To B or not to B

[Papa_O]

This is not so much a question. It is more the summary of a newbie's uncertain frame of mind. My brain has reached this point after seemingly endless research into the whys, and why nots, of class b motorhomes. At this point, analysis paralysis has taken over.

My wife and I are planning to buy a motorhome early in 2015. I have read, ad nauseam, the most important factors to consider when purchasing a motorhome. How you intend to use it always sits on top of the list. Having done that, we ARE clearly class B people.

Now the rub.

When I say that we have two motorhomes on our short list, specifically, the Roadtrek Adventurous and the LTV Serenity, seasoned RVers say I am comparing apples to oranges because the Roadtrek is a class B and the LTV is a B+.

As a newbie I see them as two viable alternatives for a class B couple. Admittedly one apparently more maneuverable than the other. The other with more room. Nonetheless, both still in the same ball game.

Having said that, can they really be so different, that I am comparing "apples to oranges"?

In conclusion, as I search my soul, I think we prefer the LTV Serenity for its balance of size and space.

Is this faulty thinking for a couple who would describe themselves as big city and scenic tourists and not so much as campers?

I apologize if this mindless babble offends or bores anybody. I think I need to step back from it all for a while.

[NCWriter]

Good advice on the used B, at least in our experience. The trick is being lucky and finding one close to where you live so you can inspect it and close the deal easily without travel involved.

Meanwhile, after a year, you may actually find you can sell it for the same amount you paid for it.

[stan909]

I concur. I read their last thread and gave the same advice. As a matter of fact most of the responses here are the same as the other thread so what are you waiting for. Go out and buy a B right now!. Times a wastin' You could be experiencing the joys we do all the time. But buy used just in case I'm wrong which has happened a couple of times that I can remember. My wife probably has a slightly longer list.

[Escargot]

Another option: Buy a pre-owned unit, thus avoiding the expense and depreciation of a new one, and test it out for a year. At the end of the year, sell and buy another for comparison sake. Use it for a year then sell.

By the end of the second year, not only will you have not wasted valuable travel time, you'll also know exactly what you want and can go out and buy a brand spanking new unit.

[Papa_O]

I would like to thank all of you who have responded. Your comments are very thoughtful and thorough. It is greatly appreciated. It has definitely helped.

Thanks again.

[NCWriter]

We've owned our B for almost four years and had some of the best travel experiences of our lives.

Not long ago, we saw a friend's new small C with a living room slide that really opened up that space. It looked very tempting, and I can see going to a small C Sprinter eventually, now that we have a big black dog taking up some of our space.

Meanwhile, though, I keep remembering what I love about the B. I really hate to give this up just yet.

1. Miles per gallon. We plan more cross-country, two+ month trips.

2. Car-type driving. Every time I read on RV net questions about "scary" roads, tunnels, mountains, etc at places we visited, I remember we had no concerns in those locales. Friends in a small C did not enjoy some of those same scenic roads.

3. Parking. City streets, tiny towns, our driveway, any RV sites anywhere, easy.

4. Quick set up on arrival, and pack up for departure from campsites. This goes VERY fast for a B, which makes one-or-two night stops so easy on long touring trips.

5. Double duty. We use the B as our second vehicle at home because it is parked beside our garage. (Our neighborhood by-laws allow vans but not RVs.)

If it helps the OP - I'm glad we got the B first. We've never regretted our choice, and love our diesel Sprinter. Going to something bigger is always a possibility later, and the resale market is very strong for class Bs.

LTV makes top quality products and the Serenity is beautiful, though I'm also not a fan of corner beds.

If I were giving up some of the car-like benefits of a van, I'd be looking at a small C with a living room slide where the sofa goes out, to really open up that evening space. And I'd either get fixed twins (make up the beds and leave them until sheet-changing time) or a rear-slide walk-around queen bed.

[Shearwater]

I was mistaken - the adventurous is built on the chassis that has a 170 inch wheelbase - looking at the pictures I thought it was the older 140" short wheelbase. That should make my post less confusing. Sorry.

Handbasket's point about walking around in RV's is a good one. I note that the Serenity has the 54" corner bed that is common in Sprinter based C's. Try that out. We would feel very crowded in that bed and we are not large people. Go to RV shows and check things out - imagine doing your normal things with the floorplans that are available.

There are a number of other small C's based on the Sprinter chassis. They all have different layouts and you should look at them. Class B's are also made by a number of different companies and you should check out other brands besides Roadtrek.

We chose to get a Sportsmobile converted Sprinter van in large part because we were able to design our own floor plan and had Sportsmobile custom make it. This is a worthwhile approach for B's because the space is limited and you need to make it work for you. The price will also be much less.

Here are a couple of questions for you:

Will you spend lots of nondriving time inside the van or will you be out doing things most of the time?

Where do you intend to go? An 97" wide vehicle is fine on freeways and major roads but is not so wonderful on secondary roads and is a bear on anything worse. Lots of suboptimum roads lead to interesting places.

For us the versatility and easy driving of a B van trumps the extra space of a class C but sometimes we are envious of those with more room.

[buta4]

Greetings;

Two thoughts concerning your class B comparisons.

1. Look at the Sportsmobile site in detail. Many option choices are offered at fair prices. They offer the Design Your Own unit concept!

2. One of their chassis offerings is Sprinter. And, beginning 2015, the four-wheel drive Sprinter will be available is North America!!

Regards

[Davydd]

No RV is going to fit in commercial parking garages above or below the first level since most all have 7 foot height limitations. However, the difference between a standard garage door you can use is 10 feet for a Class B and 12 foot for a Class C. If you rent off-site garage space you might find that to be a limiting factor. I cited my local self car wash already. When I needed some body repair done on my first B I was limited to what body shops could do the work. Not all could take an RV and none in my community had 12 foot garage doors. Going to the Sun Road in Glacier NP has a height and length issue. The length is less critical since their own in park tour coaches and buses are 24 feet (extended body Sprinters) but there is a cliff overhang going west that would surely clip off a corner of an RV over 10 feet. I still say if you don't think there is a marginal difference between a Class B and a small Class C go drive the Needles Highway from Mount Rushmore to Custer State Park and come back and tell us so. Yes, it has been done. But would you do it with a small Class C?

[jjson775]

gerrym51 wrote:
width and height are bigger factors than strictly length.

Roadtrek makes XL versions of 24 feet.

Have you looked Navions. similiar size

From personal experience with both a B and a B+, height is a non-issue. You can't park a Class B in a parking garage. Width is no problem driving but parallel street parking is not practical, it is usually a problem with a wide Class B as well. In surface parking lots, length is the most important dimension, 22 feet is about max in many cases, although of course even big Claas A's can park at Walmart.

In our old B, we stayed in hotels in some big cities that had parking garages for the guests but I always called before making a reservation and told them I was driving a "high top van" and they were always able to arrange outdoor parking, although sometimes it was a few blocks away. Good luck with your shopping.

[GailS]

Papa O,

Check your private messages.

[mockturtle]

I think, if I were you, I'd look at the Pleasure Way Plateau, which is similar to the Roadtrek Adventurous but with (IMHO) better choice in floor plans.

[Davydd]

When it comes to small motorhomes dimensions marginally different means a lot. The Roadtrek RS Adventurous is 22'-9" long not 24' long or 24'-6" long for the Serenity. The width is 6'-8" vs. 8'-1" for the Serenity. You would be a lot more nervous parallel parking a Serenity on the street and sticking out and would have a hard time fitting inside the standard 24' long space. The Serenity breaks the 10' height barrier and believe it or not you then have to be cognizant of garage door heights. You could get in my local self car wash with the Roadtrek but not the Serenity. There are simply a lot of places you can drive that Roadtrek where a Serenity cannot go. Parking is more critical than you imagine. The Roadtrek is a true van thus a true Class B. The Serenity is built off a cutaway chassis thus is technically a Class C. They share the fact they are both Sprinters and have the same wheelbase.

If you like the Serenity then you owe it to yourself to look at all the small Cs and make an apples to apples comparison. You may not be a B person at all if the Serenity has more appeal over the Roadtrek. You can't do this with just web research. You have to get out and look at them, test drive them, and take a lot of quiet time sitting in them and imagine how you would use them. Don't just look. Go through some pretend motions. Rentals are pretty hard to come by but it would be nice if you could only a lot of rentals are nothing like you would consider.

[Artum_Snowbird]

Something we missed when we first bought into the RV lifestyle was the seasons. If your intended use for your rig is summer, winter, or around the whole year can really swing your decision.

Winter camping and RV travelling means you spend a lot more of your day inside your rig, and to that end having comfortable surroundings that can be used for hobbies and relaxing with others is important. If one wants to lay down and the other wants to sit up, can you do it easily?

Another thought is being able to transport comfortable outside chairs. It's very nice on sunny days to sit back and relax into a nice chair, but not many of the collapsible ones will feel good for more than a few minutes. Some of the folding ones will, but they need to have a place to carry them.

Sometimes how easy it is to drive and park is minor compared to the comfort you have when stopped at your site.

[NoVa_RT]

I don't think you're comparing "apples to oranges" as much as you are deciding what trade-offs are best for you, and that is the essence of a RV purchase decision. I wanted something easy to drive & park, that would fit in my driveway without blocking other vehicles, and that got reasonable gas mileage. To get that, I tolerate a somewhat cramped interior, especially the bathroom (and use campground showers fairly often). That works for our mostly "tourist-like" camping, which is a mixture of solo & 2-person trips since my DW isn't retired, yet, but I probably would have done something different if my style was to camp someplace for weeks or months at a time.

[gerrym51]

have you looked at this


linky




winnebago trend