Class B length

[jschurman]

Our 2001 Leisure Travel Class B is treated the same as a standard car on B.C. ferries, as was our '91 Great West van. Overhead charges disappeared many years ago. The length has never been a problem in any campsites that we frequent. Tent only is tent only.

[3fox3@att.net]

We own a 2007 RT 210V which I have driven over 100,000 miles and camped in most of the 48 state National Parks, many state parks, driven in downtown Washington, DC, Montreal, New Orleans and the 20' (plus continental tire) length has never caused any restrictions or driving problems. Of course you have to be careful and drive slowly in tight spaces and use your head about parking appropriately but driving on steep windy roads such as to the Big Bend Chisos Basin Campground or driving the Glacier NP Highway to the Sun have been no problem.

[Moonmanvt]

Having volunteered in Florida State Parks for a few years, I have had to tell campers that “tent sites are for tents”. Granted, many sites are listed as tent or rv, but specific tent sites are for tents only.

[tomiverson]

Just one thing to add. Most state and federal reservation systems require length and number of slide outs. I usually put 20' for our 19.5' Roadtrek Popular 190. One time the campground was full and I changed to 19...got a space.. and had plenty of room. Never camped in tent sites but wondered about that. No ferry experience. City parking has never been a problem. Only if you book a hotel break inter city... the clearance in their parking garage. There is a pay lot nearby typically. Motels, malls, tourist sites typically have a place for longer vehicles. Several pickup models are 20'.

[Hatteras Jim]

No problem on the free NC ferries. On the NC pay ferries, if you are over 20' you have to reserve 2 spaces (as of 4 years ago). Had no other problems except at Glacier (previously mentioned) and one other NP (which I can't remember) where our 24 ft "B" did not meet the road requirements after touring 48 US states and 36 NPs. Too large to even think about tent sites at KOAs and GSs. Did not even try to take it downtown Key West where parking is limited for normal vehicles; Boston, or San Francisco. Took alternate transportation from the campsites (trains, cars and buses).

[Davydd]

I went across Going to the Sun road in Glacier with a 24 ft. Sprinter west to east and parked in downtown Key West though I had to pay double and I managed to take up just one stall. Still it is kind of a pain to be over 20 foot. You always have to be thinking.

[JonCross]

We have a 1994 RoadTrek 190, and in Ontario have no problem reserving in Provincial Parks that specify "Trailer or RV up to 18'". Face it, a 19' RV is a lot shorter than any vehicle towing an 18' trailer. And because each campsite allows at least one vehicle as well as a tent, friends can share the campsite with their car and tent for no extra charge.

[dougbaty]

The big advantage of a class B is its ability to go where cars go and park where cars park. To help me choose the optimum model, I once took a measuring tape to the local mall and measured the length of parking places.

City parking spots are rarely more than 20 feet. Mall parking spots are more spacious and end-of-row spaces can be as much at 22'. Scenic overlook parking spots are typically limited to 20 feet. [Above specs are as best I can remember]. A 4 door Ford F150 pickup truck runs 20-21 feet. Of course a standard 2 car garage is 20' square, so longer PU trucks don't fit in a standard garage or a standard parking space.

Because of this 20 foot limitation, I was pleased to read Winnebago developed the Solis. Previously Hymer (now defunct) had filled the under 21 foot niche with several models. I feel the Travato and new Thor variants are too long at 21 feet before you add a spare tire carrier to your hitch or bike rack on the door.
DB

[SteveJ]

Originally Posted by Moonmanvt

Having volunteered in Florida State Parks for a few years, I have had to tell campers that “tent sites are for tents”. Granted, many sites are listed as tent or rv, but specific tent sites are for tents only.

This is not true from the info that I've seen.

Specific to the earlier response about Anastasia park the notes on the Reserve America site says that pop ups and vans are allowed. I've seen other parks with the same wording.

At Bahia Honda it will not work, apparently there is a low bridge to the tent area.

[Jon in AZ]

Some tent sites are walk-ins with a communal parking lot, while others are simply smallish sites without hookups. You have to take it on a case-by-case basis. If the reservation website doesn’t make it clear what sort of tent site it is, you may have to contact the campground directly to clarify. Generally “tent only” means exactly that.

The coolest tent-only sites I have encountered are at Ridgeway State Park near Montrose, Colorado. You park your vehicle in a lot, load your gear into a cart, and haul it across a footbridge over the Uncompagre River. The whole tent section is completely isolated from vehicle traffic and noise. All you hear is the rushing of the river.

Except for designated tent-only sites, I don’t think you’ll find many that cannot accommodate a smaller Class B up to around 20’, since that’s the same as a modern crew cab pickup.

We’ve taken our Chevy Roadtrek 190P into downtown LA and didn’t have any trouble finding parking, but we did have to walk a little farther after finding an end spot. Once you get past 20’ your options begin to dwindle. We removed the spare tire carrier on ours., so length is the same as a stock LWB Express van, right at 19’.

In my mind around 19-20’ is the sweet spot. Seems to be about the shortest you can find with room for longways sleeping (no crawl-over) plus a galley, wet bath, and daytime seating, all accessible at once without converting anything. And about the longest that fits into most standard parking spots.

[JonCross]

Originally Posted by dougbaty

Because of this 20 foot limitation, I was pleased to read Winnebago developed the Solis. Previously Hymer (now defunct) had filled the under 21 foot niche with several models. I feel the Travato and new Thor variants are too long at 21 feet before you add a spare tire carrier to your hitch or bike rack on the door.
DB

The latest news is that Rapido SAS, a French company, bought the Roadtrek brand from bankrupt Hymer, and has or will resume production in Canada.
https://www.roadtrek.com/

[skunberg]

Thank you all for this thread. I've been looking for a sprinter to build out. I was thinking get the longest one as I only plan to use it for trips. I may need to look at this some more.

[jon]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

In my mind around 19-20’ is the sweet spot. Seems to be about the shortest you can find with room for longways sleeping (no crawl-over) plus a galley, wet bath, and daytime seating, all accessible at once without converting anything. And about the longest that fits into most standard parking spots.

When I designed my custom 20ft camper. I didn't think about (crawl-over) but it's number one on my list now. I'm dreaming of the day when I can get rid our second row seats and get a Ontour 2.0 type RV. I thought having a second row of seats behind the driver was most important but everyone prefers to ride on the sofa in the back so it's not really needed.