Trying to decide if a Class B will work for me

pt 2.) my neighbor has a 4x4 1999 ford PW excel model.
he did the conversion himself- his sportmobile burned down in the driveway- he saved the running gear and put in under an excel he bought.

he uses it mostly for trips into mexico- as a 4x4 camper it is pretty good, but he says it's not so great at highway speeds.

Mike

mkguitar wrote:
while a chassis may take some off-roading...over time the van will get beat up.

stuff may shake loose ( like cabinetry) and you may have some mechanical concerns- make sure that the chassis is lubed which will keep grit out of the suspension and steering gear.

so there's the downside ( I had a fuel pump fail after a 60 mile washboard trip...I think related)

solid wood cabinetry will do better than mdf or other man made materials- some B's are made better than others.

insulation on many B's will help to determine your choice of camping climates- not the water piping ( but as above you can get tank heaters, but to have to take the energy use into account)

we take our B on dirt and gravel roads, overhead clearance or width are not a problem- we watch for rocks and other stuff that would hole the oil pan or tanks- our suspension is stock height on our chev 3500 chassis

we may not be the speediest ( we pull over for faster vehicles) but we get where we want

Mike

Mike - Thanks for the input. I see on your profile you have a Lexor, the Lexor was the Class B that I had my eye on. (After your in site may still consider going this route) Thanks again.

I wonder if a 4x4 Sportsmobile can go places a truck camper cannot, due to the lower center of gravity combined with high ground clearance?

while a chassis may take some off-roading...over time the van will get beat up.

stuff may shake loose ( like cabinetry) and you may have some mechanical concerns- make sure that the chassis is lubed which will keep grit out of the suspension and steering gear.

so there's the downside ( I had a fuel pump fail after a 60 mile washboard trip...I think related)

solid wood cabinetry will do better than mdf or other man made materials- some B's are made better than others.

insulation on many B's will help to determine your choice of camping climates- not the water piping ( but as above you can get tank heaters, but to have to take the energy use into account)

we take our B on dirt and gravel roads, overhead clearance or width are not a problem- we watch for rocks and other stuff that would hole the oil pan or tanks- our suspension is stock height on our chev 3500 chassis

we may not be the speediest ( we pull over for faster vehicles) but we get where we want

Mike

PSW wrote:
my wife and I traveled for many years just as you described in your original post....touring and staying almost exclusively in NF campgrounds. And the clearance problem you identified is very real from our experience. We have had a rig we built ourselves that would go anywhere (Chevy van we customized for our needs), a Intervec Horizon that went most places, a 190 Roadtrek and a 210 Roadtrek. The last rig (2007 Roadtrek 210P) was ideal for us except for the fact that its additional length and width restricted our mobility a bit compared to the other rvs we owned.

The Roadtreks could be a challenge when it came to NF campgrounds and roads, and I don't mean really ragged roads, just the constant watching for something that the few inches of clearance could handle. We didn't go some places we would like to have because of the clearance. It is not only the tanks, but the mounting of the generator and the dump pipes that can cause real concerns. We had to be really careful on driveways with steep approaches, like some gas stations seem to have where we travel.

All this is saying that you are on target in our experience of having owned Bs for most of 30 years. Paul

Thank you so much for all your info. This is exactly the info I was looking for. I had a strong feeling the Class B was not going to work but wanted thoughts from folks who had B's and did the kind of camping I like to do. Thank you again for all your input. I did take a look at the Phoenix Cruiser but I really don't want dual rear wheels. As it stands now, I think a truck camper is the way for me to go. Thanks again.

stevekk may be onto something. Take a look at the Phoenix Cruiser 2100 for something a little different. It is shorter than a lot of Bs, has a Ford truck chassis under it and might answer some of your concerns.

Paul

Water tanks can be heated, water lines are Pex and can freeze without damage. There are many who winter camp without having problems with water supply. Just be careful and manage your water like your electrical system. As far as ground clearance, I have had more trouble with driveways than off road. Again, careful management is the key. If the road looks too rough, don't go. I have gotten stuck more times with my 4x4 pickups when I continued beyond what was prudent. I used to work for the Forest Service and was a logging and road building contractor, so do know something about "off roading"

Whats your budget?
What about a short Class C?

untamed spirits, my wife and I traveled for many years just as you described in your original post....touring and staying almost exclusively in NF campgrounds. And the clearance problem you identified is very real from our experience. We have had a rig we built ourselves that would go anywhere (Chevy van we customized for our needs), a Intervec Horizon that went most places, a 190 Roadtrek and a 210 Roadtrek. The last rig (2007 Roadtrek 210P) was ideal for us except for the fact that its additional length and width restricted our mobility a bit compared to the other rvs we owned.

The Roadtreks could be a challenge when it came to NF campgrounds and roads, and I don't mean really ragged roads, just the constant watching for something that the few inches of clearance could handle. We didn't go some places we would like to have because of the clearance. It is not only the tanks, but the mounting of the generator and the dump pipes that can cause real concerns. We had to be really careful on driveways with steep approaches, like some gas stations seem to have where we travel.

All this is saying that you are on target in our experience of having owned Bs for most of 30 years. We now have a small C and pull a Jeep because our touring days have been mostly replaced with boondocking for extended periods out in the National Forests, state parks, National Parks. That privilege comes with retirement, but we sure miss the mobility of a B. I suspect we will be back in a B in a few years and tour more, camp several days less.

Given our experiences, we would probably take a look at Tigers or Sportsmobiles if we wanted to do what you suggest as a touring lifestyle.

When you look at Bs, just get down and get dirty: take a ruler and measure from what hangs closest to the grown for clearance. The tanks are a good place to start, but look at every item, not just the tanks. Lots of stuff to hit under there and take it from me, fixing that stuff after it is damaged and you are out in the woods is no picnic with those low clearances to crawl underneath.

Paul

Sportsmobile has 3 factories in Texas, California, and Indiana. The California location specializes in all out off road vans with a 4x4 conversion package and raised bodies. These are more than capable of travel on bad roads or no roads at all but are fairly pricey.

All three locations make custom built B vans from a variety of van models - you design the layout you want and they will build it. They will certainly build vans that have nothing hung under the van if that's what you want. Mercedes also imports 4x4 Sprinters that they work on. For bad roads, you might want to consider the shorter wheelbase models.

Other non van options include truck campers and the Tiger Provan which is actually a class C built on a pickup body.

Fairly simple truck campers with a popup conversion are made but should be based on a 3/4 ton body. Truck campers that match the amenities of class B's generally require a 1 ton truck usually with dual rear wheels. They are very tall and very wide.