Is a class B right for us

[Balance]

I am a new member here researching the idea of purchasing a Class B for on and off travel 6 months of the year. My parents and brother have owned class A’s for over 20 years and I have made several trips with them but I feel a Class B is the best choice for my wife and I. We are in our 50’s and retired. We live in Florida and our home on the coast is the best place in the country to be during the winter (November thru April). However, we would like to spend the summers (July thru September) traveling the US sightseeing the National Parks, etc. Additionally, we want to spend the shoulder seasons (May-June & October) doing short trips in Florida, sometimes pulling our small fishing boat to places like the Florida Keys, etc. When traveling the summer we see ourselves spending 50% sleeping in the Van and the other 50% in hotels, rentals, etc. For example, we might spend three nights in Rocky Mountain NP and then spend several nights in a hotel, rental in Fort Collins. Wash, rinse and repeat in other locations.

We are debating between a 20’ with 4 X 4 capability or a 24’ with more creature comforts. We know this is a personal decision, but I was hoping to get some thoughts and opinions for the cohort here in this forum .

Thanks

[gerrym51]

Originally Posted by Balance

I am a new member here researching the idea of purchasing a Class B for on and off travel 6 months of the year. My parents and brother have owned class A’s for over 20 years and I have made several trips with them but I feel a Class B is the best choice for my wife and I. We are in our 50’s and retired. We live in Florida and our home on the coast is the best place in the country to be during the winter (November thru April). However, we would like to spend the summers (July thru September) traveling the US sightseeing the National Parks, etc. Additionally, we want to spend the shoulder seasons (May-June & October) doing short trips in Florida, sometimes pulling our small fishing boat to places like the Florida Keys, etc. When traveling the summer we see ourselves spending 50% sleeping in the Van and the other 50% in hotels, rentals, etc. For example, we might spend three nights in Rocky Mountain NP and then spend several nights in a hotel, rental in Fort Collins. Wash, rinse and repeat in other locations.

We are debating between a 20’ with 4 X 4 capability or a 24’ with more creature comforts. We know this is a personal decision, but I was hoping to get some thoughts and opinions for the cohort here in this forum .

Thanks

you are talking about touring during the busiest and HOTTEST time of of the year at the national parks. the inside of a van is hot. thats the part i hated most. second most no space. You can;t run an Onan generator just anyplace including national parks. You could get a lithium package that can run your ac.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Balance

I am a new member here researching the idea of purchasing a Class B for on and off travel 6 months of the year. My parents and brother have owned class A’s for over 20 years and I have made several trips with them but I feel a Class B is the best choice for my wife and I. We are in our 50’s and retired. We live in Florida and our home on the coast is the best place in the country to be during the winter (November thru April). However, we would like to spend the summers (July thru September) traveling the US sightseeing the National Parks, etc. Additionally, we want to spend the shoulder seasons (May-June & October) doing short trips in Florida, sometimes pulling our small fishing boat to places like the Florida Keys, etc. When traveling the summer we see ourselves spending 50% sleeping in the Van and the other 50% in hotels, rentals, etc. For example, we might spend three nights in Rocky Mountain NP and then spend several nights in a hotel, rental in Fort Collins. Wash, rinse and repeat in other locations.

We are debating between a 20’ with 4 X 4 capability or a 24’ with more creature comforts. We know this is a personal decision, but I was hoping to get some thoughts and opinions for the cohort here in this forum .

Thanks

Summer heat, crowds, and limited time to use a conventional generator.... makes a good argument for the lithium batteries and "volt start"....

Don't know too much about volt start.. but, I seem to recall that it's a proprietary Roadtrek product ... make sure it's supported by the new company. Also have heard that battery replacement is prohibitively expensive.

Unfortunately, it's all VERY EXPENSIVE...we looked at a 2017 Roadtrek RS ETREK....at an RV show about a year ago...6 months before Roadtrek went out of business....

Lowest price... and it was probably a decent deal was $143,0000 plus tax... list was $166,000.... I thought about it and it was certainly beautiful.... BUT, my financial head said trading in my 2012 for that was crazy. I'm glad I skipped it....

My advice is to think about how much you want to spend on this....

The cost can get out of hand rapidly... hugely depreciating asset.

I purchased my RV when it was 5 years old and had 26,000 miles... for 50 percent of the price.

No matter what you do.... it's extremely expensive. There's going to be upgrades.... tires, batteries, etc...

Unless you really need the 4 by 4... I would skip it.... think how much you would use this? There's a lot of stuff that is underneath the chassis and could easily be damaged and jostled by vibration... it's hard on you, your vehicle chassis and the cabinets..... It's a lot of noise... unless it's such a custom build with dampers everywhere....

Don't worry about the Mercedes Benz Sprinter pulling anything especially your boat...the engine is so strong it won't even know it's there.... will pull the thing around like a "shopping cart"... robust power.

One final piece of advice... don't let someone tell you that low hours on a generator is a good idea.....it isn't. I'm replacing my old generator that only had 46 hours total time .... lack of use by original owners.

I'm told that these things can run thousands of hours if they are maintained, serviced and exercised regularly.

If you are in hotels 50 percent of the time... maybe, you should consider renting one... at least to try it out....

Good luck.

[rockymtnb]

Originally Posted by Balance

When traveling the summer we see ourselves spending 50% sleeping in the Van and the other 50% in hotels, rentals, etc.

We are debating between a 20’ with 4 X 4 capability or a 24’ with more creature comforts...

Your travel goals do seem well suited to a Class B RV. With regards to selecting a shorter Class B with better backroads (and urban parking) capability versus a longer and perhaps more luxurious unit that is really personal preference.

I would also suggest renting a couple units before you buy. You could fly out to rental locations in Las Vegas, Colorado, or Montana, do a week-long rental, and really get a personal sense of each type.

We rented a van out of Las Vegas for the Grand Circle tour (Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Bryce, Zion) before purchasing our current unit. That's a great shoulder season trip but a bit hot for mid summer. Mountain loops originating out of Denver or Bozeman would be perfect for summer excursions.


Some rental outfits in the area (no doubt incomplete):

• Best Time RV Rentals
• Mercedessprinterrvrentals.com
• Campervan North America (the outfit we used)
• Durango RV Rentals

[GallenH]

1. Roadtreks comment about renting is a good one. You might even be able to scope out which brand/model and perhaps rent twice; once with the 21' and once with a 24' to see how they compare.
2. I've been in some pretty remote areas driving on washboard "roads" and even been in more remote areas where there was no real road. I don't have 4x4. That said, if I did plan on spending most my time on rough roads, it might be a consideration. Most NPs and State ones are pretty decent roadwise.
3. gerrym is right about the summer crowds and the heat. Some of that can be circumvented by planning. Booking sites in advance is a must, actually most of the year. Try getting a reservation for Yosemite! Anytime. We were down at Organ Pipe in AZ in March and the campsite was full. Still a great time. Most people aren't there to party. It's usually couples during the school year. More kids in the summer.
4. The heat. Well we live in Phoenix and travel somewhere every month in the summer. 4 hours to the AZ high country where right now it's in the high 70s/40s. Phx = 110/82. Last summer we drove to Glacier in August. Camped on the way up in N/S parks choosing ones at higher elevations. Always comfortable sleeping at night w/o AC. Glacier was perfect. Again, planning. You can find higher elevation parks. You can always travel the west coast, esp. Oregon/Washington.

[GeorgeRa]

20’ 4x4 vs 24’ is likely as small part of the decision process. We started our RV life in late seventies with 15’ Westfalia vans, as kids grew so our RVs, and a few years ago went back to the future with 20’ RV. Se here are my suggestions:

1. 4x4 is good but in my perspective good road clearance is more important. Our Sprinter has MB factory clearance retained, no skirts, no low hanging tanks or discharge valves. If you plan to stay in hotels parking could be critical so 20’ could be better.

2. Showers, if important than get large tanks. We camp mostly in State or National parks with showers but for some RV showers are important.

3. Energy sources like solar harvesting or vehicle fuel or LPG. LPG is by far the most dominant fuel source in RVs. B-class is a little different, diesel fuel is used for water and space heating by some. We have 300W of solar panels with 230Ah AGM battery bank and use diesel for water and space heating. On open sky campsites our batteries are usually full by midday.

4. Refrigerator, I agree with the recent trend for compressor type cooling. Very efficient, no levelling required.

5. Toilet, cassettes can be dumped in more places but more often, black tanks have to be dumped in dumping station but less often. The least unpleasant dumping would likely be via small hose fed by a macerator pump. Certainly, with black tanks bigger are better.

6. Stove, LPG is the most popular, the new trend is induction stove but it requires larger battery bank. I pick an unusual fuel in the RV world from my boating experience – an Origo alcohol stove.

Good luck in your decision process.

[rowiebowie]

Renting is a good option, as is visiting a lot of RV dealerships and walk around a few Promaster, Transit, and Mercedes models. They can vary a lot in how open they feel, sleeping arrangements, bathrooms, galley, storage, etc. Gas -vs- diesel chassis, driving postion, legroom. You'll know what you want when you see it. Or, you'll know what features are mandatory and find a model that fits you best.

I cannot emphasize enough what others have pointed out. Traveling in the cooler Spring & Fall weather is much more pleasant. Parks are only getting more crowded and unfortunately State and Federal ones have not kept up with the growth. Some are nearly full all year round (some close in the Winter). Traveling in the off season makes it tolerable in several ways.

As long as you have enough room to pack along what you need and sleep in a comfortable bed, you'll love driving a smaller class b. You can go anywhere, park anywhere, and get 2-3 times the gas mileage of an "A". And the best saying I've heard is: "You don't live in a class b, you live out of a class b."

We love ours. Parks right on our driveway, no need for a storage lot.

Good luck.

[MsNomer]

Guys, these folks live in Flor-i-da. They NEED to travel in the summer! We live in Oklahoma, and we need to travel in the summer, too. Lots of great empty places out west high enough to be cool in an un-airconditioned Class B. Just make sure there are windows to let the breeze through. We live in and out of our van in all four seasons.

I also recommend renting to learn what is the best fit.

[rowiebowie]

We live in humid deep South Texas and my advice stands that they'll find better weather and less crowds in Spring and Fall. But you have a point. You can comfortably travel year round if you make reservations well in advance, find elevations from sea level and go far enough North.

[Deano]

Something to consider about staying in motels part of the time.
BED BUGS, not only are the bites annoying, you risk taking them back to your RV and then to your home.

[MsNomer]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

We live in humid deep South Texas and my advice stands that they'll find better weather and less crowds in Spring and Fall.

Of course, they will. But many places are better than staying home.

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

But you have a point. You can comfortably travel year round if you make reservations well in advance, find elevations from sea level and go far enough North.

We almost never make reservations, even in summer.

[gerrym51]

you can buy a Travato with lithium battery package for about 110,000

[Balance]

Thank you all for your thoughts and comments. A lot of great advice here. We definitely have the flexibility to hit some of the National parks in May and September/October, but as some of you have said, we just want to get out of the summer heat and humidity of Florida, so higher altitude locations should work. Our thoughts on the 4 X 4 revolved around getting to trailheads for hiking and off road locations for fly fishing. I very much appreciate the comments on renting to try things out.

Thanks again.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by MsNomer

Of course, they will. But many places are better than staying home.

.We almost never make reservations, even in summer.

Maybe? Maybe not?

There's a time and place for everything.....

Do I want or need to be on the road during tornado or hurricane seasons? Definitely want to skip this.

My primary location is pretty nice , and has plenty of abundant services.... actually don't have to really travel that far away to see some beautiful places.....

BUT, we've been on many cross country trips... and it's been a great experience.

Just be careful and make sure that your vehicle is in top condition when you travel..... it's your private shuttle and you don't want to have an equipment failure ... it's not good.

[MsNomer]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

Do I want or need to be on the road during tornado or hurricane seasons?

ABSOLUTELY. As far from Oklahoma as I can get.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by MsNomer

ABSOLUTELY. As far from Oklahoma as I can get.

We've been though OKC.... seems like a nice city...
Maybe you live in the rural areas? I don't know....

We live on the West Coast.... it's a hop, skip and a jump to the ocean, desert, numerous National Parks.. California has many and pretty good freeway access oui of town.

Yes, it's crowded in Los Angeles, but, we're lucky to have a single family home in a quiet residential neighborhood.

We've been here so long... almost 40 years..no point in moving.... small house....we don't need a lot of space, it's just more work. Taxes are lower here than most places.

We take the Class B RV out for touring and cross country trips.....

How much time do you spend away vs. home?
We're here about 75 to 80 percent of the time.

It's expensive to travel.... especially if you have repairs.. we've had our share....try like hell to avoid, but, you know, it happens.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by Balance

I am a new member here researching the idea of purchasing a Class B for on and off travel 6 months of the year. My parents and brother have owned class A’s for over 20 years and I have made several trips with them but I feel a Class B is the best choice for my wife and I. We are in our 50’s and retired. We live in Florida and our home on the coast is the best place in the country to be during the winter (November thru April). However, we would like to spend the summers (July thru September) traveling the US sightseeing the National Parks, etc. Additionally, we want to spend the shoulder seasons (May-June & October) doing short trips in Florida, sometimes pulling our small fishing boat to places like the Florida Keys, etc. When traveling the summer we see ourselves spending 50% sleeping in the Van and the other 50% in hotels, rentals, etc. For example, we might spend three nights in Rocky Mountain NP and then spend several nights in a hotel, rental in Fort Collins. Wash, rinse and repeat in other locations.

We are debating between a 20’ with 4 X 4 capability or a 24’ with more creature comforts. We know this is a personal decision, but I was hoping to get some thoughts and opinions for the cohort here in this forum .

Thanks

20' 4x4 or 24' sounds like you have a Sprinter RV in mind. I'm not sure a 4x4 has to be coupled with a 20' Sprinter necessarily. You can have 4x4 in any Sprinter length. I doubt you would need a 4x4 in national parks or going to trailheads unless you have a lot of experience already and have something in mind which I detect you don't. It's romantic to think you can go way off road, but Sprinter RVs are not Jeeps. The contents are very fragile. The only advantage of a 4x4 I see in your situation is frequently parking on beaches which you would have ample opportunity to do so in Florida. You probably will never have to contend with snow to justify the expense.

If you feel you need to spend 50% time in hotels, maybe a Class B is not for you. Your perceptions maybe are all wrong. People full-time in Class Bs. Maybe you have been spoiled traveling in or knowing Class A RVs. Class Bs strength of desire is not going to a destination like a vacation stay in one place but to travel, lots of travel, and stopping in many places along the way. Class B owners put way more mileage, on the average, than any other RV type, and see more. They are more likely to seek out and go down the blue highways and narrow winding roads than the interstates, and enjoy America on the way.

Towing and launching a boat is not the best use of a Class B. For one towing negates the nimble the go anywhere anytime concept of a Class B and secondly there is an awful lot of fragile stuff under the floor that you don't want to dip and get wet at a launching boat ramp. A 4x4 truck camper makes way more sense and maybe for off-road adventures as well. I see a lot more truck campers in the upper Midwest lake regions and the Southwest off-road opportunity deserts but less in between.

I've known lots of Class B owners that evidently went in with similar misperceptions and lasted maybe a year or two for other traveling comforts and styles. Your comments raised my antenna on this. I would say before you buy you ought to rent a B, maybe more than once, before you commit.

I haven't been immune to this. I went in for the romance of a classic Airstream trailer for my first RV and quickly discovered I made a big mistake.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Davydd

20' 4x4 or 24' sounds like you have a Sprinter RV in mind. I'm not sure a 4x4 has to be coupled with a 20' Sprinter necessarily. You can have 4x4 in any Sprinter length. I doubt you would need a 4x4 in national parks or going to trailheads unless you have a lot of experience already and have something in mind which I detect you don't. It's romantic to think you can go way off road, but Sprinter RVs are not Jeeps. The contents are very fragile. The only advantage of a 4x4 I see in your situation is frequently parking on beaches which you would have ample opportunity to do so in Florida. You probably will never have to contend with snow to justify the expense.

If you feel you need to spend 50% time in hotels, maybe a Class B is not for you. Your perceptions maybe are all wrong. People full-time in Class Bs. Maybe you have been spoiled traveling in or knowing Class A RVs. Class Bs strength of desire is not going to a destination like a vacation stay in one place but to travel, lots of travel, and stopping in many places along the way. Class B owners put way more mileage, on the average, than any other RV type, and see more. They are more likely to seek out and go down the blue highways and narrow winding roads than the interstates, and enjoy America on the way.

Towing and launching a boat is not the best use of a Class B. For one towing negates the nimble the go anywhere anytime concept of a Class B and secondly there is an awful lot of fragile stuff under the floor that you don't want to dip and get wet at a launching boat ramp. A 4x4 truck camper makes way more sense and maybe for off-road adventures as well. I see a lot more truck campers in the upper Midwest lake regions and the Southwest off-road opportunity deserts but less in between.

I've known lots of Class B owners that evidently went in with similar misperceptions and lasted maybe a year or two for other traveling comforts and styles. Your comments raised my antenna on this. I would say before you buy you ought to rent a B, maybe more than once, before you commit.

I haven't been immune to this. I went in for the romance of a classic Airstream trailer for my first RV and quickly discovered I made a big mistake.

Dave, I agree with 95 percent of what you said... the only thing I might disagree with is this one sentence...

"People full-time in Class Bs."

I would say that "Some people full time in Class B's".... I think that is more accurate based on people I've met.

I don't think you even live in your Class B? Do you? Am I wrong?

On everything else... yeah, I absolutely agree that you hit every major highlight.... Class B's, hell any RV mostly, is not designed to be off road. My Subaru Outback will go places my Sprinter could never go..... and the Subaru Outback is just a "light off road vehicle"....

And, you're so right about the Class B for touring... not only does it get superior fuel economy, easy to drive and park, but it's generally more mobile and light on it's feet....we never use full hook ups.... We just fill our tanks and dump when necessary... only use electric if available.

We also had a small teardrop trailer... not the same as your Airstream, but, a trailer....We had that for 42 months.... took a lot of trips....it was fun, but a lot more work..... I got rid of it and replaced it with the Sprinter....

No matter how much time someone spends in the Sprinter.... it's easier...

Maybe this person wants it as an alternative to air travel...or staying in hotels... that's fine.

I think renting is a way to know ....it's also expensive....

If they do rent ... they should find a rig similar to the one they're considering.... and like you.... I would never consider towing anything in my Sprinter......oh the vehicle is very capable, I just don't want to do it.....

We have a very nice bicycle rack on the back of the vehicle... and it's pretty nice inside.... here's a few pictures...

[Davydd]

I said people full-time in a Class B, I didn’t say I did. I know several people that do. I’ve been out at one time about 3 months. This year we were out twice for over 6 weeks each time. The point is if you think you have to intersperse it with hotel stays to recuperate then perhaps a Class B is not for you.

I do other non RV travel, mostly overseas. Last year we went to Australia. Three years ago we went to the Dominican Republic and toured in a rented passenger van while our daughter-in-law college professor researched women from Haiti and how they made a living in the DR because they were officially unemployable. So consequently we did not stay in the tourist resorts but traveled in the poor areas. Now, looking back that was seemingly dangerous given the recent publicity. That was not the first time we did that. We were in Cairo, Egypt’s Tahrir Square we had to walk to the National Museum because the massive Arab Spring crowds blocked our van. Same traveling in Bolivia where we went to ruins in the Andes Mountains and there were no other registered Americans in the sign in book. I was also mugged in Bolivia when at a festival of 500,000 people and stood out with my white hair and complexion and a foot taller than most. An organized gang of youths squirted water in my eyes and when my hands went up they frisked my wallet. This year we are taking a European river cruise. Hopefully that will be safe. But none of those were because we needed a rest from Class B travel.

[MsNomer]

I have no need whatsoever for a "rest" from my van. I consider it more my "home" than the house in Northern Oklahoma that I visit occasionally. Unfortunately, my shop and MrNomer's professional papers don’t fit in the van.