Class B RVing. What to Expect..

[Ran]

Having experienced virtually every type of RV over the years (Class A, Class C, TT, FW, toyhaulers, and tents), our new Class B (2015 Roadtrek 190 Popular) is a first for us. Whether its pulling a car or motorcycle trailer, or having a tow vehicle, we've always had alternate transportation once we've arrived at our destination. We're super excited about having such a nimble vehicle (we recently sold our 3rd Class A DP), but we're also wondering what we'll experience that we haven't already thought of.

Having said all that,I guess my question is this: What advice would you experienced Class B travelers give to we first time Class B'ers?..

Should we have a 'Campsite Occupied' sign so our site will be there when we return?

Will we struggle with storage?

How about sleeping in our Roadtrek? Comfortable?

Is the shower practical enough to use, or will we likely seek out campground facilities?

Are we likely to swivel the cockpit seats around, or is that one of those things that's possible, but rarely done?

At any rate, as LONG time RVers, my wife and I are quite familiar with 'the road,' but we're wondering what veteran Class B users have to say in terms of tips, and things we should come to expect from our new venture.

Thank you in advance!


Randy

[Davydd]

10 years ago when we started RVing in our Bs I didn't even have a concept of an on board GPS and how they worked, cell phones were practically useless outside of cities and the Internet was not rich in information that you could get at easily let alone find a wifi connection. And, of course, the smartphone concept with a high def readable screen and custom apps didn't exist yet. How quickly we get dependent. 🙂

[Sailordive]

Ran wrote:

Should we have a 'Campsite Occupied' sign so our site will be there when we return?

Will we struggle with storage?

How about sleeping in our Roadtrek? Comfortable?

Is the shower practical enough to use, or will we likely seek out campground facilities?

Are we likely to swivel the cockpit seats around, or is that one of those things that's possible, but rarely done

Site occupied sign may be useful. We came back to a National Park campground to find a tenter set up in our site; sites are assigned at this park but they arrived after hours and failed to check the office. They were unhappy when we made them pull up the tent and haul off there firewood.

We have a Sportsmobile Sprinter with a platform bed. Adds a lot of storage space and for me a more comfortable bed. To save space try things like quick dry camping towels; full size towel is smaller than a normal wash cloth. LLBean has some great rain coats and winter coats that collapse to the size of a rolled up tshirt.

Our table is portable and we spin the seats around to use it. We also use them spun around to relax and watch TV.

Shower is used when we stay in National Parks or overnight on the road (Cabelas, Walmart, Rest Areas, road side pullouts). We have enough water and tank capacity to go 3 days with daily navy showers. If we are in a campground with nice showers we use them, but on more than one occasion my wife has walked back to the van and turned on the hot water heater.

If you like Yellowstone, a B adds many more campgrounds besides the ones with reservations. We arrived July 4th last year and grabbed a spot in the park the first night.

Street side parking, I saw a comment above about trouble finding it. Even with 23 foot Sprinter, with a little look we have found it, even tourist spots like Bar Harbor, Maine. Look for end spots or side streets with less traffic than the main drag.

[Shearwater]

i can't answer questions specific to Road Treks because we have had a Sporstmobile Sprinter model.

Campsite occupied sign - Worthwhile - we use to have one but it was either stolen or misplaced. Most campgrounds assign sites and many have a little tag that you leave on a post to show occupancy.

Showers and bathrooms - We use campground facilities whenever possible. We have never used the shower in 10 years and 110,000 miles.

Storage - What we have is fine for us. Models vary in forms and amount of storage. People vary in needs. Human nature being what it is, you will probably fill however much you have.

Drivers - my wife does 40-50% of the driving and is comfortable with that.

General advice, all free - Get the Good Sam travel/campground guide. it is invaluable for finding places to stop.

Get a Garmin or other GPS even if you have a built-in GPS system. You can find nearby grocery stores, medical facilities, restaurants, etc. etc. when you are in strange places - invaluable.

[mkguitar]

Not only a co-diver, but I'm pretty happy that Shan is confident enough to do solo trips to the California Beaches with her pals.

She doesn;t have to stay home just because I'm tied up

Mike

[Ran]

Gosh, thanks for all the replies, folks! Like many of you, Sue and I have rarely been what I'd call 'campers.' We tend to keep moving, seeing sights, stopping at parks, pulling over to hike, etc. That's one of the reasons we've chosen to go with a 'B.' Another reason is because we recently moved into an HOA neighborhood that won't allow us to park our former Class A. I'm also looking forward to my wife doing some of the driving. Although she was capable of driving the big DP, she was extremely uncomfortable doing so (which made me extremely uncomfortable sitting in the passenger seat!).

[NoVa_RT]

We use the (medium) ebag packing cubes because they are a great fit for the rear cabinets in the Roadtrek. If you make good use of your nooks & crannies, there's enough storage.

Don't much use the aisle shower - usually the campground facilities are OK and easier to use. The macerator makes dumping pretty easy. No reason to avoid using your own facilities.

I have a traffic cone, but haven't needed it. Same for leveling blocks, although the need for both may depend on where you stay.

[AsheGuy]

Your questions are in areas of personal preferences that vary all over the place but a few of our Class B things:

On board bathroom. We have used ours for a shower once in 10 years and 130K miles. We find campground showers much easier. This is indeed a personal preference. We find a shower every other day suffices so we can dry camp in between.

Class B Storage. We have never had a problem in our LTV. We do travel pretty light as there is always Walmart. We use plastic boxes to fit into and better organize some of our storage areas.

We always swivel the passenger seat around that I use for non-TV activities and my wife uses the sofa in back for TV watching or whatever.

Campground occupied sign. Again, unlike a lot report, we have never had a problem in our travels. Most campgrounds and parks assign you a spot so it hasn't been an issue for us. We always leave our water hose at the site if we leave but that is not much of a deterrent. Never lost a water hose though. We don't "unpack" at a campsite such that we can't drive off in about 5 minutes and the same upon return.

We seldom reserve campsites more than a day or two ahead and usually don't at all as we don't want to be committed to a certain travel plan. Seldom has been a problem as a Class B can camp in any available campground site.

Levelers, we tried blocks first but prefer these. Not needed a lot but when they are they are a must have. They nestle together nicely for storage when the ramps are put in opposite directions. And you quickly learn how to stagger them if needed or use them both on one side or on opposite sides if necessary.

[path1]

Ran wrote:


Should we have a 'Campsite Occupied' sign so our site will be there when we return?

Yes. Some National parks sell a pretty good looking one. Just ask. I think they get $2 or $3 each and I have 3. Then stop by a stables store and have it laminated. Find a flat spot to store it when not using. On other sites, what is better visibility is yellow plastic chain available at Lowes or Home depot. I keep plastic chain inside spare tire cover.

Some people can't figure out that when something is left at a campsite, it is not because the last folks forget to take it with them.

2 lawn chairs and a picnic table tipped on edge with "campsite occupied" sign tied to it and blocking the parking. They took our lawn chairs to the camp host and told him the picnic table was alright and wasn't damaged, even if somebody (us) tipped it on edge. Then set up their camp but when they went to go pay they couldn't figure out why a paid receipt was already in slot for "their" campsite number.

[Jim_Shoe]

My first RV was a Class B Roadtrek. Two problems, one personal and one mechanical. The mechanical one was because it was built on a Dodge Chassis. If I was going up a 3% grade with the speed control set, it would pop out on most any grade, simply because it was underpowered for the weight of the Roadtrek.
The personal problem was simply my own. I fell in love with everything doing double duty. The bed was also the dinette. The shower was a circular curtain over the floor in the kitchen where the only drain was. The toilet was in the bottom half of a cloths closet. And it was normal to change and then change back more than once a day.
But the biggest problem was, as it turned out, the way I RV. I'm more of a visitor than a camper. If I wanted to stay in one place for a few days, I had to unhook, pack up to see what I came to see and/or head for the grocery store. I often came back to find my spot taken and have to park in another one. There was always another spot available, but it was a PITA to completely pack up every time I left the RV park. It wouldn't have been so bad, but I had to overnight in CGs with at least electric available for medical equipment, so boon docking wasn't an option. Another minor problem that I hadn't even considered: The 'B' was too long to fit in a single parking place on the street and too tall to fit in a parking garage.
So I swapped for a 'C' and pull a Jeep Wrangler four down. Works for me.

[drsolo]

I go thru every drawer and space before each trip to get rid of unused stuff, consolidate stuff according to "type" and so I have a visual memory of where each thing is. It takes me @ 10 minutes to load up, batten down and be on the road. And like toedtoes says, get used to putting everything back right after use. When I pack I just keep reminding myself I CAN buy stuff on the road.

[toedtoes]

I have a small C (21ft) - other than inside space (I have a bit more than a B), most things are pretty similar. Few things I've learned:

Keep it simple and keep things in their place - the less you have to move things around to do everyday things, the better. It makes it easier to drive out to dinner or sightseeing if you don't have to spend an hour battening down everything. It also makes it easier to arrive late at night and go right to bed if you don't have to rearrange a bunch of stuff off the bed.

Packing cubes - these work great for storing a variety of things. Electrical cords and adapters, water hoses, clothing, junk drawer items, toiletries, etc. Color code for easy identification. You can fit more in the cupboards and they stay organized. Utilize the different sizes. I use the smallest for usb cords, earphones, etc., large for extension cord, etc., and so on.

Simple outdoor living - because you'll be taking your home with you when you sightsee (making it clear that you're gone), keep your outdoor stuff to the minimum and easily portable. If you feel secure with the campground/park, you can leave it in the site while you go out - but if you don't feel secure, you can easily load it up for a day trip.

Re-evaluate your supplies every year - If you haven't used it in the past year, get rid of it. This will help keep things from getting over crowded. Don't stock up on gear for "just in case", "if someone joins us", and so on. If you know someone is joining you, bring disposable products to supplement for THAT trip.

Be as self-contained as possible - full hookups are great, but learning to go without can simplify things. Not having to unhook sewer/power/water/cable/etc., each time you want to go someplace is easier. Plug in when needed - not by default. Hook up sewer WHEN you need to dump not every time you park.

[obgraham]

We have plenty of storage in the B for the things we take. We just take less stuff, no duplicates, and always seek multipurpose stuff.
I actually find the bed more comfortable than the airmattress (sorry, "sleep number") that was in the A. It's actually a bit wider.
You do have to get used to squeezing past each other on the way to the bathroom, kitchen, door, etc.
I like the fact that setup and breakdown is MUCH easier in the B. And no doubt, traveling on the road is a lot more relaxing.

That said, it of course depends on your needs. The A was nice. We just don't need it now.

[mkguitar]

I have a little collapseable traffic cone to mark a camping spot- most used when we are driving thru campground to pick a spot...then return to office for payment...it'll double if we have a breakdown.


we almost always swivel the pass seat
I tend to hang there so as out of the way if Shan is doing stuff in the galley.( our model has only the 2 seats up front. we leave the bed made up in the rear most of the time)

we do not use our shower- just easier to use the campground shower ( flip flops), rather than steam up the camper.
We also do not use the toilet for any solids....paper goes in a bin. CG restroom. In case of illness, double bag.
This makes the whole "tank & dump" thing easier. Much fewer chemicals needed- usually just rinse with water

Our furnace is noisy, we have small 750 w space heater we use when on shore power...it blows a gentle waft of warm air- quietly.

pick a nice level spot- I have the lego type levelling blocks.

iphone apps which i used everyday:

rvparky

tvtowers

gasbuddy

RVC free ( has a leveling tool, tells you which corner needs to come up and how far)


Mike

[cameronpatentla]

"Should we have a 'Campsite Occupied' sign so our site will be there when we return?"

Great idea--We need to get one of those.

"Will we struggle with storage?"

Yes--that was a trade-off for use--we are cramped some, but is worth the nimbleness"

"How about sleeping in our Roadtrek? Comfortable?" Our fold down king size bed was not very comfortable. We added a foam topper and is now much better.

"Is the shower practical enough to use, or will we likely seek out campground facilities?" Our wet bath is very small, but we use it in a pinch, especially after half marathons, etc. But we use CG facilities about 50% of the time.

"Are we likely to swivel the cockpit seats around, or is that one of those things that's possible, but rarely done?" We rarely spin our captains around. We have the 70X--so we also have 2 captain chairs behind us to use with a custom table top.

Good luck with your Class B!