Are Class B'ers Different Than Other RV Owners?

[Rok]

Here is a portion of a post that I made in another thread that prompted me to start this one.

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During our "homework collecting" one of the salesmen at a dealership we were visiting remarked that Class B customers are sometimes a different breed. He talked about "Poindexter engineering type people who had scoured the internet and knew everything about the rigs that could possibly be known. They would come in and ask questions that nobody in the dealership knew and it was difficult for even the reps of the company to find the information without going to the engineers to find out." The salesman mentioned this with some distain in his voice.

Unfortunately (for the salesman) I kind of identify with his stereotyped "Poindexter" guy. I may not be a small, gangley guy, and I'm not an engineer, but I do appreciate someone who is a "high information" person--whether it is a "high informaton voter" or a "high information buyer".

What do Class A buyer's do? Do they walk into a rig and say, "Hey, you know this smells nice. Wrap it up, I'll take it." I find that hard to believe because most A's and C's definitely don't smell very nice to me.

I wonder what the difference between Class B'ers and other RV owners is. Actually that might make for a good topic........I think I'll start one.

...............Rocky

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Anyway, sure, I researched my Class B purchase to death. It is a lot of money to us. We don't want to make the wrong choice. I don't think I need to apologise for my due diligence.

What do you think separates "us" from "them". Or is there any separation?

............Rocky

[stanw909]

I am both. Class A and class B.

[markopolo]

As a group we tend to tour around more - not just park in one spot for a month - so you could say we are adventurous.
I think we like the multipurpose use of a Class B van so you could say we are practical.
We give up space - we are willing to compromise.

Yes, we research and we come up with clever and functional modifications

But overall we not that different. Spend time on any other Class of RV forum and you'll see others are just as passionate about their choice of RV.

[Rok]

Yes Marko,

We're passionate, they're passionate, but I think it is in a different way.

I have been on other RV forums (fora?). The only responses that I got on more general forums when I wrote that I was planning to buy a Class B were people trying to get me to choose something larger. Their mindset seems to be completely different. It was almost as if they felt that Class B's had no real place in the scheme of RV's. When I mentioned that we had already decided that a Class B was what we were going to get, they responded that we should change our mind.

I've heard from others that when you are in a RV Park with a Class B, the Big Rig Owners kinda look down on you. They wonder why you would pay THAT much for such a little thing when you could get something larger for less money. They don't understand that to some people larger doesn't necessarily mean "better".

I think that some Class B'ers are more socially conscious. I think others want to be able to get places the big rigs can't. (I know that these two aren't mutually exclusive.) Some like ease of driving. Some just want something that will fit in Uncle Henry's driveway. Some don't want to pay for all that gas/diesel to get from here to there. We're all of these to some extent. To us a Class B just seems like the right choice.

I don't want to say too much, because I want to hear other people's opinions. I have yet to go to an RV park, so I don't know if there is some prejudice going on or not. I guess we'll find out in a few weeks.

...........Rocky

[puppie96]

Since we are also newbies of less than a year (3/28/12 we took the plunge) we may not be the best info source, but in our time so far -- and we had to stop after October because we didn't want to winterize -- we have somehow managed to sleep on the van for a combined total of 6 weeks on trips of various lengths from 1 night to 2 weeks. First, in the campgrounds our rig attracts ALL kinds of attention. People are fascinated with it and are really pleased when we offer them tours. Many people say that they are thinking about downsizing after years of RV-ing, sometimes with their kids. The people that have looked at ours LOVE it. No way are we looked down on at the RV parks--the MB logo doesn't hurt, of course, though as someone else on this forum once said, I'd really rather not have the showy emblem that stands out. As far as differences, I believe many or most have already been mentioned: 1) mobility during travel, not wanting to stay parked in one spot for long periods and touring while on vacation; 2) outdoor interests, like to get to areas off the beaten track that might not be so accessible in a larger vehicle; 3) not wanting to tow (though some do); 4) again, accessibility, easy to park and versatile, 5) environmental consciousness -- one of the things that's always held us back from the purchase of any RV is the fuel consumption and all the associated issues. We're driving a vehicle that gets better mileage than our cars. 6) willingness to handle a confined space with somebody day after day. It's probably important to evaluate your relationship as objectively as you can before going Class B. You have to be able to be on top of each other all the time and not have that make you crazy.

I can probably think of more.

[stanw909]

Ok.Class A to trip with three teenagers and three small dogs.Class b for me and wife or a kid or two.We have had a motorhome since 1991.2 toyotas then 27ft A,the 31ft A, then 29ft A then current 33ft A.I like the B to get away with my wife mostly and am prepping her(don't tell her)for retirement when I will find a nice used Sprinter Class b and that will be enough(although she doesn't know it yet) for us.I have never felt guilty of any environmental impact because I think our impact on nature was less than the tenters around us.We also have solar panels so we can use the generator less when in beautiful spots.I don't think people should have to listen to the noise.We almost never camp where there are plugins.Whatever you get out there with be it tent,trailer,B,C,or A.Get the family out and see this amazing continent.I look at my wife's family and some in mine and see how they have deprived themselves and their kids of the grand adventure that we and our kids have had.

[AmCruiser]

I, like stanw909, am both a Class B'er and a Class A'er (albeit a smaller one). My preference of one over the other hasn't been so much indicative of the "type" of person I am, but more driven by where I was in life at the time.
I bought the A (a 1992 27' Coachmen Capri) in 2000 when both of my kids were in high school and living at home. At that time a B wouldn't have made sense, vacations were to a destination and the A served as home base.
Now with the kids grown up and out on their own, the B is more practical. We are now less destination oriented, and its more about the journey.
I was planning to sell the A, but once again, changes in life have made me change my mind. My son is now engaged to a great girl who happens to have a 3 yr old boy - Instant Grandson! - we are ecstatic! They are best friends with my nephew and his wife - they do everything together. This past September, we all went to Mt Katahdin in wilderness upstate Maine. We manned base camp while the kids climbed the mountain. It turned off cold and rainy by the time they got back. They discovered there tent had leaked and much of their gear was soaked. We all crowded into the B and played games until bedtime and still had a great time, but that got me to thinking that we might still have use for the A. I plan to get it back on the road (it needs a brake job and some other minor work) and use whichever (or both) unit makes the most sense for the next adventure.
Randy

[teachergal]

I'm not sure if it's class b owners or just different types of RV owners. My parents have a large, very high end, class A "Diesel pusher" - yet my dad is very "hands on" - fixes as many issues he can on his own, makes modifications, and is generally a bit of an "RV geek". When they go to FL they live in a RV Resort that only allows class A and it's full of swanky Provosts and others buses types. Many of those owners are not hands on and don't know how to change light bulbs let alone troubleshoot stuff.

Interestingly enough last year my parents helped me purchase me B in FL - they found it for sale down there and we bought it and they babysat for a few weeks until I could come get it. So naturally all their friends saw it and got tours. And they all fell in love! In fact, some of their friends are looking at trading in their big rigs for a little van. I'm betting they will still not be "hands on" if they have a B vs the A.

Everywhere I go - campgrounds, grocery stores, rest areas, parks, etc - I get people checking out my van and asking questions and they are amazed at the answers...yes, it has a bathroom, and a shower, and a fridge, and a stove, and a microwave, and a TV, etc... They always ask me how many it sleeps - my answer is always "1"! Sometimes it's fun to show off, but sometimes it gets on my nerves people always wanting to see it...

[Rok]

It sounds like we are all one big happy family both A's, B's and C's. So I guess I can't believe that there is any "pecking order".

We get our Great West Legend SE TOMORROW! It is supposed to be down the street from us on a flatbed truck in a hotel parking lot. We had a "massive manhunt" in our neighborhood in Seattle for a woman who shot her boss and then showed up at a community center near us. She's been caught, so now traffic is back to normal. We had some roads blocked in our area of town.

I'm glad to hear that we won't be looked down on (except maybe physically) by class A'ers. In general, we've had nothing but positive experiences with other RV'ers. They all seem like very nice people--and I've heard that they will help you out if you get into trouble.

We're pumped up about soon being able to go out and see for ourselves what the RV life is like.

.............Rocky

[miken]

This is a great topic and the responses are fun and interesting. I think a lot about this question since we are on our 4th Sprinter Class B. I love staying "off the grid," but I also like to tour campgrounds,look at all the amazing "big rigs" and talk to their owners. For us, I think our fascination with Class B travel is rooted in our early days of backpacking, canoe camping, and bicycle travel. They all involve traveling light, almost total freedom to go anywhere efficiently, and being close to the people and places we want to see. Now that our kids are grown we are enjoying light travel again.

Someone said it is about the journey and we agree. We often schedule a few days on the calendar to "run away," often not knowing what direction we are going until the day before we leave. Most days, we stop to hike or bike or eat at an interesting local restaurant. We love driving a stable vehicle, nimbly navigating in the country or the city, getting almost 20 mpg, and sitting up at eye level with the big truckers. When we are ready to stop we can be in bed in about 5 min. The Class B works for us.

[slipbobber]

Our roots are in the late 70's early 80's. The first van was a 68 Chevy with orange shag carpet and an archway to a rear dinette. Of course it made into a bed There was also a cabinet that housed a icebox always well stocked. I even had a mural painted on the side. The day after I graduated high school I moved out of my mom's house and into "The Padded Cell" . I met Jackie and our first date involved the van. Fast forward 30 some years, four kids, 9 vans, and a class A later we are back where we started. Only a lot more comfortable. We like to think of it as "getting back to our roots", our kids think we just haven't grown up yet

[g1g]

I once had a partial investment in a class c and never even thought about anything bigger. As a mater of fact I never knew of class B back then. But when you get a big rig you just about get everything. A class B is different because the more things you have the less space you have and I know when I was looking I has a list of accessories that I definetly wanted as well as some I would like to have . I was weighing the convience of the accessories to the convienence of the space as well as the price and not really knowing anything when I started (I still don't classify myself as an expert) I did ask a lot of questions, lurked the forums and searched the websites until I bought a deal I couldn't pass up. As one person put it big rig owners are campers, they go someplace and camp for a week. Class B owners are wonderers they stay someplace and move on to another spot. I have to admit that person has me pegged.