Portland RV show

[tbirdman]

Really examined Class Bs in person. Most of them I don't see how two people can live in them, vs just my self a 85 pound dog. I wanted to like the Travato, but the upfront area with the dinette and the seat covering the water tank was just a poor design choice. Put the water tank where the dinette is and forget the dinette. I like the ERA 70A better. favorite B was Pleasureway FL, but still crammed. Someone smart needs to figure out who to get more shower space. Why not a shower contraption that seals at the bottom but bows outwards to provide more shower room.

The Pleasureway Prestige looked look a decent possibility once I moved up into the B+/C-. I just didn't get the Pleasureway XL which has a murphy bed which folds down on top of a couch that can already fold down like a bed. Remove the murphy bed, push the couch back to the wall and gain 9 inches. The Winnebago Trend look also like a decent possibility but not sure if I care for the funky European cabinets and the curved bath door. Make the door wide, some of us are height challenged. However at $90k with a Sprinter chassis, it competed well against the PW Prestige Ford based chassis. You could see the quality in the PW. I did care for the Roadtreks. I didn't see any other class B brands at the show.

I still trying to figure out if I can make the PL FL work even with the small shower. It's a tradeoff that you only have to deal with once a day:B But it's a beautiful coach with great quality.

[tbirdman]

Looking at the full dry baths as suggested...the Winnebago 70C and the Leisure Travel Free Spirit SS could work for stealth camping. I read on one post that the bed on the SS can be extended except of the last 16" with the slide closed to allow sleeping with the slide not extended. That would probably be good enough for me to sleep diagonally as I'm 5'7". The length of the bed would be 5' 2". Not perfect by doable for a short person. Not sure about the 70C and if you extend the bed part way. The Coachhouse Arriva may be too pricey, but I could eliminate one fo the twin beds for more room.

May have to move up to a B=, but these three possibly could work for me and my 85 lb dog.

[tbirdman]

Terrenski wrote:
We are very interested in the Travato, love the size, gas mileage, and ability to park or go just about anywhere. Looks good for two on shorter stays and weekends. But we feel the same way about the water tank. It is the only flaw in the design and maybe they could move it under the dinette or readjust the dinette. It would create a little more space upfront. Winnebago, are you listening?

I would remove the dinnette and water tank. Open that front area up.

[Terrenski]

We are very interested in the Travato, love the size, gas mileage, and ability to park or go just about anywhere. Looks good for two on shorter stays and weekends. But we feel the same way about the water tank. It is the only flaw in the design and maybe they could move it under the dinette or readjust the dinette. It would create a little more space upfront. Winnebago, are you listening?

[avanti]

It is amazing the range of opinions on on-board vs campground showers. I for one vastly prefer my own cozy little shower vs the campgrounds. I use ours every single morning. Clearly lots of other people have exactly the opposite opinion. Viva la difference, I guess.

[applegater]

We drove a B for 6 years and 80,000 miles and really never suffered from too little space. Then we bought a nice little Sprinter C and enjoy driving it and staying longer in one place. We enjoy the extra room, particularly when spending a month at a time in Ariz. We are now moving away from our large home and acreage( downsizing) and are considering doing the same with our RV, going back to a custom built B.

[Davydd]

tbirdman wrote:

If they could just figure out how to make he shower bigger, I'm fine with everything else. There has to be some creative people who can come up with an idea i.e. a murphy shower stall:D I don't think people have thought enough about this. What about a shower that has overlapping side walls that extends outwards. Don't think of a shower as a item that occupies a permanent space once you are finished with it. Look how long it took people to figure out a curved shower rod which is so simple of an idea.

tbirdman,

Much of what you mention has been done. Roadtrek for years has had models with aisle showers mostly on their Chevy conversions. Also, even though they probably have the worst enclosed bathroom of all Sprinters, IMO, Roadtrek designed their doors to be two position doors to give you the elbow room and a bow curtain. I suspect that might have been the RV you got stuck in as they have the drop down latch.

Great West Van Legend has a surround shower curtain that doesn't constrain you. Also they enclose their bathroom with a pair of doors that have expanding leafs so you can create and close off an expanded private bathroom utilizing the aisle for prep and dry off.

Winnebago, Leisure Travel Vans and Coach House all have current Sprinter van designs with full dry baths and separate shower stalls. There are some older Sprinter models with a dry bath but most all are a decade old now.

Getting back to your Pleasure-way comments. You mentioned you like the Sprinter Plateau FL. The FL for some reason has a smaller bathroom than their Plateau TS. The Plateau TS is a nice bathroom for a wet bath design because it is longer with a functional vanity. The important thing is that vanity, unlike the FL which intrudes into your shower space, the TS gives you elbow room over the vanity while standing. I like the FL design too because it gives you a nice upfront space, but it kind of confuses me. I don't understand why they don't install the TS bathroom in it.

An unappreciated factor of wet baths vs tiny shower stalls of dry baths is you can sit down on the toilet stool. That's a handicap feature whether you need it or not and great for the female gender leg shavers. Hey, maybe men too for all i know. 😉

Before you judge from what you saw at one RV Show you ought to check out the websites of all the major B conversion players.

Leisure Travel Vans
Pleasure-Way
Great West Vans
Roadtrek
Airstream
Winnebago
Coach House

and my unabashed favorite because I am getting one:

Advanced RV

[ffjeff]

I can count the times I have showered in the Plateau on one hand. The campground showers are better, unlimited hot water vs. a few gallons and more importantly no need for hookups were camping. For quick wash up I do use the outside shower when we have a water supply.

We also tend to only use the B for sleeping, most activities are outside. Because of bears we cook exclusively outside on a camp stove. But that is our style of traveling.

[jjson775]

the bear II wrote:

Davydd wrote:

the bear II wrote:

Moral of my post... don't be crammed... go big and enjoy you'll get used to it.

Why don't you meet me next spring at Natural Bridges National Monument Campground in Utah next spring and discuss this over a beer. Oh! I'm sorry, they won't let you in. 😉

Well I can park my 38ft 5th wheel at one of the RV Resorts in Blanding UT or Lake Powell or Glen Canyon Natl Recreation area and travel an hour to Natural Bridges National Monument in my Tow Vehicle and meet you for that beer. Or if I had a 26 ft Class A or TT I could stay in the campground at Natural Bridges...http://www.nps.gov/nabr/faqs.htm

Or I could boondock in one of the many BLM dispersed camping areas nearby.

There's always a way...might as well be comfortable.

This is a good example of why B's are better for travel. We visited Natural Bridges in our old PW Excel. We stayed in Goulding's in Monument Valley then took the shortcut up the Moki Dugway (suicidal in anything bigger than a Class B) to Natural Bridges, spent most of the day there ate lunch in the van, took several hikes then drove to Moab for the night. No hooking, unhooking, detours to so-called "RV resorts" in Blanding, etc. You really give up a lot for a few hours of comfort in the evening between dinner and bedtime.

[tbirdman]

ernie1 wrote:
tbirdman;
I think everything you said was accurate and should be considered. Don't rush into anything. Wait a few years until you find something that meets your needs because what is available now is just a compromise.

If they could just figure out how to make he shower bigger, I'm fine with everything else. There has to be some creative people who can come up with an idea i.e. a murphy shower stall:D I don't think people have thought enough about this. What about a shower that has overlapping side walls that extends outwards. Don't think of a shower as a item that occupies a permanent space once you are finished with it. Look how long it took people to figure out a curved shower rod which is so simple of an idea.

[ernie1]

tbirdman;
I think everything you said was accurate and should be considered. Don't rush into anything. Wait a few years until you find something that meets your needs because what is available now is just a compromise.

[NoVa_RT]

the bear ll wrote:
Moral of my post... don't be crammed... go big and enjoy you'll get used to it.

It's NOT just a matter of getting used to driving a larger motorhome. A Class B can be legally parked in many driveways without blocking another vehicle, can fit into almost any parking space, and gets much better gas mileage. Those wouldn't be sufficient advantages, along with ease of driving, that everyone would trade off the smaller quarters, but many would. If your camping activities are outside of your motorhome, rather than in it; you cook mostly outside on the portable grill rather inside; or you eat at some restaurants (it's a vacation!); and don't stay anyplace that long - then a Class B or smaller C may work very well. If I was going to go stay put for 2 weeks at a time, or 2 months, I'd choose a different unit, but that's not my current camping style.

[bobojay5]

tbirdman wrote:
The funniest part of the show was I stepped into a RV shower to see how much room there was. The latch that holds the door secure while the RV is moving fell into place. I was captive until another show attendee came into the RV o look. I did have my clothes and was trying to maneuver the latch with my credit card. I didn't feel like yelling for help:-)

Do I have a cash for flash imprisonment:-)

:B

[tbirdman]

The funniest part of the show was I stepped into a RV shower to see how much room there was. The latch that holds the door secure while the RV is moving fell into place. I was captive until another show attendee came into the RV o look. I did have my clothes and was trying to maneuver the latch with my credit card. I didn't feel like yelling for help:-)

Do I have a case for flash imprisonment:-)

[tbirdman]

Davydd wrote:

the bear II wrote:

Moral of my post... don't be crammed... go big and enjoy you'll get used to it.

Why don't you meet me next spring at Natural Bridges National Monument Campground in Utah next spring and discuss this over a beer. Oh! I'm sorry, they won't let you in. 😉

I've had the 33' Class A w/Toad and also a pop up. I don't need a huge vehicle and value the ease of driving a class B or B+. I've driven an A so I do know what it's like.

In regards to the B/B's being over priced...yes you get more for your $ in an A, but also A's deprecated like a rock. Depreciation on B/B+'s is amazingly much less than A's. It's almost worth it to buy a brand new B/B+ (good quality) than to buy a used one.