus-size bodies weren’t ginormous enough, many Class As built after 2000 have between one and four slides (slide-out extensions that expand the indoor living space dramatically when you’re setting up camp; see Figure 2-2) — it’s sort of like driving your own personal Transformer robot that turns into a condominium. Class As are the hands-down favorite choice for people who want to live full-time on the road and feel like they’re in a house, yet mobile enough to easily move day after day.

Photograph courtesy of Christopher Hodapp

FIGURE 2-2: A typical Class A motorhome with its slides extended.