pasusan wrote:
Thanks for the responses...
Generator under the van is a bit off-putting. And the sideways bed is also as DH is 6'2". Would love twin beds, but want to keep it short enough to park as a regular van.
The search is alternately exciting and depressing. :?
Not hijacking the thread, but sharing what we learned when shopping- we spent weeks comparing vehicles ( the VW/ winnebago Rialta is still considered a contender- look if you haven't at a 2001~2005 model there are about 4 floorplans and the wet bath is genius- our concern was about working on a VW, parts and also road speeds in the mountains)
while some B models do get up to 24 ft or so- many are closer to 20...some are regular width, some are widebodies.
The 2006 P-W Lexor we have is the TD model- bed similar to the Roadtrek 190 Popular ( the Pop sleeps fore and aft, the Versatile sleeps sideways) the other lexor models sleep sideways or use a powered sofa thing which as far as I care adds only complexity, weight and chews up storage area.
The bed is longer on the left side I think it is 76", the rt side is 72". some owners fill the center area, some leave open by the feet to make skooching out of bed easier.
it is awesome to be able to use the can and get right back into bed and asleep.
The Lexor fits in our driveway fine and when in a parking lot, we easily park on the edges- park so as to make it easy to get out and where you won;t be blocked in. and remember you may be close to 9' high.
the P-W only has the 2 seats up front ( as opposed to the RT pop w/3 and the Vers w/4) which swivel- we are 2 and dog so this works.
loosing the rear seat(s) allows a "less congested" galley and sleeping area- the RT may have cabinetry overhanging the sleeping area where your feets go.
It seems many owners opt to leave bed made up permanently- I think that is the way we are going.
youtube has some great videos with dealers giving demos of class b's of all makes, you can look at the layout and figure out what features appeal and which hold no or negative value.
most floorplans and bed dimensions can be found online- I taped off the "bed area" on our living room rug and had Spouse come and lie next to me...does this work?- some layouts were an instant no.
Both the PW and RT seem to be similar in quality of the cabinetry- either ply or solid wood fronts. No mdf or chipboard ( when looking at coaches- pull the cushions and look at the quality of the build.
Since these are both CDN built- CDN code for cabinetry and electrical is the Robertson head screw ( square) , many Americans are confused by this.
Get a R #1 driver bit - (dewalt, home depot) so you can snug things up- just about every screw in our coach required a 1/8 to 1/4 turn.
that solved alot of squeaks and groans.
The PW has it's electrics under the rt side bed- really well laid out- good work. The water heater in under the left bed- it is not overly loud.
The shower pan and drain in floor works ok- but a shower on shore or even the outside shower in flip flops and trunks avoids interior clean up and moisture.
I have toured with rockbands for over 30 years on large coaches and am pretty comfy with our choice.
Touring, rule #1 is NO SOLIDS in the black tank. Use public facilities and if you gotta gotta, line the toilet with a bag...place that in a 2nd bag ("Bag of Shame").
This leaves you living without a chemistry experiment in your tanks and really eases dumps- as only urine and water are coming out the hose...no chemicals, no solids.
Some owners seems to do away with the genny altogether- to save on dragging the dead weight around.
I may make this choice and pick up one of the honda or yamaha silent gennys for use when i have to.
as for driving- it is heavy with alot of weight up high.
65 MPH is tame and relaxing and comfy- 75 feels like straining and the wind resistance is more of a factor.
for mtn driving, downshifting is easier on the brakes- 3rd will hold closer to 55 mph and 2nd will hold closer to 40 on 6% grades
this is the Chev 3500 w/ 6 liter, the drivetrain is perfectly matched to the weight in terms of torque and gearing.
Our 2005 chassis/ 2006 pleasureway was listed for about $40k w/ 80k.
we arrived at a cash price below nada value.
AZ has no sales tax on private party sales, so a win.
mike
