Introduce Yourself

[Scottbaldassari]

I have a 97 dodge conversion LOW top.. not even a B, that drives something like a boat. I'm used to it, it's Manageable, but the Steering is just slow and sloppy. Two Mechanics have told me shocks and suspension were good, "that's just how they are". When I was searching for my B, I test drove a couple high top B conversions that were just downright scary to drive.

[GAislandgirl]

Wished I had done a search on the website pissedconsumer.com before I bought new class B this summer. You can go on eBay and bid on a 129k lemon that's going for $50k

[Dreesjr]

Hi ll. I just purchased a 2002 Dodge Ram Leisure Discovery. First time owning a motorhome. I camped out of a Astro and have been looking to upgrade to a fully contained camper van. Looking forward to reading the forum.

[aws1008]

Hello -

We just bought a 2000 American Cruiser RE 2000 XL with about 63k miles on it. Like everyone else seems to have, we fell in love with the rear door and floor plan! This is our first forray into RVing. The unit is in pretty good shape and came with all the manuals, minus pg 31 in the American Cruiser manual that explains how the bed works...which is unfortunate, because that is one of two major issues with the unit (that and the Onan 4000 didn't work). If anyone has a copy of that missing page or any pictures of the flip sofa in operation they would be greatly appreciated! We hope to be posting more soon as we are trying to get all the kinks worked out!

[Teja]

We are a middle-aged couple in So. CA, looking to purchase our first Class B to tour all the Western states and Nat'l Parks in our retirement. I'm grateful we found this forum, which has already been a wealth of information. I've been posting back & forth on a thread comparing Roadtrek RS/CS and Airstream Interstate. Prior to reading all the info on that thread, we were leaning towards a Roadtrek CS. Now my head is spinning with other possible choices -Leisure Travel, Great West Legend, Winnie ERA, ARV, etc. - and of course, everybody's got their strong opinions, about price, floor plans, functions, quality - so we're off to do a lot of looking and test drives.

[GAislandgirl]

Get a propane or gas generator --- I wouldn't drive cross country with one of those underhood alternator/generator. Double rear axle tires would help. Get the largest roof air BTU you can fine. Get a real hot water tank. Get a comfortable rear, forward facing sofa. A surban heater/furnace usually is reliable. Doubt rely on inverters and solars. Stick with the old tried and true. Do your homework. The less technical the better.

[Teja]

I don't know if these pointers were directed towards me (Teja, post above) or simply good advice for every new member here...but thanks for the tips!.
Not clear on some of your points due to some typos:
"A surban heater/furnace usually is reliable. Doubt rely on inverters and solars."

Is surban a heater/furnace brand name? And when you say "don't ('doubt') rely on inverters & solars, are you indicating there are no times when it safe to rely on solar/inverter for dry camping for a day or two?
Also, when you say "Do your homework"...well, I'm happy to! Is there a particular place/publication you'd recommend, where I'd be most likely to bone up on all the basics and tried-&-true tips?

[GAislandgirl]

Yes iPad has mind of it's own.
Suburban propane heater.
Don't let an inverter or solars be you only source of energy -- better to have several backup energy sources -- if one fails then you have another source.
Sounds like you've done a lot of research but some of the new products are so technical, it's difficult to find a technician knowledgeable enough to work on these units -- and I've heard that there is a shortage of tech's too. Some salesmen are not fully acquainted with all the nuances on these units as well. The more you know before you buy, the better the outcome possibly.

[GAislandgirl]

Do your homework means get a copy of the window sticker on any unit you decide to purchase. Dearlers don't always provide you with one. The "MSRP" should list in detail what you're getting -- how many batteries, options, etc --- what the unit comes from the factory with ... The full V.I.N. Number so that you can identify the precise year of the chassis. I did a Google search to learn how to read a VIN -- where the unit is made, year, etc.

[Teja]

Yes, I will insist on a full, itemized MSRP sticker. I agree it's important to confirm how many batteries, options, etc...not so sure about the importance of knowing year of chassis or where it was made...as long as warranty doesn't start till actual purchase date, how will knowing these make a difference in which RV I buy?

When you said "do your homework," I thought you meant, bone up on what electrical/ voltage/pumps & tanks options were best, which ones to pass on, etc., from other RVers experience.

[BBQ]

.

RVing means different things to different people...

At the easy end, people would go from one full-service campsite to another full-service campsite.
(full hookup for electricity, water, and sewage. maybe free WiFi too.)

At the other end is hardcore extended off-grid boondocking.

We all fit in somewhere in between.



Most modern campers (and I am generalizing it), when they say boondocking, they really meant they are going away for a long weekend without hookups.

While I do not speak for everybody; boondocking means different things to different people. Some people think boondocking means roughing it. Other people want air conditioning to go with it.


The permutation goes on...
We will all find our medium, eventually.

[Kbem59]

Kevin and Lisa from Mayflower, AR. We have a 2016 Winnebago 170X. New to the RV lifestyle. Took it out to Sugar Loaf state park, and Cater of Diamonds state park, both very nice camp grounds.

[Scottbaldassari]

Hi Teja, Glad to see you finally got in.

My guess is Island Girl is referring to Roadtrek (I don't know why so many people have pause to mention brand or dealer names.. it is what it is). Their introduction of their new high tec e-trek/ecotrek/lithium/underhood "generator" units have been somewhat... "rocky"... Cruising the right forums, you will surely see evidence of such.

As you have already found out, most everyone has a strong opinion about the units they own. Usually its favorable (sometimes even if it has given them excessive troubles), and usually it is because they picked the rig that suited THEM best. On top of that, as BBQ mentioned, EVERYONE has a different "style" of RV'ing, so high tec will be more important to some than others. Big tanks will be more important to you if you like to boondock for long periods in one place. Some spend time in hot climates and attempt to run AC on batteries.. Some want leather and "luxury" while others are more concerned with functional "camping". Everyone has different desires. You will also find in some cases excessive RV "nerds" that are obsessed with making changes and "improvements" to class B's that work well for many others "right out of the box". AND, reading any of these forums, it might sound like ALL the units are junk that constantly fall apart.. Remember, most people come to these forums to get answers to problems and questions, so you WILL hear about an inordinate amount of "problems and questions".

My suggestion would be to
FIRST Decide on a floorplan you like best (make a list of your "gotta haves" and your "wanna haves" and your "don't needs"). If the floorplan doesn't work, the whole thing wont work. You have to be able to ride and sleep the right amount of people in comfort. If you have a certain Chassis you are sold on, that too, will limit down your choices. If you only want gas or diesel, If you got to have permanent beds, etc etc, all will dictate and trim down your choices. If you like a floorplan that is offered by many builders, then you have more decisions to make. Then go see, sit in, drive, experience, and "play house" in some units you think you will like. But you can keep limiting down your selections starting with the most important features; and you will, sooner or later, find the perfect unit for you.

A good idea might be to start another thread in "general discussions" and describe as completely as you can the things you "gotta have" in a B Van. You will probably get lots of suggestions from there....

[Teja]

Thanks Scott. Great, well-articulated overview for any first-time 'B' buyer. After talking with Chris (marcopolo) and reading your own comparisons on this thread:
http://www.classbforum.com/forums/f5...uild-5780.html
we're currently having our heads turned around about definitely going MB Sprinter, and now being open to 'B's built on Promaster. That in itself is a huge change, since we were so set on MB from the start. But hill-climbing power, car-like nimbleness, and wider body are all very important "must haves" in our narrow-down list.

Next stop for us is the Pomona CA RV show in Oct. We'll take your post and your advice with us, and check out every floorplan and try to drive, experience, and "play house" in each as you said (I don't know if you can test-drive any show models, so that may require dealership visits.)

It will be good to reconnect with you and chat some more (maybe directly) after that show. Thanks again.

[dangear13]

hello everyone, we have a 03 leisure travel free spirit (sprinter based). We've been camping in small rv for almost 25 years now (18 in a Westfalia) now 6 seasons in the sprinter. With retirement coming soon we look forward to travel further and for a longer time than ever before.

[Woodsman Rick]

My wife and I live near Hood Canal in Washington State and just purchased a 1992 Ford E250 Coachmen Class B motorhome. We eyed the Mercedes based RV's, but they are not within our financial reality. The '92 was more suited to our budget.

The coach came with a cracked (frozen?) hot water heater tank and a leaky exhaust manifold, but only has about 84,000 miles on it and is in pretty decent shape overall.

I've installed a new exhaust manifold gasket after breaking a couple of heads off of bolts and needing to heli-coil one hold in the head and installed a replacement 6 gallon Atwood water heater yesterday. There is still a lot of tinkering to do, but nothing major that I know of...

I do have some initial questions I will post elsewhere and feel some of you might be able to offer your considerations.

My wife and I are looking forward to doing some traveling and might see you on the road somewhere!

[Spec]

Greetings...

My Name is Spec and I have a 95 Ford E250 Coachaman...We call it the Yeti Adventure Vehicle. We have owned it for about 3 years and have traveled up and down the west coast and most of the western states.

the week we purchased it we drove up to yellowstone for a two week adventure..

We love our Yeti and camp in it at least 2-3 days a month and then summers we travel for a couple of weeks while the kids are out of school.

The Yeti is a total game changer from the pop up we owned for years. We are now able to camp ANYWHERE we want....Oh no camping spots that cool we will park in a parking lot...Oh your campground only allows self contained RVs no problem we got that covered with a separate black and a grey tank... you want 45 dollars for us to camp, not a problem show me the nearest BLM land or logging road...

every year we take off for spring break for a week and then again at the end of summer for 2 weeks. yeah it can be a little tight with growing kids but we make it work...

If I could figure out how to post pictures I would...I hope to learn and contribute a lot to this forum.

[Woodsman Rick]

Hello Spec,

Welcome from another new member. Good looking rig! Does it have the 351 Windsor? Mine does. I have only driven it home from Eastern Washington to Western Washington and got 12.99 MPG. Discovered the tires only had 45 psi. With the tuneup I've done and proper air pressure in the tires I am hoping to see a bit better on the MPG. How did yours do on the trip to Yellowstone?

Safe travels to you!

[Spec]

Originally Posted by Woodsman Rick

Hello Spec,

Welcome from another new member. Good looking rig! Does it have the 351 Windsor? Mine does. I have only driven it home from Eastern Washington to Western Washington and got 12.99 MPG. Discovered the tires only had 45 psi. With the tuneup I've done and proper air pressure in the tires I am hoping to see a bit better on the MPG. How did yours do on the trip to Yellowstone?

Safe travels to you!

Yeah mine gets a solid 11 mpg when I am driving and closer to 13 when my wife drives. I drive all my vehicles like I running from the law. It is a bit scary getting passed by big rigs and shakes all over the place when I am behind one. I normally push it past them on the hwy.

We have done multi two week trips and it can get cramped but it is part of the adventure. We have figured out the sleeping system where one of us sleeps across the front seats in a make shift bed, two in the convertible couch/sleeper and one up in the loft.

We generally don't make any sort of reservations and just wing it wherever we go. Mid trip we usually find a place to take showers (during the trip we use the outdoor shower) and dump the tanks. We've traveled on dirt fire roads and in New Mexico down serious dirt paths. it can be a little tricky at times since it so top heavy but at those times I drive pretty slow.

[rlyonaz]

Looking into a Winnebago 59G...considering the use of it as a daily driver. Concerned about the V6 though.