On the fence! Still!

[dknightd]

I'm still on the fence. Should I buy a class B or not? I've been on this fence for way too long.

Please help me decide which side of the fence I should end up on.

I'm mid 60's. Retired. I still like camping. Darling one seems to have lost interest, which complicates the decision! We tent camped for many years. I still do occasionally. But as I get older it does seem less appealing. Especially when your self inflating pad develops a hole. Arg.

I think we both agree that financially it makes no sense. But I still want one, and can afford it. But it would cut into our discretionary spending.

I currently "camp" in a Toyota highlander hybrid. It is OK, perhaps deluxe. I use it for camping maybe 1 month a year. Sometimes I set up a tent, sometimes I sleep inside. My only problem sleeping inside is it has limited headroom. I can't really sit up, which is why I sometimes use a tent.

I know, this is mostly a relationship issue. I'd rather we camp together. But that is unlikely.
I might use it, perhaps alone, for one month a year. That seems to work out for us.

How did you decide to finally buy one?
Any regrets? What would you do differently?

[MsNomer]

There is possibility that a van could change her mind. I have lost much of my interest in “camping” but I could live in my van. The van bed is actually more comfortable and pleasant than the one at home. Consider building out your own so you can make bright and spacious with the amenities that are important to you and her. Include her in the process. The time required for the build will allow her time to reconsider.

[GeorgeRa]

We chose to get a camper van when were both retired. We started camping way back with 1977 VW Westfalia and continue since then. We had various RVs and the one before the recent van was a RV trailer (21’) which we found too cumbersome to hookup, to drive and in 2012 decided to get something smaller.

We ended up with two final choices: a small trailer (about 15’) or a camper van with similar layout and openness as our previously owned Westfalias. Unfortunately, market was saturated with cages for sardines almost claustrophobic, not many windows, décor from seventies, subpar quality – no match to our desires.

Having decades of camping experience we venture to DIY endeavor. Bought a Sprinter passenger van in 2013 and converted it to a camper van with a similar layout to our 1977/85 Westfalias with 360 degrees windows.
In retrospect, even thou we like our van a lot every once a while we think about tiny, easy to hook up, easy to tow camper trailer like Casita or Scamp.

[JoeM]

I would go a rent a class "B" and see what it is like. If you decide to "pull the trigger" do lots of research. Especially on a dealer that carries the brand or brands you are interested in. We have a Coachmen B and are very satisfied with it. The problem is our dealer is not very good when it comes to service. Fortunately Coachmen is very customer focused and I have had some repairs that could wait done at the yearly rally in Elkhart. Other repairs I have done myself. Luckily most of the fixes have been minor. If you do settle on a van (Ram, Transit or Sprinter) local for a local chassis dealer that will work on the van. There have been some real horror stories of dealers not willing to work on a van because "it has been modified" or it is too heavy for their lift in the service bay. Good luck

[jrobe]

It doesn’t seem like a great idea to me if your wife doesn’t want to use it and doesn’t want to spend the money. I wouldn’t spend $100k ++ on anything if I had to ask the question on an Internet forum unless that amount of money was pocket change for me.

The idea of renting is the best advice here. That would quickly answer the question and would be a cheap way to test the water a little more.

[GallenH]

Originally Posted by jrobe

The idea of renting is the best advice here. That would quickly answer the question and would be a cheap way to test the water a little more.

Absolutely with these guys on this. Looks like you're in NY? What's the weather like there? If I were renting to determine a purchase I don't think I'd do it in foul weather. But nice fall weather with leaves changing and a few days at a close campground would probably do the trick.

[jrobe]

https://rvshare.com/

[dknightd]

I think reting is a good idea. Not many options around here. Perhaps I'll fly someplace and rent it there.

[Philip53]

I'll tell you my wife's, and my story. My wife was never really interested in an RV, but we did first purchase a rather large Super C with a garage in the back for our motorcycles. She did sorta warm to the Super C, and we used it for several years. Later, we changed to a Winnebago Navion. Kept this for several years, but I kept making statements about getting a Class B - she did not like this idea. Well, we did sell the Navion during the Covid high resale time frame. Pretty much against her 'wishes', I ordered a '21 Sprinter 170 cargo and built it out to a fully furnished and equiped Class B RV. It really had everything we both wanted. Now, several years later I think it is time to sell & move on, but she is adamantly against it - she loves the dang thing & wants to go all the time. Unfortunately, our 4 cats (that adopted us), are a problem to leave.

Anyway, I just wanted to relate this story in the hopes that your wife may actually enjoy the van life. Particularly if she enjoyed tent camping.

Good luck!

[engnrsrule]

We had a travel trailer back when kids were young. Wanted an RV in retirement and class B made most sense. We settled on used to save money but spent way more than we would have for a trailer or even comparable class C. First rule, you don't buy any RV because it makes financial sense, so put that off the table. The appeal of the B are driveability...can pretty much go where you can take a car; mileage...22 mpg by itself, 17 when we pull our toad (a Jeep Cherokee and yes you can pull a toad with a B); structure...I feel like a B is more structurally sound than a comparable A or C.

In practice it has worked out well for us. The king size bed is as comfortable as home. Driving is less stressful than a car or SUV, and can go longer. We did 9000 miles last summer, crossed the USA and came back across Canada.

The downside is small space, tho we've adapted, and limited to just 2 of us. Would like ability to travel with some grandkids or another couple.

[Swift24]

"I'd rather we camp together."

I'm one of the wives who wasn't initially gung ho about a Class B, but now that we have one, I love it. I had very little camping experience, but now that we're both retired, I'm loving it. Based on our ages (62 and 65), it is wonderful to have a bathroom on board. Ours is in the back so we have panoramic windows to gaze out of each morning when we wake. We usually grill when we camp, but the burners and microwave/convection oven are handy at times, and the small fridge is ample with a cooler on board. We have a wet bath, yet we rely on campground showers, which have been more pleasant than I anticipated.

I agree with a commenter who suggested involving your wife in the process. We started at an RV show after a couple years of my husband expressing a desire to get a Class B. We looked into renting, but it would have cost $1,000 for two nights. By the time we knew the model we preferred, it didn't make sense to put that money into a weekend trip that might be frustrating since we could only rent an unfamiliar model that didn't have our preferred features.

We bought our Class B in May, went on six two or three night getaways in our state and recently drove it to the Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Rocky Mountain National Park. I had no idea how exciting and exhilarating it would be. My husband prefers to drive, but I find our Jayco Swift comfortable to drive even though it's much larger than what I'm used to. The mirrors and camera make it easy.

We ultimately decided that the entire process was an adventure we could share, and we are glad we started enjoying it while we're in good health.

What makes the Class B extra nice is that it can fit in most parking spaces. That allows us to enjoy appealing stops, planned and unplanned, along the way.

[Tom 98072]

My answer keeps getting shorter because when I hit send I get the you’re not logged in message even though I was
Don’t rent; waste of money. Don’t custom; life’s too short and there’s only so many floor plans.
The only question is can you tolerate the closeness on a rainy day camping. This is really a relationship issue.
Spend the day in one at a dealership. Bring cards, laptops, or whatever. Maybe even a picnic. If you find a used one the dealer might even let you cook. Take a nap or at least lay down for an extended period.
Selling point to wife is great for shopping. Refer & freezer you don’t have to hurry home. No publc rest rooms.
With 2 boxers ours is still a daily driver.

[Tom 98072]

I am shocked - my wife said tell them they can call us. She feels there are so many positive reasons. Email first and I'll send you my phone number.

twl98072@yahoo.com

[booster]

I do think renting is a good idea if you can find one that is in the style and floorplan you think you want, and your are considering buying new.
Renting if you are going to buy used is less important because you can buy, try, and sell without huge losses in most cases.


No matter what you decide to try, remember and be sure to warn the skeptic, that the first trip is almost always clumsy and somewhat, or more, stressful. All of that goes away after a some experience so that needs to be taken into account. Our first real trip included closed campgrounds on the first day, and then 3 solid days of rain, but we still were happy to be there and doing it.

[RobRyan]

Class B's are growing here in Australia. New companies are popping up all the time. Ease of use, parking and can be used as a second car are some benefits.
Unlike the US there is no Transit or Promaster. Actually there are a lot more choices as a base.
As well we have ' Almost Class B's"the small Japanese Bus Conversions

[RobRyan]

A new company that does custom conversions on a Fiat Ducato,( Promaster differs from the Ducato , as it has a lower GCVWR and no diesel option)they call themselves interstate
https://gointerstate.com.au/models/one

[jerrysimps@aol.com]

My story is a bit different than the above posts, so I thought it could be helpful.

When I first started looking at recreational vehicles I spoke to a customer as to why he was purchasing a Roadtrek 17 because it seemed way to small to me. He told me that he was buying the rv as a travel vehicle because he has a disabled mother in law who frequents the bathroom and he wanted a refrigerator. He never intended to sleep in it.


I have an Airstream Interstate 19, which like mentioned above, is easy to drive and fits in a parking space. We do sleep in it, but we also stay in hotels. I am 75 years old now, so I also frequently use the RV bathroom, which is much nicer than McDonalds ' toilets and we use the refrigerator.


I bought the 4 x 4 option to have more ground clearance. The Ford and Promaster chassis are real low to the ground and a just not as nice as the mercedes. Hope this helps.

[Tom 98072]

If you’re not off roading then clearance is not important. Climbing in and out is. I have a promaster and that is hard enough.

[Hatteras Jim]

Depends on your goals. Do you want to travel the US and visit landmarks, National Parks and other points of interest? If so, a class B that is easy to set up, tear down and gets good mileage may be the right choice for you. If you only wish to camp a few days at a time at local campgrounds "just to get away", then I think a travel trailer or small pop-up may be the way to go. IMO, the beauty of a "B" is mobility, ease of setup and tear down, and seeing this wonderful country of ours without a lot of hassle and to do it comfortably. Upon retirement, my wife and I built our own, did all 48 states (our goal) and managed to hit around 50 National Parks along the way. 45k miles in 4 years, with our average time on the road being 3 - 4 months at a time, mainly in the Spring and Fall to avoid the summer madness at the NPs. Rent first is an excellent suggestion. GL

[Lou]

Rent one first. That is what we did.