Need Advice mostly about size (for now)

[bigoldbob]

Tented, then trailered, then 28’ MH, now Class B 23’. With B we got bathroom with door. THAT would change. Knees always hitting vanity. Men too tall! My opinion couch in back not optimal as rarely used as couch. Get comfortable bed instead, you’ll use that more! Back up camera a must, even if just wireless. And spare tire carrier on back....you’ll likely never use it! Ever. Happy trails.

[HitchNride]

Originally Posted by bigoldbob

Tented, then trailered, then 28’ MH, now Class B 23’. With B we got bathroom with door. THAT would change. Knees always hitting vanity. Men too tall! My opinion couch in back not optimal as rarely used as couch. Get comfortable bed instead, you’ll use that more! Back up camera a must, even if just wireless. And spare tire carrier on back....you’ll likely never use it! Ever. Happy trails.

Yep, agree with all this. I even tested out the Zion bath and thought "this will be fine", but in use - it gets no use. Just too cramped as shower, toilet, etc. Also part of the downside of having a non-widebody design too, I suppose. (my truck camper bathroom was always tight, but yet always usable - that was probably as tight as a wet bath can get, I think)

Very true on rear couch - looks pretty for pictures on dealer sites when width-wise - but the lengthwise is more functional (which is what I had to go with, but glad at least on that one). Longer beds, and can keep one side as sort of a bench/workspace if it's just me, and the other side as a bed. But mostly best as said above, just plan on the rear being a bed all the time!

[Peder_y2k]

27ft. for mobile hotel room. Private shower and private toilet. Lots of lounging space, bigger kitchen counters. 12-15 mpg is not bad for 12,000 lb. vehicle. Lower prices generally for used, vs 20-22ft campervan.

[KYRuss]

My advice is to check out all class b models by most manufactures over all chassis and test drive! We have a 24.3 foot Sprinter based and it is looooong, true sometimes is difficult to find a parking spot. The extra length provides more storage space. But if I were you look closely at the Transit based b's such as from Coachman and others, good compromise length. Another reason we went with a longer van was bed length, many shorter models don't have beds long enough for my 6.2 inch frame. Our Era 170A has 75 inch beds.

[Keyne]

My suggestion would be to rent a class B. If this is your first RV, renting will help a lot. We rented an older 22’ Sprinter class B twice (1 weekend and one 10 day trip). It helped us not only decide the length we wanted (19 feet 144 Sprinter) but more importantly helped us decide on the options we wanted based on how we planned to use the van. Saved us a ton of money on options that sounded great but weren’t really needed for us. As a result we are in year 4 of our first RV purchase and still love all the choices we made with size and options. The van (Roadtrek SS Agile with no propane) has been a perfect fit for Us.

I am biased because we own a 144 Sprinter but I think it’s the perfect size for a couple. We aren’t full timers but have lived in it for two weeks straight and if it weren’t for work we would have just re-provisioned and kept going. Also, it’s super easy to drive and park in small towns, at trail heads and park parking lots. It’s basically the same length as a large pickup truck. However it all depends on what works for you.

One downside if you want a short van is that most manufacturers (at least when we were looking) make RVs on the longer van chassis’s. If you want longer you will have more choices, especially if looking at used vans. For us it was basically RT, Pleasureway, or custom (12 months+ wait). Now WGO, Airstream?, and Advanced RV ($$$) build on the 144 chassis.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by jakegw2

……………………………………
We are already thinking about our next RV, possibly Sportsmobile, as the RV industry completely ignores anyone with more than 2 children. In my mind 21' seems like the sweet spot for space and parking ease. I'm not sure that the difference between 20' and 21' is all that meaningful based on my experience, but YMMV.

Indeed, I think this has something to do with dipping into retirees’ pockets is more business savvy than trying to convince younger families to take a loan on heavily depreciating asset, sad. Years back we had a lot of fun with 2 Westfalias without a shower, an AC, Lithium ampgnificence nor AGM.

Somehow Europeans have abundance of young family campervan choices, good enough for drooling in NA.

[proeddie]

MsNomer and I have discussed this before on the Promaster Forum... I built a 159wb Promaster with a floorplan similar to the Travato, but about 14" shorter. (I designed mine first!)

The 20' version allowed me to put in a toilet/dressing area in the back with pocket doors. Very comfortable, normal parking spaces, and easy to drive.

Ed's Promaster Van

[booster]

Of course all class b's share a couple of things that could always be better.



You can never get too much storage.


Small size and handling closer to a Lexus would be better than closer to a semi.


Somehow we never seem to find one like that anywhere that manages to them anywhere near at the same time.

[vwmaniaman]

My wife and I had a LTV with the couch bed and decided that we were to large for it and purchased used but very nice coach house 272xl. We love it and it handles as easily as our LTV. It has a queen bed that slides out the side and you can walk around it. Also has a slide out couch that makes a 54X74" bed that you can still walk past when it is out. We are new to it so we don't know all its things yet but when we bought it we were prepared for worse mpg but to our surprise with Banks Power kit that it has we got over 14mpg at 65mph. That is what we got on the LTV. Coach House custom builds each one so they are pricey new. It is on the Ford E450 chassis and has the V10 motor. We are keeping our 1993 Roadtrek Versatile for those times when city access is a problem.

[mechmike10]

My wife and I have a 170" extended Sprinter Sportsmobile. My question to you would be how old are you and how spry? If you are young (relatively) and\or capable of climbing into bunk beds or the upper bed in a penthouse equipped Sprinter, then I would say go for the short wheelbase model. If you are not in that category, I think you will find the longer vans will be your better choice. We are 72 years of age and have no interest in high altitude sleeping. With the extended length van, we have two comfortably long twin sized beds with an aisle between, a small wet bath, a single bowl sink and a single "burner" induction cooktop, a microwave/convection oven, a 6 cu. ft. compressor fridge, and plenty of storage. We carry a portable induction cooker that can be used inside or out. Because the "furnished part" of the van ends about 16 inches short of the back end of the van, we also have some storage for larger items or dirty stuff.

Both of us drive the van, although I do most of the tight space maneuvering. I use it as my daily driver. Although it is longer than a typical parking space, I can usually find two spaces back to back in most parking lots (except at Christmas), or if I can find a spot that backs up to grass, etc., I just back up until the rear overhangs the grass, in which case the van doesn't stick out. When we travel for long periods, we have stayed in campgrounds, motels, B&Bs or whatever is handy.

[HitchNride]

Originally Posted by booster

Small size and handling closer to a Lexus would be better than closer to a semi.


Somehow we never seem to find one like that anywhere that manages to them anywhere near at the same time.

Yep, exactly what I was saying - what we all REALLY want is a "Transformers" version! From a Versatile 170 for driving, to a nice roomy 24-28' footer when there's enough parking space... and heck, why not, the Optimus Prime conversion for when staying at a regular RV park, where it turns into a 54' long, 14' tall, double decker trailer!

[Hatteras Jim]

We enjoy the longer room in our 170 ext, high roof sprinter. As far as parking, we look for the double spaces where vehicles park nose to nose (or nose to tail), and then we take both of them. We park far enough away so we don't get boxed in. My wife drives ours without a problem. She drives between our campsites while I navigate (backseat drive), and then I drive it around when we get to our destination. That works well for us. If you have only a single space for parking, we look for the spots along the edge and then back in. We let the back end hang over the grass. You have to be careful when backing up to sidewalks, you can cover them up very easily.


There were places that we just didn't drive it due to parking concerns: Key West, Boston, and San Fran come to mind. Either took public transportation or the train from near the campgrounds.


If you travel to National Parks in the off season (like we did), parking at the pull offs did not present a problem. If you go peak season, you would definitely have problems parking at the popular parks and their attractions. A few NPs had restrictions on their roads that prohibited our vehicle from taking them due to its length. A minor inconvenience.



The only difficulty in handling the extra length, high roof sprinter (IMO and my wife's) was wind, especially on the plains, Wy and Mt. 30+ mph winds would lead to a white knuckle driving experience, especially cross winds and gusty winds, although you would probably have that with most high profile vehicles.


My suggestion (maybe it was mentioned before) is to rent a small camper for a few days and try it, and repeat with a larger one.


Some folks can't survive in that closeness for an extended period (3-4 months), which is why we have class A's



Good luck in your selection.

[MsNomer]

Jim said a mouthful from the opposite end of the spectrum as I. The bottom line is that so much depends on your personal preferences—even whether you can pee in front of your spouse factors in, and we won’t ask whether you can.

Renting is an excellent suggestion. Be aware, though, that most commercially built small RV's are much more stuffed than they need to be.

[Belzar]

I think layout is the issue, not just size. On extended travel it is important for us that our van has two "lounges". I can reverse front seats, recline and work/watch/read comfortably while my wife can comfortably work/watch/read/craft on the rear couch. The kitchen and bath in the middle remain easily accessible to either of us without having to climb over the other. While we prefer to be outside, as year-round campers there are times when weather keeps use indoors for most of the day and its nice to not be completely on top of each other and to be able to move around with ease.

[mechmike10]

Actually, what everyone wants is the Tardis (Dr. Who's spaceship which is the size of a large phone booth --remember those--outside and as big as you can imagine inside).

[Ray B]

dralign,

Oh, if we could only have a big floorplan inside and a compact outside!

Outside Dimensions: Usually 20' or under is legal for parking overnight and one can park within a normal space and the driving is easier. In some places, especially urban areas, you can't legally park overnight on the street if it's an RV or Camper, and some places you can't stay inside a vehicle overnight legally.

Floorplan: One thing not discussed is: Do you need a dedicated bed? After spending a year-and-a-half in our first Class B, my wife decided she wanted to have a dedicated bed so that we didn't have to constantly be making the bed up each night and taking it down each morning. The Roadtrek Simplicity SRT could do that at 19.7' but you'd have to live in the front seats - can be done but cramped IMO. We now have a Pleasure-Way that we keep the back twin beds made up with the center piece installed to make a queen bed and while we are still living in the front seats, the extra length (22'6" vs 19'7") makes a difference. BTW, I don't really feel there's that much of a difference between driving a 20-footer and a 22-footer.

Chassis Manufacturer: Sprinter or Roadmaster? First of all, we have a Sprinter, but I wouldn't do that again. I'm not handy and anything named Mercedes-Benz means more money to maintain and repair. Plus, not all Mercedes-Benz dealerships have Sprinter mechanics. I've also found I prefer gas over diesel. Having said that, my wife is too fond of this particular vehicle and I'm living with it.

Ray Brown
2012 Pleasure-Way Plateau TD
Ormond-by-the-Sea, Florida

[booster]

Originally Posted by Ray B

dralign,

Oh, if we could only have a big floorplan inside and a compact outside!

Outside Dimensions: Usually 20' or under is legal for parking overnight and one can park within a normal space and the driving is easier. In some places, especially urban areas, you can't legally park overnight on the street if it's an RV or Camper, and some places you can't stay inside a vehicle overnight legally.

Floorplan: One thing not discussed is: Do you need a dedicated bed? After spending a year-and-a-half in our first Class B, my wife decided she wanted to have a dedicated bed so that we didn't have to constantly be making the bed up each night and taking it down each morning. The Roadtrek Simplicity SRT could do that at 19.7' but you'd have to live in the front seats - can be done but cramped IMO. We now have a Pleasure-Way that we keep the back twin beds made up with the center piece installed to make a queen bed and while we are still living in the front seats, the extra length (22'6" vs 19'7") makes a difference. BTW, I don't really feel there's that much of a difference between driving a 20-footer and a 22-footer.

Chassis Manufacturer: Sprinter or Roadmaster? First of all, we have a Sprinter, but I wouldn't do that again. I'm not handy and anything named Mercedes-Benz means more money to maintain and repair. Plus, not all Mercedes-Benz dealerships have Sprinter mechanics. I've also found I prefer gas over diesel. Having said that, my wife is too fond of this particular vehicle and I'm living with it.

Ray Brown
2012 Pleasure-Way Plateau TD
Ormond-by-the-Sea, Florida

We converted our 07 Roadtrek 190 (20.5') to a full time bed, with a notch at the feet over the aisle for easy in and out of the bed and access to the bolster storage areas.


We use that as our sitting/lounge area exclusively now instead of turning the front seats. A couple of "arm pillows" to lean on an it is near having a recliner for comfort. Easy in and out, TV is there, laptop easy to use with no table or tray. We were very surprised that it was so much more comfortable than the front seats.

[Ray B]

Originally Posted by booster

We converted our 07 Roadtrek 190 (20.5') to a full time bed, with a notch at the feet over the aisle for easy in and out of the bed and access to the bolster storage areas.


We use that as our sitting/lounge area exclusively now instead of turning the front seats. A couple of "arm pillows: to lean on an it is near having a recliner for comfort. Easy in and out, TV is there, laptop easy to use with no table or tray. We were very surprised that it was so much more comfortable than the front seats.

Booster,

Would love to see a picture of that.

Ray B.

[booster]

Originally Posted by Ray B

Booster,

Would love to see a picture of that.

Ray B.

Looking down the center aisle. Feet go under cabinets. About 18" of the bed base behind the notch hinges up mattress and all for storage access from inside the van if needed.





Arm pillow





From the rear doors





Underside storage about 5' by 5' fully clear space