Why are class B's & conversion vans so expensive?

When looking at class "C"s, they take a pretty big depreciation hit, almost in the range of 20% when you drive it off the dealer lot.

"B"s, when looking at a 2012 used model versus a 2013-2014, there might be $4000-$5000 difference at most. With the market as it is now, might as well keep one's eyes peeled on rvtrader, and be prepared to buy within minutes to hours of seeing the listing.

A good example of this was a PW Excel on PPL's site I saw today that went for a price between $75k and $79k. It never made it to the webpage before it had a "Sold" tag. (I check PPL daily.)

So true about holding value. I got my Roadtrek 14 months ago. Today I checked the NADA value and it's worth more than I paid for my (used) unit.

Class C motorhomes are made from the inside out. The frame is built, the cabinets are installed before the siding is put on. The class B is built from the outside in. Much more labor involved in building a Class B. If you compare an inexpensive Class C that sells new for about the same price as a new class B there is no comparison in the quality. Class B's are not for everyone. You can usually get about 25% off MSRP on a class C while class B's are usually around 15% off MSRP. You don't need to haul a toad around with a class B because you use it as your go for vehicle. Some people use them as a second car.

NCWriter wrote:
Class Bs also hold their value, for all the reasons above, so when it comes time to sell, assuming good standards of maintenance, you recoup a greater percentage of your initial purchase than you would with most A or C units.

I've seen used 06 Sprinters recently online with same asking price that we paid three years ago. Hard to know if they'll get what they are asking. But Mercedes Diesel engines are just getting warmed up and raring to go at 75,000 miles.

You are absolutely right.The Sprinter uses Mercedes engine,trans and chassis(costly to produce) and it is a commercial-grade vehicle of high quality and construction. You dont get the groans and squeals like other chassis. The cost of conversion is very high given, as noted, the high quality cabinetry installed piece by piece by licenced and experienced carpenters. Resale is remarkable. My 2006 PW Plateau TS had a resale value of around 70,000$ last year. I didnt pay that because i am foxy, eh?...
AL

PeteCo wrote:
Reasons for high price:
Higher demand than availability for used units
Low production rate
Custom fit of cabinets and other components
Exchange rate makes Canada made items higher (Roadtrek, Pleasureway, etc)

Hopefully the new Ford and Chrysler vans will help drive the basic cost of the van down over time. Also, if more US based manufacturers get into making B's that will help. But for now, prices are high.

Not so.Canadian dollar is lower than US dollar. IF you check the prices of Canadian built B class Rvs sold in the US you will find that they are way cheaper Stateside. That applies to almost anything Canadians buy in Canada compared to buying the same thing in the US. My BMW is way,way cheaper in the US.

RetSgt7114 wrote:

To each his own I guess. I wouldn't mind having one for a quick short get-away, but they are too much for too little in my opinion.

Actually, I think a class B really shines on extended road trips, at least for us. Instead of getting 8 mpg, a B gets double (or triple with some diesel Sprinters) the mileage. So we can go at least twice as far on the same gallon. And for touring America or Canada on a long road trip, we have minimal hassle for setting up/tearing down our campsite every few nights.

"Too little" is relative - some of us use our class Bs for three months or more touring per year and some of us use ours a lot as a second vehicle, too, parked right in the driveway...and the other day, we hauled a new door from Lowe's in it!....so we get a lot of bang for the buck.

But you are absolutely right, to each his own. There's an RV for every phase of life, every style of camping, every budget.

We must also realize that our B's have all of the items a much larger RV has so a lot of planning and tedious work goes into fitting all that stuff in a much smaller van and still make it usable.

RetSgt7114 wrote:
I'm sorry folks, but there is no way that anyone can justify the extreme class B prices, even with the points mentioned.

Yup, we all have opinions and none of them matter a whit when it comes to the market and prices. As long as the manufacturers are having no problem selling as many of these as they can produce, the price will be what it will be...

When the market collapsed, many people downsized to Class B units... people who were used to more luxurious RVs than the old Van conversions many of us grew up with. The manufacturers are merely giving people what they want.

For those that want a basic bare-bones Van Camper, there is always Sportsmobile who build their units one at a time letting you put in what you can afford.

Try parking an A or 5'er in downtown Anywhere. TT's can be just as bad when coming upon an unexpected treasure worth visiting. Besides why not, B people are nicer!

Class Bs are a fairly small niche today. In the past, they were more mainstream, but after 2008 killed all but the most tenacious RV makers, class Bs were mainly aimed at the upscale market. This is why one sees a lot of Sprinter upfits upwards of the $120k mark.

This might change next year, when the Transit and ProMaster get RV makers upfitting them. The good thing about $60-80k "B"s (am guesstimating prices here) will be that it will help the used market as time goes on. Time will tell.

There is also one other thing about "B"s after comparing them to other rigs. Quality, fit, and finish of furniture. That "C" may be cheaper, but in 10-15 years, the "B" will be on the road.