RVs or motorhomes are divided into three classes, and class C is the second-largest behind class A. You like the size and maneuverability of a class C RV, but before you buy one, you need to know, how much does a class C motorhome weigh on average?
The average weight of a class C motorhome is 10,000 to 20,000 pounds. By comparison, a class A motorhome weighs up to 30,000 pounds and a class B motorhome is about 11,000 pounds at most.
In this informative guide, we’ll first differentiate class C RVs from class As and Bs, then we’ll delve further into the weight of this motorhome class. We’ll even provide examples of how much real class C motorhomes weigh, so make sure you keep reading!
What Is a Class C Motorhome?
Motorhomes are also known as RVs, which is short for recreational vehicle. Unlike a travel trailer or other types of trailers in which you attach your trailer to a towing vehicle, you can drive an RV.
The earliest motorhome dates to 1915. Its chassis was a modified Packard truck. The vehicle weighed at least three tons and measured 28 feet in length. It had room for 11 people, so it was quite a spacious first model!
Motorhomes caught on, and from the 1920s onward, the RV industry boomed in the United States. People became so enthusiastic about motorhomes that they started their own exclusive camping clubs, a practice that has endured to this day.
In the decades to follow, RVs went from looking bare-bones to having more luxury features. That paved the way for the motorhomes of today, which are incredibly luxurious.
RVs are divided into three classes, as we touched on in the intro. These are class A, class B, and class C.
The first RV from the 1920s was likely a class A (even though such classes didn’t exist yet) since these are the largest of the three types of motorhomes. The average size of a class A RV is 20 to 45 feet long, so it’s no surprise these hefty vehicles can weigh up to 30,000 pounds.
If class A is the largest, then you’d think that a class B motorhome would be the next biggest, but that’s not how it works. Instead, class B RVs are the smallest. Nicknamed camper vans due to their size, a class B RV will weigh a little over 10,000 pounds at most.
That brings us to class C motorhomes, which we’ll talk about for the rest of this guide. Class C RVs are the second largest after class A. They’re not the biggest RVs on the road, but no one will mistake them for a camper van either.
On the shorter side, a class C motorhome might measure 21 inches long. That would require a smaller layout inside, but you’d still have a variety of amenities to enjoy. These might include swiveling chairs, a half-kitchen or even a full kitchen, a queen-sized bed, a dinette (that will probably convert into a couch to save space), and maybe a small bathroom.
Class C RVs at their biggest are 41 feet long. The more sizable models are made for families, with room for four to eight people depending on the configuration.
There will be more than enough space afforded to you for king-sized beds (or queen-sized), convertible beds, bunk beds, or twin beds. The kitchen should be fully equipped with generous counter space, a microwave, overhead storage, a stovetop, and perhaps even an eight cubic foot fridge.
You might be able to enjoy a full bathroom in a larger class C motorhome with a shower, toilet, and sink. Your RV could even have a washer and dry prep, which is convenient!
Convertible layouts with privacy from room to room will allow the whole family to live in a class C RV for weeks or even months at a time rather than days.
Related Reading: Pros and Cons of a Class C RV
How Much Does the Average Class C RV Weigh?
With so many fabulous features and amenities, it makes sense that a class C motorhome is anything but lightweight.
On the lower side of the spectrum, a small class C RV will weigh between 10,000 and 12,000 pounds. As you might recall from the intro, a class B motorhome bottoms out at about 12,000 pounds.
The biggest class B RVs are 23 feet long, which is about the equivalent of the smallest class Cs, so it makes sense that the two motorhomes would occupy the same weight class.
Middle-weight class C motorhomes that are longer than 23 feet but aren’t quite 40 feet (so maybe around 30 feet long or so), will weigh about 15,000 pounds. At this size, the floorspace is greater, the passenger capacity is higher, and the amenities are more plentiful, hence the weight boost.
Class C RVs that are 41 feet or thereabouts can weigh nearly 20,000 pounds. The weight limit for a class A RV is between 13,000 and 30,000 pounds, so a 2,000-pound class C is right in the middle.
The weight of your RV will have an impact on your mpg you get, so if you are going to be a full-time RVer, it will have a huge impact on your wallet.
11 Real Examples of Class C Motorhome Weights
You’re interested in owning a class C motorhome of your very own. Since the size and weight of the vehicles can run the gamut, you’d love to see some examples of what real class C RVs weigh. We’ve got that information for you right here.
Without further ado, here’s a list of current class C motorhome models and their accompanying weights.
- 2022 Jayco Redhawk SE – 14,200 pounds
- 2022 Jayco Greyhawk – 14,500 pounds
- 2022 Jayco Melbourne Prestige – 11,030 pounds
- 2022 Jayco Seneca Prestige – 31,000 pounds
- 2021 Coachmen Leprechaun – 12,500 pounds to 14,500 pounds
- 2021 Coachmen RV Freelander – 12,500 pounds to 14,500 pounds
- 2021 Coachmen RV Cross Trail – 11,000 pounds to 14,500 pounds
- 2021 Coachmen RV Prism – 11,030 pounds
- 2022 Thor Motorcoach Chateau – 12,500 pounds to 14,500 pounds
- 2022 Thor Motorcoach Four Winds – 12,500 pounds to 14,500 pounds
- 2022 Thor Motorcoach Quantum – 12,500 pounds to 14,500 pounds
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What Influences the Weight of a Class C Motorhome?
Most of the motorhomes listed above are within the same weight class, which is slightly over 11,000 pounds and no more than 14,500 pounds. The exception, of course, is the 2022 Jayco Seneca Prestige. While technically a class C, this hefty motorhome could confuse you for a class A since it’s so heavy.
Here are the factors that influence the weight of a class C so it can stay within that weight class rather than veering towards class A (or even class B!) territory.
Length
This goes back to what we discussed earlier in this guide. The longer your motorhome, the more floorspace in general. Every square inch of a motorhome adds up to its overall poundage, so a larger class C RV will always outweigh a smaller model.
Passengers
We mentioned this in our article on the average weight of travel trailers, but the standard weight of an adult is 130 pounds. On average, a child weighs seven pounds. If your class C motorhome could accommodate four people and you had three adults and one child, then that’s 397 pounds between you four alone.
Okay, so that’s not a lot of weight, but you have to consider that there’s more than just you and your family on the RV. As we’ll discuss very shortly, the vehicle also houses amenities, tanks, and cargo that all increase the overall weight.
Plus, the 397-pound estimate is a general one. Maybe your class C motorhome is on the bigger side, so you can fit eight people. If everyone onboard is an adult, then the weight of all eight of you at 130 pounds each is 1,040 pounds extra.
Now you can see where passenger weight becomes significant.
Amenities
The beauty of class C RVs is their wealth of amenities, but have you ever stopped to think how much each amenity weighs?
If you haven’t, we’ll tell you!
Starting with the kitchen, an RV fridge (which no, is not the same as your kitchen fridge back home), weighs about 120 pounds on average. A stovetop is 100 to 250 pounds and a kitchen sink weighs 22 to 55 pounds.
Your RV microwave can add another 55 pounds to the mix. Kitchen cabinets might weigh 600 pounds while a kitchen counter weighs 570 pounds.
Adding everything up is 1,650 pounds, and that’s just the weight of the items in the kitchen.
If your RV has a U-shaped dinette, it could weigh around 350 pounds, especially if the dinette is built with solid pine.
Moving on to the bedroom, king-sized beds weigh 130 to 180 pounds each, queen-sized beds are 120 to 160 pounds apiece, and bunks can weigh 150 to 200 pounds and up. You’d then have to multiply that number by however many beds you have.
If your motorhome bedroom includes an armoire, dressers, or another form of clothing storage, the weight of such can be anywhere from 280 to 450 pounds.
What about the bathroom? An RV toilet weighs about 10 pounds, so it’s not very heavy. The sink might be about 10 pounds as well, but showers are weighed by square feet, so yours could be heavier if it’s larger or lighter if it’s smaller.
It’s important to remember that some features will add extra weight such as slide-outs.
If you crunched all those numbers, you’d see where the amenities in your class C motorhome add up very quickly. Since most of these amenities are not removable, their weight is built into the RV’s overall weight.
Other Gear
Then there’s the weight of everything else in your RV, such as the fluids, the tanks, and even the engine.
Fluids are an integral part of keeping your motorhome running, from brake fluid to coolant and water. Fluid weighs about 8 pounds per gallon, so when you’ve topped off all the fluid levels of your vehicle, you could add anywhere from 16 pounds to close to 100 pounds if not more.
A full-sized class C motorhome will usually include all three RV tanks: the blackwater tank, graywater tank, and the freshwater tank. The blackwater tank is for bathroom waste, the graywater tank holds sink waste, and the freshwater tank gives you a reliable supply of potable water.
For most RVs, the average tank capacity is anywhere from 20 to 100 gallons. If the tanks were on the smaller side and only 20 gallons, then each would weigh 160 pounds. Multiplying that by 3 (one for each tank) brings us to 480 pounds for the total weight of the tanks.
Yet if your blackwater, graywater, and freshwater tanks could hold 100 gallons, now each tank when full would weigh 800 pounds. That’d be an additional 2,400 pounds of extra weight on your motorhome.
Of course, you don’t want to let certain tanks get full, especially not the blackwater tank, as that can lead to overflows. This is just to give you an example of what everything weighs on your class C motorhome.
Don’t forget the gas tank as well, which can store 100 gallons of fuel on average. Fuel weighs less than water, as it’s 6 pounds, so that’s an additional 600 pounds.
Materials
The last factor that can influence the weight of your class C motorhome is the materials used to build it. Many RVs feature aluminum construction because it’s lightweight, but steel, fiberglass, and wood sticks are other options. Depending on the material, the shell of your vehicle can add several hundred pounds to close to 1,000 pounds extra!
RV Weight Terms to Know
All these these terms and weight limits can be found in the vehicle’s owner’s manual.
What is Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, GVWR?
GVWR stands for Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and refers to how much weight allowed of both your RV and cargo. Cargo needs to include the weight of your belonging, camping gear, passengers, and anything in your tanks (fresh water tank, grey tank, black tank). I always recommend traveling with near empty, if not empty, tanks. The GVWR is determined by the manufacturer.
What is Unloaded Vehicle Weight, or UVW?
Dry weight is also referred to as UVW, which refers to the weight of the trailer or RV alone. This does not include cargo, propane tanks, or another upgraded accessories.
What it Cargo Carrying Capacity? (CCC)
Cargo Carrying Capacity refers to the most weight that you can pack into your RV. This includes all your personal items and any water in your tanks. The CCC is determined by subtracting the UVW from the GVWR.
What is Tongue Weight? (TW)
Tongue weight or TW is the amount of weight an RV puts on the towing vehicles’s trailer ball. It is calculated by subtracting the weight of the towing vehicle from the weight of your vehicle and the trailer combined.
Related Reading: Choosing the Proper Weight Distribution Hitch for Your RV
What is GAWR?
GAWR stands for Gross axle weight rating. It is determined by the manufacturer as the load-carrying capacity of a single axle system.
Final Thoughts
Class C motorhomes are larger and weigh more than class B RVs, but they aren’t quite as large as class A RVs. The standard weight for a class C motorhome is 10,000 to 20,000 pounds.
Even though you don’t have to tow your RV, weight should still be an important consideration when deciding which motorhome you’ll buy. The weight of your RV will influence how maneuverable it is, where you’ll park your vehicle when camping, and where you’ll keep it during the offseason. We hope the information in this guide helps you buy your next class C motorhome!