Who has switched from a Class B to a C?

I bought a Sprinter C Winnebago 24G View. Love it. Double the room I had in the RT RS Adv 2012. The RT had a radio/rear view camera that went out of business in 2009 but was put in the RT 2012 RS. When I called Eclipse for service they told me that model was 2 years old. Later I was told they were out of business since 2009. I love the C, more room (2 slides) only a foot l'5" longer than the RT, and 10" wider. Still get good mileage with the Mercedes diesel. Comfortable. Dually provide stable platform. All in all, more amenities/electronics inside, better construction. Glad I made the switch, should have done it last year, would have saved me money.

I went from a '00 Roadtrek D190V to an '02 Roadtrek C190P to the current '06 Tiger CX in my first 3 years of RV'ing. I've had the Tiger for 7 1/2 years, never regretted it.

But at 19', my CX doesn't have much if any more room than the RT's, and maybe slightly less storage. 'tis a bit wind-noisy & rattley (4x4 suspension), but it's got _great_ cab comfort, impeccable driving manners, that lovely comfy overcab bunk, and (atypical for C's) I had a wide choice of drivetrains. I've never felt the need for a toad. If it got totaled or if it wears out, I'll buy another, no hesitation at all.

This was sunrise this past Sunday, at a mountaintop observatory about an hour north of here. .

Jim, "Paula Deen's restaurants are going to have a menu change. They're just going to serve crackers now."

Might be awhile before we see those Europen motorhomes as the Ford E-series plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, will continue making cutaways and stripped chassis through the rest of the decade, and will take over F-650 and F-750 production as that is brought up from a Navistar factory in Mexico. With what RV 's like to pack and tow along with them, I think we'll see more pickup truck based units with the F-550 and F-650 as the base.

mlts22 wrote:
I wish I could go with a "C", but I'd have to sell where I live in order to have space for one, so it is a "B" or nothing.

If its a space and not HOA issue, it might be that the flexible Ducato front drive chassis cab will lead to a B sized rig with two big slides that would not be possible in a van conversion.

I wish I could go with a "C", but I'd have to sell where I live in order to have space for one, so it is a "B" or nothing.

The "C" market is going to be changing radically in the next 1-2 years, in a way that hasn't been seen in decades, mainly due to the fact that the Econoline is being phased out, and two new RV-friendly chassis models are hitting our shores. The Ducato is the mainstay of European "C"s, in fact, Fiat is the only vehicle chassis maker with a website for motorhomes (fiatcamper.com.) Caveat: That is just European stuff for now.

If one can wait a year or two, the market is going to be changing radically. The result will be more economical motorhomes all the way around.

Our first RV was a B on the Sprinter chassis. We spent 3 monthes touring the Canadian Maritimes and New England. We loved touring but not the available space--too tight.

We traded the B and purchased a Phoenix Cruiser 2350 on the Sprinter chassis in 2010. Liked the room but hated the corner bed. We did not tow with the 2350. That was in 2010.

In 2011 traded the 2350 for a Phoenix Cruiser 2551 on the Ford chassis. The twin beds and more livable space fit our needs. We started towing a vehicle.

Now that we have found that we REALLY enjoy touring and there is so much to see, we traded the 2551 for a 2013 Phoenix Cruiser 2910 (custom) and we tow a Honda Fit. It is much easier to tour with the Fit and leave the MH at the campsite--and more economical as well.

We liked the MPG's with the Sprinters but liveable space outweighed the good mileage.

We went from a B+ (21' Chinook) to a small C (24.5') two years ago. The Chinook could be parked anywhere a dually pickup could park. The Navion cannot. With both we pulled a utility trailer sometimes. With the Navion we sometimes pull a small 4x4 toad.

The Sprinter V6 must be a bunch quieter than the 5 cylinder and it's quieter than the 460 was and I don't have an engine in the cab with me. When I drove a V-10 C it was louder than the V6 too. The driving position of the Sprinter is much better than the Ford was. Stability is better than the Chinook was in winds. Later Sprinters must have been improved.

I went from a GWV Ford based B, to a small C on a Chevy platform, the LTV Libero. I wanted the space to live in it for half the year... a separate shower, a decent sized fridge, and a usable galley - and I didn't like the Ford handling.

I didn't tow before and I don't tow now.

PSW wrote:
We are considering moving from a B to a C. I would appreciate any others that had done that in recent years to share their reasons and how it worked out.

We recently sold our 2006 Sprinter based Class B Great West motorhome and bought a C (or B+) 22' BT Cruiser.

While the BT Cruiser is the same length as the Sprinter B van, it is about 12 inches wider overall, and has a lot more room inside. The bathroom is larger, the kitchen is larger, there is a full size dinette (which converts to a bed), and a couch that also converts to a 6' 2" bed.

I no longer bump my head going in and out, and the two of us can move around freely inside and feel like we have plenty of space and privacy.

Going from the Sprinter diesel to the Ford V10 also was a big change. On the Sprinter, we usually got around 20mpg on diesel - which we paid an average of $3.90 a gallon.

With the Ford V10 on the e350 platform, we get 11 to 12 mpg, and pay about 50 cents less per gallon.

We end up paying more for fuel, but my wife says having the extra room inside is well worth the difference.

Another thing - with the rear dual wheels, the BT Cruiser is a lot more stable on the road than the Sprinter - we are no longer affected by passing trucks or moderate side winds like we were in the Sprinter.

And the Ford V10 is a lot quieter than the 5 cylinder diesel in the Sprinter. We can now carry on a normal conversation at highway speeds and not hear the motor.

While we liked the looks of B motorhomes, they were just too tight inside for us to enjoy. Now that we have the BT Cruiser (which is sometimes referred to as a B+), we have the convenience of a small package with a lot more room inside.

Bill

We went from a C to a B+ and do not tow. It is narrow enough that we can visit most places we want without a car. I would try some trips without a car to see if you feel you really need one. The few times we might need a car I think we would rent. We do have a scooter and a trailer and might take it a few places for fun.