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When we were shopping for our first motorhome, I remember saying to Kait “let’s go look at some Class C RVs.” She immediately responded with a firm “no” and that was the end of that discussion.
When we look back on that moment, Kait and I both agree that if we had seriously considered small Class C RVs, things could have turned out very differently.
We can play the “what if” game all day, but the reality is, we have switched motorhomes multiples times since hitting the road full time in 2015. Before buying our most recently RV, we took a closer look at small Class C RVs under 25 feet.
Main Benefits of Small Class C RVs over Class B RVs:
- additional interior space with regards to height, width and length
- larger bathroom (wet or full bath)
- more storage inside and storage bays outside
- larger tanks (fresh water, gray tank, etc…)
Best Small Class C Motorhomes Under 25 Feet (A-Z)
This list contains all the small Class C RV manufacturers in alphabetical order. I hope you’ll find it useful in your RV shopping journey.
Note: some RV manufacturers label a small Class C RV as a Class B Plus RV. These small Class C RVs do not have the standard cab over body of a traditional Class C RV. However, they are still built on a cutaway chassis unlike a true Class B motorhome, which is built on a standard van chassis.
List of Small Class C RVs
Airstream
Based in Jackson Center, Ohio. Airstream (a division of Thor Industries) released the Atlas small Class C RV which was inspired by the Airstream Interstate series. The Airstream Atlas is built on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis with what they highlight as a “residential-style bathroom” in the rear.
Big Foot RV
Based in Armstrong, British Colombia, Canada. Big Foot RV used to manufacturer Class C RVs. The Bigfoot 3000 motorhome series was built on the Ford Turbo Diesel with two models under 25 feet: 30MH24DB and 30MH24S. To find a used unit, search for used Bigfoot motorhomes on popular RV listing websites. Today, Big Foot RV manufacturers all season truck campers and travel trailers.
Website: http://www.bigfootrv.com
Born Free Motorcoach
Born Free Motorcoach built several small Class C RVs under 25 feet before the company closed its doors in 2017. Models to look for on the used market are: Built for Two, President, or Reign. Born Free also manufactured wheelchair-accessible RVs.
Search for “Born Free Built for Two for sale” and you’ll find several listings for these used small Class C RVs. Below is a walk-through we filmed of one of Born Free’s used RVs to give you an idea of the build quality and layout.
Website: This small Class C motorhome manufacturer no longer has a website, but you can find information by looking up owner’s groups like the Born Free Leap’n Lions RV Club.
Chinook RV
Based in Elkhart, Indiana. Chinook RV is known for their Class B motorhomes and started manufacturing the Summit, a small Class C motorhome on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis. Exterior length of the the Summit is 23’9″.
Website: https://www.chinookrv.com/
Coach House
Based in Nokomis, Florida. The Coach House Platinum series is a one piece fiberglass body on three cutaway chassis options: Ford E-450 Super Duty, Mercedes Sprinter 3500, Ford Transit 3500 Turbo Diesel. This RV manufacturer sells factory direct to consumers.
Website: https://www.coachhouserv.com
Coachmen RV
Based in Middlebury, Indiana. You can find new and used small Class C motorhomes by Coachmen (a Division of Forest River Inc.). Popular used models include: Freelander and Leprechaun. Newer models include the Cross Trek and Orion on the Ford Transit chassis and the Prism on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis.
Website: http://www.coachmenrv.com
Dynamax
Based in Elkhart, Indiana. Dynamax (a division of Forest River Inc.) manufacturers the Isata 3 on the Merceds Sprinter chassis with several slide layout options to maximize space inside this small diesel Class C motorhome.
Website: http://www.dynamaxcorp.com/
Fleetwood RV, a division of REV Group
Based in Decatur, Indiana. Fleetwood has been manufacturing RVs since the 50s. If you’re in the market for a used small Class C RV, look at the Fleetwood Jamboree, Tioga or Pulse built on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis.
Website: https://www.fleetwoodrv.com/
Forest River RV
Based in Elkhart, Indiana. Forest River makes the Forester series and Sunseeker series on the Chevy, Ford and Mercedes chassis. You can find the Forest River Lexington model on the used Class C RV market.
Website: http://www.forestriverinc.com
Gulf Stream Coach
Based in Nappanee, Indiana. Gulf Stream Coach has been manufacturer RVs since 1983. The BT Cruiser is built on the Ford chassis and comes in a few layouts under 25 feet.
Website: https://www.gulfstreamcoach.com/products/motorhomes/btcruiser
Jayco
Based in Middlebury, Indiana. The Melbourne series on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis are the smallest Class C RVs made by Jayco (a division of Thor Industries). We stopped by their factory in Indiana to learn more about the company and filmed a tour of the Jayco Melbourne above.
Lazy Daze
Based in Montclair, California. Lazy Daze has been manufacturing Class C RVs since 1956. The manufacturer sells direct to customer with a loyal customer base. Last we checked, there was a one year wait for a new Lazy Daze Class C motorhome.
We had a chance to tour the Lazy Daze factory and really liked the classic on display next to the brand new models.
Website: http://www.lazydaze.com
Leisure Travel Vans
Based in Winkler, Canada. Leisure Travel Vans specializes in Class C motorhomes on the Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprinter chassis. We had the opportunity to test out the LTV Wonder on the Ford Transit Turbo Diesel chassis. Watch the video tour above to learn more about the features.
Leisure Travel Van used to make the Libero, a small Class C on the Chevrolet Express cutaway chassis. Keep an eye out for these on the used class C RV market.
Website: https://leisurevans.com
Pleasure-Way Industries
Based in Saskaoon, SK, Canada. Pleasure-Way used to manufacture several small class C RVs including the Plateau XLTS on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis. The latest models listed on their website are Class B RVs.
Website: https://pleasureway.com
Phoenix USA RV
Based in Elkhart, Indiana. Phoenix USA RV started out as a Class B RV manufacturer and expanded to small Class C RVs. You can find several used and new models under 25 feet including the Phoenix Cruiser and Phoenix TRX.
Website: https://www.phoenixusarv.com
Regency RV
Based in Fort Worth, Texas. The Ultra Brougham and Ultra Continental by Regency is built on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis that comes in several layouts including a murphy bed on a slide.
Website: http://regencyrv.com/
Renegade RV
Based in Bristol, Indiana. Renegade RV (a division of REV Group) is well known for their Super C motorhomes, but they also manufacture small Class C motorhomes including the Vienna and Villagio on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis.
Website: https://www.renegaderv.com
R-Vision
Originally based in Warsaw, Indiana. The R-Vision Town & Country Touring Sedan is a small Class C/B Plus RV that is no longer in production. However, you can still find used ones for sale on popular RV for sale listing websites. This two page PDF will give you an idea of the specifications of the Town & Country Touring Sedan by R-Vision.
Website: n/a
Thor Industries
Based in Elkhart, Indiana. Thor Industries is a large RV manufacturer with several small RVs to choose from. Models include: Chateau, Compass, Four Winds, Gemini and Quantum.
Website: https://www.thormotorcoach.com/
Tiffin Motorhomes
Based in Red Bay, Alabama. Tiffin Motorhomes is a luxury Class A motorhome manufacturer entering the small Class C RV market. The Wayfarer built on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis is over 25 feet with a slide.
Website: https://tiffinmotorhomes.com
Winnebago Industries, Inc.
Based in Forest City, Iowa. Winnebago is a well established RV manufacturer that has been making RVs since 1958. The newest addition to the Winnebago small Class C RV line up is the Ekko on the Ford Transit chassis. Popular small Class campers by Winnebago include the View/Navion on the Mercedes Chassis. Other models include: Chalet, Fuse, Minnie, Minnie Winnie, Outlook, Porto, Rialta, Via, Vita.
Website: https://winnebago.com
Rent a Class C RV
Try it before you buy it. RV Rental sites make it easy to rent any type of RV. You can search based on vehicle type, length, location and other options.
Small Class C Alternative
Alternatives to a small Class C RVs include:
Thanks for reading! If you’re new to the RV lifestyle and want to learn more, check out our Beginners Guide to RVing.
Looking for a used rv driveable one reasonable reliable 1999 to 2003
I am looking to buy an affordable small camper, I like the fiberglass, but seem to be pricey. Should you have any ideas, please advise.
Marty
This effort by the Russo’s is great. Thanks for doing this!
I’d still like to find an RV that is
– less than 22 feet long,
– has slide outs,
– sleeps 4 or more,
– is less than 9 feet high.
Any suggestions?
Many thanks
Dan
Hi Dan – I don’t know of any RVs that match your requirements. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anything under 22 ft long that has a slide since space and payload capacity is at a premium and slides take up a lot of room and they are heavy. If you want to stay under 22 ft and need something that’s under 9′ then I would suggest looking at companies like Field Van who would have to build you a pop-top camper to stay under your height requirement. Any camper you can stand up in, without a pop-top, will be over 9′ tall. The nice thing with Field Van is that they can definitely build in enough seats/beds to sit and sleep 4.
why are there no pictures of the inside just the out. That doesn’t show people like me if I would like to own one or not.
Looking for a 20 ft motorhome easy to park and drive. No overhead bunk. A Born Free would be good or similar. My hubs has had 3 strokes and luekemia and can’t hook up the pull behind anymore but we still want to camp and see the USA. Anyone know of any?
Have you settled on a small class “C” RV yet? We are starting to look now as well. Thank you!
How rare are Lazy Daze DIESEL powered? Looking at a 7.3L in the 2001 26.5 model. I can’t find ANYTHING any about them. None for sale. Zero info.
We have had several motorhomes. The two of us want a short motorhome with queen bed over the cab and a shower. It seems logical to have a dinette and a couch. The only ones we have found are well over 20 years old and creepy though our cash budget is $16000.
Hello, found your page during a Google search for “used RV for sale under 22ft”. Looks like you need to add the Chinook motorhome line to your list! 🙂
Hi “The Russo’s”!! We have been living in our Thor Majestic 19 foot RV for two years, and we really love it! One thing we love about the cab over on this model is the extra headroom in the bunk, which is plenty big enough and comfortable enough for two tall, 200+/- lb, 50 year olds. Having a dedicated bed was very important to us! The 7+’ ceiling is also great. The smallness of the RV also makes it easier to heat and cool in extreme weather…we have done winter living in Canada with no problem!! The V8 Triton engine is very well powered for the steepest mountain ranges in North America, and it has some kind of self regulating mechanism for going down mountains without having to ride the brake, which surprised and delighted us.
We bought it 5 years old from an RV rental place and have had no problems in over 50,000kms. It came with a solar panel hooked to the cabin battery and we do not need shore power to live. We just loooove our RV lifestyle and our tiny RV, which fits in a regular parking space and gets pretty good mileage, not much worse than the Nissan 4×4 truck we had before! We watched plenty of your videos in researching RVs and full-time RV living! Thanks:)
You’re very welcome and congratulations on finding the perfect rig for you!
Hello. My dream RV. Is a RV 19g. When me and my husband are ready to retire that’s the one we want. I tried looking at videos of people who owen one but no luck so far. Can you give me any info about wether they are good to own? Also love your videos, enjoy how you and Kait work in harmony with each other. You guys should have your own cable show. Stay safe on the road hope to meet you one day.
Are you referring to the Majestic 19G? Try checking out owners forums and brand focused RV forums for owners feedback. Glad you enjoy the content and thank you for tuning in!
I’m considering the Minnie Winnie 22E does anyone have any thoughts? I’m considering buying used and having it inspected first. I don’t want to spend my time repairing and leaving a new RV at the shop for months of sitting and waiting for completed work.Thanks for replying!!
Hello there,
Looking for a motor home similar to the Thor Compass with the following specs:
Ford or Chevy chassis
Gas motor
No tip/outs
Under $60,000
Not much storage or bed over the cab
Can’t seem to find – exist?
Thank you!
-John
Why do these makers think anyone wants to climb over each other in the middle of the night. I bet most of us are older meaning more trips (up) and I am one of them with pain issues. Don’t need to climb up over the cab either. Just my 2cnt complaint for the day haha
Folks… you NEED to do your homework before making a major, life changing purchase like this. There ARE several lawsuits, of a public nature against a few of the posted manufacturer for ridiculously poor/ failed too early products they sold.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK !
What WAS great, may no longer be… & vice versa…
I AM rowing in the back of your boat…lol
Pls post ANY & ALL problems….thankies !
I am looking for used 24′ or less class c diesel powered 2002 to 2004 low mileage unit for 3 people what kind of price range am I looking at. Thank you.
Hey Frank. Prices can range quite a bit depending on make, model, condition, location, etc… Check the out the various RV listing websites such as RVTrader to get a better idea.
Hi Joe and Kait,
I just stumbled onto your webpage. I’m a 70 y/o wheelchair user. I’ve Just started to look at RV’s. The more research I do the more confused I get. I want to go as small as possible, as in a Class B or a small Class C. Do you have any recommendations?
Thank you,
Bill
Hi Bill. We don’t recommend RVs to people because it’s such a personal decision. You have many options between Class B and Class C RVs. Try to see as many as you can in person to get a feel of the layout, quality, space to help you figure out what will work best for your needs.
I have looked unsuccessfully for a Class C with the following: 25’ in length or less, gas operated, an 80” long bed and little or no cab over. I’m 6’4” tall and need to be able to see traffic lights without a cab over in the way and a bed long enough for me. Does anyone know of a motor home that meets these needs?
Try http://www.cowboycadillac.com. They build custom motorhomes.
The Wonder and the Unity from Leisure Travel Vans seem to fit your specifications.
Hi Joe and Kait,
I just finished reading Joe’s book Take Risks and am fascinated with your new lifestyle. I’m a sixty-four year old woman on my own now and wondering how to make these remaining years interesting and educational. I have not purchased a travel trailer and am contemplating selling my home in Northern California and casting my fate to the wind. I know i have family members who will say “Are you crazy!” but i can’t live the remaining years as I have all my life by what someone else defines as the acceptable norm. So I look forward to reading Tales of The Open Road. Thank you for sharing your adventures?
You’re welcome and good luck!
Hello Russo’s:
Which small class C rv did you choose? I’m just starting to look for one.
We are still shopping for our next camper.