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Buying a Class A Motorhome is the right move for many people, but there are a lot of variables that come into play when thinking about buying the right RV. One of those variables is the size.
Class A motorhomes vary in size. Size is defined as height, width, and length. These are all metrics that you need to think about when buying a Class A RV.
Height of Class A Motorhomes
Class A motorhomes vary little in height, running from about 11 feet to 13 feet. This keeps them manageable while driving and parking while still giving you plenty of height in the interior of the unit so you don’t feel too cramped.
Width of Class A Motorhomes
As far as width, when closed they are all around eight to eight and a half feet in width.
When open, larger ones with opposing living area slides can take up as much as an additional six to eight feet more on each side.
The width will only affect you when you’re selecting a campground spot as that will be the primary place you’ll open your slide-outs.
Length of Class A Motorhomes
When it comes to what size aspect affects you more, it’s length. The pat answer to length is simple – they run from around 25 feet in length all the way up to nearly 45 feet.
The simple numbers behind the length, however, are not going to truly help you in your overall decision when buying a new or used Class A motorhome.
Length has many factors behind it. So how do you know what length to get? Let’s take a look at some questions for you to consider.
Questions to Ask Yourself When Considering Size
Don’t just go with your first gut instinct on size. Really think about it! Here are some things you need to consider.
Where are You Planning on Going?
If your planned adventures are to take your Class A into national parks and camp, national parks do have size restrictions either park-wide or from campground-to-campground within a particular park.
As an example, America’s oldest national park, Yellowstone, does have a wide variety of campgrounds but does not have a lot of space for Class A motorhomes. They have limited space for those who reach a maximum of 40 feet in overall length, meaning if you have a toad, count that in as part of the length.
If you are already over 40 feet just with your motorhome, plan on parking your RV outside of Yellowstone – as well as pretty much every national park – and enjoying the park via your toad.
Are you planning on taking on the Rockies? Do you need a diesel pusher to get you over Colorado’s Rabbit Ears Pass without huffing and puffing your way to the summit?
You’ll probably want to opt for a diesel. However, don’t think every Class A diesel is a massive 40+ feet behemoth. There are a select few 35-foot or so Class A diesels to consider.
Who Will Travel With You?
How is this affected by length? Simple. The shorter the motorhome, the chances are it has been specifically designed with a camping couple in mind.
For the most part, every Class A motorhome has the capability of sleeping at least 5, but really put your eyeballs on respective floorplans to see what fits you best. If you are planning on taking quite a few members of your family (or camping family as it were), you will need more sleeping spaces, ergo a longer Class A, possibly even a Class A bunkhouse.
Also, the longer the Class A, the more likely you’ll be able to get a master bedroom with a solid privacy door. When you’re taking out a large family, that will matter… as will the possibility of having a second bathroom. Bath-and-a-half models generally run 40+ feet in length.
What About Storage?
Differing sizes means storage issues in two different ways. Part one is regarding the actual amount of storage available in the motorhome.
If you decide a shorter Class A would fit you better, double-check to see if everything you plan on taking with you fits into your decision as well. Sometimes opting for a slightly longer Class A is a better choice purely from a storage standpoint.
Part two of storage is regarding how you’re planning on storing your Class A when you’re not out traveling the country. If you are a full-timer, no worries on this and congrats to you as that sounds amazing. But for the vast majority of us outdoor lovers, you will not be living in your Class A on a day-to-day basis.
As such, long-term storage may need to be taken into consideration when thinking about the length of your future motorhome.
To sum it up, Class A motorhomes vary in size. But, when you’re shopping for a Class A motorhome, it’s not the width or height that should concern you the most, it’s the length.
If you’re interested in finding the perfect size Class A for you, check out our full inventory.