1st post lookin for some guidance

[RooDie55]

hello all ....
have gotten a bit of a travel bug and plan on looking into options for just how to do that ...vehicle wise ...
had spent a bit of time in an OLD class C...years ago 74- 77 ...and now think a B + is what could likely suit my needs, best...thus
would like to get some feedback from those a LOT more experienced

i am leaning towards a sprinter chassis and a unit w/o slides
for the most part, just me...travel about w/ golf clubs and guitars...on the road for no more than 3 weeks at a time is how i currently view it ...
quality / dependability are more my issues ...have lived in small spaces
the class C, boats...and
tho i want a queen size bed, minimum, other creature comforts are easily manageable

so , would appreciate what others have to offer ... i'm thinking new, that however is not writ-in-stone

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by RooDie55

hello all ....
have gotten a bit of a travel bug and plan on looking into options for just how to do that ...vehicle wise ...
had spent a bit of time in an OLD class C...years ago 74- 77 ...and now think a B + is what could likely suit my needs, best...thus
would like to get some feedback from those a LOT more experienced

i am leaning towards a sprinter chassis and a unit w/o slides
for the most part, just me...travel about w/ golf clubs and guitars...on the road for no more than 3 weeks at a time is how i currently view it ...
quality / dependability are more my issues ...have lived in small spaces
the class C, boats...and
tho i want a queen size bed, minimum, other creature comforts are easily manageable

so , would appreciate what others have to offer ... i'm thinking new, that however is not writ-in-stone

Welcome to the forum RooDie55!

An extended Sprinter will likely be the only "b" with an 80" long queen bed. Most other beds are 72" to 75" regardless of whether two twins or single.

For one person, or two, I think a 24ft. class "b" will do the job. You'll be tight on space, but plenty of room for gear, food, and clothing. And remember: "You don't live in a class b, you live out of a class b."

.

[NAZCamperVan]

RooDie,
If you're looking for a top of the line B+/small C, consider Leisure Travel Vans. I'm the satisfied owner of an LTV Free Spirit, a Class B no longer in production. https://leisurevans.com/
Pleasure-Way, another Canadian company, also makes a good rig. https://pleasureway.com/

[peteco]

Originally Posted by RooDie55

i am leaning towards a sprinter chassis and a unit w/o slides
for the most part, just me...travel about w/ golf clubs and guitars...on the road for no more than 3 weeks at a time is how i currently view it ...
quality / dependability are more my issues ...have lived in small spaces
the class C, boats...and
tho i want a queen size bed, minimum, other creature comforts are easily manageable

so , would appreciate what others have to offer ... i'm thinking new, that however is not writ-in-stone

Be sure to also take a look at the Chevy Roadtreks. We have a 210P and the storage compartment was sized to carry a bag of golf clubs. We really like ours over the 8 years we have had it. There is a facebook forum for Chevy Roadtreks. Of course the members are biased but you can get a sense of what the vehicles are like and the pros and cons.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/252621115223541/

[RooDie55]

having "just" begun, i did see in this brief time the pleasure-van, and it caught my eye ....will look further into that 1...thanx

[RooDie55]

ooops " pleasure-way " and did like the others, tho, leaning towards vehicles WithOut any slides

[RooDie55]

yeah, so Pleasure-Way and Leisure Travel van...
both seem to have the bigger B's or is it smaller C's
that i find appealing ....would enjoy hearing from any owners of those
pros / cons etc ...

thanx

[ks@yvr]

I know you mentioned a new Class B+ but I certainly would not shy away from a lightly used pre-owned motorhome since nothing wrong with being frugal and saving some significant coin on depreciation plus someone else has gone though the new teething processes. I would also recommend the LTV Free Spirit if you could find one, nice looking rigs. I don't want to necessarily run down certain brands but 'build quality' is what I would be looking for number 1 and once you get into that then your list becomes considerably shorter very quickly in my opinion. I just went through this process and after researching several manufacturers and looking at their build quality we eventually decided to go with a Pleasure-Way Plateau. We wanted a 20 foot motorhome but we are now in the middle at just under 22 feet that gave us a slightly larger bathroom with small vanity sink. The bed is larger than queen but not quite a king

Take a look at the Neil Balthaser reviews on Youtube for research ideas https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHh...pyWNHd1JuuofWw for some good reviews on Class B campers.

Also Pleasure-Way themselves have some good Youtube videos on their build quality and what to look for when buying a class B.

I would also look at Advanced RV as I think they are probably one of the best custom builders around and they can build anything you may want. I wouldn't worry too much about lithium batteries in any van as they are a nice to have but the money they cost could perhaps be spent on other things. Unfortunately it seems that buying a motorhome in North America is built on trade offs. We boondock most of the time and have set our van up to be self contained in the free campsites and although our van has a generator we don't really use it or our rooftop air conditioner while camping but since they came with the vehicle they are there if needed. We definitely use our automotive cabin air conditioning while traveling though. I looked at the B+'s and found a nice one but my wife did not like the wider and longer size and insisted on a narrower vehicle that she would feel comfortable driving occasionally and could easily park.

Our previous vehicle was the original class B a VW Eurovan Westfalia hightop (15.5 feet and very rare in North America) and we wanted a separate built in washroom with hot water shower, regular height countertops plus more inside storage and a quality build like Westfalia.

Good luck in your selection process. I also suggest you join the facebook Class B forums and some of the specific manufacturer closed groups (access by request) such as both Pleasure-Way and Roadtrek. There is a great knowledge base for the tapping without the self serving sales games of some RV dealerships. I would also recommend the Roadtreking Blog at https://roadtreking.com - there is some great buying advice in one of Mike and Jen's Blogs plus lots of helpful hints.

[RooDie55]

thanx ..... having read a "few" (close to) horror stories, regarding slideouts ... i have found myself shying away from any model w/ them ...a LTV / Unity and pleasure way each have such units, thus far my leaning is in that direction

[InterBlog]

You did not state a budget - that could potentially constrain this discussion considerably.

[RooDie55]

yes, sorry ...

i am inclined to move in the direction of "new" in the "Sprinter" chassis, and accept that Mercedes, comes w/ a price ... i am confident
( @ this point in time )
that based on qwik looks, i can keep it around 135 K ....
and that considers a "used" vehicle in the < 3500 mile category .... there's always one ... !

[Belzar]

1 person, short trips, no storage-intensive hobbies...most any Class B will meet your needs. Since space not a big issue for you, consider how you travel in making your choice: Plugged in mostly or dry camping? Year round or mostly warm weather? How much do you plan to use shower in van? 4x4? etc.

(Roadtrek Sprinter's rear couch unfolds into a nearly king-sized bed.

[Frannn]

I have just placed my 2017 PW plateau with 11000 miles on RVtrader. It's like new. Health forces sale. Quality and dependability are second to none. Check it out and save big bucks on depreciation my

[ks@yvr]

From previous post:

See https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/201...-TS-5005351342

Not mine, just found the link for anyone interested. Needs a few more pictures of outside and bathroom for prospective purchasers.

[bjarvis5620]

We moved from an LTV FreeSpirit to a LTV Unity 24IB (queen size bed, no side-outs, tons of storage space)

My wife and I are now in our 80's. She has had both knees replaced and found the convertible sofa of the FreeSpirit difficult to get in and out of.

I am about 6' 3" and found the ceiling just a little too low.

The Unity IB solved both of these issues. We have spent up to 7 weeks at a time in the Unity and love it.

With the Mercedes Sprinter 3600 chassis we are averaging 18.3 whereas the FreeSpirit on the Sprinter 2500 chassis averaged 22.5 mpg.

The wider and heavier 3600 has a superior, very comfortable ride and is much more tolerant of cross winds and buffeting from tractor trailers.

[Frannn]

Those who have interest in my plateau posted on rv trader, I know there are only 4 pics. Contact me and I will send as many as needed. It is in great condition and I can attest to its quality and dependability.

[dhectorg]

Originally Posted by RooDie55

hello all ....
have gotten a bit of a travel bug and plan on looking into options for just how to do that ...vehicle wise ...
had spent a bit of time in an OLD class C...years ago 74- 77 ...and now think a B + is what could likely suit my needs, best...thus
would like to get some feedback from those a LOT more experienced

i am leaning towards a sprinter chassis and a unit w/o slides
for the most part, just me...travel about w/ golf clubs and guitars...on the road for no more than 3 weeks at a time is how i currently view it ...
quality / dependability are more my issues ...have lived in small spaces
the class C, boats...and
tho i want a queen size bed, minimum, other creature comforts are easily manageable

so , would appreciate what others have to offer ... i'm thinking new, that however is not writ-in-stone

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but a major concern with "B+" vans is the reduction in carrying capacity, due to the extra weight of a larger/heavier body on a class B chassis. If you'll be traveling alone and fairly lightly, this shouldn't be a problem, but if you plan on doing extended travel with the van packed to the gills, you'll want to make sure the carrying capacity is adequate for your needs.

[Bud]

"Not sure if it's been mentioned, but a major concern with "B+" vans is the reduction in carrying capacity, due to the extra weight of a larger/heavier body on a class B chassis."

Please explain.

Bud

[dhectorg]

Originally Posted by Bud

"Not sure if it's been mentioned, but a major concern with "B+" vans is the reduction in carrying capacity, due to the extra weight of a larger/heavier body on a class B chassis."

Please explain.

Bud

It's pretty straight forward. The B+ Leisure Travel Unity (wide body) and the standard B Winnebago Era (narrow body) are both built on exactly the same Sprinter 3500 chassis with exactly the same GVWR of 11030 lbs, but the Unity's larger body construction weighs more than the standard extended length van on which the Era is based, which reduces your cargo carrying capacity.

Every manufacturer that builds RVs on the Sprinter chassis makes design choices that affect the weight of the finished motor home. With the chassis having equal capacity across all Sprinter 3500 RVs, whether B or B+, the more weight added to build the motor home, the less capacity you have left for your cargo. It's that simple. So if maximum load carrying is a priority, a lighter narrow body class B, similar to the Era might be the way to go.

I'm not recommending the Winnebago Era, specifically, it's just the first regular class B I thought of. There are many models similar to it.