Class C 25-32 ft floorplans — Coachmen Leprechaun 260DS, Thor Chateau, Forest River FR3 real lengths, sleeps, wet vs dry bath

Why 25-32 ft exists as a category

Under 25 ft you are usually in a Class B van or a micro Class C (Winnebago Revel, Coachmen Nova, etc.) with compromises on bathroom and storage. Over 32-33 ft you start hitting the 'this is a small Class A' territory on gas chassis and the maneuverability advantage of the cutaway van disappears. 25-32 ft on a Ford E-450 or Chevy 4500 is the range where a family of 4-6 can live for a week or a month without feeling like they are camping in a phone booth or piloting a bus.

All three brands in this comparison (Coachmen Leprechaun, Thor Chateau / Four Winds, Forest River FR3) are built on the same basic cutaway chassis family. The differences are in slide count, bath configuration, bunk layout, and how the manufacturer allocates the 14,200-14,500 lb GVWR on the lighter end and 18,000-22,000 lb on the FR3 heavier builds.

Coachmen Leprechaun 260DS — 27'5" real world

2026 Coachmen Leprechaun 260DS on Ford E-450: exterior length 27 ft 5 in, GVWR 14,500 lb, GCWR 22,000 lb, fresh 50 gal, gray 32 gal, black 31 gal. Two slides. Sleeps 6-7 depending on how you count the cab-over bunk (57 in × 95 in rated 800 lb total in some literature) + folding queen (60 in × 80 in) + convertible dinette or sofa. The 260DS is a popular rental floorplan because the rear corner bath is a true wet bath (toilet + shower in one small room) with a 24 in × 32 in or similar shower pan.

Real sleeping: the cab-over bunk is the lightest, smallest person only. Two adults who are not tiny will complain about headroom and the ladder at 3 AM. The folding queen is the real bed for the adults. The dinette converts to a child or occasional adult. Wet bath means the whole bathroom gets wet when you shower — there is no separate dry area for the toilet or sink. For a family of four on a 7-10 day trip this is manageable; for two weeks it becomes the daily dance of 'who showers when and how do we keep towels dry'.

• ›Length: 27' 5"
• ›GVWR: 14,500 lb
• ›Sleeps: marketed 6-7, realistic comfortable 4 adults + 2 kids
• ›Bath: wet bath (combined shower + toilet room)
• ›Slides: 2

Thor Chateau (28A, 29K, 31E, 31H) — 29'9" to 32'8"

Thor Chateau 28A / 29K / 31E / 31H on E-450: lengths from ~29 ft 9 in (28A) to 32 ft 8 in (31E). GVWR 14,500 lb on the lighter plans. Many 2025-2026 models ship with tankless water heater (30,000 BTU range). The 31E has a full-wall slide on one side and sleeps 7-8 with cab-over, queen or king in rear, and convertible seating. The 31H often has bunks or a rear entertainment / sofa configuration.

Bathroom variety: some Chateau plans have a wet bath, others have a split or 'dry' bath where the toilet and sink are in a separate room from the shower (or the shower has a door that keeps the rest of the bath dry). The split bath is the one families fight over less. Tankless water heater is standard or optional on many recent builds — a genuine upgrade for shower frequency.

The 31E / 31EV plans push the length and the GVWR math. With two slides and full-wall options, cargo carrying capacity shrinks fast once you add a family and a week of food and water. The SmoothTech suspension on some 28Z/29K/31E plans improves ride quality over the stock E-450.

Forest River FR3 30DS / 31DS — the 'Class A in Class C clothing'

Forest River FR3 30DS: exterior length 31 ft 11 in, GVWR 20,500-22,000 lb depending on year/chassis, GCWR 26,000 lb, fresh ~50-52 gal, gray/black ~42 gal each. Two slides. King bed in rear, split bath (shower and toilet/sink separated), large 15 cu ft residential fridge, washer/dryer prep on some. The FR3 is marketed as Class A gas but rides on a Ford F-53 or similar cutaway and drives more like an oversized Class C than a true diesel pusher.

The split bath is the feature that makes longer trips tolerable. You can shower without soaking the toilet paper and the sink. Sleeping capacity marketed 5-8 depending on plan; the 30DS with king + cab-over + sofa/dinette conversions can sleep 6-7 realistically. The higher GVWR gives more payload for the family + gear + water that a 14,500 lb Leprechaun or Chateau runs out of quickly.

Downsides: longer and heavier means worse MPG (often 7-9 instead of 9-11), harder to park in standard campground spurs, and the 'Class A' styling sometimes means higher center of gravity and more wind sail. The 31DS is even longer at ~32 ft 5 in with slightly lower GVWR in some configs.

• ›FR3 30DS length: 31' 11"
• ›GVWR: 20,500-22,000 lb (much higher payload than Leprechaun/Chateau)
• ›Bath: split (shower separate from toilet/sink on most)
• ›Tankless or 6 gal + electric common
• ›Sleeps: 5-8 marketed, realistic 6 for a family trip

Wet bath vs dry bath — the marriage test

A wet bath (toilet and shower in the same small room) is lighter, cheaper to build, and uses less floor space. It is also the reason many families swear they will never own another RV after one long trip. Every shower wets the toilet seat, the floor, and anything stored in the bath. Drying the room between users becomes a 15-minute ritual with a squeegee and towel.

A dry or split bath (shower has its own door or is in a separate compartment) lets one person shower while another uses the sink or toilet without a full decontamination cycle afterward. On a 25-32 ft rig the split bath usually costs you a few inches of bedroom or living space and a few pounds, but it is the single biggest quality-of-life upgrade inside the length class.

All three manufacturers offer both configurations across their 25-32 ft lineup. When booking or buying, the floorplan diagram plus the phrase 'split bath' or 'wet bath' tells you more about livability than the marketing 'sleeps 8' number.

Realistic payload and what PickRV will verify

A 27 ft Leprechaun 260DS at 11,300-11,500 lb UVW with a family of four + dog + 7 days of food/water/propane + linens easily consumes 2,500-3,000 lb of the 3,000 lb payload. Add a generator, bikes, or a full fresh tank at the start of the trip and you are at or over GVWR before you leave the driveway. The FR3's higher GVWR gives breathing room but at the cost of the heavier chassis and fuel burn.

PickRV listings in this length class will surface actual measured UVW from the specific rig (or the closest published UVW for the floorplan), the host's scale ticket with passengers + cargo, and the hitch weight if it is a towable. Renters will see the real cargo carrying capacity number, not the brochure 'sleeps 8' headline. That is the only way a 10-day family trip does not end with a scale-house surprise or a blown tire from overload.