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Shopping for Class B Diesel. Advice for newbies please!

chris_UP
Explorer
Explorer
We have finally decided to take the leap and buy a class B diesel used RV. We chose this size due to ease of driving. we have never had or driven a RV. I have narrowed the search to: Great West Legend, Pleasure Way Plateau and Leisure Travel Free Spirit. Anything anyone can tell me about these vans would be very helpful. Especially things someone new to the RV world would not know. Also, I had read that some RV's are not "four Season" meaning some hoses or lines are exposed on the bottom. I live very far north, IN Michigans upper peninsula. Will that be a problem?
What things can anyone tell me in general about the RV life? We plan to travel with the van, not park anywhere long term. How do you find a place to stay when you are on the road? I know we can search on the internet, but is there a better source/ book?
Any advice and information would be much appreciated.
What can I expect as far as a learning curve with hooking up and using all of the things like gas, generator, water and sewage? We are seriously clueless.
25 REPLIES 25

AsheGuy
Explorer
Explorer
chris.UP wrote:
We did it! Bought a 2012 Pleasureway Plateau TS.
Great choice, hope you like your Class B as much as we like ours.

It's not too late to register to attend this year's Annual Class B Rally. A chance to meet a lot of fellow Class B owners and get a chance to see a bunch of other class Bs and an opportunity to learn from their owner's experiences.
David & Margaret - 2005 LTV 210B 3S
- Our Blog -

chris_UP
Explorer
Explorer
We did it! Bought a 2012 Pleasureway Plateau TS. Walk through is in a couple days. Would like advice on what to make sure we do and learn during this walk through. This will be with a technician at a dealership. Your wisdom would be much appreciated.

NAZCamperVan
Explorer
Explorer
ChrisUP, There is a lot of good advice on this thread about considering a ClassB. I'll chime in as another satisfied owner of a gently used LTV FreeSpirit... 2010 on a 2008 MB Sprinter chassis, badged Freightliner. We upgraded from a VW Vanagon Westfalia, so a Class B Sprinter Van seems quite luxurious. We were prepared to travel to find the right unit at the right price. After a combination of looking at new Class Bs in person and lots of online research, we found our Free Spirit last year at a small used RV dealership only a few hours away. LTV made only 10 FreeSpirits in 2010, so we feel lucky to have one.... good quality coach on a reliable chassis. There's a few used LTV FreeSpirits listed on RVTrader currently. Best wishes on your search.

GailS
Explorer
Explorer
chris UP.

I sent you a private message.

chris_UP
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks Shearwater. It seems we have a lot in common. We moved back to the UP from NE Ohio. (Port Clinton) I appreciate your experience and wisdom

Shearwater
Explorer
Explorer
I was still typing when you put up your last post.

First, almost all B's are very well made (except for Forest River). Don't automatically eliminate Road Trek and Sportsmobile. Second, B's retain their value better than most other RV's. Warranties from a dealer in Florida won't help you much except in Florida. An inspection would seem like a good idea but its value depends on who does it.

For your inspection, check out the van itself the same way you would look at a used car. Check for rust, including on the roof. Test all the systems, water pump, fridge etc. to see if they work. If you buy tires make certain they are load range E - they need to carry a lot of weight and are pumped up to 60-80 lbs. I get my tires from TireRack and have a local company install them.

There are 2 reasons to level. If you have a 3 way (propane) fridge, running it when it is pretty far out of level will destroy it. More than 3 degrees fore and aft or 6 degrees side to side (or the other way around) will lead to problems. The second reason is your own comfort. We have always had a compressor fridge (works like the one at home) so we have never carried leveling blocks.

Awnings are a good thing never to get(my opinion only).

It is a good idea to buy some kind of roadside assistance policy like Good Sam. AAA doesn't cover RV's in all states. At least they can find local towing companies that can handle your vehicle.

If your B has less than 100,000 miles it is best to use Mercedes (very expensive) or, if you get an older model, Dodge 5 star dealers to keep the long term drive train warranty in effect. It is also a good idea to get service records from the previous owner. For strictly RV service (fridge, furnace, propane etc.) you need to use an RV dealer or DIY.
Advanced RV Sprinter

Shearwater
Explorer
Explorer
Our interests in a class B are very similar to yours. We have had 2 B's. The first was a Sportsmobile Sprinter 2500 that we had for 10 years and 110,000 miles. This was pretty much a bare bones B but with a 12 V compressor fridge rather than the persnickety propane 3 ways. We chose to have 2 AGM house batteries installed so we would have enough electrical power for multiple days without being plugged in. As we totter into our dotage, it became clear that we would need more in the way of creature comforts so we bought a newer Sprinter from Advanced RV.

We generally go out for about a month at a time, south or southwest in the winter, up to the UP and then west in the summer. You and your spouse need to be pretty compatible for this to be practical. Even so, you will have to learn "the dance" of how to do things without interfering with each other.

Finding places to stay - There are lots of sources for this info but we have generally used the Good Sam travel book that has listings and evaluations of State and Federal campgrounds as well as the commercial RV parks. They provide telephone numbers and, frequently, instructions on how to get to the campgrounds. It's not perfect by any means but still useful.

Winterizing - Auto stores and stores like Walmart sell nontoxic RV and Marine antifreeze, aka the pink (or red) stuff. Empty all your tanks and pump this stuff through all your lines with some going to dilute residual water in your tanks. Think through how this is best done and then use common sense. If you are traveling in the winter, store containers of water inside the van but be sure to add extra antifreeze to the waste tanks.

Other sources - Search this forum for "The 12 V Side of Life." This will tell you all you need to know about battery power - very worthwhile. Visit www.sportsmobile.com. There is a lot of miscellaneous and useful information hidden in that site. They also have lists of used RV's for sale. If your B does not have a backup camera, get one. Garmin sells GPS units that are combined with a backup camera.

If you buy your B from a private owner, get him/her to tell you all you need to know about care and feeding. An RV dealer may give you some of the same info, but might not spend as much time or have the specific info as the owner. One hint - be sure to have some water in the black tank or solids may stick to the floor and be difficult and not much fun to remove.

FYI, I was born in the UP and still have relatives there. Does that mean that I am not a troll?
Advanced RV Sprinter

chris_UP
Explorer
Explorer
We are going to Florida in May to shop for a used Class B diesel RV.
Any advice on shopping and negotiating? so far RV trader is what I mostly look at.
Should we buy a warranty from a dealer?
Has anyone had a pre sale inspection done? recommended?
for service, do we go to a established camping place or dealer, or a Mercedes dealer?
What red flags should we look for when first inspecting a prospective RV?
I read that tires typically last 5-6 years, no matter the mileage. How much do new tires typically cost, on average?
Here is a real newbie question. Why is it important to be level? I understand the obvious not parking on a hill, but what else is important about that?
I noticed that some awnings are powered, and are manual. Are there also different sizes? What would be the best option?
As you can see, we will be learning as we go, so any words of advice and wisdom will be greatly appreciated.
I am excited for this new adventure, and think its just time to do it and live and learn. But it would be good to know as much as possible, and especially not make a big mistake in a purchase.

My_Roadtrek
Explorer
Explorer
For some reason, Class C owners like midnightsadie, love to come to this forum, and instead of answering the questions asked, they like to tell people that Class B's are too small, and push them toward a small Class C.
Don't let these people turn you off to a B, thousands of singles, couples, and small family's love their B's.

AsheGuy
Explorer
Explorer
chris.UP wrote:
One more question, I had assumed the Mercedes diesel engines are all the same, except for modifications as they get newer. Is that wrong, and if so which is better?
Well, that depends on the criteria. Older Sprinter diesel engines (like ours) have better mileage due due to upgrades to pollution controls on the newer ones. But all vehicle engines have made amazing advances in durability.
David & Margaret - 2005 LTV 210B 3S
- Our Blog -

chris_UP
Explorer
Explorer
NCWriter, thanks so much for the basic info. Thats the kind of stuff I wanted to know. Your knowledge and wisdom is much appreciated. Thanks to everyone responding. This is an amazing wealth of knowledge. Many questions I have been pondering are answered.
One more question, I had assumed the Mercedes diesel engines are all the same, except for modifications as they get newer. Is that wrong, and if so which is better?

Biaggio
Explorer
Explorer
We have a new Winnebago 170 ERA and so far so good. Love the ease of driving, good gas mileage with the Diesel engine, but it does have it's limitations.

Someone once wrote you live Outside the RV not Inside the RV. So true. For my wife and I It seems a little cramped but like the benefits for travel. IMO.

2112
Explorer II
Explorer II
chris.UP wrote:
Yes, we have been inside these models. For us the ease of driving is a big thing. We are not going full time, or like I said, not staying in a RV park or campground long term.
For what it's worth we used ours for 3 - 4 day urban ventures. We parked in a parking lot in downtown San Antonio on the river walk for two days. Spent a weekend in Fort Worth Stockyard area, a few days in Biloxi at the Hard Rock Casino and a beach park not intended for campers. It was nice for stealthing. Didn't spend a single night in a camp ground and only had it parked in the same spot over a day once.

If you urban camp look for a level parking spot. B's generally do not have levelers or stabilizers. You don't want to put out your leveling blocks if you are stealthing in town.

Ours was a 2007 T1N. I agree this is the best engine built. Some of the earlier Sprinter models had rust issues so if you are looking for a pre 2006 be aware of the rust issues.
2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost SuperCab Max Tow, 2084# Payload, 11,300# Tow,
Timbrens
2013 KZ Durango 2857

AsheGuy
Explorer
Explorer
Yes, we actually own a Leisure Travel Van Free Spirit and have for 12 years. We have 140K miles on it now and have been all over the US and most of Canada in it and love it (see blog link in signature).

Most class Bs do not have insulated plumbing, so they are not suitable for onboard water in the winter time. However, that was never our intended use.

We would make the same choice if we had to do it again.
David & Margaret - 2005 LTV 210B 3S
- Our Blog -