Hello everyone

thymetraveler · 06-04-2013, 12:48 PM

Hi, I'm a newbie here. I am a retired rn, specialized in critical care & infection control. My dream is to find a class b rv with a washer dryer. I want to circumnavigate the USA, over 2 or 3 years.
I consider an on board washer dryer as important as potable water.
I would also like to have a bathtub, these old bones get creaky & jones for some Epsom salts.
My friends & family completely discourage this idea. They are entitled to their opinion.
They say a motorhome with 50,000 miles on it will be a constant drain on me with repairs. I feel if you have a good mechanic check it out, it's the same as buying a used car.
Does anyone think it is possible for me to acquire a class b, take out a seat, install w/d for under 40,000?
I also want to go solar/inverter as much as possible.
I used to live on a boat & would really like to avoid the generator as much as possible.
Is there any way to run a/c w/o a generator?
I know, I'm just full of questions, but have been looking into this for many months & plan to purchase next spring.
I look forward to participating in this forum, & hope you don't mind. I am learfning as fast as I can, & hope to help others in the future. Best regards.

markopolo · 06-04-2013, 01:12 PM

Welcome to the forum thymetraveler.

The combined washer/dryer units are fairly compact: http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-p ... -dryer.htm I had a 30' Class C that had a decent quality tub large enough to sit in. A tub would take up a lot of space in a Class B.

You should be able to find a nice Class B in the $25,000 to $35,000 range and that would leave some money in the budget for repairs and upgrades. It won't be new though, maybe up to 10 years old.

The first generation of Sprinters (5 cyl diesel) would be large enough but you might run into weight capacity issues if you add heavy items in the upgrade. Overloading is dangerous. The 6 cyl later generation Sprinter based used Class B's might not be in the budget range yet.

Lots to think about for sure. Have you completely ruled out buying a larger unit than a Class B?

slipbobber · 06-04-2013, 04:31 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fv ... 1hD-KYfmIY

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I have been curious about these. Anyone have thoughts or have tried them?

Davydd · 06-04-2013, 06:33 PM

In a B, although small, would still take up too much space. Besides, hands, well exercised forearms, sink, water and soap can do the same for that kind of volume.

One thing we carry a lot of are nylon clothes as in the safari like convertible pants and shirts by REI, Columbia and the like. They wash up fast in a sink and dry rather rapidly.

booster · 06-04-2013, 09:05 PM

I think it is a bit unrealistic to try to have a washer/dryer and a bath tub in a B. If you did, you would have no room for anything else. You want to travel for extended times, so you need "everything else". A small pan to do quick washes, and air drying of clothes works fine, especially when you are retired and not under major time issues. As was said, quick drying, backpacking type, clothes make it much easier. Laundramats are everywhere, and you can do all your wash in a very short time. Even if you had a tub, it would hold as much as your tanks, if you wanted to really soak. Shower you can get, but not a real soaking tub, only a minnie tub that is more like a sink. With the amenities you want, you would almost certainly need to go to a bigger RV than a B. The 50K mile limit IMO is not applicable. Problems increase with miles, but don't get bad until way later than 50K.

thymetraveler · 06-05-2013, 04:14 AM

Thank you for all your food for thought.
Very helpful advice, I was also thinking if I had a decent size tub, that would do for the laundry. I lived on a boat in the 90's & when on shore power you didn't use your tank water. Is it the same with moho's?
So if I eliminate the weight of w/d, perhaps I can find a B with a tub. I really like the B's for many reasons, but I will continue to look @ B+ & C, as well.

Davydd · 06-05-2013, 02:45 PM

The miles put on a B are much different than miles put on a day to day use vehicle. Our overall average mileage is over 45 mph in our B. We went 61,000 miles on our previous B and the brake pads were still good. 50,000 miles on a B is obviously different than day to day driving in an urban area. Also, 50,000 miles is an old standard. Vehicles are now designed to go over 100,000 miles before major maintenance.

jrobe · 06-05-2013, 02:47 PM

It is educational to go to Sportsmobiles website and play with their "Design your own" software. You will quickly see how hard it is to get too much into a B size van. Sportsmobile offers everything but they don't even offer a bathtub or a washing machine.

Of course the other educational experience is to just look inside an empty B-size van and you will immediately see the space limitations (the wheelwells alone make it a challenge). The bed takes up most of the space just to start.

markopolo · 06-05-2013, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thymetraveler

.........Is there any way to run a/c w/o a generator?..............

Long answer:
It is more practical to seek out campsites with electrical plug in if you don't have or don't want to run a generator for air conditioning.
Last Fall Roadtrek introduced a $120,000 plus Class B Link that they say allows you to run the a/c for 9 hours or so on 8 batteries. With warmer weather here I hope to see a few reports from owners confirming how long their a/c's run on batteries. We won't know until future years though how long the $2,000 plus of batteries will last if maxed out often. From a tech point of view I'm very interested in that.

The problem really never has been running an a/c on batteries. Instead it always comes back to how do recharge that many batteries and how long will they last? You have to run an engine or a generator for a considerable time period (assuming no access to grid power) and nobody wants the expense of replacing that many batteries often.

Short answer: No

You can choose destinations that minimize the need for air conditioning based on the season. Head North in the Summer and South in the Winter for example.

thymetraveler · 06-05-2013, 05:00 PM

Thank you so much for all the valuable information, I appreciate your time & thoughts

arrveedogz · 06-13-2013, 06:41 PM

I would think that the weight of an adult sized bathtub would be prohibitive for a Class B. However, there are such things as folding bathtubs. Nothing specific about the size of the tub in the ad, though.

And how you would heat a sufficient quantity of water is another question. An RV HWH won't cut it.

Mike · 06-17-2013, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thymetraveler

Thank you for all your food for thought.
Very helpful advice, I was also thinking if I had a decent size tub, that would do for the laundry. I lived on a boat in the 90's & when on shore power you didn't use your tank water. Is it the same with moho's?
So if I eliminate the weight of w/d, perhaps I can find a B with a tub. I really like the B's for many reasons, but I will continue to look @ B+ & C, as well.

Most mohos can use either fresh (potable tank) water, or shore water when in a campground that provides the latter. User's choice. Probably the same setup (garden hose type connection?) as a boat at dock.

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