Choosing the rig is a fun yet annoying dilemma.
How'd you come down to gas A and towing a car? I used to figure a diesel, at 25,000 miles a year or so, would be 4 mpg better than gas, saving $4-5 k a year on fuel, 10 years, pays for the diesel.
At the time I was shopping this was the best deal I found. I needed a lot of under storage space. It was 2 years old with only 2,400 miles on it. It showed brand new. First owners only had it a short time then traded it in for a different RV. I don't recall if they bought larger or smaller. Given the knowledge I had at the time it seemed like the best fit for me. I didn't want the have a trailered home as I still find backing them up somewhat difficult. I know about the hands on the steering wheel trick but it still doesn't guarantee success when I'm doing the backing. I also like that I can have access to my stuff just by pulling over or anyone other than the driver has access to most everything while still rolling down the road. The class A RV worked best for me.
I did go ask a lot of people in campgrounds what they like about their rigs. Many were quite accommodating in telling me what they liked and disliked. I even have a few things I will do different when I upgrade. I have 2 slide outs and will either get 3 slides or an RV that has 2 larger slides. My hot water heater is propane only. That's inconvenient when you have electric at every campground. Most RVs have duel heat for the hot water. 1 thing I won't budge on is the underside storage. I drag a lot of stuff with me. Fishing, boating, safety, float tubes, extra hoses, electric smoker, cold weather & rain gear, hiking gear, camping gear, tools, books, maps, you name it. Since it's my 'home' I also have important papers and some momentos.
So are in 7 years I've only managed to put an additional 25K miles on it. I'm more of a destination person in that I go somewhere and hang out for a few months. I spent 5 months in Geo. Washington National Forest, 3 months in Yellowstone NP, 3 months in Seward, AK, 2 months in Ninilchik, AK. I go to Jacksonville often and use the military campground on Solomons when I'm in Maryland. I figure I have 1K + nights spent in it so far.
The diesel motorhomes were more expensive initially and the fuel is a bit more costly per gallon. I'm at the point where I don't mind spending a bit extra money to go somewhere. I was paying well over $4 per gallon on my trip to Alaska in 2008. I was at the point of no return as far as hitting the road. Sure cheaper gas is better but I have no control over that.
And I always say this when referring to the RV or motor homing in general. What works for me may not work for you. I started out renting small class C RVs to vacation in Alaska. I loved doing it and I got a class B for a while. That was way too cramped so I traded in for the much larger class A. So I work with what I have. Currently in the process of putting more things into clear plastic bins so they store easier.
My boat also accompanies me on my trips. I found a boat that collapses. The seats and the transom provide the rigidity to make it sea worthy. I have safely had my boat in Lake Ontario, Yellowstone lake, St. Lawrence river, Kenai river and many other bodies of water. These are some big waters. The important thing is to watch the weather and boat smartly. I have brought 1,000s of fish over the side of the boat over the years.
Even my towed vehicle purchase was well researched. I tow 4 down. Al my truck tires are on the ground. Some people use a dolly. But you have to deal with the dolly when you are in camp which is annoying. I had to buy a standard transmission truck. It's a Ford Explorer. It has a small bed and 4 doors. Mostly gear is carried in the back seat. It's nice to have some place to stow gear and be able to lock it up. In a pinch I can take 5 people in my truck comfortably. My boat fits in the bed while it is assembled. I can launch and recover the boat by myself since it isn't that heavy. I have a 6 hp gas engine that attaches to the RV ladder plus a trolling motor and deep cycle battery. All this allows me to do my favorite pasttime.
Don't get me started on fishing gear. Lures alone I probably have about 400. (But I only have a dozen or so go-to lures) Then I have a few hundred fishing flies. Plus nets, terminal tackle, stringers, knives. And on & on.
So picking the right RV was an important part of the entire process. Just remember there is no right or wrong when selecting.