Good morning from South Carolina

[NewtoRVs-ClassB]

Former Northerner down here in the South! Wannabe RV soul as well I guess.
I think I know what my wife and I want but it is difficult to decide among all of the many options. We like the newer Pleasure-Way and Leisure Travel Van models. We do have some restrictions and desires though if we decide to get a vehicle and I am hoping to get help from the members here.
1. I am 6'3" tall so would need something that will handle my height including the bed (At least a full Queen especially in length!)
2. We prefer a Ford Transit, and yes I know the two I mentioned above are Mercedes. If anyone knows of a Class B or "B+" that is similar in quality that is also a Ford Transit please let us know.
Many people ask new people how they plan to use their new RV. For us it would be used every weekend for one or two nights for the next two years in the fall in the Southeast. After that it would be much less frequent for trips here and there throughout the U.S. The lack of frequency is one of the reasons I am leaning towards a gas vehicle if possible. My understanding is it is not good to let a diesel vehicle sit for extended periods of time. I know that from talking with our service technicians at the Ford dealer I work at.
If anyone can help this wannabe RV couple it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Phoebe3]

Welcome to the forum!

I only know of two Transit-based Bs available in the US. The Winnebago Paseo has been discontinued but the Coachmen Crossfit is available and will now (as of October 2018 ) have the option of a Lithium package.

We have had our non-Lithium Crossfit for about a year and a half and have been very pleased.

There are currently two floorplans: a pair of facing bench seats that convert to a bed (22D) and an electric couch model (22C). The beds on either are about 76" long so you would have to sleep at a slight angle. You are also likely to hit your head on the air conditioning plenum. Since the 22D has a raised platform for the bench seats, you may find it more cramped than the 22C, but it is a viable alternative if you want to load things into the back such as bicycles or kayak.

Of course, you may always choose a custom build like Sportsmobile or a self-build and there are folks here who will provide excellent advice and guidance should you choose to go that route.

Good luck in your search.

 

[bobkfla]

Welcome to the forum!

I only know of two Transit-based Bs available in the US. The Winnebago Paseo has been discontinued but the Coachmen Crossfit is available and will now (as of October 2018 ) have the option of a Lithium package.

We have had our non-Lithium Crossfit for about a year and a half and have been very pleased.

There are currently two floorplans: a pair of facing bench seats that convert to a bed (22D) and an electric couch model (22C). The beds on either are about 76" long so you would have to sleep at a slight angle. You are also likely to hit your head on the air conditioning plenum. Since the 22D has a raised platform for the bench seats, you may find it more cramped than the 22C, but it is a viable alternative if you want to load things into the back such as bicycles or kayak.

Of course, you may always choose a custom build like Sportsmobile or a self-build and there are folks here who will provide excellent advice and guidance should you choose to go that route.

Good luck in your search.

Hello Phoebe,
I would like to know how you feel about your couch cushions, as they don't seem very plush from videos and photo's.
Also how do you get by without a inverter onboard?

 

[Phoebe3]

Hello Phoebe,
I would like to know how you feel about your couch cushions, as they don't seem very plush from videos and photo's.
Also how do you get by without a inverter onboard?

We have the two bench seats - not the sofa/couch. The bench seats that we have are quite firm and some people like that, but we added 2" of latex foam. We leave the beds made up all the time and just sit on the covers, which takes care of the "where do you store things during the day" issue.

We use a small, portable inverter for our laptops.

If running off of battery power, the AC and microwave are the only two items that would require an inverter. We rarely use the microwave and if we need the AC, we camp in an area that has shore power or we use the generator.

If you want a Crossfit with 600AH of Lithium and an inverter, you can now get one - we just didn't feel the need.