Luxury Coach Lifestyles - View Single Post - Size Matters (The Challanges)
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Old 07-29-2010, 03:52 PM   #2
fulltiming
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Texas
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If you want to travel to the largest number of locations on the widest selections of roads, get the smallest coach you can live with, period. Technically/legally there are a number of parks, roads, states, etc that have max lengths, although many are not enforced. California limits access on many/most non-interstate roads to coaches 40' or less. Would I drive my coach up California 1 north of the Hearst Castle? Nope. Enjoyed it in a 35' coach but the turns are too sharp to make in a 43'+ coach without taking a chunk of the oncoming traffic's lane.

There are still some states that have a 96" width limit except on interstates where federal laws trump state law. Will you get stopped? Probably not. However, all of the Series 2000 coaches (beginning in 1990) and most of the post 1986 coached are 102" wide. Does it make a difference on the space inside? You bet is does, much more than you would imagine. Does it make a difference driving on a narrow winding road? It could. I rubbed a guard rail on a narrow bridge with an on-coming dually pickup and have little nicks in my wheel flares and got to buy a new Alcoa front hub cap (very pricey). Would 6" have made a difference? Oh yeah!! But that is the only close call I have had in 7 years of driving 102" wide coaches.

Length can keep you out of some parks and the LONG wheel base on a larger Newell (mine is only 43'6") without the steerable tag can make getting in and out of tight areas a real pucker event.

All that said, there is a SIGNIFICANT different in the inside space and bay storage between a 38' and a 45'. I have driven Tom's 38' and it is extremely maneuverable compared to my coach. Would Georgia want to go back to living in a shorter coach? Uh, NO!! Would I be willing to consider a 38' it I were only using mine for occasional weekend and vacation trips? You bet!
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Michael and Georgia Day
1992 Newell 43.5' #281
8V92 DDEC-2, HT740
PT Cruiser GT with Remco Transmission Pump
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