Downsizing

I started RVing in 1962 with a Chevy Corvair Green Brier conversion (no pop top), similar to the Volkswagen Wesfalia. We have been up and down a number of times, including two VW's, and about everything down from our current Holiday Rambler Ambassador PDQ 40, with 4 slides. (our first slides) We bought that to take the grandkids all of the USA before they got...too old...Now we are downsizing again. I loved a RoadTrek Popular 21, which I kept in Calif. as my "Condo" My wife hated it. Now we are considering a Phoenix Cruiser or Coach House in the 26 foot range--a little larger than the Class B, I would rather have--and smaller than a 30' + class A my wife would prefer.

We have a 2012 Roadtrek RS... nice rig.. fuel economy on the road is 19 to 20 depending on your speed...18 MPG cruising at 70... speed does affect the MPG...

On storage.. yes, it's limited..take only what you need... most people who purchase a Class B.. know this going in.

The flexibility, ease of driving, and nimble handling of these smaller rigs is definitely their strengths...

It's a very smooth ride, and fairly quiet.. plenty of power... remember, it's 190 HP, and only 23 feet... consider this, those large 40 foot Class As have between 350 and 400 horsepower.. they are more than twice the weight of a Class B....

Driving a Class A and towing a car is a real commitment..and you have to practically radio the "air traffic controller" ...LOL .. just to figure out your next stop...no thanks..

We got ours for traveling, some camping and fun.. we don't live in the rig...I can only understand people driving Class As who intend to make it their permanent home and travel a few places ... snowbirds...etc.

Only thing we found is that the heater is a little noisy, so is the generator and air conditioning... Plus, when it's cold the heater cycles on all night long (especially at 32-38 degrees)...it can dry out your sinuses quickly.....

I imagine that the radiant heat would have been nice.. but, we don't have that...

Enjoy your Roadtrek... they are very well built as many other Class B's..
Most of the really cheap interiors I've seen are on the inexpensive Class C rigs.

We downsized last year. Went from a Fleetwoo Excursion 39L to a Rialta 03QD. Love the move, wife can drive, we can park it anywhere, fuel savings(15+ vs 8, gas vs diesel), still have two beds and can use as a second car when we are home just to name a few advantages. Left on a six thousand mile trip the month after purchase. Yes we have limited space but I carried three tool boxes with me before and can't really fix anything. We do have to pack a cooler as ref. is small but that really is the biggest disavantage. We really enjoyed the Fleetwood and do not regret owning it at all but it was time for us to downsize and we are really enjoying the move.
Ron 03 QD

I went from a full size class A to a Toyota mini. Due to a change I have been watching for a class B. I look and I look and can not bring myself to switch and will probably stick with the C.

Most small B's have small holding tanks and I don't like the idea of changing from bed to table or couch every night.

I also do most of my own maintenance and work and things are too tight on the B's that I have looked at.

If really concerned, rent one. This is definitely an individual preference. Some people need more storage than others.

As a single male, I don't really need much, so a class "B" provides plenty of storage for me, especially with putting everything into clear plastic tubs to minimize wasted space in the oddball nooks and crannies.

Had a 42 foot Beaver for 12 years and 122,000 miles. Plus a car to tow. Now have a 23 foot PleasureWay and don't tow anything. It is like having a cabin instead of a house. Everything is easier with a lot less stuff to break. The only thing I don't like is that it is less usable in sub freezing weather.

We've had zero problems with having enough interior storage.

For external storage (black hoses, fresh water hoses, sewer support, etc.) we use a hitch mounted cargo carrier and three totes. When we're staying longer than one night at a campground the totes go under the picnic table, the carrier gets folded up against the back of the B and doesn't interfere at all with finding parking spots if we go out sightseeing or to eat.

In our A we really carried a lot more stuff (and thus more weight) than we needed just because we had the space. It was all too easy to let stuff that really wasn't needed accumulate just because there was room.

A Class B will have next to no storage !

Clearly said by one who has never dealt with a B. My RT has an amazing amount of storage space.
Is it the same as a 40 foot DP? Of course not.
The main lack in mine is external storage. Inside, when we travel my storage spots are about 2/3 full.

A Class B will have next to no storage !

I would look for a small Class C.

We downsized from a 35' Class A to a Winnebago Travato 59K Class B this past March. It took some getting used to but we have absolutely no regrets. For us the pros far outweigh the cons. We enjoyed the almost ten years of RV'ing in our A, but all the things you listed certainly added a lot of stress. In the B we can go wherever we want w/o worrying about the roads or getting gas or parking. Set up is a breeze. We have the same freedom to travel and sleep in our own bed without any of the logistical hassles of the A.