Looking for Xplorer or Pleasure-Way Used Gasoline

[torinoscj429]

Hello All!

I've been reading as much as I can about the available Class B motorhomes, and for the type of traveling I want to do, it's the best choice. I'm 52, and recently traveled 6427 miles in 4 weeks, solo, in my 2000 Mercury Mountaineer SUV. 2/3 of the nights were on an Aerobed mattress in the back of the SUV. I discovered that it was so cold in the mornings, and there was so little room, that I would wait until 9:30 or 10 am to get up, because I was cold! All the other RV folks were rolling by 9, and I wasted a lot of time because I had so little room. Here is my partially completed travelogue, if anyone is interested: 6427 Miles in 4 weeks!

So, from now on, I'm traveling in an RV. I thought about a trailer, but I like to brake quickly and park at interesting sites along the way...I travel with no set plans, and just stop at what looks interesting. I'm not much of a parker, so gas mileage and small size are important.

From what I've seen of the available gasoline powered Class B's, the 98-2003 Xplorer and the Pleasure-Way units look most appealing, due the private bathrooms. I am a certified master auto mechanic from a long time ago, and I hate diesels, so I will only own gasoline-powered rigs, so the MB diesels are out for me. I may want to tow a small enclosed toy trailer at some point, so I'll need to have Rear Wheel Drive.

I have no children, and will be traveling with my future wife, who is very comfortable in small spaces. She wanted to camp with me in the back of the Mountaineer!

What I'd like to ask the group: Xplorer 230 XLWT, Pleasure-Way, or ??? What are some opinions? I'm leaning toward the dual rear tires of the 98-03 Xplorer, as more stable and safer in case of a blowout.

Ideas? Prices???

Thanks!

Gerard
San Diego

[Handbasket]

Gerard, some of the up-market Dodge vans then came with chromed steel wheels, sort of a 'bent spoke' design, IIRC. That's maybe what you're seeing. I have to wonder if the added length of the 230 puts it close to or over the allowable weight on the rear axle, tho'.

Point of info... the Xplorer company of today has been thru two or three owners (and a couple of resurrections?) since their Dodge van B's were built. Doubt there's any factory support for the old B's.

But (sudden memory) member "Gizmo's Mom" & her hubby had an Xplorer, a 230 I think. I haven't seen her around for a while, but forum searches for the user name or Xplorer might be productive.

Jim. "Dear Algebra, Stop asking me to find your X. She's not coming back."

[jjrai]

You can search on YouTube to find video tours and opinions on those Units. I agree on the B v. Trailer issue. It is so nice not to have to leave the Unit in cold or rainy weather when stopping or setting out. Ford, Dodge, Chevy, MB - they all have their good points. I think most Bs need some sort of suspension help if it was not already added at the factory. We have air bags and had to put super duty shocks and struts. I have spoken to a couple of van/taxi owners in Orlando. They serve Disney customers. They expect 300,000 to 400,000 miles from their Ford and Chevy chassis with only routine maintenance. They tend not to run Dodges currently, but that may be a timing.

[torinoscj429]

Handbasket wrote:
Gerard, as I understand it all six wheels on the Xplorer are the same, 16" 8-lug 'SRW' type. So there's no difference between front & rear. The GVW would not increase. You might be old enough to recall seeing similar adapters in the JC Whitney catalog.

The Dodge 3500 van used a large semi-floating rear axle rather that the full-floater you might expect (at least my '99/'00 Dodge Roadtrek did), and the track was narrower at the back than the front.

Jim, "Protect your bagels. Put lox on them."

Kudos, Jim, for knowing the difference and proper nomenclature for the two different axle types! I had to go to automotive school to learn that! I have noticed pickups and vans losing the full-floating hub over the years...

Being a former rocket engineer, I never can look at "lox" as food. It's always LOX (Liquid OXygen) to me!

I'm looking at all the pictures I've saved of Xplorer vans, and it's hard to tell if they have hubcaps or aluminum wheels. But, considering that they're ALL very shiny after all the years, I'm putting money on stainless steel hubcaps.

I'd be interested in seeing a photo of the rear axle of a Dual Rear Wheel Xplorer, if anyone has one without the rear wheels installed.

Where is the spare tire on an Xplorer? (edit: Underneath the back...found it!)

I'm also hearing about how the wide electric couch in the back is a space waster. I want to travel with the large bed made up and ready to sleep. Will one configuration be better than the other for doing this?

Thanks!

Gerard

[Horizon170]

I really wouldn't concern myself with dual rear tires. Get single Load Range "E" tires all around and you will be satisfied IMO. Run Max air pressure on rear is what I do.
Bed and Bath are usually the concerns most RV'ers have.
Good Luck and remember before the end of the year is when you can get them cheapest from a dealer so they don't owe taxes at the first of the year.

[Handbasket]

Gerard, as I understand it all six wheels on the Xplorer are the same, 16" 8-lug 'SRW' type. So there's no difference between front & rear. The GVW would not increase. You might be old enough to recall seeing similar adapters in the JC Whitney catalog.

The Dodge 3500 van used a large semi-floating rear axle rather that the full-floater you might expect (at least my '99/'00 Dodge Roadtrek did), and the track was narrower at the back than the front. In my case, wheel spacers did _not_ improve handling. Speculation on this forum back in the day was that Mopar had avoided the tooling costs & extra parts stock of a van-specific rear axle by using the axle from their 1-ton pick-up.

The one new Xplorer 230 that I saw on a sales lot in '02 or '03 seemed to sit pretty high in the rear. Dunno if they'd added extra springs or what. Yes, most B's sit kind of low with all the hardware that's hung underneath, the early this-century Roadtrek Chevy's being prime offenders. But I took my '01/'02 RT C190P up several dirt roads that were pretty challenging with no ill effects.

IMO, except for serious handling issues, my Dodge RT was a _fine_ class B. It wasn't as winter-capable as the later Chevy's, since the water tank was external. But the fit & finish were superb.

Jim, "Protect your bagels. Put lox on them."

[Neverhappy]

The "Great West Vans" classic supreme range had incredible interior space and storage. Also well built rigs, with spacious high tops. Some are for sale now...on rv trader a extra nice great west classic 2002 for 15.000..worth looking at imho

[francheska]

Hi we bought a used 06 PW Excel this last summer on a ford. I put rear wheel spacers, rear sway bar and
roadmaster sway control suspension on the back. The van now drives and handles very well. This is my 3rd class B one was a sprinter. This is by far the best quality workmanship and use of space for a B. It is
a gasser and with the added modifications we are more than pleased and plan on keeping it for many years.PW has a owners group which are very helpful on problems of the unit. Good luck and enjoy .

[Islandman]

I'll vouch for the durability and fit/finish of the PW Class B's. We had a 2001 PW Excel on a Dodge chassis which is their wide-body series; had no problems whatsoever, steered well, got 15mpg at highway speeds, and was comfortable. We switched to Class C for a little more interior room, but now suffer from poorer fuel mileage. I no nothing about the Xplorer RV's, they were popular in the 80's and 90's I believe. You won't go wrong with an older Class B Pleasure-Way, say 2000-2005 vintage.

[torinoscj429]

Handbasket wrote:
There's a lot of good info on buying a used B in the FAQ's here. The one thing I'd emphasize is the importance of the do-it-yourself test drive. Both Fords and Dodge Ram Vans have garnered their share of complaints about handling & tracking. Some are curable, some less so.

Do be aware that the Xplorer on the Dodge has 3rd party rear duals; they're _not_ Dodge OEM. I think they consist of an adapter bolted on the original lugs & wheel, with a second outer wheel bolted to the adapter.

Jim, "Never trust an atom. They make up everything."

Thank you for the information, especially about the aftermarket rear duals. Does that make it to where there are different wheels on front versus rear? If they use the same axle, then there is no rated load difference, correct?

The Xplorers appear to have better ground clearance than some others. Is that just my imagination, or is it true? I may want to travel on some dirt roads...not rock-crawling, but on some easy trails that a regular car would be seen on...are some Class B's extra low, and have difficulty on even gravel roads?

Gerard

[Fastpaddler]

Greetings, Gerald and to your future wife who by your own account is flexible with restricted space for camping--always a good trait. As you are a master mechanic you can easily manage the Pleasure-way Excel TD/TS B class. While PW is not making them anymore they have a strong following on this site. The Excel has the wider body to the PW Plateau TS diesel which we have which provides a wider galley pass-through space. Since you are buying a used one you need to be aware of the problem I experienced previously with different track from the front and the rear. By using wheel spacers and a rear stablizer you can deal with that. I found the E350 Ford chassis good but it wandered a lot on the road. While you dont like the diesel , the MB Sprinter chassis is amazingly stable with ESP and has a good front end system. It is important to have the history of the RV you are buying and you, with your experience can deal with that ok. The internals ie furnace,aircon,battery(ies),LP Genset,stove,microwave,tv,stereo and bathroom functions with the demand heater are worth having examined. For you, I think a 2010 or later PW Excel would be fine. PW cabinetry, fit and finish are first rate which means not much in the way of rattles,squeaks and so on. The gas engines mostly 5.4 V8s or V10 are excellent and 4 speed txn with tow haul. Other brands such as Greatwestvan , Leisuretravel van, & Roadtrek are good too. You will likely want the bigger wet bath like we have. I am 6ft 1 inch 190 lbs(Viking) originally and I have no problem showering/shaving etc in our PW Plateau. We do love the 5 inline diesel and it is SO economical.
Best wishes and happy shopping.
AL
Merry Christmas Too.

[Handbasket]

There's a lot of good info on buying a used B in the FAQ's here. The one thing I'd emphasize is the importance of the do-it-yourself test drive. Both Fords and Dodge Ram Vans have garnered their share of complaints about handling & tracking. Some are curable, some less so.

Do be aware that the Xplorer on the Dodge has 3rd party rear duals; they're _not_ Dodge OEM. I think they consist of an adapter bolted on the original lugs & wheel, with a second outer wheel bolted to the adapter.

Jim, "Never trust an atom. They make up everything."