ISO guidance, info about class B
Good evening all! My wife and I are starting to look at motorhomes for our many trips. We were hoping to get some input and opinions about some choices that might be available to us from seasoned ...
Forum Discussion
we have a Chev van based pleasure-way somewhat similar to the roadtreks you've seen. ours is 20' long and std width ( not a "wide body")
we are 2 and 85 pound dog.
our model has only the 2 seats up front which swivel- that allows the galley and cabinetry to be a little "less" congested than some other builds.
the rear is 2 couches which can be used as 2 singles or the bolsters fill the center for a queen-ish. we both fit, dog in the middle and she also has a bed up front between the seats
if you are tall don;t even look at sideways sleepers- nevermind the climb over to use the can at night
we do not use the tables- trays in the lap are easier
interior is just about 6'2" high
expect most units to have AC/DC and propane which will power hot water,furnace, stove, fridge etc
some will have an onboard genny ( which could power the house ac while parked- but I wouldn;t rely on that when hot)-
most will also have a powered roof vent/fan which can work well to keep a parked van near ambient temps ( runs on the DC power)I know that our white van parked in direct sun will stay close to ambient temps with the fan running.
we never use the shower...we do have an outside shower- so if we are somewhere remote enough that there are not showers...we can use that. also good for muddy boots, dog wash and cleaning fish.
easy to park and drive- heavy ( 8800#) tall and slow to get rolling...but a great way to go.
while you can "camp" anywhere we prefer to use campgrounds with AC power and use their showers etc.
good sam has an app ( also "rvparky) and koa...look at online or in person campgrounds so you know what to expect- look for "campgrounds" not permanent residents in trailers
most B's will have a TV antenna and a new flat screen is cheap and under $200- digital ready and may even have a USB port ( which is what we use to store movies etc)- older units may have older tv's which need converter boxes etc
when visiting family we often camp in the driveway and run an extension cord to the garage. easier than worrying about our dog eating their cat.
we came to this from tent-camping and rented a campervan in Ireland last year- we enjoyed that so much we started shopping the used market when we got home.
kick some tires go see some units, youtube videos from dealers can be really good at showing features and how interior space is used
roadtrek and pleasure-way have info on older models on the website
I prefer GM, so we skewed towards the chev 3500 ( 15 MPG) there are also older Ford and Dodge units out there
as for shopping- az has no tax on private party sales so a 10% saving staying away from teh dealer....craigslist has plenty listings
roadtrekchapter.org has classifieds too
our budget was about $65K...we ended up totally happy spending less than 1/2 of that on a 2006 model ( Pleasure-Way Lexor TD) w 80,000 miles.
we've added 20K to that.
so far we have done a month loop up to Ontario and a double handful of trips to California and Northern AZ. we keep the van kinda ready to go and the night before will turn on the fridge- and in the morning will stow the food.prep time is minimal...I even keep a weeks clothing stored in there
learning the energy, water and waste systems is a bit of a curve but it's not rocket surgery.
Youtube helps
Mike
we are 2 and 85 pound dog.
our model has only the 2 seats up front which swivel- that allows the galley and cabinetry to be a little "less" congested than some other builds.
the rear is 2 couches which can be used as 2 singles or the bolsters fill the center for a queen-ish. we both fit, dog in the middle and she also has a bed up front between the seats
if you are tall don;t even look at sideways sleepers- nevermind the climb over to use the can at night
we do not use the tables- trays in the lap are easier
interior is just about 6'2" high
expect most units to have AC/DC and propane which will power hot water,furnace, stove, fridge etc
some will have an onboard genny ( which could power the house ac while parked- but I wouldn;t rely on that when hot)-
most will also have a powered roof vent/fan which can work well to keep a parked van near ambient temps ( runs on the DC power)I know that our white van parked in direct sun will stay close to ambient temps with the fan running.
we never use the shower...we do have an outside shower- so if we are somewhere remote enough that there are not showers...we can use that. also good for muddy boots, dog wash and cleaning fish.
easy to park and drive- heavy ( 8800#) tall and slow to get rolling...but a great way to go.
while you can "camp" anywhere we prefer to use campgrounds with AC power and use their showers etc.
good sam has an app ( also "rvparky) and koa...look at online or in person campgrounds so you know what to expect- look for "campgrounds" not permanent residents in trailers
most B's will have a TV antenna and a new flat screen is cheap and under $200- digital ready and may even have a USB port ( which is what we use to store movies etc)- older units may have older tv's which need converter boxes etc
when visiting family we often camp in the driveway and run an extension cord to the garage. easier than worrying about our dog eating their cat.
we came to this from tent-camping and rented a campervan in Ireland last year- we enjoyed that so much we started shopping the used market when we got home.
kick some tires go see some units, youtube videos from dealers can be really good at showing features and how interior space is used
roadtrek and pleasure-way have info on older models on the website
I prefer GM, so we skewed towards the chev 3500 ( 15 MPG) there are also older Ford and Dodge units out there
as for shopping- az has no tax on private party sales so a 10% saving staying away from teh dealer....craigslist has plenty listings
roadtrekchapter.org has classifieds too
our budget was about $65K...we ended up totally happy spending less than 1/2 of that on a 2006 model ( Pleasure-Way Lexor TD) w 80,000 miles.
we've added 20K to that.
so far we have done a month loop up to Ontario and a double handful of trips to California and Northern AZ. we keep the van kinda ready to go and the night before will turn on the fridge- and in the morning will stow the food.prep time is minimal...I even keep a weeks clothing stored in there
learning the energy, water and waste systems is a bit of a curve but it's not rocket surgery.
Youtube helps
Mike
