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Topic: Drivability of the 30 vs 26.5 (Read 8 times) previous topic - next topic
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Drivability of the 30 vs 26.5
Yahoo Message Number: 1545
I'm a relatively new member. I have very much enjoyed the info of all the messages. Even though I do not own a rv yet, LD is what my family would like.
Question - is the 30 IB much harder to drive than the smaller sizes? The 30 IB has everything I like, but its size is intimidating. Are there other reasons besides length that would make one consider a smaller size?

John in Louisiana
Drivability of the 30 vs 26.5
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1546
John,

I just sold my 26.5 and took delivery of a 30IB at the end of September and found that the driving was just as easy, in fact I think it may be somewhat easier. The only thing I find different is being aware that the coach is 30 feet long and when making turns the back end comes around later which means a little wider turn is necessary. I do not think we would go back to a 26.5' after having this coach now.

Ron 2000 30IB
Drivability of the 30 vs 26.5
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1549
that would make one consider a smaller size?>>

Hi John,

The answer is a definate yes.
Payload. The 30' has a much lower payload than any 26.5'.
For example, the 26.5' MB has a payload of 1,566 lbs compared to 774 lbs for the 30' IB. This is according to yr 2000 coach specs put out by LD.

-Bob, 2000 LD 26.5' MB
Drivability of the 30 vs 26.5
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1557
Besides the price diference and the useable cargo weight which another post addressed, You also should consider usable floor space. The queen bed takes up a lot of floor space. If you are agile enough to crawl into the cabover bed and use that as your main bed you have lots more living space in the 26 footers as opposed to the 30 footer.

I am really glad that I got the 26.5 Midbath. We are both a young 62 and don't mind the climb into the attic at night.

Sterling
Drivability of the 30 vs 26.5
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1559
Since we're doing the same, offering for sale our 26.5 because we've ordered the 30' IB, how do you like the new one as compared to the "old" one? Our 26.5 is MB/RL and although we could have used the couch in the lounge, we're sort of lazy? besides, it was easier for me to go to bed in the bunk and husband to watch TV or play computer until he was ready to come to the bunk.
Anyhow, since you've had both we'd really be interested in your thoughts - also difference in living area and storage capacity and load capacity. Thanks!
Drivability of the 30 vs 26.5
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1560
The cabover bed is not just a convenience, it is a delight! Try camping on a hot night and you will soon realize the blessings of a window just inches from your face with a vent inches from your potootie.
One hot steamy night in Florida (90 degrees, 100% humidity), parked on a friend's street with no electrical hookup or the ability to keep the neighborhood awake with the generator, we found relief by opening the cabover windows and running the fantastic fan at high, thus creating welcome artificial breeze that allowed us to sleep. Love that cabover bunk! By the way, that handle in the Lazy Daze that allows us to come down frontways makes exiting so much easier. Wish someone had thought of that 25 years ago.

Gus Weber
Drivability of the 30 vs 26.5
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1561
So you have the 26.5 it sounds like!  Also in the winter, the converse it true!  Have you experienced the 30'?
Drivability of the 30 vs 26.5
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1562
So you have the 26.5 it sounds like!  Also in the winter, the converse it true!  Have you experienced the 30'?
Drivability of the 30 vs 26.5
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1563
So you have the 26.5 it sounds like!  Also in the winter, the converse it true!  Have you experienced the 30'?
Drivability of the 30 vs 26.5
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1565
We have a 23.5 ft RK 1999 and can park it on the street in major and minor cities. i.e. Sutter's Fort in Sacramento doesn't have aParking Lot so we Parked on the Street. Dis the Same in San Antone waitin to get the oil changed.
Drivability of the 30 vs 26.5
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1570
Regarding useable floor space and load capacity for personal items, I would like to put a plug in for the LD 26.5 Rear Bath version. If you order the plan with the two facing couches up front, you have all kinds of sleeping space. We seldom sleep in the overhead compartment as we prefer to pull the two couches together to make a king size bed. We are 66 years young and crawling over the foot of the bed to get in or out in the middle of the night is no chore and does not disturb the other party.

Also with the second couch design, by the way, you get an additional external storgage compartment which is large enough to accommodate fancy folding chairs and a bunch of other stuff.
Drivability of the 30 vs 26.5
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1577
dlkoker,

Our 26.5 was a RB, so we had a lot of open living area. In the RB the sleeping, TV, and living were all in one place so it was difficult to watch TV while the other tried to sleep. Now one can go to bed while the other reads or watches TV.
The living area is just fine for us as there are only two and it offers more than enough open space and since it is now wider than our 1990 was it even seems bigger. Storage is more than ample because we only carry what we need for camping and traveling on trips. Some people seem to think you need carry the house with them on trips and of course there will not be enough storage. We feel the load capacity is more than enough.
People need to take into consideration that LD is using a full wet weight plus a weight of 150lbs for each seatbelt in the coach. If only two people are traveling the in the 30' you can add another 450lbs minus the weight of the two people over 300lbs. Our coach is fully load with all the bells and whistles, full of food, clothing and other things I don't think we need, and when we took it to the weigh station there was still another 300 lbs for storage, so I think there is plenty of load capacity even on the 30'. Please remember this is my opinion and other will not agree with me.

Good luck with 30' when you get it and we are sure it will fill your desired expectations.

Ron 2000 30IB