Considering a Class B RV ... Suggestions?

One of my brothers has a 28 ft. RV with one fold out side and a fold out back, that he tows behind his F150. His wife and he like to get away from there grown kids and go RV camping. They both fish and enjoy campfires. I went with them once and sleeping on a bed made of a couple of mats where I could feel the joints of the mats was torture for my bad back. Never again. If I ever get into vehicle camping of any kind one big requirement for me would be a full length (California extra tall) mattress. If I does not have that I do not want anything to do with it.

Bumping my head in a few locations in it also was no fun, and the narrow walkway down the middle of it, combined with the sections of low height clearance was a constant reminder that this is not a hotel room on wheels.

My suggestion is to find a place that rents something similar to what you are considering and spend a week or more using it before jumping in and being committed to something you or your significant other might find something about it that really makes it no fun.

I like being out in the woods, and exploring places I never saw before. And I also like normal creature comforts. So I I ever get into owning an RV it probably would be something that right now is beyond my budget.
 
One of my brothers has a 28 ft. RV with one fold out side and a fold out back, that he tows behind his F150.
That sounds like a hybrid when you say fold out, were they canvas like a pop up? Some call them the worst of all worlds when it comes to trailers. Too bad you had a bad experience. FYI you can get trailers with any bed you want but Shel isn't talking about trailers.
 
I'm assuming you've run some numbers and have made some comparisons. Please show me some numbers.

I just spent 17 days on the road staying at motels from cheap to expensive, and I've a pretty good idea of what lodging and gas cost, plus the cost of food on the road. It's cheaper to prepare food "at home" than to eat out every day. I'm curious to see how your numbers compare to my experience. Thanks!

Keep in mind you don’t eliminate fuel cost, you probably atleast double it ove a car, you also don’t eliminate all overnight stay charges, it’s like you will have to stay at a campground atleast occasionally- many you tubes about how overnight parking not allowed - you can’t even count on WalMart which used to be sure thing. That’s why “stealth camping” has become a thing.
 
The Class B - Class C spectrum is a mess lately. Figure out what you're planning on using it for and use that to dedicate the size. IE if you're wanting to pull a car and park the RV at a park getting a larger one. If no toad just go small. We've had our 28ft Class for almost 10 years and grew up around Class C's. They can keep their vans as far as I"m concerned. I'll like my room, shower and a decent bathroom. Engine preference just remember in the boondocks if might be hard to find parts and find some one to work on it. But maybe that isn't a factor anymore. Anyone can work on our 6.0L but still had to wait a day to order in a o2 sensor in the middle of nowhere Nevada.
 
Something we found to be true; you rarely keep the first one. Your first RV will show you what you like and don’t like about RVing. Then youll buy the one you like more.

sprinter vans drive really nice and the diesel hwy mpg is in the 20s. My dad had one and I enjoyed seat time in it. They tried to build their own RV within the van and it was a hack. The MB models are known for rust troubles and theirs rusted out at the A-pillars way too soon. The drivetrain was great though.

we went with a small bumper pull trailer on our second go-round and like it a lot. It’s small enough to tow well, and when we aren’t rolling, I’m not insuring another engine. I think ours is 19’, just big enough to have a head with a real black water tank (not a cartridge type). The cost of entry was much less than something with an engine.

i don’t know of any motor homes that age well. They sit for long periods, maintenance falls behind, and used ones often seem to need full R&R of anything made of rubber or filled with oil. Otoh, used units depreciate like a stone. Someone said it above, none of these are built well.

camper vans are nice in that they have a full vehicle roof. TTs usually have a rubber roof that ages while you don’t use it.

there is a growing style of A-frame pop-ups which are a hard shell exterior but tow flat and low, so they can be pulled behind a wide variety of non-truck vehicles, totally worth a look. Also more “bug out“ style small trailers with rounded shapes and fewer accessories for easier towing. Shoot, I think airstream now has a lightweight fiberglass job that is beautiful and nicely compact, easy to pull.

good luck!
 


I think airstream now has a lightweight fiberglass job that is beautiful and nicely compact, easy to pull.

good luck!

I think they did fiberglass for a year or Two, had a trendy name, it’s no longer on their website…

They do have the base camp- it’s aluminum but fits the compact and attractive part. There is at least one girl on you tube full time living in one, atleast was last year.


Ah here it is:

 
I think they did fiberglass for a year or Two, had a trendy name, it’s no longer on their website…

They do have the base camp- it’s aluminum but fits the compact and attractive part. There is at least one girl on you tube full time living in one, atleast was last year.

Dangit @DuckRyder

now I want something else.
 
@Shel_B you might want to consider renting a unit first to try it. RVs are expensive propositions if you change your mind or take a different approach. This coming from an owner of a 36’ travel trailer. I love it but just a heads up.

I would also wait and see what the next 6 months brings if you’re not in a hurry. You might get a deal on one.

Just my $0.02
 
there is a growing style of A-frame pop-ups which are a hard shell exterior but tow flat and low, so they can be pulled behind a wide variety of non-truck vehicles, totally worth a look.
We tried one, don't bother, unless you get one with dormers all you're buying is a rigid tent on wheels. No room at all in a plain A frame type. The little teardrops are a pup tent on wheels with a camp kitchen. Camping not RVing.
 
I’ve rented 31-35’ Class As and also a 25’ bumper pull travel trailer. It is not cost effective but a great way to try it out. I’d recommend renting to get a feel before buying one.
A7130C14-EB35-4E22-B8D4-ED136A8DCB5F.jpeg
62CEC80E-4F1A-489D-B56E-FD7B775275E7.jpeg
 
One of my brothers has a 28 ft. RV with one fold out side and a fold out back, that he tows behind his F150. His wife and he like to get away from there grown kids and go RV camping. They both fish and enjoy campfires. I went with them once and sleeping on a bed made of a couple of mats where I could feel the joints of the mats was torture for my bad back. Never again. If I ever get into vehicle camping of any kind one big requirement for me would be a full length (California extra tall) mattress. If I does not have that I do not want anything to do with it.

Bumping my head in a few locations in it also was no fun, and the narrow walkway down the middle of it, combined with the sections of low height clearance was a constant reminder that this is not a hotel room on wheels.


My suggestion is to find a place that rents something similar to what you are considering and spend a week or more using it before jumping in and being committed to something you or your significant other might find something about it that really makes it no fun.

I like being out in the woods, and exploring places I never saw before. And I also like normal creature comforts. So I I ever get into owning it probably would be something that right now is beyond my budget.
First, thank you all for jumping in with your comments and suggestions. Some have suggested renting a unit, and I'm looking into it. I found a place about 10 minutes from me that rents a unit similar to what I think I may want, certainly one to consider. They'll securely store my car while I'm using the RV.

I want to use the unit for about a week, travel for about three or so days, and camp somewhere close to nature, maybe once in a State Park, maybe a campground, and once completely separated from any amenities. A campground might be nice every so often for showering, doing laundry, and maybe enjoy some sort of common area with food and space to socialize.
As Jim said, I like being out in the woods and exploring new places. I'd like to find something small and nimble with perhaps minimal interior accessories, and at this point, I don't even know how minimal or otherwise I'd like.
Keep in mind you don’t eliminate fuel cost, you probably atleast double it ove a car, you also don’t eliminate all overnight stay charges, it’s like you will have to stay at a campground atleast occasionally- many you tubes about how overnight parking not allowed - you can’t even count on WalMart which used to be sure thing. That’s why “stealth camping” has become a thing.
I'm fairly aware of fuel costs. It's on the list of things to look into more closely. I'm certainly not expecting 35mpg with one of these things. How low of fuel mileage I'm willing to accept is unknown at this point, but I'm sure there's a point below which I may not find acceptable.

Of course I'd expect to pay for occasional camping and lodging expenses. It's not as though I've not traveled cross-country before using a vehicle in which I slept and in which I was able to prepare food. From around 1967 through about 2,000 I crossed the country numerous times, about once every three-four years, sometimes being gone as long as 8 weeks (most trips were about a month).

I'm older now, and this recent car trip took a lot out of me, more than I expected. Even a pickup with a shell would have been helpful. So, the question is, how much do I want to invest in improving my comfort, and to what degree do I want to improve it? Do I want a TV, a full-size small refrigerator, a big bed or a smaller one, solar panels, generators, and etc.

I'm not the kind of person who would even consider a Walmart parking lot. I'm not averse to parking and sleeping in unusual places, although an RV does limit my choices in that regard. I'll figure out what's acceptable, or if I even want to do this.

Trailers
I'm not interested in a trailer.

At one time sweetie and I looked adoringly at a custom-built Teardrop-style unit. that one of my clients had. We both thought it would be cool. But upon reflection, it became evident that I could revert back to my F-350 days and outfit the bed with some camping gear (I outfitted a VW van back when I was married) and a folding futon for a bed, and it would accomplish essentially the same purpose with more flexibilty.
The thing I see with class B is the size of the bed they get in there. You and your partner able to sleep on a full bed for multiple nights?

Also the restroom situation, and many have outdoor shower only,
which basically means a shower curtain rolls out and you are showering outside the back of the van with a hand shower.

I think if you spend the night at a RV campsite with real showers, hookups, it might be fun, but if you are sitting in a walmart parking lot not so much.
Sweetie and I have used a full bed for more than a decade. However, she recently passed, and bed size is of minimal concern. I will be doing my travels solo from now until ...

I am concerned about the bathrooms on these units. It might be nice to have one with a shower, but I'll see how things shake out. Some are quite small, others seem more comfortable. An RV campsite would be in the cards regardless, but not on a regular basis.
Many are built very substandard currently with replacement labor.

Also it was very popular during covid to buy boats and RVs some of these are now for sale.

I'd wait till camping season is over and scout out some in the 3-5 year old range(pre covid) with gas engine.
Maybe fly in and drive it home?.. but I'd make arrangements for a full inspection before purchasing.
What is replacement labor?

As I indicated in my original post, I'm in no rush to jump into this, and by the time I'm at a decision point, the camping season will be long gone. The 3 - 5 year old models sounds about right, although I'm not wedded to any particular age or model at this point. Gotta learn more.

The inspection has been lightly on my mind. Are there places that specialize in RV repairs, esp. with the Class B units, or do folks just bring their units to a "regular" shop?
Matt's RV Reviews on YouTube is good. He's a quirky guy but gets to the important stuff without dragging it out too much.
I watched a couple of his reviews yesterday. Yes, he's quirky (I like that word) but the reviews I watched were very helpful. He brought up issues I never would have thought about, and his walk-throughs were very useful. Thanks for the pointer.

Well, this post is getting too long, so I'll end here and get back later with responses to some other posts. Thanks all!
 
Shel,

You mentioned lodging/ hotels may have been pricey on your last trip.

Currently hotel occupancy is very high, especially at locations that cater to non-business travelers. I am amazed at current hotel rates in non-major cities. The American public must still have a stash of cash for vacations, the hotels are filled. I suspect hotel occupancies may change in the not so distance future, and non-major city hotel room rates will fall accordingly.

Marriott has an awesome smartphone app for finding the lowest rate in any area, and especially an area within 50 miles of one's current location. I think you qualify for SR Citizen rate. You can easily program the Marriott to search withing 50 miles of one's current location, the lowest rate for a senior citizen INCLUDING all taxes and fees. I think you may find low-cost lodging options are often available that are not so findable by other methods.
 
Shel,

You mentioned lodging/ hotels may have been pricey on your last trip.

Currently hotel occupancy is very high, especially at locations that cater to non-business travelers. I am amazed at current hotel rates in non-major cities. The American public must still have a stash of cash for vacations, the hotels are filled. I suspect hotel occupancies may change in the not so distance future, and non-major city hotel room rates will fall accordingly.


Marriott has an awesome smartphone app for finding the lowest rate in any area, and especially an area within 50 miles of one's current location. I think you qualify for SR Citizen rate. You can easily program the Marriott to search withing 50 miles of one's current location, the lowest rate for a senior citizen INCLUDING all taxes and fees. I think you may find low-cost lodging options are often available that are not so findable by other methods.
Thanks for the tip. That's good info.
 
Look at Roadtrek and Pleasure way for Class B vans. They are a quality built unit. We have a 1993 Roadtrek and it is on a one ton Dodge Chassi with a 5.2L magnum motor and it has taken us many times across the USA and especially West. We love it it is 19.5 feet long, has a double bed in the back and a table behind the driver and 2 seats in the middle and the driver and passenger seat swivel to the rear so you can put 4 around the table. It has a microwave and a 2 burner cooktop and a refriferator and also a comode.. We don' have a generator or a water heater or solar panels or invertors. The less you have the less breakdowns you have. It has an axillary battery for lights and the water pump for cabin water and a Fantastic fan. We went from our home in Kevil,KY to Custer, SD this year and even though gas was $4,60+/gallon we spent about $800 on gas. We averaged 16mpg and stayed at State parks and RV parks along the way. We usually make our own meals in the camper watch our video stuff with Roku and a HotSpot. We also own a 5th wheel that we take to campgrounds in state and a Coach Hose 272XL that we take on longer trips. We are camper poor, but we choose which suits us fro where we are going. The Coach House is a super deluxe RV and has a fiberglass cabin. Best mileage on it has been 14.5 and typically 10mpg. We love taking it and we just spent a week at the lake nearby in our 5th wheel. What started all this was our adventure in our 2 VW Westfalias. We have travelled a lot in those too but as we got older we wanted a better bed and a bathroom. So all I can say is that if you desire economy go small and if you desire more comfort and can afford it go bigger. We got our bases covered.
 
Look at Roadtrek and Pleasure way for Class B vans. They are a quality built unit. We have a 1993 Roadtrek and it is on a one ton Dodge Chassi with a 5.2L magnum motor and it has taken us many times across the USA and especially West. We love it it is 19.5 feet long, has a double bed in the back and a table behind the driver and 2 seats in the middle and the driver and passenger seat swivel to the rear so you can put 4 around the table. It has a microwave and a 2 burner cooktop and a refriferator and also a comode.. We don' have a generator or a water heater or solar panels or invertors. The less you have the less breakdowns you have. It has an axillary battery for lights and the water pump for cabin water and a Fantastic fan. We went from our home in Kevil,KY to Custer, SD this year and even though gas was $4,60+/gallon we spent about $800 on gas. We averaged 16mpg and stayed at State parks and RV parks along the way. We usually make our own meals in the camper watch our video stuff with Roku and a HotSpot. We also own a 5th wheel that we take to campgrounds in state and a Coach Hose 272XL that we take on longer trips. We are camper poor, but we choose which suits us fro where we are going. The Coach House is a super deluxe RV and has a fiberglass cabin. Best mileage on it has been 14.5 and typically 10mpg. We love taking it and we just spent a week at the lake nearby in our 5th wheel. What started all this was our adventure in our 2 VW Westfalias. We have travelled a lot in those too but as we got older we wanted a better bed and a bathroom. So all I can say is that if you desire economy go small and if you desire more comfort and can afford it go bigger. We got our bases covered.
Those are two brands that stood out for me, especially the Pleasure Way. 20-foot is about as long as I'd like, a little shorter would be even more to my liking, maybe 18 feet. Does the table behind the driver affect the ability of the driver's seat to recline? My inclination is to see what I can do minimally. More stuff means more weight and complexity. My preference is simple and comfortable. What kind of prices did you experience for campgrounds and State Parks? The last time I used a campground was in 1992, so my numbers are out-of-date. Thanks!
 
Our campgrounds averaged $48/night but this was the peak period State parks with just electric and water averaged $20 something. Many have very nice facilities and scenery. We are more comfortable in our own bed and running our AC than a motel room with who knows what contaminants. We were on the road 10 days all together..
 
Sounds like a Class B is right for you, or a pickup with a smaller camper.
We rented a hi-ace high roof camper van in Australia for 6 weeks and it was nice. We stayed clear of bigger cities and used a lot of free or nearly camping provided by local municipalities. A few apps helped find them, but also lots of signs too, maybe we were just lucky but had no problems sleeping at these at all. No bathroom or shower in the van but we never seemed to get stuck without either wilderness privacy or a public washroom. At nights in semi public places we did have the emergency bucket which got used for peeing pretty often, nothing more though! I'd dilute with some water and discreetly pour it some place suitable.
We swam pretty often and didn't seem to need to shower more than a couple times a week, and if we got really sweaty, a quick rag and bucket wash gets you to clean enough real quick, especially if you keep your hair short.
The small gas stove and kitchen and fridge are nice to have and you can whip up lunch or dinner where ever and when ever you want.
We first had this guy in NZ for 4 weeks.
fiat.JPG

then this in Australia and Tasmania for 6 weeks
hi-ace.JPG

Of the two I'd probably buy the hi-ace, as we rarely used the toilet in the Fiat(finding and using dumping stations is a bit of a pain). Also the size and lowness of the Fiat was a bit of a concern some times. The beds in the fiat were fixed and so it wasn't really all that much bigger inside. In the hi-ace the bottom bed folded to a couch and the top we used at 2/3 length for the kids. Both beds were fine once I added a foam mat under the hi-ace bed.
For you though, maybe something like Foresty has is ideal? 4wd full size van conversion, maybe with a higher roof added for standing up while cooking? https://www.youtube.com/user/forestyforest It also sounds like you would like Foresty's camping style so I thought you might like the channel.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GON
There are only a few of these brandwise I personally would consider.

Winnebago
Airstream
Sportsmobile
A EuroVam or Bus Westey in perfect shape.


They are all very expensive and (Mostly) sort of off roady…
What do you mean by "off roady?"

I would imagine a unit's ability to be used on rough roads is dependent on such things as wheelbase, approach and departure angles, beak over height, and other such considerations,. Or are there certain features that these brands have that set them apart from others? not brand
 
Back
Top