The Class B RV we want - does it exist?

[X19H 4Runner]

I suggest you have a look at the Safari Condo XL Flex. They have it for both the Sprinter and Promaster. They now also have an option for Lithium.

[teck13]

I concur with the Bolt 70BL suggestion. The closest you are going to get to meeting your requirements without spending huge $$$ on a custom build. The only criteria not met fully is the fridge. The Bolt fridge holds more than it might first appear, as it is deep but still not what I would call large.

[Rocinante]

Thanks, everyone, lots of great ideas here. A few updates:

• Today we learned that as of the 2021.5 model cycle, the 3-way fridges in Pleasure-Way's FL (front lounge) models (Lexor and Plateau) have been swapped out for a 12v/120v compressor fridge. That's a huge win.
• We also learned that Pleasure-Way is now using the Transit models with front seats that rotate. I haven't seen a "FL" version of their OnTour 2.2, but I'm hopeful they will create one based on that. We'd love to see an AWD OnTour FL model in a Ford Transit.
• Yesterday we went out, just for fun, to take a look at a couple of Winnebago models, the Travato and the Boldt. The Travato was a huge fail. The cabinets are all held together with staples, the vinyl "wallpaper" they use is stapled in place in many areas, and the vinyl is so thin that the staples cut right through it. Just terrible worksmanship, in our minds. The Boldt fared better because they clearly took more care building it (dove-tailed joints in the drawers, fewer staples, etc.), but it still turned us off. For example, we looked at the KL model. The device they designed to serve as a bridge between the two twin beds in case you want to make a full/queen-sized bed is ridiculously flimsy and pretty much guaranteed that one more legs will break right off within six months. While the KL floor plan was already on our bad list, we just wanted to see a Boldt, any Boldt, to get a feel for it. Scored a definite "Meh," with us, though I have to say the front seats were remarkably comfortable.
• We definitely want to get a look at a Coachmen Beyond 22D or 22C, or a Galleria 24A, and have reached out to local dealers in an effort to find one.
• We're eager to get a look at Midwest Auto Designs Passage MD2 or Ford Passage, and the sister product, American Coach Patriot MD2. We can't find the actual lengths of these models on the website, so we've reached out to find out how long they are, hoping to find something in the 21-22' range as opposed to stumbling into a 24' unit we would not be interested in.
• We also got a look at a couple of recent-model used Road Trek vans yesterday. One was the SS Agile, and the other was the CS Adventurous. The "front lounge" in the SS Agile was completely unworkable, which shouldn't be a huge surprise, since it's only 19' long, but this was a good thing to discover. The CS Adventurous had suffered hard use by someone who was incredibly overweight, and as a result the lounge in the back would have to be completely re-done. Also, the upholstery overall was just plain grimy. Floor plan on the CS was not optimal, with the galley crammed between a couple of vertical cabinets. Front lounge in the CS was kinda "meh," but I have to say we didn't look at it all that hard - it was hot, we saw what I mentioned above, and we kinda lost interest.

[Beachlife]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Hi there! We're new to the forum and starting to look for a true class B RV to replace our Airstream travel trailer. We're having a hard time finding a brand / model that checks our boxes, and was wondering whether any of you experienced current class B owners could help us find brands and models we should be looking at. This is not a "wanted" post. Rather, it's a request for guidance and ideas, and we welcome your suggestions. Thank you so much, in advance, for your thoughts.

Here's the Class B we'd love to find:

• Roughly 21-22 feet long so it's easier to park, even if there's a bike rack on the back. For that reason, we're trying to avoid the 24 foot chassis.
• Lithium power system, preferably one that's so big, with a 2nd alternator, that they delete the generator
• Convection Microwave
• The biggest compressor fridge we can get (bigger than the dinky dorm-room sized ones they keep stuffing under the galley counter) We do not want one of those annoying 3-way ammonia-based absorption fridges.
• Nice long kitchen counter. Achieving it with a flip-up / pull-out / Lagun table is fine. (Cramming the sink and the cooktop between 2 cabinets on the driver's side of the coach, with no room to move or work, is a deal-breaker.)
• Driver and passenger seats swivel to face the rear to create a lounge with a table (preferably a Lagun table). If the driver seat swivels back to face a fold-out desk or a counter for workstation activity, that's fine too, but passenger seat must also have a table it can use
• Wet bath somewhere amidships. We do not want a bathroom in the back of the coach where the rear doors can be opened. There should be nothing aft of the bed except for a bit of storage you can access by opening the rear doors. Also, it has to be a genuine private bath. If you have to open the bathroom doors to let your knees stick out while using the head, it's a deal breaker. Also, if you have to pull out a bunch of gear and shelves before using the head or taking a shower, it's a deal breaker. (This is why we can't go with a Revel.)
• Area in the back we that we can turn into a full-time bed, preferably in the general size range of a queen. It's OK if that's two twin beds we can join together into a single bed, and a true lie-flat couch thing is also just fine. If it were a bed that you could raise up to the ceiling when you're not sleeping, like in the Revel, that would be awesome (...except, see the Revel deal-breaker above.)
• The fewer graphics on the sides, the better. We want to be able to stealth park in our own driveway with an HOA that hates "campers" so we need to be as subtle as possible.
• We're not super concerned about which chassis it's built on, but we are concerned that it seems the drivers seat in the Transit does not rotate. If that's changed in recent models, we're good with that platform, too.
• 4x4 would be awesome but is not required.

Hello, I would look at a few but the Bolt by Winnie is good, the Travato G is good but the bed seemed small. We bought the K model. We love the Wonder and it seems to be about the best as a B+. Good luck on search. Used low mileage models are flying out the door.

[Lou]

Pleasure-Way Lexor FL. None of the newer Pleasure-Ways have below counter fridges, except the pop top one.

Most people install a toilet paper holder inside the cabinet door. In ours (PW Excel), you pull the shower curtain in front of the cabinets while you are showering.

[elwin]

This might be longer than what you want (and not 4x4) but this is what I have been drooling over https://panoramicrv.com/

[Belzar]

Your requirements almost exctly describe the Roadtrek CS 4x4. Wall space in a Class B is limited so it is a trade off between counter space, windows and storage. As a "cook" I appreciate the storage space and large fridge and freezer in these vans. Counter space can be augmented by using the floor mounted tables.

[Rocinante]

Thanks again.

The Safari Condo suggestion is a good one. Given we're in the southern US and they have no dealers down here, we'll have a tough time finding and seeing one to help us evaluate it. As we looked at videos, we like the somewhat spartan / utilitarian approach, which helps keep the rig lighter. Dual refrigerators is a fun feature too. The bed that can be raised and lowered to help manage storage needs is really great, love the idea of keeping the bikes inside the van while traveling instead of on the back with all that weather and dirt. Looks like they have a conventional micro and not a convection micro, which is sad for us. Oh, and the tripping ledge on the floor between the galley and the cab seems a truly terrible idea. It's not only a step up, but it also has a nice lip under which to catch the toes if you're not paying attention. I could easily see myself doing a major face plant there, getting really hurt in the process. Otherwise, a very intriguing unit we'd love to see in person.

Per our notes just above the Travato is off our list for reasons noted. Boldt isn't totally off our list, but it's at the bottom. KL is the wrong floor plan and BL seems to have done some very silly things. We saw a video review where they pointed out that the BL has two grey tanks, one for shower and another for sink, the latter of which can only be drained via macerator pump, and then a black tank. Three waste tanks and dealing with a macerator, no thanks. Also, as we look at videos for Travato and Boldt, we can't help noticing that they store the batteries beneath the vehicle, low enough to the ground to make us uncomfortable. Sure, they're kinda protected in a case and all, but why expose them at all to the worst possible environmental conditions, especially given they are expensive lithium batteries?

Per the note posted above, Pleasure-Way is definitely on our list, especially the Lexor, and if they add a forward lounge based on the new Transit with rotating seats, the OnTour.

Panoramic looks interesting, really, but there are no dealers / resellers here in the US, so there's little chance we could even see one in person, much less find one to buy.

[gerrym51]

If we were to do it again-we would get the rear bathroom

[lizard_breath]

i recently drove out of state to look at a pleasure way ontour 2.2 and 2.0. they seem nice but neither had a workable front workstation for me. the front lounge on the pleasure way is probably ok if you don't need to get any work done and just want to relax. my impression was that they seemed like they are built well, but i was underwhelmed with some of the layout choices and i didn't really want to buy a van and then pay for lithium upgrades, etc. twin beds are also more ideal for me. oddly they only offer those in their xl which is currently paused.

i also took a look at a galleria and the couch/bed was much less comfortable than the pleasure way but it surprised me. it was built a lot better than i expected and led me to the beyond which had the features i was after. i put a deposit on a beyond and figure if i have to replace the cushions or add a mattress topper that's just part of the game.

[rockymtnb]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

The Safari Condo suggestion is a good one. Given we're in the southern US and they have no dealers down here, we'll have a tough time finding and seeing one to help us evaluate it. As we looked at videos, we like the somewhat spartan / utilitarian approach, which helps keep the rig lighter. Dual refrigerators is a fun feature too. The bed that can be raised and lowered to help manage storage needs is really great, love the idea of keeping the bikes inside the van while traveling instead of on the back with all that weather and dirt. Looks like they have a conventional micro and not a convection micro, which is sad for us. Oh, and the tripping ledge on the floor between the galley and the cab seems a truly terrible idea. It's not only a step up, but it also has a nice lip under which to catch the toes if you're not paying attention. I could easily see myself doing a major face plant there, getting really hurt in the process. Otherwise, a very intriguing unit we'd love to see in person.

We rented a Safari Condo XL Flex Sprinter 4wd last year for a week long tour around southwestern Colorado. We loved the lift bed which was roomy and could be raised out of the way during the day while bedding remained in place. The unit we rented also had the slide-out gear tray that allowed easy access to bikes and other gear storage under the bed.

You're correct about the microwave it's small and basic but worked fine for defrosting and reheating leftovers. The dual refrigerators are great, we camped in relatively remote areas and had them packed with food (and of course beer!). Build and cabinet quality were exemplary which seemed particularly impressive for a unit in rental service.

We didn't notice any problems with the underfloor storage compartment lip, but it might be possible to have them limit that compartment to the dinette seating base to keep the cab-galley passageway clear. The dinette table on the rental unit was awkward and clunky but that's apparently been replaced with a fold-away table on newer units.

We've been tentatively shopping to replace our older Sprinter and honestly the XL Flex is the closest fit we'd seen to our mix of travel and gear storage needs. It's a complex process to order a Safari Condo from Canada so the rental seemed worthwhile to test it out in person. It's still the best we've found unless someone in the US can come up with a similar design.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by gerrym51

If we were to do it again-we would get the rear bathroom

Please do share on this? I'm imaging a scenario where twin beds are preferred so you never have to worry about blocking the center aisle? Thanks!

[rockymtnb]

BTW, the rental agency for the Safari Condo XL Flex was Durango RV Rentals. They were great to work with and highly recommended if you might be considering a Colorado vacation.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by lizard_breath

i recently drove out of state to look at a pleasure way ontour 2.2 and 2.0. they seem nice but neither had a workable front workstation for me. the front lounge on the pleasure way is probably ok if you don't need to get any work done and just want to relax. my impression was that they seemed like they are built well, but i was underwhelmed with some of the layout choices and i didn't really want to buy a van and then pay for lithium upgrades, etc. twin beds are also more ideal for me. oddly they only offer those in their xl which is currently paused.

i also took a look at a galleria and the couch/bed was much less comfortable than the pleasure way but it surprised me. it was built a lot better than i expected and led me to the beyond which had the features i was after. i put a deposit on a beyond and figure if i have to replace the cushions or add a mattress topper that's just part of the game.

Thanks for this input. We'll definitely do our best to get a look at the Coachmen models. I'm not expecting much more than Winnebago-level worksmanship, but I would love to be pleasantly surprised.

[JohnK]

Being on the East coast, you may also want to check out OGA Vans in MD. Their go to van is the Promaster but they will do custom conversions to whatever you bring them. I paid them a visit about this time last year and they were working on a Ford box truck.

Looked like quality work. No generators, all solar/battery systems. The last I saw, their base conversions start around $32k (plus the cost of a van).

[ableami]

I have a B that hits most of your buttons thagt I may sell at the end of the season. Email me if you want to chat.
Curt

[rowiebowie]

Well, don't keep us in suspense Able. What year, make, & model? Custom build?

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Please don't use this thread in an attempt to sell your rig, whatever it is. That's not what my thread is for. Thank you.

Post moved to Trading Post.

[Doctor Old]

The one thing I learned after purchasing ours was you are always going to have to sacrifice something. It may be a small thing or two but the perfect Class B rv does not exist unless you build custom. Prioritize what’s most important and go down the list. Once you get on the road and have fun some of the smaller details won’t matter.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by Doctor Old

The one thing I learned after purchasing ours was you are always going to have to sacrifice something. It may be a small thing or two but the perfect Class B rv does not exist unless you build custom. Prioritize what’s most important and go down the list. Once you get on the road and have fun some of the smaller details won’t matter.

Thanks for that. We're right now struggling with our convection microwave requirement, because many we're interested in do not have that. I've posted a question to "The Kitchen" section of this forum to ask what people who like to bake do when their rig doesn't have a convection microwave.