I’m thinking about visiting the USA for around 3 weeks and maybe renting a class C motorhome. The area would be roughly around the southwest. California, Nevada, Arizona……I know that there are many campgrounds for overnight parking but what about everyday life? Is it possible to drive to Walmart with a class C or just some other stores in a city? Not for sleeping, just for groceries, sightseeing etc. Is a class C too big for cities or is it just like driving a normal car? Because for European standards these things are huge
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You could park it at Walmart, but most Walmart stores are in suburban areas or “big box” zoned areas that are not conducive to being a pedestrian or doing any sightseeing. Supermarket parking lots should be fine for parking it as well, they tend to be very large lots and not typically full.
Parking regulations are hyper localized, literally down to the exact car sized spot. One side of a street may have signage that says “No Parking 8am-5pm Monday-Friday” and the other side could say “Resident Parking only, Permit Required” or there may be no signage at all. It totally depends on exactly where you are. You’re going to need to observe signage, especially in cities. If there’s no signage, you’re more than likely ok.
You may want to adapt your trip to being more focused on doing things in the outdoors and away from dense urban areas. Trying to navigate an RV through places like Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles sounds like my idea of hell. Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Sedona you should be just fine.
/r/RVLiving and /r/boondocking and /r/vandwellers may be resourceful for your trip.
Frankly, I wouldn’t want to drive in an unknown city with something that big. They are basically the size of bus.
Any city in the Southwest you’ll do …okay… with a Class C RV. They’re designed around motor vehicles. San Francisco, if you wind up that far north, would be a no go; but you could park at the BART station in Fremont, Concord, Richmond, or Livermore and take the BART into San Francisco proper.
Class C RVs are still large, even by American standards. But they’re not insanely large like a Class A RV. They’re the size of a box truck or a short bus, and those fare just fine in Southwestern cities.
Still though, if you’re traveling solo, I’d recommend a Class B. They’re much more manageable.
It’s not too big for cities if you know how to drive it, people drive big trucks and buses and shit in cities every day. But it’s not at all like driving a normal car lol, it takes some getting used to. It’s literally like 3-4 times the size and weight of your average car. If you aren’t experienced with it do everyone else a favor and find like a camperized sprinter van or something that size