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.

[Sebtown]

We are totally satisfied with our B although the most we have used it has been 14 nights at a time. We have rented C's and my brother has an A but the B does it for me. I recommend everyone rent one first as they certainly don't work for all styles of travel and camping.

[CA_POPPY]

It's a legitimate concern. If we had rented a class B, we wouldn't have bought one, especially a new unit. Short trips are good but a coast to coast vacation feels like coexisting in a space the size of a bathroom. It's all about the individuals' space requirement.

[cjscotty]

This is SO us. We're trying to trade in our older 25 ft Trail-Lite B+ for either another B+ and now are looking at B's. Our brains are in total lock down, overloaded with decisions. Going down from the bigger tanks is an issue. There have been times that 25 ft is slightly too large. BUT find that the B+s even on Mercedes are less expensive. We really like trying to go into a smaller B. If this helps in any way, we drove a 22 foot B+ Pursuit on a Ford, 25 ft Winnebago View B+, 22 foot B Pleasure-Way FL, and 22 ft B Travato all on the same day just recently at a Very nice dealership Flagg RV. This did help at least weed out the Pursuit bc it blew all over the road compared to the other 3, I really like the inside of the Pursuit so this was a disappointment. There was some wind that day. The Travato also drove nice but not quite as nice as the MB's, the bathroom door slide was rattling, was also hard to open and close. I asked my husband the driver which drove/liked better MB B or B+, and he said he liked both very much, but leaned slightly towards B. I suggest going to a dealership that will let you drive a B and B+ on the same day hopefully with some wind, to see how they feel. Pay attention to noise and rattles, they will eventually drive u crazy, particularly my husband lol. Pay attention to where you travel mostly. We travel in the northeast and east coast a lot where there are many smaller older towns that can be tight, come across low trees, cables and low bridges all the time. They used to make 21 and 23 ft Trail-Lite B+s with slides, would probably get that if they were still in business bc they were affordable and decent.

[Papa_O]

Shearwater,

I realize that in this forum there will naturally be a "B bias". However, it is a bias I share. This is a fantastic opportunity to understand what the reasons are for the bias and to learn if the expectations of like minded people were met. If so, why, and if not, why not.

Thanks again.

[Shearwater]

Just a cautionary note - if you post this in the B forum, you will find that most respondents favor B's.

[mlts22]

There is one simple thing that makes "B"s quite attractive. I read about catastrophic damage due to water leaks left and right with "C"s, "A"a, and towables. With "B"s, usually the worst I read is some stained fabric. I have never read a horror story about mushrooms growing in a "B"'s carpet, but I have read about this with other types of RVs. "B"s seem to have far better protection against water intrusion than virtually anything else out there. Especially with the fact that the roof is NTSHA-approved steel, while most rigs, it might be a thin piece of fiberglass... or even a garbage-bag thin layer of rubber that is supposed protects your expensive stuff from getting wet and full of mold growth... but usually fails in a few years (small twig puncturing it, caulk drying up, wind driving water through the caulk, etc.)

[d0n1]

The winnebago View & itasca Navion are similar in size to the serenity but has the over cab bunk. It's also on the sprinter chassis. Why not check those out too? Heck, you can buy a low mileage gently used one for around $50k... if you don't feel like paying over $140k for a new 2015 rv. I owned a 2008 View and loved it.

[stan909]

My class b has a fiberglass top but would deffinitely do better in a catastrophic crash than a c or my class a. Promasters and Sprinters are all steel and would fair the best in my estimation.

[AsheGuy]

avanti wrote:
It is the fact that B vans, and only B vans, are (by definition) built totally inside of a highly-engineered, robot-built steel shell.

This is a point that is not mentioned much but it was a definite factor in our decision to buy a class B, a decision that we have been quite happy with. Basically we are travelers though and not campers. I've done plenty of tent camping, backpacking, etc. but when we were ready to look for an RV we wanted to see the country.

[Papa_O]

I am so impressed with the vast amount of knowledge and experience all of this input is based on. Thank God for the Internet!

[Arizona_Kid]

hoosiemark,

That's not a Class B, it's a Camper Van.
You are doing the right thing by sitting in the different RV's, and trying to imagine how it will work for you.
Test drive them, a Class B drives much different than an RV built on a truck chassis. Most Class B's will be quieter, with less rattles, because they are converted on a one piece van chassis.
Spend as much time without the salesman, you will eventually choose the one right for you.
You can't have it all, it's all about making the correct compromises. For a lot of people gas mileage is one of the major deciding factors.
Good luck

[avanti]

In my opinion, the biggest argument in favor of a B has nothing to do with space. It is the fact that B vans, and only B vans, are (by definition) built totally inside of a highly-engineered, robot-built steel shell. This has safety implications, it has aesthetic implications, and-most importantly-it has longevity implications. Sure C-vans look nice when new, but if you look at older ones, a lot of them get very shabby over time. I won't say that Bs never develop leaks, squeaks or sags; or that Cs always do, but if I had to bet, I know where I would place my chips.

[hoosiermark]

I think this is a question a lot of us who want to buy an RV ask ourselves. I have looked at numerous class B and small Cs in the last year. Just looked at a great 26 foot C. Everything was right about it but the size. I want the size of a B with the openness of a C. The big issue my wife and I keep coming back to is do we want more of a travel van or a camper. When we are traveling to look at these units we take imaginary trips and talk out what our expectations are from the vehicle we would be in. Bottom line, how do you want to use it?
I just met a lady who has a B with minimal features (porta potti,no gen, no heat, no stove or fridge, roof AC) and says she camped all over the west and absolutely loves the simple life. To each their own.

[reppans]

Papa O wrote:

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

I'm going to throw in a slightly different perspective, perhaps even a little extreme from your prospective. I have an RT170P, one of the smallest and stealthiest Class Bs made. You are about as far from Boston as I am from NYC, and I like touring/camping the Eastcoast shoreline which we both know is the probably the most crowded place in the US for that. My footprint is about the size of a Chevy Suburban so I can pretty much go/park anywhere including travel on the restricted parkways around the tri-state area (I have passenger plates). I always seem to be able make it into all those "no RV" parking lots in the center of tourist destinations and which are invariably ~ 18 ft.

Sure my 170 can be a little tight if stuck inside with bad weather for prolonged periods, but, on the flip side...what are you going to do with your RV when you are NOT camping/traveling? Can you park on your driveway? Will you put your RV into LT storage mode? Would you feel awkward taking it for a grocery/mall run, a simple half/full-day road trip? Use it haul junk to the dump? Etc. etc.

I use mine as a second/third car (except for when the roads are a salty mess) all the time. Great "base station" for half/whole day trips. A nice little climate controlled "house" to take my dog with us wherever we go. A second home to hang out in for a few hours when I get sick of the mall or when my kid needs to be somewhere (cuts the drive down to a single round trip). A utility vehicle to haul large items, move my kid to/from college, etc.

For me, a Class C, would be in storage mode if not specifically used for camping trips, and I'd even feel awkward using the larger Sprinter based vehicles as a second vehicle.... But that's just one perspective from a fellow suburb dweller on the crowded, and sometimes image conscious, Eastcoast ;).