Roadtreks: Easily Modified?

[ExpressVan]

Our 27 year old conversion van, modified for camping, will need to be replaced in the next fews years, after 15 years of great service. I've always liked older Roadtreks, but am not sure I can make one work for us.

Specificially:

My husband is 6'2", and we really need a full-length bed. Ideally, we would like to use the full-size mattress from our old van and leave the bed made up all the time. Could that be done in lieu of the convertible beds?

The driver's seat in our Chevy Express needs to be racked back quite a bit for his driving comfort. It looks like many Roadtrek and other Class B's have something directly behind the seat that would prevent that. Could some of these items be removed?

Is there space under the sink for Jerry can-style gray water containment as an alternative to using the built-in tank?

Would replacing the 3-way refrigerator with a 12-volt compressor unit be feasible if desired?

How difficult is it to replace a Kool-Cat heat pump unit with a window air conditioner? (Would an RV shop be willing to do this?)

Is there enough storage space (perhaps under the bed if the sofa is removed) for a small CLAM (43" long; 8" tall bagged), two camp chairs, a 27" roll up aluminum table, a Coleman stove, and a 5 lb. propane tank?

Any information or suggestions is appreciated!

[hbn7hj]

If you are gonna throw away the Roadtrek tanks and replace the excellent A/C don’t bother with a Roadtrek. Those two things are their best assets.

You should not replace the three-way refrigerator without upgrading the electrical system (very expensive) so keep what you have,

Bottom line is if you are going to buy a Roadtrek then keep the things it is noted for-a good plumbing system, good A/C unit, indoor shower, and a fulltime bed if you want. I don’t know if a 190 can handle 6’2’. It handles 5’11” just fine and I don’t have mine nearby to measure. A friend who is 6’4” has a 210 with no complaints.

The rest of your stuff will probably fit in the driver’s side outside storage on a 190 or 210.

[jjrbus]

Need to do a bit more research, on the older RT there are 4 models and a couple sub models. On my 02 Chevy 200 Popular I replaced the OE Fedders AC with an LG 9500 dual inverter AC. I cannot imagine a RV place agreeing to do it and the cost would be really high. But definitely doable.

Substituting a grey tank is a bad idea, but I never let a bad idea stop me!

Without knowing which model cannot comment on sleeping. Same with bed.

https://roadtrek.com/brochures/

[ExpressVan]

I wouldn't consider replacing anything that still works. It's good to know (from another thread) that parts for the Cool Cat are still available.

The brochures and owner's manuals have been very helpful! (I still have a brochure from 2007, when I first came down with van fever.) Now I can see that raking the driver's seat back would not be a problem in some of the models. I'm still trying to figure out whether a 74" long mattress can be accommodated and suppose I'll have to do some measuring on actual units to be sure.

A few dealers in my area have listed Roadtrek's with reasonable mileage and decent prices. I am getting a strong bait and switch vibe on those, though, so have resisted checking them out.

[hbn7hj]

The Cool Cat itself is still available from any Dometic dealer. It is special order and you will never see it advertised or promoted. The latest model requires a digital thermostat which has a 1 degree hysteresis. Much improved from the analog thermostat.

[jjrbus]

Some people are sensitive to noise. I know the Fedders in my RT was loud and from what I have read the Kool Kat is also. I replaced the Fedders because it sounded like a vacuum cleaner running. Did not drown out the lawn mower sounding Onan under the RV. Which I also removed and use a Honda 2200. I am in the process of refining that mod now.

[Doneworking]

For us, our Roadtrek offers an adventure.

We don't require every convenience we enjoy in our home. Now, if we were using the RT for full time living or spending months of the year in it our attitude would be different. We enjoy camping for camping's sake and seldom stay in a commercial rv park. So, a wet bath becomes an adventure with a little hassle thrown in for several days and the lack of this or that is just something to work around.

It sure beats former experiences of a tent or our 1982 Chevy half ton cargo van. I suspect a lot of people use their B just like we do, for short pleasure trips.

[ConradS]

The 190 Popular has the option of twin beds, one slightly shorter than the other, or a king-size bed via adding two inserts. I am 6'2" and find the bed fine for me. I like the front-to-back sleeping arrangement in which no one has to crawl over the other.

[Luv2Go]

We have a permanent bed in our 2006 210 Versatile. It is east-west and almost exactly 60 x 80. We use a 60 x 75 sleep number bed customized by removing the foam where the "d" pillars intrude on the width. We added foam at the the head to fill up the extra space between the wall and bed.

It suits us well, but I'm 5'11", suspect it will be too short for 6'2". We are going with a north-south bed in our next van as neither of us like climbing over the other.

[vwmaniaman]

We own a simple 1993 Versatille RoadTrek. Our has a great Dometic refrigerator with automatic teperature control, a 2 burner propane stove top and no water heater or generator. it also has No awning. It is simple and that makes it easier to maintain. I have a very complicated CoachHouse Platium 272XL and things are always needing repairs. Our little old RoadTrek is on a Dodge chassis with a 5.2 Magnum engine that has been super reliable and returns 16 mpg. We will try to keep it till we are too old to travel and I hope that will still be a long way off I will be turning 76 this week but right now we are planning anothe trip out west. RoadTrek used a lot of common sense when they made these vans so we just appreciate what they are and use and enjoy them.

[ExpressVan]

Originally Posted by ConradS

The 190 Popular has the option of twin beds, one slightly shorter than the other, or a king-size bed via adding two inserts. I am 6'2" and find the bed fine for me. I like the front-to-back sleeping arrangement in which no one has to crawl over the other.

This is very helpful.

[ExpressVan]

Originally Posted by Luv2Go

...We use a 60 x 75 sleep number bed...

Did you lay the mattress over the top of existing cushions, or did you remove them?

We are very partial to the innerspring mattress in our current van, and I am considering removing coils to fit it into the short side of a 190 Popular (assuming I can every find one in our area).

The simplicity of our current set-up is something we really value. We also like the plush interior (It was top of the line in its day.) The older Roadtreks seem to have a good balance.

[Pam G]

Originally Posted by ExpressVan

Our 27 year old conversion van, modified for camping, will need to be replaced in the next fews years, after 15 years of great service. I've always liked older Roadtreks, but am not sure I can make one work for us.

Specificially:

My husband is 6'2", and we really need a full-length bed. Ideally, we would like to use the full-size mattress from our old van and leave the bed made up all the time. Could that be done in lieu of the convertible beds?

The driver's seat in our Chevy Express needs to be racked back quite a bit for his driving comfort. It looks like many Roadtrek and other Class B's have something directly behind the seat that would prevent that. Could some of these items be removed?

Is there space under the sink for Jerry can-style gray water containment as an alternative to using the built-in tank?

Would replacing the 3-way refrigerator with a 12-volt compressor unit be feasible if desired?

How difficult is it to replace a Kool-Cat heat pump unit with a window air conditioner? (Would an RV shop be willing to do this?)

Is there enough storage space (perhaps under the bed if the sofa is removed) for a small CLAM (43" long; 8" tall bagged), two camp chairs, a 27" roll up aluminum table, a Coleman stove, and a 5 lb. propane tank?

Any information or suggestions is appreciated!

I have a 1999 Roadtrek 190 Popular and wasn't sure what year of Roadtrek you are thinking about. Mine had the 2 twin beds, which can be made into a bed clear across. You could leave it made up all the time, which some people do. You can take out the original seat cushions if you want to use your mattress. I'm planning on replacing the seat cushion on one twin bed with a custom mattress.

I don't know how big the can is that you use for gray water, so I don't know if it would fit. There is a shelf under the sink and stove, so you may need to take that out. It would be easier to just use the gray water tank.

Mine has the wardrobe behind the driver's seat, but there are models that came with 2 passenger seats. You could take out the wardrobe so the driver's seat could go back farther. I'm assuming it could go back far enough if you have the passenger seat.

Some people have replaced the 3 way fridge with a compressor unit. I prefer having the propane option. I had a 1998 Coach House, which was all electric, and the coach batteries would only last 2-3 days with the fridge running (no solar).

The older Roadtreks like mine have a OE Fedders, but these are basically window air conditioners, not the Kool-cat. I had to have mine replaced, and it really is now just a window air conditioner.

There is storage under the beds that is accessed from the back door. I'm not sure about the propane tank, but you would be able to get the rest of your things in there. I have 3 24" high exercise pens, a folding chair, a 9x9 ground mat, a toolbox, jumper cables, and some leveling blocks in mine.

[ExpressVan]

This is very helpful!