Advice on purchasing a used class B

[lucytravel12]

We bought a 1987 Falcon a few years ago. We've loved traveling in it, but we're really too old for the bed above the cab and want some modern amenities. We're looking for a replacement. Less than 10 years old, with either 2 twin beds or at least a queen size. A bathroom I can shower in (I hate campground showers). Any suggestions? Also, are there any sites where I can find advice on how to "inspect" a used camper? Thanks, Lucy

[Fastpaddler]

lucytravel12 wrote:
We've just about narrowed our search down to PW or LTV. Anybody have opinions on the pro's and con's on these two?

I like both the LTV products and Pleasure-way. Our 06(07 build) PW Plateau TS is 21ft10ins and fits tightly into a standard parking space here. It has a typical Mercedes good turning circle and rides like a car. Our PW has arguably one of the best wet baths in terms of size and has a nice cabinet with drawers,vanity and no isle showering!!! I am 6ft1in so the shower was a consideration for me as I don't like using public facilities. Our Honey Maple cabinetry is as good as you get out there. LTVS and PWS are expensive new but a good used one should be affordable. I prefer the diesel for the great mpg.
Happy looking
AL

[Fastpaddler]

Our Pleasure-way Plateau TS is an ideal B van for short or long trips. We have spent more than 2 weeks at one location. The wet bath is one of the biggest and PW cabinetry is hard to beat for quality. We get 30 mpg on an Imperial gallon which is about 22 to 24 on the US gallon. Drives like a car and with a good turning circle and small size is easy to park in small parking lots. It uses diesel with the 5spd turbo 5 cyl engine and the drivetrain will likely outlast me and the next two owners!

It is important for the OP to decide on price range and features they need and then go look for something to meet that standard.
Happy hunting

AL

[ernie1]

lucytravel12;
We had a 1989 Falcon 190 similar to what you have now except that I think I recall that your original couch was replaced? Well anyhow we used to sleep on the couch which was way too small and blocked the access to the bathroom and refrigerator when it was set up. Now we have a Pleasure-Way Excel TD. The advantages over the Falcon are, twin beds at the rear, a bit more spacious because it's a wide body, the Ford v10 has a lot more useable power than the 460 in the Falcon and it gets 12-14 mpg vs. 8-11 mpg on the460. Also the v10 has a 5spd trans(think overdrive) vs. the 3spd with the Falcon. The brakes on the PW are disc brakes front and rear as compared to the Falcon's front disc rear drum setup. I was always leery of the Falcon's brakes.
What I do miss about the Falcon is the separate shower/tub from the toilet whereas the PW has a wet bath. Also the Falcon had a very quiet heater which was located at the very rear of the coach as compared to the loud heater located at the center of the coach in the PW.
I say go with the PW or the LTV you'll like both.

[lucytravel12]

This is getting more & more confusing. There are WAY too many options!!! I was at a dealer looking at the 2016 Airstream Interstate and it had a great automatic "dumping" system - does anyone know if other brands have this feature? If so, how far back would used models have it? Thanks for all the great responses!
Lucy

[NCWriter]

mrshowtime3 wrote:
We always thought we wanted a B until we saw a bunch of them at the Hershey show. Was surprised how tiny they felt, and we expected tiny. Dont know how 2 people do the 59G or something that size. And many of the wet baths are just borderline unusable and we are 5'8"

I get what you are saying. Years ago, I looked at a couple of B vans at an RV show that convinced me they were too small, and I walked away - looked at other options like trailers for a long time before coming full circle back to the B idea. After seeing the one we bought, I realized that some other layouts have a much less open feeling due to cabinet placement.

In our 22’ van, I can be stretched out reading on the bed in the back, but have an unobstructed view straight ahead to the windshield. It has a very spacious feel compared to many, which makes B living much more viable for me.

[NCWriter]

lucytravel12 wrote:
We've just about narrowed our search down to PW or LTV. Anybody have opinions on the pro's and con's on these two?

They both have a good reputation for quality and I don't think you could go wrong with either one.

We bought a used 2006 LTV five years ago and it has been one of the best purchases we've ever made. The chassis, solid wood interior cabinetry and fittings have all held up beautifully to rambling down a lot of rough roads. Fuel mileage has been outstanding. The seats up front are quite comfortable for long hours on the road. Every time I think about getting something bigger to more easily accommodate our big dog and all her stuff, I remember how much I love it and put off looking again.

It's just an ideal RV for two people, and we've lived in it more than two months at a stretch.. Already thinking about our next long trip for summer 2016.

[lucytravel12]

Sebtown,
Does your Airstream Airstream have twin beds toward the front? If so, how much space is there between the beds when they're laid out for sleeping? Enough to keep them made up for bed all the time?

[Sebtown]

We were researching used class B's and mostly focused on Roadtrek or Pleasure Way, when a friend mentioned Great West Vans, I was intrigued, as a former Winnipeger I thought it would be good to check out a Manitoba made product. I never got a chance to see a GWV because a few days later an Airstream Airstream (which wasn't even on my radar) popped up locally at a great price and I bought it immediately. Our AI has many of the features we were looking for and we continue to improve it to our needs. This was 3 years and 20,000 miles ago and I havs no regrets having made the snap decesion to purchase a "B" I hadn't previously considered. My purchase advice, if you are in the used market, is be ready to jump on the first one the checks most of the boxes on your list. If buying new you can be more particular. It appears the only way to get everything you want is Advanced RV but the wait list there sounds substantially long. Maybe we didn't get everything we wanted with our purchase but we did get most of everything we need. Happy shopping.

[mkguitar]

lucytravel12 wrote:
...narrowed our search down to PW ...

we have a 2006 Lexor Td on a chev chassis.

we are completely satisifed with the chassis - we have other chevy's so familiar lay out and easy to work on- parts and service anywhere.
the 6.0 is well sized to the weight and we get 15MPG


...and the conversion.
Our model has solid maple cabinet fronts and a nice appearance. the layout of the electrical, plumbing and propane systems is very good quality.
one reservation is that the vinyl stick on covering on the walls of part of the galley and the head has suffered 10 years in the desert heat ( Phoenix)- a minor thing and I barely notice it- not worth fixing.
I have also had to tighten all the cabinetry screws about 1/4 turn- not uncommon for wood to shrink subjected to our dry climate.
and I did a little fixin on the curtain rails

as I posted earlier, we don;t use the aisle shower- either campground shower or the outdoor shower.

the 2 burner stovetop works well- and we have a galley sink and a sink in the head
the gas furnace is loud- but hot ( we use a small quiet space heater when on shore power). the hot water heater works very well. the 3 way fridge works well- even at 100º.
the roof ac is good, somewhat noisy
the genny underneath we generally don;t use- it's loud like a lawnmower
the insulation on teh unit is quitte good for temperature and noise.
ventilation is good with the roof fan/ vent and side windows open

our model has a "queen" kinda size bed- 73" long on one side and 70" on the other.

easy access to the systems for checking, adjustment/repairs.
we have one large underneath storage bay which holds a tool set, rubber boots, drain and fill hoses, electrical cables etc.
there is some storage at the rear under part of the bed.
we find the cabinetry offers ample space for our clothing, food and kitchen stuff

as I suggested earlier about the old Era I saw, lift the cushions- look at the craftsmanship of the build- no matter which maker you choose

mike

[AsheGuy]

lucytravel12 wrote:
Or maybe Great West Vans - there are too many to choose from!

Yes, Great West is a quality equal to PW and LTV. We would have considered it seriously also but at the time there was no dealer in our state or any state close enough to see one.

[lucytravel12]

Or maybe Great West Vans - there are too many to choose from!

[AsheGuy]

lucytravel12 wrote:
We've just about narrowed our search down to PW or LTV. Anybody have opinions on the pro's and con's on these two?

We looked at and considered both when we bought our LTV in 2005. They both are high quality conversions. We picked the LTV only because of a few features we wanted that the PW didn't have at the time. But they were just personal preferences, no reflection on the PW. Friends of ours bought a used PW Plateau (2006) a couple of years ago and they are quite happy with it.

[lucytravel12]

We've just about narrowed our search down to PW or LTV. Anybody have opinions on the pro's and con's on these two?

[AsheGuy]

lucytravel12 wrote:
Does anyone know when Pleasureway started using the Mercedes Diesel?

I think both Pleasure-Way and Leisure Travel Vans began converting Sprinters in 2004. Sprinters were first imported to the US in 2003 although there were already 1 million on the road in Europe.