Q re horsepower

rdoty,

We have owned four class Bs and two Class Cs over the years. I can tell you this: if I were traveling alone and wanted to really see the country, I have no doubt what I would get for that task. Roadtrek 190P. We owned a 190 and a 210 over the years and the 210 was good for my wife, my dog and myself for two week boondocking sessions. The 190 is simply easier to park, drive and enjoy in my opinion. Adequate storage and adequate tank size....something that folks often forget to compare. There are a lot of 190s around and you can easily find what you need. I would look for one with the armoire replacing the third seat and have the ability to put a months worth of clothes in the B for one person.

Also, the Chevy 6L is a marvelous, trouble free, easily repaired engine. There is not a small town in America or Canada that doesn't have somebody that can work on this Chevy motor. The older Roadtreks are extremely well built, as are the Pleasure Ways. I just like the shorter, more elusive look of the RT. Park it in most any space and enjoy the country. As to the ability to go up them thar hills, I have been over virtually every pass in Colorado with one or the other of our Roadtreks. No sweat.


Paul

donn0128 wrote:
HP does not move a load, torque does. 22 feet is mighty small for long term. My 36 foot fiver is adequate for two. But there is no way I would go smaller even alone. Small is fine for a weekend but a week or months worth of clothes would be cramped.

Space is a personal preference. Two of us and our and our two dogs fit nicely in a 24' ERA and have had a 20' class B in the past without difficulty We have traveled for over six weeks in our ERA and have a few longer trips planned.

OP: if you are alone and in no hurry, who cares how long it takes to get over a pass? In our 50k + class B experience all we have seen will make it over. You can always alter your route a bit, but should not have to. Good luck!

when we were shopping- youtube videos from RV dealers were really handy at showing features and esp. the ease with which the sales person moved around the coach...sometimes not so much.
storage
features and the "systems" gas, ac, dc, plumbing etc

the more you "kick tires" the better you can order your needs.

mike

Thanks for the comments. I've got a lot of time to pull together info and narrow my choices - and refine my bucket list. And as far as HP vs Torque I won't get into that debate because then we start talking energy/time and F=MA and then we get into a physics lesson. One thing I definitely don't want is a land yacht, and I don't mean to offend anybody, but I might as well as drive my car and stay in a motel with free continental breakfast, TV and they make the beds. I'll be content with something more compact that will carry my golf clubs, bowling balls, radio equipment, has a coffee pot and a hot plate and a bed - and I don't have to worry about where can I park for the night.
I'll be checking in on a regular basis to increase my knowledge. And if anybody wants to add more comments I'd welcome them.
Thanks again.

To the OP rdoty, it sounds like you are the right track, especially if you are alone. We down sized from a 30' 5th wheel and jokingly say that we have everything we had in the 5th wheel but it's all in a phone booth. It helps that we are hobbits but the amount of space that you "need" depends on your physical size and your mental attitude. We live in a 1996 Roadtrek 190 Popular for 6 - 8 months each year for the last 2-1/2 years and have travelled 43,000 miles. Back in the 70's 18' was big and 24' was huge. Most B's are 20' - 22'. Our home base is Alberta and we have family in Breckenridge CO, so we are familiar with with the elevation changes and mountains. Our unit is not a power house but it handles any mountains we have been in just fine. It has 220 HP and 295 Ft.Lbs of torque at 3200 RPM. I installed a tachometer and keep it at the 3200 rpm on steep climbs, which is around 50 MPH in 3rd gear. It is a 4 speed transmission.

The ease of driving, ability to park on the street, camp in small spaces, not towing, and be home where ever you stop, to us, is the big advantage. For some it would be too confining!

Your budget($35,000 - $50,000) should get you a good 6 - 12 year old Class B in gas or diesel. Take your time and you'll find one that suits your needs. We looked for 5 months. Also small Class C's 20-22 feet have larger bath rooms/showers, a little more room, and less money, which still may work for you.

Good luck and you can PM me with any questions.

Rialtas are hard to find parts for, if not impossible, and if you do find them they are very expensive. If you don't have time to spend hunting down parts, and doing repairs yourself, expect to pay a mechanic a lot of money. Why bother with the hassle when there are so many good Roadtreks in your price range. As far as size, you will do fine in a Class B, don't listen to the nay sayers. What you give up in size, will be more than made up for by the maneuverability, and places you can go, and camp.

I guess I'm one of those Rialta bashers, but for good reason. :E

rdoty wrote:
My question is: where can I find HP/Torque/GVW numbers for the more popular RV's?

for Pleasure-Way and Roadtrek brochures and owners manuals for "legacy" models are available easily online, check their websites

the VW I "think" was about 160 HP for the first few years then went up to about 200 HP.
lots of Guys bash the Rialta- I think the lay out ( there are 4 floorplans) is pretty neat.
They will not fly up the mountains, but they get there...I got passed by a couple of Rialtas on the flat this summer.
Standing up is important to me, the rialta didn;t suit me.

My 2006 PW w/ chev is a 6.0 300 HP 360 ft lbs both at over 4000 rpms...I cruise around 70 it is fine. and returns about 15 MPG

BTW that is a healthy budget...my budget last year was closer to 65K...in the end we found a van we love for less than 1/2 our budget
every van is a pile of compromises, the PW suited us better than the RT, Rialta and Chinooks we considered.

One thing which you may consider in CO, the rated output of a gas genny will drop at altitude...Onan has a chart somewhere, my 2800 watt becomes more like an 2200 watt at 5000'.
many of us don;t ever use the genny- preferring campgrounds w electrical service ( same with built in shower- never use it)


Mike

Some of those models are based on the diesel platform. In any case, they will all make it over the mountain, and in the end, the one you find that has been well cared for and has had regular roof cleanings and recaulkings and it has been lightly used but enjoyed by caring owners will be the one you select.

HP does not move a load, torque does. 22 feet is mighty small for long term. My 36 foot fiver is adequate for two. But there is no way I would go smaller even alone. Small is fine for a weekend but a week or months worth of clothes would be cramped.