The Class B RV we want - does it exist?

[avanti]

Originally Posted by TygerMark

Good point.

Another reason to go aluminum and avoid phony wood grain plastic.

Well, I think a better conclusion would be to avoid inadequate ventilation.

[booster]

Originally Posted by avanti

Well, I think a better conclusion would be to avoid inadequate ventilation.

Yep, unless it has vented air gap, the aluminum will transmit most of the heat to whatever is under it.

[TygerMark]

Yes.

And remember: just because you are in a class B, that doesn't mean that you should wash your turkey.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Thanks! We're looking at Boldt specs, as it's attractive. However, the BL has a standard microwave (no convection) as well as a smaller fridge stuffed under the galley counter. Sad to say, those two issues push it way down our list. This begs the question of why RV manufacturers with as much experience as Winnebago persist in making faulty design decisions like these. What were they thinking?

Different strokes for different folks. I wouldn’t call under a galley counter top fridge a faulty design. It was and still is a popular design concept by DIY community and by many manufacturers. Manufacturers very often respond to known customer desires, just because it doesn’t fit one peculiar potential customer it doesn’t mean it is a faulty design.

I could call a lack of windows a faulty design because we wanted 360-degree window view, for us this was more critical than a fridge volume. Any design is a balance of tradeoffs, there is no a perfect one fitting all.

Good luck finding a perfect match to your needs. Sportsmobile, Advanced RV and other custom shops could be your best option.

[booster]

Checklists and actual class b's rarely match completely, I think, unless you go with a full custom as others have mentioned.


Add to it the fact that even with trailer experience, the checklist could very quickly change once you live any particular b for a while. We hear pretty regularly about "must haves" that once gotten don't get used much and sometimes regrets that they didn't something they now miss. Makes the selection process even tougher if you are spending a big premium to check the boxes.


We got ours as a first time RV, with as best a fit as we could find for our checklist, and found quite few things that we wanted to do differently over time. Luckily, they all have been things that we were able to convert to what we want at home, but with a lot of work and a good amount of cost. We still have the original purchase 11+ years in now, and it is now what we like in all the important stuff, but we never would have chosen it this way in the first place.

[Bud]

"Luckily, they all have been things that we were able to convert to what we want at home, but with a lot of work and a good amount of cost."

And a good time.

Bud

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

Good luck finding a perfect match to your needs. Sportsmobile, Advanced RV and other custom shops could be your best option.

George Mauro, of Humble Road is building custom vans now and he is an extensive user of 80/20 aluminum extrusions in his builds. His videos are entertaining.

https://www.facebook.com/Humble-Road-922463387858034/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE9...Lab9Fo05hs0Nsg

[Rocinante]

Lots of great ideas, thanks so much. We'll be looking at the suggested models. Naturally , we're frustrated that a design that makes total sense to us seems so difficult to find.

[LostInWoods]

I don't know that anyone will have exactly what you are asking for, but you might check out National Traveler models from Regency RV. I've not seen anything from them about lithium batteries, but I know they have a really tall build that supports a lowering bunk. The height of that is not exactly HOA stealthy, but honestly no RV with a rooftop AC or awning will be stealthy. I face that here and we are considering eventually moving to someplace without those restrictions.

If you decide to go custom on a Transit chassis please talk to George at Humble Road, if only for my entertainment. I'd love to see him build on that platform and the craftsmanship is very good.

[Rocinante]

Yup, as you noted, the raised roof on the National Traveler is not something we want to deal with this time around. Still, thanks for the tip! I saw a couple of George's videos, and the one I appreciated most was where he compared the Sprinter to the Promaster.

[Rocinante]

Time for an update from the OP: thanks again for the suggestions so far!

We just found the 2021 Ford Passage 148 on the Midwest Automotive Designs web page. The specs for this unit appear to check nearly every box on our list. Woot!

There aren't many photos on their website and no video at all (especially of the front lounge, which looks so good in the floor plan). After calling their HQ and speaking with a (the?) sales manager we learned that they have a bunch of 4x4 Transits on order, and when Ford finally starts shipping those (yeah, covid strikes again) they will start building more of this model on that chassis and will upload a bunch of pictures, videos, etc. He also said that if we want a similar unit on the Sprinter chassis we should look for the Passage MD2. We've reached out to a large local dealer who carries this brand to see whether he can find one of these in his network.

Here's a link to the model we're excited about: https://midwestautomotivedesigns.com.../passage-ford/

[NAZCamperVan]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Time for an update from the OP: thanks again for the suggestions so far!

We just found the 2021 Ford Passage 148 on the Midwest Automotive Designs web page. The specs for this unit appear to check nearly every box on our list. Woot!

There aren't many photos on their website and no video at all (especially of the front lounge, which looks so good in the floor plan). After calling their HQ and speaking with a (the?) sales manager we learned that they have a bunch of 4x4 Transits on order, and when Ford finally starts shipping those (yeah, covid strikes again) they will start building more of this model on that chassis and will upload a bunch of pictures, videos, etc. He also said that if we want a similar unit on the Sprinter chassis we should look for the Passage MD2. We've reached out to a large local dealer who carries this brand to see whether he can find one of these in his network.

Here's a link to the model we're excited about: https://midwestautomotivedesigns.com.../passage-ford/

Rocinante, That Midwest Passage is a great rig. The floorplan is similar to our LTV Free Spirit, which we find very livable. The Passage has the darn overhang wardrobe, which limits the dinette seating, but it's trade-off for the workspace behind drivers seat. Best wishes for your wait-time.

[Rocinante]

Haha, yeah, that wait time may be the issue. We don't mind the wardrobe overhang in the rear lounge, because for us it will likely always be in "bed" mode. With just the two of us and our dog, we expect we'll use the forward area to lounge and the rear area to sleep.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Haha, yeah, that wait time may be the issue. We don't mind the wardrobe overhang in the rear lounge, because for us it will likely always be in "bed" mode. With just the two of us and our dog, we expect we'll use the forward area to lounge and the rear area to sleep.

Nice layout and truly impressive tank sizes 32fresh/27gray/15black. Wow. I've not seen a "b" that comes close to those tank sizes.

[Joel]

Here is a link (Video & Pics) to the Midwest Passage at Sunset RV with the American Coach Ford Passage nameplate. Midwest obviously builds the Ford Passage for other companies.

https://www.sunshinestatervs.com/inv...ville-FL-7749/

[Rocinante]

Yes, American Coach and Midwest Auto Designs are both part of the REV group, which operates several other brands, including Holiday Rambler, Monaco, Fleetwood, Renegade, and Lance. Thanks for the link to the MD2 model video for the Patriot. Similar in many respects, but the Patriot MD2 is missing the critical front lounge feature for the driver's seat. There's no workstation there, just a wardrobe.

[Rocinante]

Thanks for the video link. That guy needs to show more interior shots and talk less.

The Rev Group makes the following brands: Midwest Automotive Designs, American Coach, Holiday Rambler, Monaco, Lance, Fleetwood, and Renegade. So, it makes sense that the Patriot is similar in many respects to the Passage.
https://www.revgroup.com/

The MD2 Patriot he's showing does not appear to have the driver's side front lounge you see spec'ed out in the Midwest Ford Passage, though it's very hard to tell anything about the front lounge from this video. I appreciate them making it of course, but it's wildly insufficient relative to what it should be showing a prospective buyer.

I have to say, the corporate website for American Coach also needs work. It doesn't even mention the Ford Transit-based MD2 model, so there aren't really any specs. So, while Rev is clearly building a coach we're fascinated with, we can't get enough info about it yet.

[Joel]

I agree, their websites need help. I have emailed them about the Ford passage and it got forwarded to a rv dealer in my area that contacted me but they were not aware of the Ford Passage being produced. Maybe all the Covid stuff has interfered with things. Looking forward to seeing one in person.

[Rocinante]

Yes, I heard from a sales manager at Midwest Automotive Designs that while they've built something like 15 Passage vans on the 2WD Transit, they're having issues sourcing the the Transit due to covid-related issues. When that blockage is cleared they plan to start building the Ford version of the Passage on the AWD Transit platform instead of the 2WD. Sounds great to me, hope they get building soon.

[eric1514]

I still don't understand why an on demand water heater is a desirable feature in an RV.