New Member

[Olive Cat]

Hi Folks,
Olive Cat here. I'm new to the Class B Forums. I've camped with my family for years with a 13' Winnebago trailer and when I was a kid, we had a pop-up Apache. I love tent camping, too.
I joined your forum to gain more knowledge on the Rialta and other Class B RVs. I'm hoping to purchase something in the near future so I can travel to see friends and family while still having my own space.

 

[BBQ-ClassB]

.


Welcome.


Why do you prefer a Rialta ?

 

[Keyne]

Welcome! I always liked the Rialtas

 

[mkguitar]

the rialtas have been out of production for some time, the parts may require a VW dealer searching- which could be trouble-y
they do have moderate power and get good mpg
there are 4 floorplans I am aware of, none of which are very good if you are tall.

poptop heaven in yucaipa CA always has some units ( I drove by yesterday and saw at least 5), there is some good info available on the web on rialtas

Mike

 

[Olive Cat]

Hi BBQ,
I like the Rialta several reasons. Convenience is key for me. All the comforts of home, cost efficient, easy to set up for the night and the size. From what I understand they are very easy to drive.
The first time I saw one, I was impressed by the huge window in the back. One of my biggest fears it not being able to see around my camper and the big window caught my eye and that is where I started my search.

 

[Olive Cat]

Thank you, Keyne

 

[Olive Cat]

Hi Mike!
Thanks for the info. I have checked into the different models and have concluded that I don't want the QD unless it is selling for a song. I'd rather the extra living space to move around. and I'm not fond of the one with the stationary bed. I'd like the option to sit at a table and play cards, board games..eat..LOL!. ..again, if the price is right, I may be swayed.
I've checked out Poptop Heaven online site. They always seem to have a few beauties on there.
Being that I live on the east coast, there doesn't seem to be that many available except down in Florida. I hope to be taking a vacation there soon so I can test drive a couple. And who knows? Maybe I can take one back home with me
As far as parts, my husband is pretty handy when it comes to improvising and he can pretty much fix anything. Also, there is a VW dealer that isn't too far from me that does repairs on Rialtas.
I've done some looking online at Class B's and I keep coming back to the Rialta. Can you suggest something else that I may want to consider in the 10k-20k range?
Things it must have: indoor shower, toilet, bed, sink, fridge, stove, table. AC, generator, automatic transmission

 

[mkguitar]

all i can say is look at as many units as you can, that will help you decide which aspects are important ( be cause there are always compromises)

( we have a PW on a chev)

MANY of us find that it is easiest to leave the bed made up- in our case on long drives one of us may nap and the dog is almost always in bed, looking out the side window.

in practice, swiveling the pass seat for one of us, while the other sits on the bed seems to work well...and the "great Outdoors" is about using the space outside as much as you can

I'd say the rialta is tight if you are over 5'10"- but doable.

youtube has many videos with sales people or owners in RV's- watch how easily ( or not) people move around inside especially if there is a "host" and a cameraperson.

some of the owner videos many also give tips on common fixes required.

I've only spoken with a few rialta owners, each was very happy with their rv

in terms of fixing the van- that played a huge part of buying a chev ( i already have some chevs, manuals, common tools- parts at any autostore, service anywhere, by anyone- run these aspects by your husband it may or may factor in- but any rialta you see is going to be more than 10 years old

fun site:
http://www.rialtainfo.com/model_info/pros_and_cons.htm

Mike

 

[Olive Cat]

I stand a little over 5' so that shouldn't be an issue for me except if I have to reach something...LOL! I watched some of the videos and they make it all look so easy. Some of them are very detailed on how they went about repairing different things. I've noticed by them, that the people who own them loved them. And they seem to only give them up if they are upgrading or if their families have out grown them. To me that says a lot about the quality of the Rialta.

 

[Olive Cat]

I'm guessing that the PW is a Pleasure Way. I've seen a couple of them but they seemed a little out of reach price wise. How is it on gas?

 

[mkguitar]

It's a 2006 PW Lexor TD w/ Chev 305 HP 6.0liter v8, at 65 MPH we can count on 15 MPG w/ 87 octane fuel 10% ethanol.
on 91 octane w/10% ethanol we see slightly better edging towards 17 mpg.
The cost differential makes me edge towards the 87 unless I am somewhere that I feel I "need" the extra mpg for range.

I always calculate fuel economy whether on my bike, rv or cars

but don;t let MPG be your prime aspect- comfort & daily use should decide

class B advantages are mpg, parking and ease of driving- that comes with a higher cost per sq ft than a class C

we bought ours at 8 years old with 80K for $30K ( seller asked $40k, cost new was about 92K)
I would say that PW is most notable for the quality of the cabinetry- ours is the optioned all solid maple- it's tight.
Not alot of plastic moulding and surfaces.

btw an older RV may have an old TV pre-digital conversion- so using adapter boxes etc.
we replaced our old tv and a crate sized box of adapters and cabling and installed a $130 21" samsung from costco- works great.

Mike

 

[Olive Cat]

Thank for the information, Mike. I just looked at a video of your PW and it looks beautiful! I'm going to add it to my searches and see what can find in my area. Thanks again for your help

 

[mkguitar]

we just returned from the CA beaches- which are empty mid-week this time of year...whales cruising by, porpoises, sea lions and lots of space.
thornehill broome at pt mugu.
$33 -water and portapotties- enough room where i couldn;t hear any gennys, and we almost never use ours.
We got through 2 days with just our battery and meager use of the 12 volt lights and tv, water pump and fridge control and fan kits ( added by us, this is common)...

open the side door and toes on the sand.

the van a much easier drive through LA traffic than a larger RV- but a larger would be doable- just a stress factor.
We also spent a night in front of a Pal's house, which is why we went into LA, rather than around to Oxnard and down.

since you looked at a model similar to ours, we converted the hanging armoir behind the drivers seat to shelves with a slide out basket on the bottom for pots and pans- I don;t really own anything that needs hanging, jackets can hang off the seat back. This was our first trip since this mod and we now have more storage in the galley than we know what to do with.
over the pass bench is a flip up counter- we just leave that up- it is extra prep room and Shan uses it for a nightstand, phone, glasses, handbag.
the cover on the 2 burner becomes extra counter surface when supports are pulled out from the side of the fridge cabinet ( blocking the door)- so lots of counter space.

there are 3 overheads in the rear, mine, hers and sheets/towels.

the tv is mounted to a swivel so can face forwards- but all the speakers are in the rear- I may reposition the speaker- but for the most part I don;t use tv much and tend to sit in the front pass seat swiveled.

we leave our bed made up, there are drawers under neath which I use for electrical test stuff and less used foot wear, also books and some maps. in the center aisle is a slide out sterilyte bin with wheels- our inflatable kayak will fit in that.
opening the rear doors I have the crank and center support for the awning, also the leveling blocks, 2 camp chairs, a frameless hammock and the dog's tie out line and other stuff.


Rialta, PW, RT, GWV, LT or any others- look at as many units as you can, live or online- the more experience you gather, the easier the choice will be.

We had $70k budgeted and we could have gone more for the right RV...but what we found suited us ( after looking at many) and was less than 1/2 what we planned to spend.

1 more secret, ford, chev and older dodge tend to have storage underneath...newer MB and Fiat vans tend not to.

my water and poop hoses and cabling, jack and tool bags and etc etc are all stored underneath on the left side, the house battery is on a slide out on the rt side. some of the RT models have better storage than I do.

once you get in, youtube taught me alot about cleaning and servicing the fresh, black and grey systems.

mike

 

[Olive Cat]

Sounds like a terrific set up! Does the PW have water storage tanks? or does it need to be hooked up to an outside access? What about holding tanks for the gray and black systems?

 

[mkguitar]

yes, you should expect tanks on any rv.
ours carries 27 gallons fresh and can also hook up to water services.
there is a black tank of about 11G and a grey tank of about 27G

others will likely be the same.

when traveling to a destination known to have water you wouldn;t run with tanks full- 27g weighs about 225 pounds- and that eats fuel to move. you'd carry enough water for a few flushes.
and on leaving a campground, you would likely dump- again to save weight.

fresh water tanks need to be treated- we use pool shock. we also carry 3 x gallon jugs for "known good water" which we will use for rinsing food, coffee or drinking. some local waters are foul or hard, we use those for washing, flushing and drink from the bottles when unsure.

part of the compromises is managing consumption and waste, ( food, water, energy) which is easy..and fun

sure beats sleeping on a pad in the tent!

our model also carries 10 g of propane



but search as wide as you can- my choice may not suit you

mike

 

[Olive Cat]

Thanks again, Mike! You have been so helpful

 

[CGAZ Paul]

Hi Olive Cat! This may be late as you were looking in Feb. For general info, the Rialta is a superb unit! I have had 3 other RV's and this unit is the sturdiest and quietest. If you notice on most Rialtas for sale, they all still look pretty good. It can be a bit pricey at their age to get various service parts but worth it. I have had my '99 HD for 7 years and love it. I had various repair issues but the versatility, comfort, gas mileage, and livability is great. I use everything in mine from generator to shower to gas oven. The motoraid hot water system is another fantastic feature. Hot water when you arrive! The bed is big as far as long and my feet (I'm 6ft) don't hit the wall. Very comfortable with inner springs. My Rialta is more comfortable than my luxury cars to drive. Not recommended but I had mine at 102 mph when I was chased by a crazy person attacking other cars on the freeway. Smooth as silk and no problems! I think you will be happy if you haven't made your choice yet. Best of fun whatever you do!

 

[Olive Cat]

Hi Paul,
I'm still keeping my eye out for a nice Rialta in my area. They are so loved and most people don't want to part with them....and when they do, they are snatched up so fast! I've had a little bit of a financial setback that tapped into the funds that were earmarked for my little class b, but I'll regroup and I'm hoping that with the end of the camping season I'll see a bit more to choose from. Thanks so much for your reply. I love hearing happy stories from happy campers

 

[CGAZ Paul]

Thanks! You may have good luck on eBay or the RV Trader. I found mine in Florida but live in Arizona. Worth the flight. Probably not too many near Connecticut. I actually packed my luggage with coffee maker, pots, pans, linens, some packaged food. When I bought it I was ready to go. 20 minutes of put away and I was on the road. These drive so well you will notice many with high miles. This reflects on price but be careful as there are many maint. items that fall around the 100,000 mile realm. I was lucky to find one with around 34,000 mi. Now I have 53,000. Again, best of luck!