Hello all!

[rdargenio]

My name is Ron and I live in Southern NJ. My wife and I have been thinking about making an RV part of our retirement gig, so we’re going to rent one this year to test the waters. Right now I am absorbing as much info as I can about Class B floor plans, quality level of the various manufacturers, whether 4WD is something worth considering (this is primarily due to available beaches we can use but which only allow 4WD vehicles. We’re not mountain/hiking people). So I know 4WD limits me to the Mercedes chassis but we may decide it’s not worth it just for beach use. Beyond that I like the width of the Ram chassis and have been focusing on build quality of RV’s on the Ram. I sorta like the idea of stealth camping as well.

So at this point I am going to rent something that would most closely resemble what I’d purchase and take it from there.

Looking forward to being on here and hoping this all works out.

[mkguitar]

My general thought on 4wd is if you need it, you need it.

But when you don't need it you are still carrying an extra 600 pounds of complication under the van, that's weight capacity reduced, MPG, and "more stuff to break".


Let your experience be the guide, there is a difference between a 4~5000 pound jeep on sand and a 8~9000 van


The shorter WB gives less interior space, but for some, municipal parking regs may limit vehicle length w/o permit.

The MB and emissions control issues could be an area of research. And consider supply chain issues for spare parts.

Those of us with older gas powered vans on a Dodge, Ford or Chevy can get fixed anywhere, by anyone, with parts from NAPA.

The more vans you can see the more you can determine which features you desire and which are not a plus.

Watch sales videos on youtube and pay attention to how easily ( or not) the often large sales person moves inside the cabin, watch for things such as;
" to get to X, you have to lift up Y and swing W to the side while holding Z"

Just how many hands did the designer think we have?

Make the sleeping arrangement your main concern.

Great plan to rent first. All RV's are a pile of compromises. For us our van is perfect compared to a larger rv or travel trailer.


Cheers,

[rdargenio]

I agree, the logistics of owning a diesel are tough and the future looks tougher. Will see what happens as I am probably a year away from looking to buy in earnest; there will be at least 1, maybe more rentals in the meantime. Thanks much for your input.

[avanti]

Transits are available with a very fine AWD setup.

[rdargenio]

True, but the beaches near here require 4x4 for their drive-on permits. This is not a requirement for me…I plan to travel far and wide; getting on the local sands would be nice but it limits my choices tremendously.