Recommendations for wannabee

[dgreene62]

My wife and I are looking into getting a Class B for mainly short 2-4 day trips with a week sprinkled in once or twice a year. We do plan on traveling across country some with short 1-2 day overnights and we want something she's comfortable driving. No plans to go "off-grid". We like the roomy rear bath layouts with the twin beds that make into a king. We haven't decided on New or Used yet. We are going to a dealer that sells Winnebago, Thor and Coachmen tomorrow so wanted to get this out there and hopefully get some feedback before we go.

What Class B would you guys suggest based on above and why? (even if not the ones listed). We've heard good things about the Travato on the Ram promaster chassis, but also the Coachmen with the Ford Transit chassis.
I'm interested to know your opinions and reasons of the brands with the least problems, best overall quality, best drive/ride and service network.

I'm "seeking the wise counsel of others" and trying to do my due diligence as so many have suggested. Thank you for your time and assistance in advance.

[N147JK]

If you're only going to go from one developed campground to another, then you might want to consider something roomier than a Class B. The Class B's are great for their ability to easily get you away from those kinds of campgrounds. If you aren't interested in that, might as well be more comfortable.

[avanti]

I don't think it is physically possible to have a true King sized bed in any true B van. You can sort of do a Queen.

If you care about reliability, I recommend avoiding any diesel rig like the plague. Modern diesel emissions systems are a nightmare. I speak from experience. There are plenty of fine gasoline alternatives available these days. I am going with a Transit this time around.

[Urlauber]

Originally Posted by dgreene62

My wife and I are looking into getting a Class B for mainly short 2-4 day trips with a week sprinkled in once or twice a year. We do plan on traveling across country some with short 1-2 day overnights and we want something she's comfortable driving. No plans to go "off-grid". We like the roomy rear bath layouts with the twin beds that make into a king.

Sounds like the Travato K layout is what you are looking at/for. There are others with similar floor plans too.

It's hard to recommend anything as everyone is so different and RVs have so many different aspects and options that I would venture to guess that the ideal RV is going to be different for everyone.

Best is to check them out yourself at the dealers, and watch lots of youtube videos that talk both about advantages and disadvantages of each particular setup.

We spent about 3 years planning and researching until we finally found what we wanted. We also had rented RVs (C, not B) and went on an extended trip with a class A bus so we had a pretty good idea what we wanted.

Considering the cost, we did not want to do what many others did - buy an RV and then after a year or so find out that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Ok I'll shut up now. Happy New Year!

[RossWilliams]

I don't think many of us have experience with every brand out there. We bought a used Roadtrek on a Mercedes Sprinter and have been very happy with it except for the cost of repairs. But we have also found our actual use had been different than we anticipated.

I think you will get comfortable with anything after you drive it for awhile. I do almost all the driving but even with limited use my wife is now comfortable driving it.

You may not anticipate going "off grid" but you may find a lot of places you want to go where that is your only option. A lot of state and national park campgrounds have limited or no electricity. The ability to spend a night without hookups really extends your possibilities. We didn't intend to go to events but have attended the Winnipeg Folk festival s couple times. They don't have electric hookups in their camping areas.

Given you are going to spend a lot of time traveling I would consider the chassis driving comfort. Our sprinter has a wind stabilization system which has been a real benefit traveling across the west. It's incredibly comfortable to drive with enough leg room to stretch your legs when using cruise control. Consider how you will feel after sitting in it all day.

There is an ongoing argument about diesel vs gas. We have had no problems with our diesel. The fuel is more expensive but it gets better mileage. I have heard people express concerns about the weight of the stuff take with them. That has never been a consideration, even with 8 AGM batteries.

If you are going to be using the rig in below zero weather you may want to go with AGM batteries. Lithiums do not do well with extreme cold. They can't be charged below freezing or used when double digit below zero. There are some heating options to deal with those limitations.

We have a couple extra seats behind the front seats. We thought they were superfluous but have discovered it's nice to have a separate seating area. I would still rather be a few feet shorter so we easily fit in a standard parking space. But even at 22+ feet we have rarely had a problem.

There is also a debate over propane. Our rig uses diesel for heat and electricity for everything else. I would not consider anything else. The induction stovetop takes some getting used to. But the ability to pull into a stop without having to worry about the leveling required with propane has been a gift.

We bought used on the advice of my cousin. His point was that every new RV had problems. They are built, not manufactured. Buying used let's someone else work out the bugs. And, of course, it's less expensive if that is an issue.

[Macodiva]

I'd suggest physically getting in as many as you can. I researched for near on 2 years & was adamant i wanted the bed in the back. When I eventually found one in my price range I went to see it & I hated it! It felt so claustrophobic to me.
I'd also suggest a well maintained used one, they've already had most of the new 'shake loose/break things' fixed. Tried & tested already. Not to mention the cheaper price.
There's probably going to be a lot hitting the market soon. I suspect many people rushed out & bought during Covid, only to realize RV's are quite costly to maintain & store (unless doing it yourself) especially if they're not using it much.
Whatever you decide, good luck on your search & enjoy yourselves.

[engnrsrule]

Welcome to the community. My wife and I were leaning toward getting a Class B in 2018. We found a used Roadtrek (Diesel Sprinter) and have been very happy with it. We were largely ignorant on many aspects of Class B's (or motorhomes in general) but lucked out.

So looking back, the best advice we can offer is to think about how you plan to use it. We recognized the opportunity to boondock as a way to save money, but did not think about the duration we could sustain. We learned that the most limiting parameter on our RT is the 10 gallon black water tank. If that is our only restroom, we can go 3-4 days max between pumpouts. Other systems - fresh water, gray water, go a week or more. Batteries last 1-2 weeks - more if we do any driving or run the generator. Propane only needs top off twice a year. We have no installed solar, but do use a small dash solar panel to help stretch the batteries out.

So the way we typically travel is to boondock enroute at walmart, cracker barrel, harvest hosts (no facilities/hookups). Our final destinations are often the driveways of friends or relatives, so we can get water and electricity, as well as bathroom access. We use an App called RV Dumpsites to identify free or cheap dump stations along the way.

We tried a separating "composting" toilet that might have helped extend our black water limitation, but it did not work for us (I have a thread about that.)

If you look used, be mindful that diesels starting in 2010 require Diesel Exhaust Fluid, a product you have to buy along with fuel. Our 2006 does not require this product.

Another aspect of Class B's is whether you think you might pull a toad. Our sprinter can pull 5,000 lbs. We did not go into it thinking about that but after a few trips decided it was helpful in some cases to bring a car along for running around, side trips etc.

[mkguitar]

pay attention to the bed. size and comfort.


bed in the rear can give 3 walls of windows for view and breeze, open rear doors backed up to beach is pretty special


a US brand gas van can be fixed anywhere by anyone with parts from napa.
no waiting on a part from italy or germany


we looked at close to 30 vans before finding ours- we also rented one to get a handle on camping with a van

[Kswanson]

dgreen,
We have owned a Coachman (Crossfit, now called Beyond) built on a Ford Transit chassis with an EcoBoost engine for 5 years. They have a rear bath layout, although we own the 22D model. Advantages: great engine performance with 16 MPG, outstanding interior quality, drives like a large car with a view out of the rear window, the 22D model bed can be made out to 10 inches wider than a queen, fully self-contained for 2-4 days of camping with or without hookups, high profile so you can stand up inside the van, fits in a regular size parking spot. No repairs needed with 5 years of service.
I highly recommend any of the B van Coachman products. Affordable but high quality.

[Sensfan]

Service Network ... IMO this is an absolute priority, especially if you are not the DIY type and decide to purchase a used Class B. I am not DIY certified, and our go to Service Centre for the RV part of our Class B is a six hour drive from home. Through experience, we discovered that there was no one in our city that we could trust, including those that sold our type of RV.

[Rocinante]

How often do you see yourselves going on these short 2-4 days trips? Do you already own an RV, tent, or whatever, and if so how often do you use it now? I ask because owning any RV, including a Class B, is more of a long-term project and something you have to really want, vs. a state of ownership, like, "Yeah, I own a Toyota Camry, and it's great." Just like with a boat, when you own an RV, the RV owns you back.

If you're a now-and then once-in-a-while RV'er, you'll do far better renting a unit when the bug bites and then camping until the bug wears off. At the end, you drop off the unit and head home, and you have zero maintenance headaches. Renting seems expensive until you actually compare it to long-term ownership. When we chat with folks about renting, we generally suggest big-name rental companies like Cruise America (or Cruise Canada). If you're really wanting the class B experience, you can get a good version of that by renting from Escape Camper Vans. Both of these companies, and others, are located in places you can fly into, rent the unit, have some great camping experiences in National Parks, etc., and then fly back home. These companies rent out very simple RV units, nothing fancy, and they are usually in good working order throughout. There are also companies like RVShare that specialize in renting RV's offered by private owners like an Air BNB for RV's but if you go that route you're renting from amateurs vs. professionals, and you've no real idea what's going on with the RV they're renting you. Your call, and many do this successfully, but this is not something I would recommend if you're new to RVs.

If, like us, you are determined to own an RV because you love RV'ing, then by all means get out there and climb into as many Class B units as you can possibly find. Stocks seem to have improved lately on dealers' lots, so it should be easier now than before to see things in person. Our faves are PleasureWay and Storyteller, depending what kind of camper you are. We also like Coachmen Class B units, in particular the Beyond. Winnebago makes a bunch of Class B units and one small Class C unit (EKKO) - we find theirs to generally be more cheaply put together, but they're worth looking at. Airstream makes the Interstate in the Sprinter and the Rangeline in the ProMaster - also worth looking at, but guaranteed to be overpriced.

Oh, and don't forget to look at gently used Class B units, because in general they won't have any more things wrong with them than a brand new one. Lately they have also become much more easily available and prices are beginning to soften as availability of used and new units improves while the Fed keeps raising interest rates, reminding people that for most of us RV's are a luxury, not a necessity. (The only difference between new and gently used in the RV world is that new is more expensive and comes with some form of warranty, while used will be less expensive and you'll pay to fix whatever you find that's wrong. We've been RV owners since 2012, and we've found that in the long run gently used is no more expensive than new, and someone else ate the first year or two of depreciation so you didn't have to.)

Anyway, have fun thinking about it, watch plenty of YT videos showing various Class B camper tours, and going out to see any you can find in stock at local dealers or at RV shows, which will start up again this year. Oh, the guy behind the "Ultramobility" channel used to do great, very thoughtful, Class B walkthroughs. They are still on YT, and remain particularly relevant if you're looking at the possibility of gently used units.

Originally Posted by dgreene62

My wife and I are looking into getting a Class B for mainly short 2-4 day trips with a week sprinkled in once or twice a year. We do plan on traveling across country some with short 1-2 day overnights and we want something she's comfortable driving. No plans to go "off-grid". We like the roomy rear bath layouts with the twin beds that make into a king. We haven't decided on New or Used yet. We are going to a dealer that sells Winnebago, Thor and Coachmen tomorrow so wanted to get this out there and hopefully get some feedback before we go.

What Class B would you guys suggest based on above and why? (even if not the ones listed). We've heard good things about the Travato on the Ram promaster chassis, but also the Coachmen with the Ford Transit chassis.
I'm interested to know your opinions and reasons of the brands with the least problems, best overall quality, best drive/ride and service network.

I'm "seeking the wise counsel of others" and trying to do my due diligence as so many have suggested. Thank you for your time and assistance in advance.