First Time RV Class B Buyer


Sbrell

Junior Member
My husband and I are retired and live in Florida. We have been looking at Class B/B+ RV's to use for weekends to the Keys and in the summer to visit the rest of the US. My husband's goal is to visit all of the National parks. We have narrowed our preference to the Class B/B+ RV's and have determined that 30' is the minimum we would want. The challenge that we have is how to differentiate one brand from the next. We know that we want a unit with at least a queen size bed walk around, and a comfortable sitting area to watch TV at night. It is our plan to travel 6-8 weeks during the summer around the country. Any help of advice you can share is appreciated.
 

KarenS144

Member
Are you sure about the B+? We started out in a smaller B+ than what you are considering but it shrunk up even more once we were using it! Remember the cab part is pretty much useless when camping so the actual length of the living area isn't close to 30'. We wound up with a 30' Class A when we decided we needed something larger. The Class As give you a lot more usable room since the front cab area is easily accessible and the driver's & passenger's seats turn around which gives extra seating but there are drawbacks as well.

A B+ can go some places that A's can't but with one that large, you will be somewhat limited. Unless you tow a 2nd vehicle, you'll wind up packing up camp everyday so you can sight see then setting up again each evening. I have friends that have a Sprinter and love it but they seldom stay overnight in it. Instead they use lodges and motels and use the Sprinter to tool around to see the USA.

If you haven't already, go to dealers and sit in different units. Sit in the front seats, get up and go to the back to see how easy it is. Check to see what is still available when the slides are closed. Can you get to the bathroom? Is the fridge and kitchen area accessible? What cabinets & closets are blocked? The floor plan is very important! Our B+ was a Trail Lite and we bought it used but it was a good little bus. It was not "high end" but seemed well made and had a lot of features that we liked.

Hopefully, you'll find the perfect unit and will soon be RVing. Good luck with your search & please keep us posted!
 

Sbrell

Junior Member
Thank you, Karen. I value your advice. We have actually followed you advice and find that we will need a 35-36 Class A. I really like the Bounder 35 k but am suspicious of quality. We will be towing a Jeep Wrangler and will have our yellow lab. Since we don't care about sleeping more than two, we are looking for a layout that gives us the most living space. We have gone to a few RV shows down in FL and saw a variety of models. We will be in Illinois and Wisconsin for the next couple of months, so I will definitely test them like you advised. What we also don't know the quality difference between brands. Do you know where I could get unbiased information to understand the quality level of a Thor, vs. Jayco, vs. Winnebago, etc. I want to make sure that we get a good value and not a cheap unit. Thanks fornyour help.

Sue
 

LEN

Senior Member
A lot depends on your budget. An older diesel pusher might be in your price range and with the diesel comes a lot of up grades in the living area and in the general amenities. The ride will be better and the towing will be much easier and stable. Depending on what temperature range you wish to stay in the dual pane windows is something to look for for hot and cold. Aslideout really improves the living space in the kitchen living room area and bedroom as well. The biggest grey tank you can find as most people don't run out of black tank space but do run out of grey and water you can always get a bit more. If you feel comfortable giving us a price range we can give, most likely very self centered models as we all seem to like OUR RV best.

LEN
 
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