Question to Class B manufacturers

mlts22 wrote:
Don't mean to hijack, but there are a few things about "B"s which make them an exception to the RV industry:

The one thing about class "B"s is that they are definitely 1-2 tiers above what you might find in other RV types. You don't see push-button positive latches in truck campers, or class "A"s. Because it takes a lot of custom work to upfit a van into a usable unit, not to mention the hundreds of compromises that have to be made, "B"s are not cheap.

But you get what you pay for. I don't read about a five year old Roadtrek being towed to the junkyard because cabover rot completely trashed the rig, nor do I read about having to go on the roof and do various types of patching jobs with paint-on goop, Eternabond, butyl tape, caulk, elastomer epoxy spray, or all the above at once. In fact, I rarely read about class "B" leaks, and if so, it usually is a faulty window... nod a dud roof.

Then there is the resale value. A 2006 T1N Sprinter Roadtrek goes for $48995 at PPL. This is a unit that is one model year from being booted from every RV park in central Texas due to the 10 year rule... but has lost about 20% of its value in over 10 years. I don't know many RVs that have this little deprecation after a decade.

Now here is the ironic part: What I've been seeing with class "B"s is more innovation than any other RV segment:

In the past five years, travel trailers have sprouted more televisions, maybe even jumped to LED lighting. Similar with class "C"s. Neither of these are really earth-shaking developments. I replaced my trailer's light bulbs with LEDs for a buck a piece from a no-name ebay supplier.

Same five years, here is what I've seen go on with class "B"s:

• A move to fully electric awnings with a LED light strip.
• SMEV/Dometic flush stove and sink.
• The replacing of the water heater and furnace with a combined unit that does both their function for less space.
• 800 ampere-hour battery packs.
• Hydronic heating.
• Curved overhead panels to maximize space.
• The movement from just the Chevrolet Express and the Sprinter chassis (with a few Ford E-350s here and there like the PW Excel) to having a reasonably priced Euro-style van... the ProMaster, a midrange van, the Ford Transit, and a van with all the safety features of any other luxury car on the road (the Sprinter.)
• Multiple floor plans, be it the traditional sofa bed, twin beds, or European style half dinettes with various sleeping setups in the back.
  
• The tiny little absorption fridge replaced by a compressor fridge storing more in the same volume... or taller absorption fridges that store 5-7 cubic feet of goods
  
• The movement to very sleek windows.
  
• Advances in insulation that are not seen on other RV types.
  
• Solar either standard or an option on virtually any new "B". Most RV models, this isn't available, unless one gets it installed by the dealer.

So, even though "B"s may not have some of the gewgaws, they are the fastest advancing sector of the RV market.

Good points but for one problem: all these goodies when incorporated into a B model results in about 130 to 140 or more thousands of dollars, well, US prices may be lower but in US currency, still pricey. There are C models and especially A models with those goodies so while I agree that B Sprinters have potentially more to offer, if you pay the bucks, they are not exclusive to having these options either. I think the problem is the basic MB Sprinter is very pricey to start with. If you price any/amy B or small C model with good equipment you find the price is a lot lower, ie if you get the Ford chassis instead of MB chassis.