Community Forums

Becky roamer · 08-10-2015, 05:29 PM

Hello all you expert RVers. We are newbies, my husband and I are seriously thinking about a class B plus. Just by looking online we like the leisure unity, but these are pricey, also the Winnebago and coachman brands. Thor has a lot of products out but not sure about quality. Can you please offer some advice on quality brands and what to look for as far as purchasing preowned. We think preowned is the way to go for us at this time. We believe in paying a bit more for quality. Any first hand experience would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Skip426 · 08-10-2015, 09:13 PM

Sorry I can't help with your questions ,

I haven't been shopping for an RV in 5 years. So I'll let other members chime in with answers.
I hope you find the RV of your dreams real soon.

jfran304 · 08-10-2015, 09:32 PM

and good luck on your hunt.

When we started looking for an RV we were looking at the Class B's since it was just the two of us and our Golden Retriever. After checking them out and seeing the prices we purchased a new 26' Class A motorhome at about the same price as a new Class B Roadtrec.

After three years we decided that the 26' Class A wasn't big enough and traded it in on a 35' Class A with 3 slides. It would have been a lot cheaper for us to have purchased the 35' Class A first. Our 35' one even gets crowded if you have any guests traveling with you.

Good Luck,
Jon

Alan Wilson · 08-11-2015, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfran304

and good luck on your hunt.

When we started looking for an RV we were looking at the Class B's since it was just the two of us and our Golden Retriever. After checking them out and seeing the prices we purchased a new 26' Class A motorhome at about the same price as a new Class B Roadtrec.

After three years we decided that the 26' Class A wasn't big enough and traded it in on a 35' Class A with 3 slides. It would have been a lot cheaper for us to have purchased the 35' Class A first. Our 35' one even gets crowded if you have any guests traveling with you.

Good Luck,

Jon

We did pretty much the same thing Jon. We went from a 24' B+ to a 38' DP. We liked the small MH as it was easy to park, wife could and would drive it, if we saw something we wanted to see we just stopped right then and looked. You do none of that with the DP we have now. I like what we have now because it rides much better, has space to move around and I put comfortable recliners in it. Also the bed is much better than the small MH. I guess each has there good points and bad points.

Alan Wilson

2001 HR Scepter 38 PBD

User1011 · 08-11-2015, 12:23 PM

Becky roamer - left you a PM.

goreds2 · 08-12-2015, 10:03 AM

My girlfriend has a Dynamax Carri-go which some call a B+ but is actually a C. It even has a slide out. Here are sites to see pics etc.

https://www.google.com/#q=dynamax+carri-go

This is hers:

Lifemember · 08-12-2015, 10:27 AM

We took almost a Year to decide what to get. We went from a 20ft TT to a 26 used Class A. We take one trip a year long distance for two to three weeks. Most of our camping is in USACE local camp grounds. (fishing trips) Our fist consideration was it had to have a rear bed as we did not want to crawl into the over cab units. The 26 foot could go almost everyplace we wanted to go with out a toad. If we end up in a place I need a car we just rent one. The majority of our trips are weekend within a couple of hundred miles of the Base. We found a used 1996 that was in great shape and do not have a lot of money tied up in it. In six years when she retires if we want to step up to a bigger one we won't be out a bunch of $$$. A 26 foot is not for everyone, you must decide what works for you. We love the Class A over the TT even with higher cost of operating it.

AZ520 · 08-15-2015, 05:40 PM

We did the reverse of others in this thread. We went from a 42' Class A DP to a 22' Pleasure Way Plateau XL. We both work full time and use the RV for extended weekends. The big unit was beautiful with plenty of room, but required a lot of effort to prepare, drive and park. We ended up not using it much because of the effort.

The Plateau XL is really a hotel suite on wheels with a DP like bathroom and really nice appointments. It's easy to drive and I can keep it at home. Getting ready for a trip is much easier and more spontaneous. We have put more miles on this coach in three months than we did in a year in the DP. It fits our lifestyle better and is remarkably spacious for a small unit. You end up spending more time outside and getting to know your fellow campers. We go in to rest or sleep.

Like others said, determine how you want to use the motorhome and narrow your search to units that meet your needs. Good luck.

Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

mike in tx · 12-09-2015, 08:04 AM

There are some very good posts here on that subject, and I've been an rv-er since 1969, and had at least one of every style over the years. There is no perfect size or style for everyone, or the perfect one for all your life, the same as in stick built homes. What stage of life are you in? If you have 4 children at home and are looking for an rv, the class B motorhome would be my last choice.
Do you like to go to one place and stay for quite a while, then move to another area for a fairly extended period, and just can't stand to leave lots of your trinkets at home, a trailer is probably your best option, whether it be bumper pull or 5th wheel. If you are only going to move it a couple times per year due to work or getting tired of same landscape, you don't even need a vehicle that will pull it. There are many folks that relocate rv's all over the country for a reasonable price, and you don't have to have a big truck for every day driving.
If you are an adventurer, and want to travel a bit to new country, explore all around it, and head out to see the next destination, there are lots of options. i personally don't typically stay over a couple of days in one spot, and feel the class B is best for us. It's just my wife, 2 small dogs, and me, so the class B works great for us. We often boondock, and sometimes if the temperature is hot, we stop at a state park or such & just hook up to the electricity for a/c. We might fill with water & dump on the way ou, or might just unhook and go. We can be ready to roll in very short order in the morning, heading down the road to the next adventure. Our experience is that class Bs need less leveling, and often are adequately level for overnighting due to the shorter wheelbase, whereas the larger class A's usually need some form of leveling, whether it be leveling jacks or blocks. Many of the larger ones have to be level for the slides to be extended also, as the slides are much larger and heavier. Our personal preference in rv's is if you like day tripping and weekend trips,exploring back roads rather than interstates, or traveling cross country without many long term stops, the class B is fantastic. If you're going to spend the summer in a cooler climate or winter in a warmer climate and stay in one place for a month or two, a trailer is a better choice. If you like longer trips, stay a few days or a couple of weeks and stay in nice rv parks, the larger class A's, whether diesel pushers or gas, would be a good choice. I would also not recommend a diesel pusher for someone not experienced in driving and maintaining the larger rigs, and not having lots of rv coping experience. It is a large investment, and quite a commitment. I've had 2 diesel pushers and they are fantastic rigs, with all the amenities, and a great ride, but also a large responsibility to drive & maintain. You are limited on your roads due to width of some roads, low clearance of some overpasses, and lack of maneuverability due to size. We have had 2 diesel pushers, full timed for several years in one of them, and both times went to class B's as our needs changed. We now have our 2nd class B on a Sprinter chassis, and wouldn't consider anything else. We use it often for day trips and don't have to leave our dogs behind, and if we so decide, we just spend the night somewhere, rather than arrive home exhausted. Being retired helps..We had a gas class B earlier also, and it would have been fine, except it was very poorly insulated and was hard to cool in hot weather. Quality in anything definitely counts. Buying new is not necessary, either, I've had some of my best luck maintenance wise with used units. My last diesel pusher was built by Safari which was already out of business, obviously had been stored under cover, and was 8 years old when I bought it. It was a great rv, never had a problem with it, we just wanted the smaller rv for our use at this stage of life (old). I traded for a new class B, and have had many quality issues with it. Often times, a gently used rv has had all the bugs worked out when you get it.
Enough rambling, but I hope this gives some of the "newbies wanting to rv" something to think about when considering getting into this experience. We will probably rv until we absolutely cannot go any longer. I've had friends buy their first rv when they were in their 80s.
Mike