roadrunner16
Tucson
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Joined: 06/29/2006
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For my money it a B. Look at these forms Class's A, B, C, TT, TC, etc. Look at the different problems that each are haveing. Then think about the type of traveling you do or want to do. If your like us we dont stay long in any one place more then a day or two. We have lived in our B for almost 3 months at a time and still love each other.
Its cheeper to run, park and fix. For us it will always be a B,
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Chirpnchicks
Summerfield, NC
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Joined: 01/15/2006
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HERE'S MY VIEW:
Boarhog said,
"When I look at the prices of new Class B's I'm surprised considering how much used Class A you can get for the same money."
FOR SURE. MOST EXPENSIVE PER SQ. FT.
Why is this a good purchase, especially if it is the only RV you will own.
LIKE OTHERS HAVE ALREADY SAID, IT'S LIFESTYLE. WE ARE NOT RETIRED, WE COULD AFFORD THE RIG, AND WE ALSO USE MOTELS TO MAKE HYBRID TRIPS UP TO THREE WEEKS PER TRIP. PROBABLY A MINORITY VIEW BUT WE'RE OUT HERE.
Is it useful beyond relatively short trips?
FIVE CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS IS ABOUT OUR LIMIT. WE DON'T LIKE TO STRUGGLE SO WHEN IT FEELS MORE LIKE CAMPING THAN RVING OR WHEN THE WEATHER IS A MAJOR FACTOR (VERY COLD OR RAINY)WE GO TO DECENT MOTELS. THESE DAYS DECENT TO US MEANS $100 A NIGHT WITH RISKS OF NOISE, ODORS ETC. AND IT HAS TO BE BUDGETED.
Would a Class B be useful as a toad to a larger RV?
DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS. SOUNDS LIKE TOO MUCH BAGGAGE TO ME.
JAY
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topless
Wichita, KS
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Joined: 08/03/2004
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I considered a small class A, looked at quite a few. Room wise they are about perfect for 2 +2 small dogs. Downside, storing it when not in use, gas engines which get bad mileage (A's are not aerodynamic), and my wife was not comfortable driving them at all. Could have bought one for 1/2 of what we spent on the B the downside of an A was did not overcome the the extra room.
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Hit The Road Jack
Treasure Coast of Florida
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Joined: 10/20/2005
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Boarhog wrote:When I look at the prices of new Class B's I'm surprised considering how much used Class A you can get for the same money.
Why is this a good purchase, especially if it is the only RV you will own.
Is it useful beyond relatively short trips?
Would a Class B be useful as a toad to a larger RV?
Money Saving Advantages:
Better fuel economy.
Can access narrow forest roads and other dirt roads leading to free dispersed camping areas.
Can 'sneak-a-sleep' wherever overnight parking is allowed.
With a larger RV, many people leave the RV behind and drive a tow vehicle to explore the area. With a small RV, your home and food is always with you so you can save on restaurant meals.
If, while exploring, you find a great overnight spot, you can stay without having to backtrack to get your RV.
Since every storage area in an RV seems to get filled, the less storage space you have, the less 'stuff' you bring or are tempted to buy on route. (We still always bring stuff that doesn't get used.)
Can be used as a primary or secondary vehicle when not traveling.
With the recent escalation in fuel prices, a small RV should hold its value better than a larger model.
For The Adventure Advantages:
Easy to drive and park.
Allows you to explore what's down a narrow road without fearing that you may not be able to turn around.
If you find a great spot, your home is with you so you are free to spend as much time as you like.
You can be more spontaneous. Since all your gear is with you, if you find a wonderful hiking trail, camping area, or meet up with people, you can take advantage of opportunities without having to return to home base.
With less indoor space in a small motorhome, you're likely to spend more time outdoors which, after all, is the idea, isn't it?...
2006 DIY Dodge Badged Sprinter Conversion
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david_42
Oregon
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Joined: 04/08/2005
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Quote:With less indoor space in a small motorhome, you're likely to spend more time outdoors which, after all, is the idea, isn't it?...
The number of times I've seen people in big RVs pull in, hook up, go back into the RV and not leave again until it's time to unhook. Why bother with an RV? Just stay home and get some big posters to hang in the window. You want a "vacation", just change the pictures.
When I went from a C to a van conversion, I left out all of the house stuff I didn't use. Got enough free floor space to pull my riding mower into it.
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mockturtle
Northwest
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Joined: 05/31/2005
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david_42 wrote:Quote:With less indoor space in a small motorhome, you're likely to spend more time outdoors which, after all, is the idea, isn't it?...
The number of times I've seen people in big RVs pull in, hook up, go back into the RV and not leave again until it's time to unhook. Why bother with an RV? Just stay home and get some big posters to hang in the window. You want a "vacation", just change the pictures.
It's possible these people aren't on 'vacation', at all, but are on their way to a destination or, perhaps, are fulltimers who live in their Class A. Every stop is not a camping experience--just a point on the way to somewhere.
2000 Born Free 24RB Class C
2002 Honda CR-V toad
Roadmaster Sterling A/T towbar
VIP braking system
Eddyline Merlin kayak
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diyvanner
Rhode Island
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Joined: 07/04/2007
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When I look at the prices of new Class B's I'm surprised considering how much used Class A you can get for the same money.
Why is this a good purchase, especially if it is the only RV you will own?
As a toy, a “B” is the worst investment as to price (it’s just a van). As part of one’s fleet, it’s probably the best purchase as to its versatility (condo on wheels that goes anywhere). If you’re only going to own one RV, price should probably be way down on the list as you can find all types of RV’s in a similar price range.
Is it useful beyond relatively short trips?
Agree with “Hit The Road Jack” on the relative usefulness of a “B” and “Bumpyroad” on the ideal set-up. As a matter of fact, we are looking to pull a small trailer with our B for extended traveling. The idea of separate living areas for friends and family has lots of appeal for us. The added room that slides offer on small trailers really makes this a viable alternative to behemoths pulling toads and you can still back up!
Would a Class B be useful as a toad to a larger RV?
I read one couple’s blog a while back that had a BlueBird and pulled a Roadtrek so they always had their stuff with them. Neat set-up but then we get back to price again, which is why I chose the worst investment (B) pulling the best investment (TT) that beats a bad investment (A) pulling the worst investment (B). But this bumps price back to the top of the list and the game goes on and ….
diyVanner
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juliev
SE Minnesota
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Joined: 07/29/2004
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Why is this a good purchase, especially if it is the only RV you will own.
- For us it was a good purchase because we would not have been able to use a Class A as much. The fuel costs do add up. Even if we could have gotten an A for the same price, it would have spent more time in storage partly because of the cost of operation. That's another point, we would have had to pay to store a Class A since it would have not fit in our city driveway. The B does.
Is it useful beyond relatively short trips?
- Absolutely! We've taken road trips as long as a month in our B. We also use it for shorter weekend trips, going to fairs and festivals, dog shows, car shows, air shows etc. I drive it to work on days that I work a 12 hour shift because I can make a quick lunch and then sneak in a quickie nap in comfort and privacy. My spouse will sometimes drive it when he has all day meetings for the same purpose. We've also used it to move (you can fit in a LOT of boxes) and as a spare bedroom and extra kitchen space when we have a housefull of guests. I guess you could do that with an A too, but in our case it would probably be in storage and not available.
Would a Class B be useful as a toad to a larger RV?
- Possibly... but I think it would be a waste of money. For someone driving an A it would make more sense to tow a car. We have been considering the idea of purchasing a small used travel trailer to convert to a mobile office for my spouse. That would allow us to travel and park for longer periods of time (like in winter) and he could have a private place to work and leave his computers in a permanant set up. That way I could take the B for a day of sightseeing or for grocery shopping but he could remain working undisturbed.
The Class B definitely won't work for everyone, but for us it's the perfect choice.
Julie
_____________________________________________________________________
A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~ Lao Tzu
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reppans
CT
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Joined: 10/09/2007
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For me there's several things:
- Home owners association rules. I can keep the B in my driveway while anything else would need to be stored offsite and far enough away that I probably wouldn't bother half the time.
- Living near NYC, Friday traffic heading north can be impossible. The B gives me access to the "passenger car only" parkways that tend to have the only clear roads.
- The B makes a great day trip vehicle. A place to warm-up, cool-down, rest, nap, eat, watch a movie, use the bathroom etc. if you're out for the whole day. This reason alone means gives me 5 months more usage than an A class in the Northeast
- My home and car are an "anchor & tether," an A class and toad would be too, although not as bad. The B breaks that link.... you never have to backtrack if you don't want to.
- How many times have you passed a nice beach, bicycle trail, store, tourist attraction, etc. and did not have your bathing suit, bicycle, or could not park in a larger vehicle? The A class owner comes back later, B class owners go now.
- B class is for people with less time. Not needing to ever backtrack saves a lot of driving time. Being able to stop anywhere and do whatever you want on the first pass is a real freedom. I personally couldn't even image a cross country trip in an A class unless I had lots and lots of time.... which I don't.
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AsheGuy
Raleigh, North Carolina
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Joined: 11/15/2004
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All the good responses above reaffirm that people have different objectives in travel. Even within class B owners, there are widespread differences as to travel objectives/preferences.
For us, the relative price of a class B was never a consideration since we had never been tempted to own a larger RV before. We knew about class Bs but it was the emergence of the Sprinter base and life circumstances that motivated us to take the plunge and buy a class B.
We see the class B as a way to tour almost as if we had an auto, but with a carry along bathroom and motel room. For us, it's not about camping (been there done that both in tents and backpacking). It's not about having an apartment in the south for the winter. It's about travel in the US & Canada in the easiest way. We have done multiple extended trips up to 6 weeks and still love our B. For us, it was the choice that met our needs.
David & Margaret - 2005 LTV 210B 3S
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