We had been RV’ing for a few years in our Class B motorhome and decided we wanted to try a bigger motorhome to allow us to spend longer stretches of time in one place, more like living in the RV instead of just traveling in it. Therefore we bought a Class A Motorhome, a 2004 Alfa See Ya.
We, of course, like many RV’ers spend lots of time at RV Shows, anywhere, anytime, we are there. No matter if we are in the market or not if we see an RV Show going on we attend. So over many years we had seen tons of motorhome, trailers, campers, fifth wheels, etc. and had many discussions over what to buy. After traveling in a Class B for a few years we finally decided on a Class A. My husband, as usual, did tons of research and after awhile he decided on an Alfa (with my final approval). After searching and searching and checking them out we finally found the perfect one.
Here’s what we love about both Class A’s in general and Alfas.
Pros
– Tall ceilings. Being tall we enjoy have the over 7′ ceiling height. Makes the vehicle seem so much more roomy.
– Huge windows. After being in lots of models of Class A’s we find the Alfas have much bigger windows than most. Lets you bring the outside in. What could be better when you around such fantastic scenery.
– Light and cheery inside. The insides of Alfas “feel” light and airy and roomy. I don’t really know why but part of it has to do with the light color of wood, the light color of furniture, the high ceilings and the big windows. We also removed some furniture that we didn’t need since it is only the two of us. We removed two dining room chairs as there were four initially (and we keep two foldable chairs in the storage compartment behind the sofa for guests). And we removed one of the big recliners. The Alfa came with 2 big recliners along with a pull out sofa so we figured with just the two of us that the sofa and 1 recliner is plenty.
– Tons of space – full bedroom, full bathroom, full living area. full kitchen, dining area, pantry
– All the comforts of home and then some
– Tons of storage, both inside and outside in the basement.
– It’s big. If you are going to spend a lot of time on the road or live in the motorhome full-time then a 40′ RV certainly lends itself to this lifestyle.
– Oven. It actually has an oven. So many Class A’s these days are designed without ovens and instead are using convection microwaves. I have nothing against those but I sure do like a conventional oven. Yes, it is small but I make do. I know, I know, you can make anything in the microwave that you can make in a conventional oven but I still like my ovens. I love to cook and I love to bake, I want an oven. I also like that it runs off propane so I can still use it while boondocking and/or dry camping. OK, I COULD live without one.
– Washer/dryer. Yes, it has a washer/dryer combo. I wasn’t sold on the idea of needing or wanting one since we drove around for years in our Class B (and a motorcycle before that) without one. But after having one, I like it. It sure makes it convenient. Not that I don’t use laundromats either in town or at an RV Park but if they are crowded or we are busy or whatever I can just pop a load into our washer/dryer. Many people don’t like using the combo since it is so small but we lived in Europe for 10 years and got used to using them all the time.
Cons
– Mileage and fuel prices, yikes. Yes, it costs a bit to drive this thing and with fuel prices all over the place it makes for some interesting trade-offs of where to get fuel. Use GasBuddy. We live off GasBuddy.
– Length and size. Yes, Class A’s are beasts. It means you need to check the logistics, if you can fit into the campground (which means less choice of campgrounds and campsites especially if you have a toad also), can you make the corners, will you have a place to park the car, etc. The Class B was terrific in this respect. This is probably my biggest issue with Class A’s is that you loose a bit of freedom due to the grandiose nature of the beast. But it sure makes living in it easy.
– Parking. You just can’t pull up to any attraction, gas station, store and easily slide into a parking spot, especially if it is crowded. We have had some difficult situations in crowded parking lots but my gem of a husband does a fantastic job. This just means you need to check in advance or be observant to ensure you can make it under the overhang (and why don’t all gas stations denote their overhang heights).
– Too tall. We cannot store it in our garage.
– Takes awhile to load and unload. I know, I know, then don’t take so much.
– Much more maintenance required and it all seems to cost quite a bit more than the Class B. Just the fact that it is bigger means there is more to take care of.
– Almost too much space. Most people don’t complain about that but it does have alot of space. I solve the problem by just not filing it.
At this point in our RV travels the Class A works perfectly for us. And we love the Alfas. Like most things there are people who love them and people who hate them. I can’t say that we will always be traveling around in a Class A but for now it suits us and we are enjoying our travels.
But one day I am sure we will be on to something else!
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