Jim Lazzarino affectionately refers to his wife, Tracey, as the quarterback of the family. Just as the leader of a football team leads 10 team members down the gridiron toward the end zone, each summer the leader of the Lazzarino team captains 10 family members down the road of adventure on an RV trip across America. With nine children (that’s not a misprint) ranging in ages from four months to 19 years old, the Lazzarinos have quite the traveling team. Thanks to the 2010 Fleetwood Terra (34b), the family that proves eight is not enough may have just found the perfect Class A motorhome.


A lot of families who get into RVing in a motorhome start off with a Class C, primarily because they believe that the overhead sleeping compartment is the best feature to accommodate their kids. Many of the same families who end up buying a Class C would rather have a Class A, but don’t know about the 2010 Fleetwood Terra (34B) and all its features. We’re going to look at the Terra and some of the family-friendly features my kids — all nine of them — love when we go RVing.


Driver’s Compartment

When we’re out on the road, my wife sits in the passenger seat facing me as I drive. That allows her to keep one eye on the scenery through the windshield and the other eye on the kids while she “quarterbacks” our family. She’s able to talk to me the entire time, which gives us the ability to visit with each other and enjoy some time together. You just don’t get that kind of versatility in a Class C because the cockpit is sunk down and essentially cut off from the rest of the living area.


When we get where we’re going, the driver and passenger chairs spin around to become part of the living area. This is another feature you don’t get in a Class C because the driver and passenger chairs are immovable, which makes the driver’s area useless once you’ve reached your destination. The Terra’s chairs are upholstered in ultra leather, making them scratch resistant and easy to clean. That’s important when you have just one kid, let alone nine. The passenger chair features a pull-out foot rest, while the driver’s chair is full power. You don’t usually see these features in a Class A coach at this price point.





Kitchen
When Tracey is in the Terra’s kitchen making lunch, she has a beautiful view everywhere she looks. If we were in a Class C, Tracey would be looking out at the overhead sleeping area. Instead, we have great views of the outdoors. We can enjoy beautiful scenery through the windshield, which also acts like a picture window. Kitchen counter space is important when you have a large family, and the Terra has plenty. There’s lots of storage in the kitchen, which has drawers that extend all the way out on steel gliders so the whole drawer can be used. Functionality and usability are high in this kitchen, especially when you consider that the pantry has slide-out storage trays.


The dinette booth features four seat belts and easily folds into a bed with vinyl or cloth cushions depending on which side of the cushion you use. And, easy access slide-out storage compartments are located underneath the dinette booth.


Bunk Beds
The bunk bed area is a great place for kids to sleep. Each bunk has its own window with day/night shades. Each bed also has its own personal flip-down entertainment center so kids can play video games or watch movies in their bunks. My family comfortably fits two kids, toe to toe, in each bunk for a total of four kids in this area alone.


Bedroom and Bathroom

Families need storage. They need drawers. They need closets, and the Terra has all that. This Terra floor plan has a master suite with a king size bed for mom and dad and comes with huge storage spaces. The Terra also has the ability, with the sliding bedroom door, to make the bedroom private and closed off from the rest of the coach. After a long, fun day of camping, you can still have some time alone.



Another great feature for families is the private bathroom. In the Terra, your shower and your toilet are in the same bathroom space. Usually in a Class C, the toilet is private and the shower is basically in the hallway. Not so in the Terra. Everything is private so one kid can be in the shower while everyone else in the family can continue to use the rest of the coach. The bathroom has a huge corner shower — as big as you’ll find in a gas coach — lots of counter space and a vinyl floor for easy cleanup.


Living Room

The Terra has a lot of high-end luxuries not usually found at this price point. Dual pane windows keep you cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. There are two air conditioning units: The intake unit is in the living area and the second A/C unit is in the bedroom, which means the master bedroom receives its full volume of airflow without all the noise to interrupt your sleep.


Many Class C’s and entry-level Class A’s have shallow slide outs. The Terra’s slide outs are full depth, allowing for an extra window on either side and extra sunlight. The deeper slides result in a larger living area. The other benefit to the deep slide is a pull-out air-mattress sofa as opposed to a jackknife that isn’t as comfortable. The air-mattress sofa pulls out easily and inflates with the push of a button. Gone are the days of pulling off the cushions and stashing them away in the living room when it’s time to turn the couch into a bed. The open mattress even includes a bed stand for drinks, books and other nighttime needs.


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Bottom Line
Things that are important to people who buy the big diesel coaches are many of the 

same things you get in the Terra. They want full body paint. They want chrome luggage handles. They want a mid-ship TV. They want the high ceilings with residential halogen lighting. The Terra has all these features and a great deal more. As someone who enjoys RVing with my large family, I can say that the Terra (34B) offers a ton of value and amenities. You get all the great livability that a high-end Class A offers at a very reasonable price. If you’re looking to head out on the road in an RV with your family, the Fleetwood Terra could be the perfect coach for you.


The Fleetwood Terra 34 B is Jim Lazzarino's dream coach, read about his family preparing for a trip in his personal RV here.