To B or not to B

overbrook wrote:

LA88 wrote:
However, there are two things that I think I must have from class B. Stand up shower and a real queen/king bed.

From the previous Parking Class B posts, sounds like 23' is the max I should get and not longer. Yes/No?

If you want a real king/queen bed, you'll want a B+ with a rear bed and rear slide. That means a split aisle bath (toilet on one side standup shower on the other).

These are rare, but they are available from Coachhouse and a few other manufacturers.

When it comes to length and parking, anything under 26' is pretty easy to park in most parking lots and almost all campgrounds.

When it comes to short Class A's, Winnebago used to make one - saw one today listed at http://spacecoast.craigslist.org/rvs/5750363674.html

When it comes to driving a motorhome, it's the width that you have to worry about, not so much the length. Test drive a B+ and it'll feel like a sports car compared to your Class A.

Bill

Look at Leisure Travel Vans. Our B+ has a full queen bed with a residential style mattress and a walk in residential style shower with large dressing area.

Recently went through this debate myself although for different reasons. The convenience to drive, park and prep are what attracted me to a B from an A. We ended up staying with the A. Cost and space were the main reasons. I could not find a class B I liked enough in my price range. I could almost buy a brand new entry level DP for the price of B. Space was the other consideration. Not much room in a B and we have 3 people. Understanding you are retiring but you mentioned full timing. Now I know a lot of folks on here FT in a B, but no way I could do it especially after owning an A. You also mention as a way to stop towing a car, but frankly I've found that hooking up our car 4 down literally takes about a minute. And if you will use your B as a grocery getter, remember you will still have to break camp every time you want to venture into town so no benefit over an A and towing a car. Tanks are smaller too, so boon docking becomes a more careful exercise in water usage and waste management. All in all I simply could not justify half the space for twice the money. But to each his own. Many people love B's and I can certainly see why they have their own market. I am not knocking them at all, they have their merit for sure. But coming from an A I would be very realistic about your expectations and spend a lot of time in one before you buy and see if you can survive the smaller space and compact amenities. Especially full timing. As I am sure you are aware, it's much easier to buy an Rv than it is to sell one so mistakes in purchases get very costly.

LA88 wrote:
However, there are two things that I think I must have from class B. Stand up shower and a real queen/king bed.

From the previous Parking Class B posts, sounds like 23' is the max I should get and not longer. Yes/No?

If you want a real king/queen bed, you'll want a B+ with a rear bed and rear slide. That means a split aisle bath (toilet on one side standup shower on the other).

These are rare, but they are available from Coachhouse and a few other manufacturers.

When it comes to length and parking, anything under 26' is pretty easy to park in most parking lots and almost all campgrounds.

When it comes to short Class A's, Winnebago used to make one - saw one today listed at http://spacecoast.craigslist.org/rvs/5750363674.html

When it comes to driving a motorhome, it's the width that you have to worry about, not so much the length. Test drive a B+ and it'll feel like a sports car compared to your Class A.

Bill

Thank you for all your comments. I'm hoping to be able to full time and see the country in five years. For now, it will be a few weeks here and there. My class A is on my driveway 95% of the time since it takes too much work to prep for short trips. I'm debating whether I should hold on to the A until I'm near retirement or trade in now and start using the B.

I'm looking for the longest B/B+ that I can find and be able to park on streets and small parking lots. Too bad the smallest class A is 25.5' which I think it's too long to park on public street/parking.

I'm spoiled with class A and I know I need to be realistic. However, there are two things that I think I must have from class B. Stand up shower and a real queen/king bed. Some of the ones I see online are not really a one-piece bed and it looks like 6 cushions put together. I'd like to have a one piece mattress.

From the previous Parking Class B posts, sounds like 23' is the max I should get and not longer. Yes/No?

LA88 wrote:
We got our first RV 35' class A back in 2007. Now the kids are older and we're thinking to down size to a B or possibly a B+.

We bought our Class B in 2005, still have it, and have put 135K+ miles on it. We would buy the same one again if we were to do it over.

But that is just because it perfectly met our needs and wants. Everyone has their own preferences and asking your kind of question will bring out many viewpoints. The main thing is to know your needs and preferences as you move on in your life.

My previous camping experience before buying a Class B was a lot of tent camping, backpacking and two experiences renting a pop up tent trailer for week-long vacations. So moving from that to a Class B was a definite step up as someone else mentioned, even though a lot of years passed by before we were both retired and decided we wanted to see more of the country. Touring is what I think a Class B is suited for and that's what we have done. For longer term camping, a bigger RV might be better suited although we know quite a few people use Class Bs for that also. We have taken a number of six-week trips, but seldom spent more than two nights at any one place on these trips or any of our trips.

Good luck in your quest.

LA88 wrote:

What are the three "best for the money" brand/name class B that I should buy. I know there are many but just wanted to narrow down to three.

I've owned two Class A's, 5 Class B's, and 4 B+'s.

The B's were the easiest to park, but not so easy to live in. Always bumping my head or bruising my arms trying to find space inside.

The Class A's had the most room, but also needed the most time to prepare for a trip, and then limited me where I could go (had to avoid narrow roads, some RV parks, small town main streets, etc.)

The B+'s are the sweet spot between too small and too big, but still being easy to drive and park and live in.

For one or two people traveling together, look for a B+ with a couch and dinette, a real bathroom across the back, a full size fridge and plenty of headroom.

Most will be on either the Ford e350 or E450 chassis. Of these, the e450 will handle and ride better, especially if the RV has a slide.

I currently have a Coachhouse 232XL and of all the RVs I've owned, I like this one the best. The solid one piece fiberglass coach shell means very little chance of leaks, squeaks and reduces wind noise.

Coachhouse build-quality is consistently rated at the top and the quality shows, even in older ones.

While Coachhouse RVs are expensive when new, you can sometimes find a decent deal on a used one. I found mine when it was traded in on a new one at the Coachhouse factory.

For me, the 23' length is the perfect size. (FYI: I sold my Roadtrek to buy the Coachhouse).

Other B+'s to consider: Phoenix Cruiser and BT Cruiser.

Bill

We had our Xplorer van for 14 years. It had dual tires in the rear and so handled pretty well in the wind.

We went from tent camping to the Class B so it felt like heaven. It kept us outdoors but was a nice place to sleep.

It was very tight quarters and when it rained we were kind of squished inside. We could never invite friend or relatives inside to play cards or chat because it was so tight.

The wet bath was not convenient but we made it work.

We are both tall and the Xplorer's twin bed/king bed worked well. The entrance door also had an upper cut out so we didn't hit our heads.

We also were able to park the Class B in our (city)driveway. (was classified as a "van" and not a RV). It was my daily driver for 14 years.

We have since retired and live in the country. Purchased a 25.9 Class C with a slideout and small dry bathroom. We love the room in it. It handles well.
We can park it here at home.

Just some thoughts from a B and C owner.

We're very happy switching from a 38 foot DP to a Roadtrek B.

At 23'9" I can park just about anywhere I have to. On the road it is a pleasure to drive. It has everything we need to function with. I have never needed to plug in at a campground yet.

It does call for another level of "togetherness". Space is tight. And yes, it was a spendy devil.

X2 on the LTV there great.

Check out Leisure Travel Vans - lots of floorplans and great quality.
We downsized from a 31 ft., full wall slide Class A to our B+ with a murphy bed and full rear bath. Works very well for us and no regrets. Depending on the trip destination and purpose, sometimes we tow, other times we do not.