Moving from Class A to Class B

[Puckerbush]

After 10+ years of owning a Class A 30' Fleetwood, We are thinking about moving down in size to a Class B. I really like the 144" wheelbase Mercedes Sprinter 2500 chassis because I can park it in my driveway (as long as the homeowners association approves).
We sold because its getting harder and harder to maintain. I would appreciate any feedback from owners who own one of these units.
Thanks.

[stan909]

BTW. I would never describe class A or class B travel as camping. It is motorhoming.

[stan909]

Perhaps a bit of both hotels and campgrounds. Her first case of bedbugs will change her mind.

[Puckerbush]

Thank you all for your input. The wife right now is done with camping but may change her mine in time. We are about to head out on a road trip for 10 days. We will be staying in hotels/motels and eating in restaurants. Perhaps the memories of camping and knowing we slept in our bed last night will help to change her mind. I know there will be compromises moving to a smaller unit, but considering the difference in gas mileage (20 mpg vs. 8 mpg), ease of maneuverability, parking at home, being able to use the vehicle for sight seeing, etc, I think it may be something we can live with and enjoy.

[mlts22]

The RT SS Agile and the PW Ascent are on the 144" 2500 chassis. I'd doublecheck that you can lie comfortably on both sides of the bed, as well as use the bathroom and take a shower.

You will have less storage space inside, so this may be an issue for longer journeys... but this can be made up by a hitch mounted cargo carrier or perhaps a small trailer.

[danpreszler]

We own a LTV Free Spirit with a 2500 chassis and are completely happy with the economy and quality of the unit. The bed has memory foam and is covered with "ultra leather" and we find it very comfortable and roomy. This is one fine class B and we would recommend a LTV to anyone.

[pickerel_cove]

We have a 2010 Winnebago ERA which is built on the 2500 chassis. We love this vehicle and traveled 3 weeks out west without taking advantage of hotel rooms. We usually get around 20 MPG. The driving is wonderful and we are quite happy with the amount of storage space. I'm not sure whether the 2500 vs 3500 contributes to the gentle rocking as you walk through the van but suspect that it does. There is a motorized sofa but there is room underneath for our large underbed storage box and extra folding chairs. The bed itself is not comfortable despite the ease of setup. We noticed that the new ERA still has the same odd contouring on the seat back which translates to dips when used as a mattress. We got a memory foam topper (king sized and with some strategically folded blankets underneath) works quite well. We did have a macerator issue which we could not trace to any misuse. We added a strainer to the sink and shower to avoid any hair issues. We find the toilet and shower just roomy enough for each of us and never use campground facilities. We replaced the lighting with LED bulbs. Our TV bracket (plastic) has broken and we're thinking that this will require a new TV but will tackle the issue in the spring. Good luck with your search!

[Shearwater]

Mike raised some good points. I'd like to add my own observations.

Probably the most important part about choosing a B is the floor plan. There is limited space so you have to choose a floor plan that suits the things that are most important to you. Some people want an elaborate bath with shower and lots of black tank capacity, others choose a Porta-Potti and primarily use campground facilities, etc. etc. Each feature you choose cuts into space for other features.

Common chassis include the Chevy/GMC units and the Sprinter diesel units. Dodge has a new unit based on the Fiat van and Ford is coming out with Transit models.

Check local dealers and RV shows to see how each model fits your needs. Are the driving seats comfortable? Does the unit make you feel claustrophobic? Lie down on the beds, sit in the dining area, pretend you are using the head and showers, see what its really like to prepare food. Can you kneel in front of the head in case you become ill?

Currently all of the companies that make B vans have a pretty good reputation for quality work, so there isn't much concern there.

There are a few companies that make custom or semi-custom units. Advanced RV in Ohio makes very high end units and Sportsmobile in Texas, Indiana, and California make affordable, but still high quality products. The Sportsmobile website (www.sportsmobile.com) is a good source of information about all the possible features and floorplans available for B's and I recommend it as a source of information.

[rockymtnb]

We have a Sportsmobile conversion on the Sprinter 2500 chassis and really appreciate the maneuverability and standard parking spot access afforded by the short chassis. But as others have noted the tradeoff is less interior space and more dual-purpose interior design compromises.

Not many factory built Class B's are available on the 144 Sprinter - the Roadtrek SS Agile being a notable exception. Otherwise you may want to consider a custom unit from converters such as Sportsmobile, Van Specialties, or Outside Van. When configured as a stealth unit with diesel appliances and compression fridge they look more van like than RV, making for easier HOA acceptance.

For more interior space in a compact unit you might consider the Ram Promaster. The 20ft Promaster is about the same length as the short Sprinter but has much more usable interior room due to its wider, boxier shape. Promaster wasn't available when we purchased but it's a viable alternative now.

We rented a 144 Sprinter for a week before purchasing to ensure it fit our needs. Roadtrekrentals.com has SS Agile rentals and Campervan North America rents the short wheelbase Sportsmobile Sprinter.

[ol__grouch]

Keep in mind that you will have a LOT less room than your old A. The Mercedes is a good looking unit and one guy at work drives a non-RV version as his daily driver. It's rusty and has well over 200K on it and drives just fine. He also gets over 23 mpg from a worn out, retired delivery van. Yours will probably not get that good a mileage as you'll have a lot more weight to pull. I've got an older Coachmen Horizon and I get 13-15 mpg. If you get a diesel, you may get that or a little better. I like the fact that I can park in a car parking space, although the unit you're talking about may not be able to do that. I've seen them from the outside and they look like well engineered units. It's really what a lot of companies call a B+ more than a B. That's fine, if I could find one to fit in my driveway, I'd probably get one too as my B is pretty cramped for more than one person.

Things you'll notice if you go with the Sprinter based unit are, less room inside. More dual purpose stuff. Smaller tanks due to the smaller chassis. Different driving characteristics, possibly quite different. You have a narrower track and that can affect stability. Not too many shops can work on it as it's a commercial chassis. I don't know what drivetrain your A has/had, but the Sprinter is a little different than a Chevy or Ford drivetrain. Then again, a lot of truck stops with repair facilities should have parts and expertise to work on it.

[AsheGuy]

mkguitar wrote:
a motorized sofa/bed is heavy, expensive and has no storage room under...and 16 little cushions to tetris into place to make a sleeping platform- I didn't find comfy- so pay attention to that.

Lot's of good advice in your post, but the above does not apply to the "motorized sofa/bed" in the back of our LTV.

Maybe you are referring to ones like in the LTV Free Spirit SS that expands from a slide or similar more complex examples. Ours does have two cushions that have to be put in place and it certainly isn't up to plush mattress standards. But its versatility with three seat-belted travel positions, TV watching sofa, lot's of storage underneath, and use as either queen/king size bed or two (somewhat narrow at the foot) twin sleeping positions make it a viable Class B feature.

To the OP, hope you find a Class B to your liking and that you get as much satisfaction from it as a travel vehicle as we have ours.

[mkguitar]

1.) check with your HOA- get their policies or permissions in writing....living in PHX we hear all kinds of horror stories ( and in AZ HOAS have right to foreclose for unpaid "fines/assessments"- which does happen).

Other wise you are renting space somewhere.

think about the total height, width and length...what works for you.


the Sprinter chassis is well-regarded and has a few versions/ drivetrains ( there are also dual type rear end and single wheel rear ends) which vary by year- so explore the specifics- you may find extra costs for urea for instance.

I am a DIY guy so my B is built on a chev chassis- I have other GMs so all the chassis stuff is familiar to me.

divide the chassis ( which can be a known quantity) from the conversion- the quality of material and build vary by manufacturer*. and the features and layouts vary too.


spend some time on youtube looking at different builds and layouts- if you are tall, a sideways bed may not work for you...that will exclude 1/2 of the models out there.

a motorized sofa/bed is heavy, expensive and has no storage room under...and 16 little cushions to tetris into place to make a sleeping platform- I didn;t find comfy- so pay attention to that.

in general pay attention to weight...some B's have limited towing capacity...some are as built with water in the tanks close to the rated GVWR...and really only allow a few hundred pounds of people, pets and luggage...!

once looking, lift cushions and panels look for the quality of the woodwork...wood cuts, finishing, uniformity of screws

roadtrek and pleasure-way do a pretty good job of making brochures available online

roadtrekchapter.org and other user website often have owners showing off mods or features

read through a bunch of the threads here- see what users are saying- my comments are limited by my experience(s)

some owners find that a genny is useless..unless dry camping, not really needed. loud and require alot of fixin'- so your typical use may determine if you need that.

roadtreks often have a dropped center floor section for interior headroom- that adds greatly to the build cost...and for me, I kept tripping on the floor transitions

some models chew up alot of space for a wet bath...we generally find that we shower at the campground- so a smaller toilet works for us

I have found that many must leave the bed made up all the time--- this seems to be the way we are heading.

I spent a few months shopping/comparing and found my B last autumn- very happy with our choice 2006 Pleasure-Way Lexor TD on a chev chassis ( 15 mpg)

* we started off hot on a 2009 winnebago era on a sprinter. and the chassis was fan-tastic to drive...just great. the quality of the conversion was horrible and was coming to pieces inside...lots of little plastic clips and stuff breaking from exposure to desert heat.


Mike