NEWBIE Needs Help: Pleasureway, ROADTREK, Winnebago

Hi,

I'm a newbie, a displaced New Yorker losing my NYC rent stabilized apartment to the 12th biggest slumlord in NYC who's made living conditions unihabitable (mice, mold, no repairs, constant demolition of other apartments leaving holes in my walls for more vermin).

I've looked around at other places on the east coast where I might consider living and nothing intrigues me, especially moving into another apartment.

As a kid, i dreamed of living in different places in the United States .. (different every week) .. meeting new people. I rented a car for three months in California and drove all around the West, stopping in an occasional motel, sleeping in the car when it wasn't 95 degrees at night. I had a VW Vanagon for a year that I bought while on vacation in Whitefish Montana that I loved. Unfortunately the economy the next year ran down the toilet and I was jobless.

I've been watching the videos on youtube about living in an RV. I've narrowed it down to a class B. Here's the dilemma .... I've found three (this year's model) that are suitable. I also love the old explorer design with the wide rear.

Maybe some of you can lend me your thoughts are these three vans I'm comparing (all American platforms as I've owned VW's all my life and know what a nightmare it is to get parts .. even if you are near a major city .. and I know the costs ... )

Here's What I'm looking at: (four season living)

- Pleasureway Lexor TS - what I like about it is the air-i-ness. I like the unobstructed views on the passenger's side. Well made (might be a little short on storage as compared to the others). I like being able to sit in the back and it's like an enclosed bubble sitting in nature (with all the shades up) ... Very open.

- Roadtrek Zion - nice looking. Seems Roadtrek and Pleasureway get good reviews. Don't like not being able to turn around and seeing cars coming up on the passenger side. Like the color schemes. Don't know if it's comparable to the Pleasureway. All three have features I'd love if were combined.

-Winnebago Trivato - Loaded with features. More affordable. Not as elegant. I've recently read reviews of people who praise their Winnebago and HATE their Winnebago. A lot of reviews about all the problems even buying new (I'm a far ways away from any dealerships) ... Again, it's a though choice. The three are all built on the Dodge Ram Chassis which has an open view of the road (like my big boxy VW Vanagon did) .. no long engine nose sticking out.

It's an expensive decision, I don't want to make the wrong one at these prices. I would like to get additional Solar as I would prefer to boondock as much as I can and show up at an RV campground as a last resort, or if I find a town I'd like to spend some time in. Would appreciate your opinions.

Class B

tjfogelberg
Explorer
Aug 14, 2016
My owner's forum has a lot of FT'ers. I've belonged for 4 years since buying a '99 Cl C Lazy Daze. Consider the group as another resource. Also, when you read posts here, note that many have extensive blogs which can provide a wealth of info. I was born in NYC and now live in the Twin Cities. PM me for free parking in my driveway for up to 4 nights (I have 30 AMP service.) At some point you might want a place to call home base minus the rats and slumlords. We have all the amenities of a NYC in a much more liveable city. Good luck with your search. I travel extensively and found our Cl B to me too confining for us (2). The Cl C is much roomier in my opinion. Everyone has to find what wotks for their circumstances. There are so many variables that it can become overwhelming. This forum is a great place to network and try to figure out what will work for you.
Good luck. Todd
www.lazydazeowners.com
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Aug 13, 2016
countdevio wrote:
So far, I've gotten two responses from those who like
their Travato, even with the flaws that they had to get
fixed after leaving the dealership. Haven't heard any
comments from owners of the Pleasureway.

I'm going to have to check out the Travato's up
at the show in Hershey PA in Sept.

Thanks.

Bumpyroad wrote:
I like the travato myself. the one with two single beds only has seats for two if that matters. the other model has the flip down double and table/seats can be put together for another bed.
bumpy

there will be complaints about any/all manufacturers. I remember back when I was going to the Harrisburg RV show, a roadtrek kept showing up with pictures of lemons pasted all over it. Not too inspiring. :)
but the Travato lists for under $100,000 well equipped instead of $150,000.
bumpy
davepcpowernet
Explorer
Aug 13, 2016
We have a Roadtrek CS Adventurous without the third seat by the door for the two of us. Can haul 4 if the bed is cranked back as a couch, but we generally leave it as twin beds. With all the storage and bath, it does feel a little closed in, but open the doors, side and back (with screens) it seems wide open. Ours is on a Sprinter chassis, bells and whistles included. It is just a little over a year old with 20,000 miles on it. We have to justify our spending our kids inheritance! Resale value as others have said is higher on the Sprinter and workmanship tends to be better and with better materials.
It has the engine mounted generator which has performed much better than what we used to have to do with the Onan in our former class C plus no or little maintenance. Boondocking is no problem, with our 4 AGM batteries we can even run the AC for 4 or 5 hours until recharging which only takes an hour or two at an engine idle. Idling only burns about a third of a gallon an hour. Don't have the solar, but have been considering adding. A little hard to justify at today's diesel prices.
I had it in to the dealer today to get the inverter replaced as it died on the way home from Alaska. The 5 year warranty does pay off.
Of course, there always a few little problems or things breaking, but usually can easily be fixed. Cabinet latches seem to be an ongoing problem, but are very easy to replace. The factory is generous in supplying extras. For just one person would suggest getting one of the models on a 3/4 ton chassis, ie. without duals. You would have factory supplied tire monitors. It pays to keep tire pressures up and monitors are a great aid in doing that.
As others have said, though, each of us have specific wants or needs or even biases, so that is why we have so many different makes and models to choose from. Good luck!
e-trekker
Explorer
Aug 13, 2016
So far, I've gotten two responses from those who like
their Travato, even with the flaws that they had to get
fixed after leaving the dealership. Haven't heard any
comments from owners of the Pleasureway.

I'm going to have to check out the Travato's up
at the show in Hershey PA in Sept.

Thanks.

Bumpyroad wrote:
I like the travato myself. the one with two single beds only has seats for two if that matters. the other model has the flip down double and table/seats can be put together for another bed.
bumpy
e-trekker
Explorer
Aug 13, 2016
If I had planned to spend a lot of time living in
RV parks, I might have. I noticed I can get a lot more
living space, for a lot less money. But I know from trips
in my VW Vanagon years ago ... there's a lot of things I
want to see, or see again. Best to do it while my health
is still ticking.

Growing up in a NYC apartment, some of the class C's
I saw in the dealer's lot, were like a palace compared
to the tiny space I've lived in for 40 years.

DONN WROTE:

donn0128 wrote:
For the prices of those Bs you can actually buy some really nice used class Cs or even a decent class A offering way more living space. While it might be OK for a weekend to make up and take down your bed at night, it gets old really fast for long term. Same for bathrooms. A wet bath might be OK once in a while, but who wants a wet bath for long term.
e-trekker
Explorer
Aug 13, 2016
I plan to be at the show in Hershey. My first one.
I was trying to get to the one in Verona NY, but I don't
have a car in the city and there was no public transportation
as that's about 5 hours upstate.

TINYONE SAID:

TinyoneRV wrote:
The Hershey, Pa RV show is coming up Sept 14 to 18. If you can go, you'll be able to see most all of them in one place. Might be worth a trip.

http://www.prvca.org/default.aspx?tabid=59
e-trekker
Explorer
Aug 13, 2016
Nailhead ....Not independently wealthy. Getting a buyout to get out
of my apartment. Might have been sizeable chunk, but the lawyer
takes his 33 percent, and then Uncle Sam takes it's 40 percent,
according to my accountant. I'm not rich, but when I hear
the rich don't pay their fair share, I certainly feel ...
well never mind .. keep this pg.

If my parents weren't still alive (and they're not in the greatest
health) ... I'd say, 'Arriverderci America and move to
Thailand' where one can live like a king on instead of
the scraps most retirees end up with.

Otherwise, I have clients around the U.S. and since I was
considered one of the 5 top hypnotherapists at getting
results with those for whom everyone gave up on, for the
right price (not the bargain basement prices I was charging
in NYC - 40 percent of my clients were pro bono, I'll
drive right into their driveways across America.

Who knows, maybe a pipe dream. I never expected to be
pushed out of my NYC apartment, but they're doing it to
thousands. We've got laws, but the truth is, you're
guilty unless you have enough money to prove your innocent.
At least that's the way it is when dealing with slumlords.

NAILHEAD SAID :

401nailhead wrote:
For full time living, I think you are right to look at lights, airiness, windows. Our older model does seem fairly closed up when inside, and I love photos of the light and view in newer models. 4 season living needs that comfort level inside. I like all the models you are considering from research, but not ownership. All three companies are good, and those models are generally well liked. As far as the investment, do your research, and drive a hard bargain. It is near the end of the model year. I won't drone on about consumer buying techniques, but there are many. Ask if you want bargaining ideas from folks here. But briefly, don't be in a hurry to buy, don't show any weakness, the decision to pull the trigger is yours, and you control the final price if you want to. Good Luck. Let people here know what you do with your time though (work, what field; independently wealthy; other).
My_Roadtrek
Explorer
Aug 13, 2016
Instead of trying to convince the op to buy a C you could answer his questions.
Class B's are more stealth, you can park them almost anywhere. They are usually better made, rarely leak, or develope rattles. Lots of owners manage very well with the size, even for extended living. They also have much higher resale values than Class C's.

All three units are great quality, with Roadtrek, and PleasureWay a notch ahead of the winnebago, which is reflected in the price.
To the op, read the FAQ's sticky at the top of the B home page. Much of it is still relevant to any Class B.
donn0128
Explorer II
Aug 12, 2016
For the prices of those Bs you can actually buy some really nice used class Cs or even a decent class A offering way more living space. While it might be OK for a weekend to make up and take down your bed at night, it gets old really fast for long term. Same for bathrooms. A wet bath might be OK once in a while, but who wants a wet bath for long term.
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Aug 12, 2016
I like the travato myself. the one with two single beds only has seats for two if that matters. the other model has the flip down double and table/seats can be put together for another bed.
bumpy

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NEWBIE Needs Help: Pleasureway, ROADTREK, Winnebago

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