Does Size Matter..?

[Marley]

Cheeky question but now that I'm ready to write a cheque for a Class B I'm reconsidering everything.

I really like the floor layout on the WGO ERA 70A but that machine has a 24 foot length.

I like the idea of a RT Agile SS 4x4 but not sure if 2 people can spend several days (or weeks) at a time in that space.

What issues are there with going short or going long..?

[mlts22]

One argument for going short is that you can always add storage space, be it on a hitch mounted rack, trailer, rooftop, or even in front.

One argument for going long is that you have that storage space present, enclosed, and accessible.

Personally, I like the smaller vehicle because it fits in a parking space, but other people park their 24 footers by selecting a spot in the back 40 and backing in so the overhang is out of the street.

My recommendation... I would go and rent a short and long van from some vehicle rental place... then put them through paces... like parking at a supermarket, parallel parking on a street, taking a short to medium trip, manuevering through a crowded area, and so on. A "B" is expensive, so it is wise to make sure you have what you like first.

[avanti]

I actually don't think there is that much difference in livability between small and large B vans. As Mits says, it is more about storage. Livability only really improves when you move to Class C (but at huge cost in drivability).

For us, the 21' long wheelbase Sprinters are the sweet spot. 21' can be parked almost anywhere but still has some extra elbow room compared to a 19' van. For us, 24' is just a bit too long. Its all about tradeoffs.

[booster]

We have found similar to the other answers, it all depends on priorities like storage vs living space vs driveability vs parking.

Our Chevy Roadtrek 190 is about 20.5' not counting the rear spare, just over 21' with it. We found that size to fit our style well. The Chevies of our vintage tended to have more storage, less space, inside which suited us fine. The 170 was a bit to short of both sleeping space (crosswise) and storage space. The longer 210 was OK inside but larger than we really needed and much bigger outside. The Sprinters had too much "air" in them for openness, which seemed like a waste to haul around a bigger van full of air, but that is just us.

[ra2jim]

We love our RT170 for just the 2 of us. Since we live in a neighborhood with narrow & winding street it made sense to have a van no longer than a large car. It becomes a bit challenging when we hang 2 bikes in the back & have to back up (no rear camera). I use it as an occasional 2nd car especially picking up large items at home depot. For long trips, we try to use the outdoors as much as possible; we haven't done a snow trip so can't say much on that. When we need "space" from each other, there are basically 3 indoor locations: back lounge, 3rd seat at side door & front seats. Privacy gets better if you hang a temporary curtain between them with Velcro. On warm days, the outdoor space under the awning is practically a living room, especially if you have it screened (Florida room). Versus the 20-footer it is about 100 cu. ft. of volume not needed to be heated/cooled & not weighing the engine.

What I wished was larger is the stove & kitchen space. if you were taller than 6' the taller vans is a must.

Best of luck on your choice.

[mkguitar]

it's just a big pile of compromises no matter who is looking- so define your priorities.

this won;t apply to you

but we went with bed size 1st

chassis 2nd- it's gas chev i can work on it I have other chevs with same series motor tranny etc- so fewer mysteries.
turns out we have better storage than neighbors with a brand new build on a sprinter...and he can't work on his- so it's dealer appt and $$$ for oil changes
-but if you can;t work on your own stuff anyway then it'll be a service center no matter the make

for some ( which surprised me) bed size was not important it was the size of the can and shower.

4wd- I consider that a negative- you haul around an extra 800 pounds of chassis- reducing the weight you can carry. you have less nimble suspension, you have more complex mechanicals. and it costs more.
( I've lived in 5 Provinces-- never needed 4wd)
but if you NEED 4wd, then you need it. however the high and heavy campervan isn;t gonna be doing much off roading before the cabinetry falls on the floor in a pile.

take real good look at the quality of the coach build, lift some cushions and peer into dark corners- are the wood cuts straight, the workmanship look good or great or crap?

external size- parking at the edges of a parking lot os easier, quicker and healthier than trying to fit near the doors. not an issue.
we don;t envision often going to any urban areas where parking is tough.

and having had big cars ( 60's Caddys) we are just used to big-ness.
and i added a $60 back up camera

2¢ Mike

[Davydd]

Having had three different length Sprinters and currently the longest, it hasn't made much difference for me. I have permanently abandoned the idea of a hitch receiver cargo carrier. In fact I have my old one for sale. So, if you buy short and decide you need more storage, understand adding a hitch receiver cargo carrier makes your B just as long and you get much less security and storage. So plan wisely. That Winnebago 70A can store way more than the Agile even with a hitch receiver cargo carrier. The 70A has one of the biggest free unobstructed back storage area than most Bs that doesn't have to be in either/or dual use mode.

[Marley]

Thanks for all the input.

My only major concern about going with a longer B would be the ability to get to good spots in the boonies.

I live in the country and have good access to main highways. With a little forethought I think driving in urban areas is not an issue.

The advantage I see with a layout like the Winnebago 70A is bringing along parents, kids or pets on the occasional road trip. Some of the time we will use the B as travel van to go to weddings, reunions etc.

As for going to a C or a small A... ain't gonna happen. B or nothing for me.

[BBQ]

.

The only way for 4 people to travel comfortably is to have 4 forward facing seats up front.

Those in the back or sideway facing seats are ok for short trips (30 min or less).
Those seats at the far back are bouncy, ok for the kids, you would not want your aging parents in there.

[Marley]

Originally Posted by BBQ

.

The only way for 4 people to travel comfortably is to have 4 forward facing seats up front.

Those in the back or sideway facing seats are ok for short trips (30 min or less).
Those seats at the far back are bouncy, ok for the kids, you would not want your aging parents in there.

Didn't think about that...but rode a school bus as a kid and sitting in the far rear seats on the back gravel roads were like riding a bronco!

[Keyne]

I live in a city and plan to use the B on weekends (Base camp at trail heads, etc.) so for us the Agile is the right size given the pros and cons FOR US and how we plan to use it (e.g. weekends, 1 long week a year on vacation, and not full time). However it really is a personal thing IMO... I can't tell you what works for you only you can. Also, we rented a 21 foot B (for a long weekend and a 10 day trip) and realized we didnt use all the space and really wanted the parking flexibility.

However if you live the in the country and want to primarily boondock... i would think 21 or 24 feet should be no problem. We wanted to make sure we could fit on a city street and many shopping area parking lots are small for us as well. If we lived for instance in the suburbs and boondocked all the time I might change that decision but for us right now the Agile fits.

[BBQ]

.

I like the short Sprinter.

But I don't like the spare tire hanging out at the back.
The total length (with the spare) is the same size as the regular Sprinter, but with less storage.
It does not make sense to me.

[mkguitar]

Originally Posted by Marley

...is bringing along parents, kids or pets on the occasional road trip. Some of the time we will use the B as travel van to go to weddings, reunions etc.

the manufacturers sometimes tout the Class B as a great 2nd car..

consider they are built on a commercial chassis- which means they are not required to have same safety equipment as a passenger car- this also applies to most pick up trucks and suv's

2.) a 9000 pound vehicle used everyday is going to be less fun to drive- takes longer getting to speed, heavy to turn and takes much longer to stop.
every bounce and jounce is hard on the build.

think of it more as an awesome highway cruiser- I do.

yes, we do some gravel roads and washboard and it doesn;t sound that good back there.
And having my fuel pump fail on the pick up after a few hours of gravel washboard makes me want to baby the RV.


While you are shopping, do look at Pleasure-Way- built in Saskatoon.
ours is a 2006 model and the build quality is excellent.
If I were you I'd look at a road trippassing through Luseland to see what they offer at PW.
- some of the PW models only offer the 2 belted seats ( swivel) up front-this makes for more "RV" space in the back. we are 2 and dog, so perfect for us.


Mike

[jrobe]

Originally Posted by BBQ

.

I like the short Sprinter.

But I don't like the spare tire hanging out at the back.
The total length (with the spare) is the same size as the regular Sprinter, but with less storage.
It does not make sense to me.

It wouldn't really have to be this way with some modest changes by the builders. The Pleasureway Ascent has the LP generator in the spare tire space which could be replaced with a 2nd engine alternator for similar cost. The Roadtrek SS Agile has the lithium batteries in the spare tire space as i recall. They are relatively small and could be placed inside the van which would even protect them better from damage and also from the cold for better charging. These changes would allow a full size spare under the van and a shorter overall vehicle.

[sebtown]

When we started our hunt I had my heart set on a 144" wheel base short sprinter conversion. When a 2006 158" conversion hit my radar at an exceptional price I didn't hesitate to buy it. Now that we have it my wife says it's the perfect size. Not too small, not too big. In 3.5 years of ownership we have yet to find a road or campground we could not easily navigate.

[NorthPotomac]

Originally Posted by BBQ

.

The only way for 4 people to travel comfortably is to have 4 forward facing seats up front.

Those in the back or sideway facing seats are ok for short trips (30 min or less).
Those seats at the far back are bouncy, ok for the kids, you would not want your aging parents in there.

Apropos of this, don't forget that Advanced RV and Airstream (maybe Chinook, not sure) have an air suspension option. But these brands are almost all 24 feet models. The shorter the coach the less the problem, I think.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by NorthPotomac

Apropos of this, don't forget that Advanced RV and Airstream (maybe Chinook, not sure) have an air suspension option. But these brands are almost all 24 feet models. The shorter the coach the less the problem, I think.

Our 21' sprinter is pretty horrible in this regard. 24' ones are worse, though.

[starfighter]

We have a SSAgile with 4 cyl Diesel. Couldn't be happier.
Great fuel mileage, plenty of power, all the storage we need, can park anywhere. Those extra lengths mostly contain another row of seating......but, I guess one can be taken out and an armoire installed. After making and installing pidgeon holes in the hanging closet and rolling our clothes we have way more space. I also discovered when checking the filter at the water pump, there was an amazing amount of empty space around and above it....
The lid was hinged but one screw held it down. After removing the screw and installing a "platform" over the water pump, it now holds bedding.......
We typically carry two weeks of clothing each, plus extra shoes, jackets, rain gear and Karen takes a metal detector. One one trip doing a remodel for our children I bought a compressor and two nail guns..... on leaving I was able to store them under the bed, thru the rear doors and bring them home......
BUT....has has been said, think of YOUR priorities.
Note: we once traveled 11,000 miles on a motorcycle with sleeping bags and tent so the Agile is a luxury hotel to us.

[Scottbaldassari]

Drive 'em both.
As always, your mileage will vary depending on your intended use. Our 21' seems to be the perfect length for weekender/touring and second car use. When I add 3' of bike rack it is a little more difficult to park and maneuver, but it wouldn't be a deal breaker if I was planning on living in it full time and spending a whole lot of time "indoors"..

[Marley]

Reading between the lines it seems it isn't so much the size as how you use it..