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Old 09-13-2016, 07:38 PM   #1
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UPgrade - DOWNsize

Currently we are considering and looking at 30' models for Winnebago & Itasca. We've seen, via the internet, a few Sunova 30B's and Sightseer 29R's. Currently we have a Bounder 31W which is about 32' in length. We'll be moving up in age but down in size. Since we haven't actually set foot in a 30 footer yet we can't be sure it is the right move but from all the photo's we've seen they look inviting for our needs.

A couple of questions. For those that are owners of the 30' size what are the pro's and con's of them ? Have any of you transitioned from a larger coach into one of these 30' models ? Lastly can anyone give me a link where I can find '05 thru maybe '09 brochures so that we can look over the different floor plans along with standard equipment and optional equipment. All of that will help us determine the value of each unit.

Thanks as always.
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Old 09-14-2016, 09:09 AM   #2
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Your bounder isn't significantly bigger than the 30' you're looking at, but we're happy to share our impressions of our pros and cons. We have a 2012 Sightseer 30A. We love it. We can take it anywhere from the top end class "A" only luxury resorts to state parks. We haven't found anywhere we can't take this coach, yet. It's very easy to maneuver, even thru the tightest of campgrounds. The floor plan, full side slide and opposing dinette slide make it comfortable for the two of us and the dog to spend the summer in, we travel in it for 3-4 months at a time. The floor plan of any smaller coach is going to make all the difference. We have more than enough storage. We do wish we had one exterior bin with larger dimensions to make it easier to store some larger items. The cons would be primarily related to bringing along the grandkids or guests. The extra bed is the dinette. It is uncomfortable, so we top it with an air mattress, the process of setting that up and taking it down is a real pain. There is no sofa, we have a recliner, so if it's cold or hot and we want to invite friends in for a drink, we have little seating aside from the dinette. We look at new coaches all the time, and always come back to the realization that this little coach is the one that best meets our needs.
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Old 09-16-2016, 03:46 AM   #3
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We had a 2003 Sunover 27C from new and now have a Vista 30T we purchased new in 2014. We spend 5 months or so a year traveling. It's great having a unit that fits were ever you want to go. Never been to a restaurant where we have not been able to fit in the car park.
These two units are similar inside, the 30T extra length give my wife a sofa to sprawl out on to watch tv instead of a chair. The 27C had 1 slide and gave no problems for the 80,000 miles we put on her. The 30T has three slides and after initial teething problems with factory adjustments, seem to be ok, but I am nervous as they are lippert powered!

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Old 09-22-2016, 10:40 PM   #4
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We have Sunova 30A and we love it just the right size for 2 people and 2 small dogs, it is a 2015. Has 2 slides a booth and a recliner. Drinks for 6 Dinner for 4 and sleeping for 2.
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Old 10-24-2016, 09:29 AM   #5
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Upsize / Downsize = RIGHTSIZE

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Originally Posted by Larryg17 View Post
We have Sunova 30A and we love it just the right size for 2 people and 2 small dogs, it is a 2015. Has 2 slides a booth and a recliner. Drinks for 6 Dinner for 4 and sleeping for 2.
Larryg17
We're very pleased with our 2013 Itasca Sunova 30A. We're two adults, late 40's who enjoy to travel. Moved up from a Coleman pop-up to a Class A. Very pleased with our decision.

Many pro's in our eyes:
-The ceiling height is great for a 6'5" guy.
- Walkaround full size queen bed.
- Large restroom and shower.
- The U-shaped dinette is unique and offers comfortable seating.
- Large refrigerator.
- MCD solar and privacy shades throughout the coach.
- A lot of storage inside and outside.
- Not overly noisy to drive.
- Two large awnings.


As Larry said, the 30A is the right size for two adults. Its the only RV of its size than can comfortable seat six at the dinette with the table leaf and pullout benches. Our friends are amazed at that, a feature not many RVs have these days, especially in a 31ft'er. Most RV's of this size have a dinette table that seats two adults comfortably.

We have no trouble with access into campgrounds, RV or State parks due to its size. There's plenty of storage inside and in the outside underside compartments.

As with any vehicle, whether RV or boat, there are always a few cons:
- A larger pass-through compartment would be a welcome addition.
- The dinette serves as an extra bed, not the most comfortable, suitable for one adult or two children. The conversion from table to bed is a real pain.
- No light on exterior of curbside slide under awning.

In the end, the 30A coach is the one that best meets our needs.

Keels to Wheels,
Baltimore, MD
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Old 10-24-2016, 10:02 AM   #6
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As you may have noticed from my profile picture we did make the move. We're in VT so our camping season is done. We tried selling our Bounder and finally found a buyer at a price we are very happy with. I don't want to brag but the buyer is getting a very good unit. We did a lot of upgrades. The Bounder will leave our home on Saturday and I'll be able to bring the new to us one home Saturday.

The new one is the Winnebago 30B. It is 2 feet smaller than the Bounder and with one slide versus 2. The 2nd slide in the Bounder was a wardrobe closet that we really didn't need. We are not full timers at all and our longest journeys are about a week so the inside storage of the 30B is quite sufficient. Not exactly sure about the outside storage but there is at least as much and it is configured in a way that is more useful to us. There is a very large storage compartment that can be accessed from the back and a smaller access point from the right rear side.

Our G-kids will not be an issue as the Mom's & Dad's are campers also so they have plenty of sleeping area in their own.

We are definitely excited about getting started next year. Kind of sad to bring home a new one and have to winterize and park it for 5 plus months. It'll just give us time to think about what will go where and where we will go with it.

Thanks for the opinions !
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Old 10-27-2016, 10:20 AM   #7
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Glad you found what works for you! My DW & I just moved UP from a 27' class C to a 30' class A (2004 Itasca M30W). It has 2 slides, walk around queen bed, lot's of counter space, lots of basement storage. The layout is perfect for us.
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Old 10-27-2016, 09:09 PM   #8
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Congratulations on your downsize. I started with a 26' 2001 Trek, upsized to a 39' 2004 Phaeton, and just downsized to a 31' 2016 Sunstar. While I miss the air ride, air brakes, and power of the diesel pusher, I look forward to returning to the simplicity of the gas powered coach.

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Old 11-20-2016, 12:24 PM   #9
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We started with two 22 ft class A motorhomes many years ago (first--1975 Journey (a make, not a Winnebago model), then a 1985 Winnebago 22' Chieftan, moved up to a 32 ft Itasca Sunflyer, then up to a 2008 Winnebago 37G gas pusher, and now just took delivery of a 25' Winnebago View...our first class C. Reasons:

We are no longer planning on staying one place for a long time thus back to a camping travel vehicle. We found that we could not get the big rigs in to many places we like...national parks, forest service campgrounds, etc. We were tired of driving very large vehicles particularly those that were difficult to get in and out of our driveway for loading/unloading. And we were tired of dealing with "who is responsible for this?"
We did consider the Winnnebago Via (Class A that is identical to the View from the drivers seat back.). With the class A's, I always had to determine whether it was the chassis manufacturer or Winnebago when something went wrong with the dash AC/heat/wipers/etc. With a class C, the division of responsibility is much easier. Plus, I guess that age has a lot to do with choices.

We have enjoyed all of the RVs so my conclusion is that one size does not fit all or fit anyone all of the time over time. Compromise is the name of the game. We have towed including Alaska and back to OH. We have traveled without towing in the smaller units. The one thing that we have had on all motorhomes except the first 1975 Journey is levelers. And I am having those added to the new View next Wednesday.

One final note. As usual with a new motorhome, things need attention from the get go. On the way home from delivery, I immediately noticed that the steering wheel did not center when going down the road. Was the motorhome misaligned or was the steering wheel mounted improperly? If the former, probably Winnebago has to take care of the problem. If the latter, then it falls to Mercedes. Took the View into the local Mercedes dealer to start the resolution process. Learned that the problem was alignment...thus Winnebago's responsibility. Was shocked and surprised when the Mercedes folks said, "Well its not our problem but we will take care of it right now. Go to our alignment shop, have it aligned, and have them send us a bill. Two hours later, problem fixed without hassle even though not MB responsibility. Kudos to Vin Devers Mercedes, Toledo, OH.
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