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Old 04-24-2019, 06:56 AM   #1
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Why isn't a B+ called a C ?

I always thought that a Class B, was basically a standard cargo van converted by an upfitter to be an RV. Every Class B+ I have seen has an aftermarket/upfitter body and the same features of a Class C, admittedly in a smaller footprint.

Is it just that "B+" sound better than "small C" or "C-" ?
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Old 04-24-2019, 07:44 AM   #2
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I'd go with sounds better. C- reminds me of my 4th grade phys ed grade where as B+ sounds like the rest of my report card. There are B+ MH bigger than my class C They're just missing the front overhang.
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Old 04-24-2019, 08:04 AM   #3
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Quote:
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They're just missing the front overhang.
Which is why I think calling it a C- is more accurate, as it's a Class C, minus the overhang.



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Old 04-24-2019, 01:07 PM   #4
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The mythical B+ exists only in the minds of some unscrupulous manufacturers and salespeople who sense that some shoppers don't want to buy a Class C. It's a means of fooling the potential buyer into believing they're really buying a slightly larger Class B. RVIA doesn't recognize their existence either, and they make the rules in the RV world. By definition of that same organization, if it's not an upfitted van, including the chassis and body, but rather a box placed on top of a cab chassis, then it's a Class C. (substitute the word Type for Class, where applicable, as that definition has changed too)
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Old 04-24-2019, 04:29 PM   #5
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Correct me if I am wrong. On the Transit, the van is built with unibody/monocoque construction. A B+/C would be built on a cutaway chassis which uses typical "ladder frame" construction.

Anyone know how the Mercedes B and C are built ?

In theory, the ladder frame should stronger or at least experience less body flex and possibly have a better trailer towing capacity.
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Old 04-24-2019, 07:40 PM   #6
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Marketing wise, the industry missed it. The should have called B+ as a C# or “C sharp” if you know music.

Part of the reason I have a B is I appreciate the engineering and safety built into a van body that is fully tested by the chassis manufacturer. Do Class B+/C manufacturers do crash testing?
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Old 04-25-2019, 04:02 AM   #7
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Push come to shove I think I'd rather be in my E450 Class C than my Transit in an accident(knock on wood)
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Old 04-25-2019, 05:05 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by theoldwizard View Post
I always thought that a Class B, was basically a standard cargo van converted by an upfitter to be an RV. Every Class B+ I have seen has an aftermarket/upfitter body and the same features of a Class C, admittedly in a smaller footprint.

Is it just that "B+" sound better than "small C" or "C-" ?
You are correct that B+ sounds better than C-. Sounds like something must be missing or a lower level unit. To many a C has to be one with the bunk over the cab and the B+ doesn’t (that missing thing!).

Two related notes. Many dealers would advertise the old Winnebago Rialta as a B when in fact it was a classically built C. Two, Winnebago has several “B+” models but advertise them as C’s.
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Old 04-25-2019, 07:25 AM   #9
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Slightly off topic, but here goes:

It could be that a van (or RV chassis van) is actually "safer" than your truck.

Given the complicated world of safety and emission standards, I wonder if the crash standards are different between a truck and van (Transit, Sprinter, etc vs. Ford F-150/250/350, Dodge Ram etc, etc). Or, for that matter, are there different weight/safety/mileage classes for different size trucks. I ask since manufacturers are always looking for ways to game the system. Did you know that the Chrysler PT Cruiser was listed as a "Light truck" since these requirements were more lenient than for a "car"?

Quote:
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Push come to shove I think I'd rather be in my E450 Class C than my Transit in an accident(knock on wood)
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Old 04-26-2019, 03:36 AM   #10
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When I started my quest for a small MH, searching for a class B+ got me the answers I wanted and made the search faster.
Filtering out the larger class C's with over cab bed helped me find the MH I wanted.
I decided on a 22' class C that I like to call a B+/C- when describing.
Maybe there should be a new class created, class D?
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Old 04-26-2019, 04:55 AM   #11
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Actually calling an RV a B+ makes sense to me. I do not mind that marketing classification at all.

What I do not understand A, B, B+, C, super C is that B and B+ are in the middle of bigger A and C models.
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Old 04-26-2019, 05:47 AM   #12
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Quote:
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Marketing wise, the industry missed it. The should have called B+ as a C# or “C sharp” if you know music.
If your into software C, C++ and C# is a language. There is also the more obscure B and D.

B+ is definitely ambiguous in RV's I always thought the definition of a C was a cutaway chassis vs a B being a van shell. B+ seem to look almost like a van shell but on a cutaway.

Since Ford stopped doing E series vans you see companies like Sportmobile doing E series cutaways with a fiberglass shell that looks like the old van shell and only slightly larger:

Click image for larger version

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Don't forget Super C.

How about an A+???
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Old 04-26-2019, 06:08 PM   #13
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I'm always amused that anyone gets bent out of shape about the designation "B+." No, it doesn't necessarily make sense (but then if this categorization scheme was to make sense, wouldn't C be B and vice versa, due to size?), but the bottom line is that most of the RV world knows what B+ and Super C stand for. When we were looking to downsize, we wanted a B+ (because a B was just too small and most Cs were too big) and looked at coaches that were marketed as such. It worked for us, and for the manufacturers. Anyone else is free to call them whatever they want, I don't care!
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Old 04-27-2019, 08:14 AM   #14
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Is one of the differences between a B+ and a C no bunk over the car ?
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