21dec18
stevekan -
Bear in mind the FORD is rear wheel drive and thus the propshaft increases the floor height by six inches which is why the overall height of the FORD (and MERCEDES) based Class B's increases by the same, or in this case 5 inch per spec increase. That height increase might be of no concern but still a factor to know. In my case it would still fit our roll up door but too close for comfort. Not a scenerio that too many people will run into however. The step up height increases of course by essentially one steps-worth if that matters at all.
Mostly take your time looking at the side bathroom setup versus the rear bath of a 59K or other brand/model setups. The effective space of side baths versus across the rear is dramatically different. Again this might not matter depending on your physical size. Some folks do not use their bathroom except for storage space.
If you over 6 feet tall, the passage from the front of the Transit into the coach area might range from mildly annoying to more than mild annoyance. I have seen people shorter than I that make the transition from front to coach and back without giving it any thought at all. Just make a few body twists to enter/exit from chassis to coach area and see if it works well for you. If it does, than this is a non-issue for you.
Ideally you can test drive Class B's on a windy day. Highway and common streets, smooth and rough. That will tell you a lot about whether the dual wheels and rear wheel drive, work for you post-purchase and your driving all day with relentless wind side or frontal wind. bear in mind the inner tires are always fun (not) to service. Not to mention the added cost of another pair. It depends on what your after. It surprised me that one one pair of rear tires on a Promaster work absolutely great.
HERE IS A GOOD STATIC TEST -
Step into the coach from the side slider door of a Transit based Class B, ideally with nobody else around to distract you. Walk around. And then try to make it sway left and right with a little effort. It won't take much.
Now do the same in a Promaster based Class B. Sprinter too if you want.
You decide which one is more stable, standing still. Or if what you feel matters at all to you. What you feel be there when you drive. Its more pronounced in gusty winds or any level of steady cross wind.
I think Sprinters have improved recently but from my experience, your top two favorites for stable feeling will be the Transit and the Promaster. At least I remember riding in an early high roof Sprinter that was ahh, well, a bit nerving. I like the Promaster standing still and rolling ride better which I think can be attributed to its front wheel drive setup and it's lower center of gravity. The PM also has a less ground clearance which for this particular aspect is a positive. Always trade offs. Amazing how stable it is standing still or down the road on one pair of tires in the rear. The 2019 Promaster has upped their tow capability noticeably. If you believe more ground clearance is something you need and/or you really want to tow a small car or other, I would go with a Transit. My big feet and head bonking can deal with the minor front cabin excursions to/from the coach section.
I know with our Class B, we are perfectly happy not to tow anything. Breaking camp to go go town for dinner or exploring or whatever and then returning to the same camp even multiple times is a cinch in a Class B.
If your wanting to go off the beaten path, I think the Transit is a better choice if we leave an optimized and very spendy 4WD Sprinter out of the picture. I have no intention of banging, clanging an RV down anything more than a moderate pot holed dirt path. My roughing it camping days were fun and now I am older and happy to stay cleaner on my travels. If you do want to go off pavement on rougher paths, secure things well of course, whatever you drive.
As I have said in posts before, my wife and I really like the Transit but we found for us, the ProMaster was the better solution for our needs, and perceived needs. It has not let us down one bit. The build quality of the coach section has also been as good if not better than anything we know of. COACHMAN shares that level of quality. There are some brands and models out there that are frankly, horrible. And not always because they have lower prices. Take your time. Dont pay anywhere near MSRP. Not even anywhere near "show specials" because a show special is the same price you could get at the dealership all year long (if same build date, same cost). Just do your research and decide on a price your comfortable with and the dealer can still stay in business with. You have to go with the fact that hey, if they can get more, then why the heck not. Anyway... just know that you do not have to buy from the closest authorized dealer if you can't work it out with them on a friendly but straight arrow transaction. They can still do your warranty work if you decide not to take it back to another dealer you bought from. Or simply do the warranty work as well as maintenance work yourself. For many aspects of warranty work on the coach, you CAN do yourself but make sure you verify that beforehand. Likewise on the chassis.
And most of all, have fun with the process and whatever chassis and coach you pick!
StorysRVwego
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