B+ motorhomes

Early on, as a newbie, when I got into this thread when it was in the B forum, I was not interested in the truck chassis, but the coach size functionality (toadless, maneuverable, etc.). So to me, B+ simply meant a little bigger than B, and I sensed that there was a lot in common with people who own Bs.

As the B+ started stretching out well beyond 22 ft, it became obvious that the B+ rigs like our TLs, BT Cruisers, Phoenix, Lexington, and the like are only barely different from a C w/o an overcab bed. But it was just these type rigs that were what most RVers understood to be described by the term B+. The B style functionality took on less and less importance.

I never thought the B+ (or Super C) subforum should be created, if they are all Cs - the forums were already too divided-up.

But the subforums WERE created - there is a B+ subforum.

The point I make is that, if the B+ distinction actually has any validity, it is that there are many old, current, and surely soon to exist small, streamlined motorhomes built on chassis-cabs that ACTUALLY DO hold true to the spirit of B-Plus (like the Ford Transit Euro C class in the pics below).

Because these more pure B+ designs (other pics below) are uniquely different from either RV.net B or C class distinction, they tend to go away and form small users groups elsewhere, instead of finding a place to discuss their rigs in the B+ subforum.

burlmart wrote:
All points raised here seem right to me. The classification of MHs certainly has its purpose, but it causes problems as well. I think the RVIA recognized this with their current new classification scheme even if is conveniently ignored by almost everyone; it is quite loose with drawing boundaries, and people like to maintain boundaries.


Around 2001, Trail Lite (TL) creatively used “B-Plus”



as a model name for its new lower-cost line of small, streamlined Cs, that were a bit larger than the popular Cs from Chinook



and Dynamax (Starflyte)



which they emulated. Well-known Born Free



was and still is another long standing builder of this style RV.


I think it has been posted by others that use of the term B+ to designate a category of MHs seems to have arisen amongst mfgrs like Phoenix,



Gulfstream,



etc.





who had similarly popular models like the TL B-Plus.


These smaller rigs, whether they be called B+s or small Cs, all share a common intended functionality with camping van conversions (Class Bs)



but draw upon the major benefit from starting on a bare chassis (Class C) and thus are not subject to the serious constraint on living space that confronts Bs as they attempt to stay within the van box.


With the tenacious adherence to hard-drawn classification boundaries, too much energy is spent on the forums explaining, for instance, that this



is a Class C, and this



is a Class B campervan. As weird as these cases seem - and they are weird - what is gained from such silly discussion?


In hindsight, had the Euro term 'low-profile C Class'



been adopted, there may have developed a more robust version of the B+ subforum that might better serve owners of the many unique rigs


















As things stand now, the more novel styles above find it hard to gain an audience and tend to fall between the classification cracks. The price for being different, I suppose.

cheeze1 wrote:
I was just there. How are there 2 threads with the same name?

There are not. That one is "Not much here." However, both are in the "B+" sub-forum.

Exactly Artum. I had a big fight years ago within the B forum regarding the designation. That new Winnebago Class 'A' is built on a Sprinter chassis, but has no 'cab' body, but more like an old time van like the International Metro. Maybe it should be an A-? I think T/L by NAMING their unit the B Plus added some fuel to the fire... Structurally, I think we are more like a C-Minus since that is what we are, a smaller C. Trouble is as a former educator, that is way to close to a D!!

I suppose labelling ourselves B+ because we have lost the use of an overhead bed is a bit odd. Essentially, we (particularly the larger longer units) are Class C units, but without the bed.

Perhaps we should be C- units.... but that almost sounds like barely a passing grade. Maybe the larger units without the bed could be called Super C- ???

In my mind B+ just implies that the overhead bed is not there. It's really like Class A units, as we know they can come from mini units less than 20 feet up to 45 footers.

I was just there. How are there 2 threads with the same name?

You guys have any additional input (thoughts or pics) to add to this thread?

I wonder how we might have better served the B+ niche if the monniker had benn 'low profile Cs' or simply 'mini motorhomes'

Cheese, we likely have the same fridge, and ours was on the list that I think Gene is referencing. About a year ago, our dealer did the 45 min fix that Dometic specifies.

And, yes, we did just get a recall notice in the mail, whereas we did not get a notice before (I learned about it on these forums a year ago).

Your dealer will make an appointment and do the fix for free.

Having just come from a fire safety session at the Gypsy Rally in Ohio...it was recommended that you call the company directly to check if your model was included in any of the recalls........ It was also shared that a number of the refrig fires have also been contributed to models that have never been on ANY of the lists.....just an FYI. There are fire suppression systems that can be added to the back of the refrig to directly reduce the threat of a refrig fire.....

Doesn't yours have a separate freezer door? I looked on the website and what Dometic calls a double door seems to include the freezer.

No, I have not gotten a notice on the Dometic fridge. I did check my serial number against the list of those in the first recall. I did read about an expanded recall. Both of the recalls apply to 2 door models, ours is a 4 cubic foot single door. There is a website you can check yourself. Click here Dometic Recall.