Talk to me about Class Bs

[JAJJV]

Originally Posted by TomF

Maybe check your tire pressures. I have a 1997 Roadtrek 190, Dodge B3500. I used to run the tire pressures at 45psi front, and 80psi rear, and the ride was acceptable. In 2018, I had the front end aligned in preparation of a cross country trip. The mechanic set the tires pressures at 65psi front, and 80psi rear. He said he had to raise the front pressures in order to get a good alignment. On the ride home, I experienced the death wobble at just over 50 mph. I started experimenting with tire pressures, and settled on 52psi on the front, and still 80psi on the rear. No more wobble. The van handled very well on our 10,000 mile cross country trip.

Wow. Thank you, Tom. I have been instructed to run 65 front and 80 rear and that is what I have been doing. The rig did have an alignment, however, I have been cautioned on another Roadtrek forum that usually they don't use the correct specs for this vehicle when they do the alignment, (including 220 foot lbs of torque on the part that requires it).

Many people have told me that their ride has benefitted from upgraded shocks or other interventions. I just hesitate to keep throwing money at new parts, HOPING to get a better ride. It's a real shame because we absolutely love the Roadtrek, but I would consider moving on from it only due to the terrible ride. White knuckle driving is not my idea of an easy relaxing vacation time.

Thank you very much for your idea! I appreciate the post.

[TomF]

Originally Posted by JAJJV

Wow. Thank you, Tom. I have been instructed to run 65 front and 80 rear and that is what I have been doing. The rig did have an alignment, however, I have been cautioned on another Roadtrek forum that usually they don't use the correct specs for this vehicle when they do the alignment, (including 220 foot lbs of torque on the part that requires it).

Many people have told me that their ride has benefitted from upgraded shocks or other interventions. I just hesitate to keep throwing money at new parts, HOPING to get a better ride. It's a real shame because we absolutely love the Roadtrek, but I would consider moving on from it only due to the terrible ride. White knuckle driving is not my idea of an easy relaxing vacation time.

Thank you very much for your idea! I appreciate the post.

You're welcome. I had Bilstein heavy duty shocks installed right after I bought my Roadtrek. They also made a big difference in handling.
Anytime a shop is working on the Dodge front ends, they need to know the front axle is a heavy duty axle installed by Roadtrek, and not the standard B3500 axle.
I know what you mean about a white knuckle ride. I drove the van from Conn. back to Boston after the front end work, and the van would not stay in the lane. I was wandering from one lane to the next, and a puff of wind would scare me to death! Correct tires, air pressures, and shocks seem to be very important for good handling of this RV.
Good luck, and don't give up on your Roadtrek!

[yvairguy]

I found my xplorer 230 on facebook marketplace and I know several people that have found their vehicles there as well.

It's a 1998 Dodge. I've gotten between 12 and 16 mpg.

[Joe]

I get about the same mileage. I just took the hard spare tire cover off. I mounted a bike rack on spare. I also have a small motorcycle type trailer for a little extra storage for long stays.

[gerrym51]

Originally Posted by Sherbs

I would like to buy an older, pre-owned campervan for short weekend trips (2 adults, a large dog) around northern California. I have no idea where to start.

Requirements:
- Toilet
- Good mileage
- Reliable engine
- Able to sell on in a few years time without losing too much money

Interior is not really important as I'm happy to renovate and I don't mind driving around in something with a few scrapes and scratches.

What do you experts suggest for a van newbie with a small budget (less than 10k).

pets always add issues. I would approach it from your dogs needs. Heat/cold

when and if left alone.

Also does your dog travel well. Most do but we had 2 cats and never considered them before we bought. Big error on our part.

[RossWilliams]

Originally Posted by BBQ

Let's say 2 hrs away... that's a 4 hrs return trip.

if you drive at 65 miles per hour, that 260 miles.

if your RV gets 10 mpg, you will need 26 gallons for the weekend.

if your RV gets 15 mpg, you will need 17 gallons for the weekend.
A difference of 9 gallons.

At $4/g, that's $36.

Is that going to break the deal?

Now lets change that to 450 miles round trip, and 5 mpg compared to 15 mpg, 30 gallons compared to 90 gallons. That's a 60 gallon and $240 difference in cost.

Obviously the more miles you drive the more mileage matters. But its also important to realize the differences in mileage are proportional. The difference between 5 and 10 mpg is 100% while the the difference between 10 and 15 is only 50%. In my example, if you got 10 mpg you would only use 45 gallons (not 60) even though it seems like 10 mpg ought to be halfway between 5 and 15 mpg.

The other thing is if you live in the west and are traveling in remote areas the distance between gas stations can become an issue. So you might want to add "range" to your criteria - the combination of gas tank capacity and mileage.