24 foot Class B Questions

[GizmosMom]

Our old 2000 van has cost us plenty this year. We take good care of it and are up with the maintenance but things happen.

This year alone we have replaced all six tires, new rear brakes, new motor for passenger side window and new computer.

We headed out on a nice Friday in July and our destination was the Grand Mesa in Colorado. We got as far as Sweetwater, Texas, where we stopped for lunch. The van would not start. After some "wraggling" with Good Sam Roadside Assistance we found a place that would at least look at it and it was towed to a Dodge Dealer in Abilene. The rebuilt ECM that was replaced in May failed...so a new one was ordered and our trip was history.

Now we have a gray water water leak and we are replacing the Dometic refrigerator that died in October.

We looked at new vans (yikes $$$$$$) and saw some real "Purdy" ones but decided to wait.

Now for my question: We looked at some ERA's and an airstream and they were 24 feet long. Do any of you use these as a daily driver? And where do you hang your clothes? We saw some very small closets. Do you hang your clothes in the shower stall?

We will keep on camping with our beloved old van but will continue to look for a gently used van that fits our needs.

Does anyone else have an older van that they keep pouring money into?

Thanks!

[rexlion]

mlts22 wrote:
...The downside of cassettes is that for one person, a 20 gallon tank can last a long time, while a cassette might last a day or two at most...

Wow, you must go a lot! I have had a porta potti last an entire 10 day trip, traveling alone. And no, I was not using the rest areas or CG toilets very much.

Lynne paid $1200 for front brakes?? That sounds incredibly high. Are van brakes really that expensive?

[GizmosMom]

Lynn, I understand what you (and most everyone else) are saying but...the van is 13 years old! We will just keep gently using it. I do drive it almost every day around town to do errands.

We are on our knees and our fingers are crossed!

[Fastpaddler]

Lynne Jayzee
If your batteries are not holding a charge when your RV is parked and power is shut off to unit, then it might suggest new batteries. Do you have a generator?If you are parked with no shore power and are allowed to start your generator it should charge up the batteries,if they are any good, but slower than if you drove the vehicle and had the alternator from the truck charging the batteries while you are on the road. I am not sure how long it would take to charge the batteries if your vehicle was stationary with the engine running. I can charge my depleted single house battery in about an hour via the generator although some argue that is not possible. Where i live it is mild in winter so I just leave the battery in the vehicle, make sure power is shut off to RV and attach a small solar panel which trickle charges it. If in a cold climate better to remove the battery(ies) and keep in the garage or basement,preferably plugged into a trickle charger. With any luck you may be ok on the trip but if you have NO generator then you might have to run the engine enough to charge up the batteries.As for the engine ie truck battery it should be started occasionally in winter if you are leaving it in the vehicle. A battery can ``freeze`` up in very cold weather if left too long unused. Water levels in house batteries need to be checked too as a low cell can cause battery failure. Hope this helps a little.

[Fastpaddler]

jirai
Exactly my sentiments.In fact, my 06 Pleasureway Plateau TS(07 build), has just about everthing the 2013 has and in fact, I prefer my TV/VCR set up at the back.But my fridge -- I believe-- is smaller.

[Lynne_Jayzee]

Marilyn, I think you'd be crazy to trade in your "pre-owned" unit for someone else's.

I remember being at one of the rallies and telling someone (probably "I am Canadian " John) that I really wish I could buy a new Class B. He said that I should just buy a used one, and I said "I already have one of those." Ha! Why trade your problems for some other ones?

On the plus side, my refrigerator was kickin' butt on a camping trip this past weekend. I had it on the number 3 setting and it hovered around 34 degrees. I was lovin' it!

You know I feel good about my rig when I've planned a camping trip in a few weeks on a lakeside site without any hook ups. My biggest concern is the batteries. I know that I need new ones. Just don't want to get them before the winter...that would be stupid, since I can't be plugged in at the storage facility.

- LJZ
Hello World!
2002/2003 Pleasure-Way Excel-TS

[GizmosMom]

I hope that we can keep using our van. It has everything we want in a van. Dual tires in rear and a kind size bed that is pretty comfy. We can stand up straight. And now we have a new refrigerator, too!

Hopefully the end is in sight, repair-wise.

It's nice to hear that others also are driving older units.

[jjrai]

I have a 2006 Leisure Travel Free Spirit. It has 80,000 miles. We lost a tire recently due to a bad belt, but it was my fault due to under-inflation. I put all new pads and rotors, new shocks and struts all around. New galley faucet and my water pump has a slow leak.

The cost to replace with a new one is about $100,000 or more. The new ones are beautiful, but the layouts and technology are not that much different. In light of that, the repairs are a bargain.

[Fastpaddler]

Sorry about your costs. Unfortunately, tires should be basically replaced at 5 or 6 years even if tread is great.Rubber gets hard and tire can fail.I had it happen with a dualie tire. House batteries last only so long depending on useage and other factors. It is really a service item that is not unusual. Brakes are also service item so not uncommon event. If your vehicle is reliable otherwise and you are happy with it, you are correct to note that "these expenses are making me a little bit crazy,but they are'nt enough to justify the expense of a new rv". Absolutely. It seems many Rvers keep their B Rvs long term and keep up maintenance which is cheaper than a new one if it costs you a grand or two a year,really! Happy rving...

AL

[Lynne_Jayzee]

GizmosMom wrote:
Does anyone else have an older van that they keep pouring money into?

Back to the original topic...

I've been starting to feel the same way about my 2002/2003 Pleasure-Way Excel.

I had to replace the front brakes in 2011 at a cost of $1200. Last year was uneventful, but this year I finally decided to have my leaky black tank fixed. It was the best $150.00 ever spent.

About 2 months ago, the van started vibrating like crazy at speeds over 60mph. I stopped at a Ford dealer on my way to Lake Norman because I just couldn't take it anymore. It was scary. It turned out that the belt was broken in my rear, passenger side tire. They suggested replacing both rear tires to the tune of $420.00. The tread on those tires looked practically new (they were 5 years old with maybe 20K miles). I was told that the tire could've blown at any minute, so I'm grateful to have avoided a potential disaster.

My hot water heater temperature/pressure relief valve started leaking while on that same outing to Lake Norman. That was a $100.00 repair.

I need to replace my 2 coach batteries soon, and that should set me back another $300.00 or so. I'm waiting until next spring for that.

These expenses are making me a little bit crazy, but they aren't enough to justify the expense of a new RV.

- LJZ

[Fastpaddler]

Interesting perspective.Booster. I understand the point re having one side with floor to ceiling cupboards,a bathroom and such, on the drivers side. But DW view is not from a DRIVER's perspective rather a conseptual viewpoint. If one looks into the Sprinter and sees a solid set of 'cabinetry' on the drivers side then one has to look at the other side which has a kitchen which is next to the sliding door, a place to view OUT and to pass OUT cocktails,snacks,and stuff. Also, as noted, having the galley on the passenger side means a direct connection outside to the awning when out and all the outside activities--which you dont have when the galley is on the drivers side.I do note that the galley in the Sprinters ie mine, is narrow and a bit claustrophobic & narrow in the aisle but one gets used to it. But, from a driver's viewpoint, one can see straight back and out the rear window using the rear view mirror. The bathroom in our unit is a decent size unlike, I regret having to say, the bathroom in a 190, or especially a 170 which in these cases requires showering in the hallway. I DO like the Roadtreks but I had only considered a Roadtrek 210 for that reason especially and others. But the 210 is 22 ft and I got a 22 ft Sprinter and it had other factors, at highter cost, but diesel and MB chassis--a big plus. As you note:"...to each their own".
2. Re Davydd's perspective,I concur. I am not seeing any great advantage over Sprinters so far. The new 4 cyl diesels that would compare roughly to the I-5 we have, do not compare with the V6 diesel in torque terms. We shall see.
PS: I am a gourmet cook(26 yrs) and I cook a lot inside AND outside. When I am cooking breakfast outside, I call out to my sous chef,Shirley, who passes the implements,cutlery,eggs,sausages etc and, my bourbon(before dinner) out the sliding door where I cook outside often under the awning. With the gallery, I repeat, on the driver's side, the task is a real pain. Sorry.
Cheers
AL

[booster]

Fastpaddler wrote:
Like I noted elsewhere: I looked at a 2012 Roadtrek Adventurous yesterday and simply could not understand the logic of having the galley on the drivers side. Nice rig. Dumb layout.Sorry.I am a pragmatic(but good-natured) design engineer--not of RVs, of course.
Hi David.Thought you were on a long trip.
AL

We have a Roadtrek C190P with the galley on the drivers side, and like it there. You have to remember that it was put there before the (in our opinion unnecessary) megabaths started to appear in B's, so all the windows of the Chevy/Dodge side doors were usable and had windows. When they started putting full height/width bathrooms in, there just wasn't room for the bath on passenger side (look at a Roadtrek 190 with a permanent bath), so many moved them. They also left out all the floor to ceiling cabinets on the passenger side, for "openness", at the expense of storage.

DW is moderately claustrophobic, and had lots of trouble in the vans with a floor to ceiling wall of bathroom and cabinets down the driver side, with no windows or spaces from the front seat to the bed. She had no trouble with the considerably smaller inside Roadtrek, and all we can figure out is that the area in the middle of the van widens out to the counterspace, with light from a window, so there is alternating space on each side as you move to the rear. I am not claustrophobic, but the appearance of one side wide open and the other solid does feel unbalanced to me. To each their own, I guess, but it is nice to be able to see out that side and get some light in. Just how much time do folks spend in the kitchen cooking that it makes a difference? I would bet we don't spend more than 10 minutes a week, as we cook outdoors all the time, so conversation is not an issue.

[MickD]

Here are a few of the european vans to compare.

click

Mick

[Davydd]

I'm sure there will be a ProMaster market for Bs but with current vans if you are going to spend a minimum of $80,000 plus I am still going to be in the market for another Sprinter as long as I can afford it. I doubt there can be much more than $10,000 base difference. The only thing attractive about the ProMaster and its siblings is the extra 3" width. That could be precious but at the same time I don't want to be much wider than what I have. Length wise they seem to be in an awkward length compared to Sprinter offerings but may have greater appeal by staying under 22 feet. The elevated cab floor is going to be a limiting design Achilles heel, IMO. I don't like that at all. So far most designs I've seen have awkward transitions and design limitations.

Of course, I'd have to drive one to compare to a Sprinter but right now I have a hard time seeing where a ProMaster van would have any quality, handling, comfort or driveability advantages over a Sprinter. Few in America can express an opinion about that at this time.

Pluses? Well, it definitely could open up new ideas and design features for Bs of all makes. Shaking the bushes so to speak. Also, I would never consider the ProMaster from what I've seen so far until I see the final off the line Ford Transit.

[RobertRyan]

Of course, GM will have to figure out how to get the five speed manual and Multijet engine which works everywhere else in the world up to US specs (US customers demand an auto transmission and the EPA here requires very high emissions standards.)

That emissions requirement is more an urban myth in the US. Overseas companies have no problems meeting it(Notice how many Japanese diesel trucks are in the US? not counting, BMW, Mercedes, Audi etc diesel SUV's)
The problem is when people like Navistar have to meet the current Euro 6 , a bridge too far(they wanted to sell a Cabover outside the US..went nowhere) .. The 3.2 Diesel in the up coming Transit cannot be modified for Euro 6 , but will be able to to meet new US Tier Regulations.
Their is an Automatic it is an "Automated Manual" like the Ducato.

Unsurprisingly, the most efficient Berlingo variant matches the 123g/km CO2 output of the mechanically-identical Peugeot Partner thanks to idle-stop and six-speed automated manual transmission operated via a dial mounted on the dashboard.