Help Potential B/B+ class?

[Beau388]

For us, there are two reasons for a motor coach, traveling to a destination and staying at a destination. We started with small class A (8' x 8' x 24 ft UltraVan). A gas pusher with the engine under the king bed and four abreast front seating. Easy driving driving with with a 65 degree front cut on a 200" wheel base, we could parallel park on most streets. With 4 abreast seating, it was nice to have the grand kids up front to enjoy the view out of the 8' wide windshield. It was great for traveling. but we had very limited storage and a very small (3.2 cuft) two way fridge. We ended up towing a small 500 lb one wheel trailer with the extra stuff. We had to rent a car or unhook to resupply the coach after 4 days parked. The all aluminum coach weighed only 4,400 lbs loaded and got 18 mpg. My DW loved to drive the coach.
After 17 years of UltraVanning, we need more room, (the grand kids were in college), basement storage and a towed. We need to have a coach self contained for 5 days minimum. We need a large kitchen inside and outside, plus a place to carry all the must have junk for 6 weeks on the road. I learned from touring many RV factories, it has to be at least 8' wide and had to be fully usable with both slides in.

I have had the 31S for 8.5 years. If it burned up tomorrow, I would look for another 31S used (they were last made in 201.
My brother and wife traveled in a 2017 Serenity (expensive Sprinter). When it rained at the beach, the four of us stayed, ate and and watched TV in our coach, as theirs was way to small and came equipped with two dogs (miniature Schnauzers).

 

[cruzin101]

Help Potential B/B+ class?

Hello, it's your friendly neighborhood scubaWise again. We are camping and discussing getting a new rig for the following reasons & requirements.

#1 propane or gas generator
#2 Both our big 90 pound golden retrievers recently passed.
#3 We now have 2 multi-gen Australian labradoodles 35 pounds.
#4 Ease of driving. Lora wants to drive but will not drive the Thor Vegas 25.6.
#5 Ease of site seeing, etc.
#6 Lora & I love app controlled everything including dimming lights.
We lay in bed and adjust AC, lights,etc.
#7 Do not need massive storage. Willing to place dog cages, chair on hitch rack
#8 Will consider slide or no slide but would love opinions.
#9 Queen bed is fine. Would prefer arm rests for drinks other items off bed.
#10 Diesel or gas?
#11 Space for 2 ..35 pound dogs to lay on floor.
#12 Toiliet, sink, shower
#13 ANYTHING else we should consider?
#14 We will trade in the Thor vegas 25.6...with 34,000 miles. Excellent condition.
#15 Should we do new or start looking at newly used where someone upgraded and wants to sell?
#16 What models should we deep dive?
Appreciate

Thinking of doing the same early next year or possibly going bacon travel trailer.

 

[Jimbo57]

My opinion for what it’s worth

Help Potential B/B+ class?

Hello, it's your friendly neighborhood scubaWise again. We are camping and discussing getting a new rig for the following reasons & requirements.

#1 propane or gas generator
#2 Both our big 90 pound golden retrievers recently passed.
#3 We now have 2 multi-gen Australian labradoodles 35 pounds.
#4 Ease of driving. Lora wants to drive but will not drive the Thor Vegas 25.6.
#5 Ease of site seeing, etc.
#6 Lora & I love app controlled everything including dimming lights.
We lay in bed and adjust AC, lights,etc.
#7 Do not need massive storage. Willing to place dog cages, chair on hitch rack
#8 Will consider slide or no slide but would love opinions.
#9 Queen bed is fine. Would prefer arm rests for drinks other items off bed.
#10 Diesel or gas?
#11 Space for 2 ..35 pound dogs to lay on floor.
#12 Toiliet, sink, shower
#13 ANYTHING else we should consider?
#14 We will trade in the Thor vegas 25.6...with 34,000 miles. Excellent condition.
#15 Should we do new or start looking at newly used where someone upgraded and wants to sell?
#16 What models should we deep dive?
Appreciate

I would consider adding a toad for ease of site seeing and you already know what you have. Have you ever said while in your camp spot “ I wish I didn’t have so much room inside”

 

[Scubawise]

Update.
Lora and I just completed a 9 day camping trip with 6 being dry camping.
01) Lora said to tell everyone we must have had a mid life crisis
02) our new dog crate will not fit in a B
03) She loves our 2 pantries & cloths closet
04) love the big front Window
05) full arm rests on the side if the bed
06) overall Storage & space

 

[ducksface]

Thank goodness!
A few of us were arranging an intervention/regatta/rendezvous.

 

[Bob Nodine]

Update.
Lora and I just completed a 9 day camping trip with 6 being dry camping.
01) Lora said to tell everyone we must have had a mid life crisis
02) our new dog crate will not fit in a B
03) She loves our 2 pantries & cloths closet
04) love the big front Window
05) full arm rests on the side if the bed
06) overall Storage & space

Agree with the Duck. It would have been fun for a bit downsizing to the Class B but I think you would have had regrets. When we started the downsizing thing from a 41 foot diesel pusher with 4 slides and room to carry stuff we never used, we wanted to go small. I was thinking 24 feet or less. But because the wife did not want to give up her washer/dryer and I did not want to give up leveling jacks, we ended up with our current 32 foot long Class C. Hind site tells us that we would have been in shock if we had gone much smaller in size.

My two thoughts are:

I would never again buy a propane generator. Been there and done that.

It seems silly to purchase a Class B with the intentions of towing anything.

If you have time I have a short story for you:

Years ago we were camping in a state park with that big diesel pusher and at 3 am a tree fell on it. Not the ideal alarm clock. The coach ended up staying in the body shop for 6 months. About halfway thru that period of no RV the wife was having serious camping withdrawal symptoms and wanted to purchase a small travel trailer to camp in. I told her our Ford SportTrak only had a 3500 pound tow rating so it would need to be very small. She got on the internet and the next thing I knew we were driving to Springfield, IL to purchase a 16 foot Scamp for $8000. At the time we had two Softcoated Wheaten Terriers. One was 32 lbs and the other 55 lbs. The first night camping proved to be a sleeping challenge since both dogs wanted to stay in the very small bed with the wife and I. The next day we stopped at a Walmart and purchased a sleeping bag. After that I always put down the dinette at night and used the sleeping bag while the wife and dogs enjoyed the bed. We had a lot of fun with that little camper but after two years I got tired of keeping up two RV's and we sold it. We got more money for it than we had in it.

 

[Galobo]

Scubawise, traveling with two pets it would be a big adjustment to a B or B+. There just isn’t a lot of free room, As for a generator the propane generator makes less noise than diesel when running. With our history of RVs we prefer the sprinter because of the ease of driving, it drives like an automobile, gets great mileage,withe exception of the def it is very reliable vehicle.

 

[Scubawise]

Hey Scubawise.

We have the Gemini version of your RV built on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis. A foot shorter but same full-slide, folding bed configuration. There are times I wish we had your rig because it has some more space and driving cabin is much more useable and comfortable at the campsite. Our rig is easy to drive and economical on fuel but expensive to maintain.

I am reminded of what a wise RV salesperson told us when we bought our first motorhome. If it meets 80% of your needs, it is likely the rig for you. In other words, no rig is perfect.

We have had a Class A, Class C, a Class B and our current Class B+. They all provided loads of fun and great experiences. They fulfilled specific needs at the time we bought them. The only one we didn’t like was the Class C on the Ford chassis as the passenger foot room was too restrictive. Also, the cab was wasted space when camping.

Just like boats; once you own one, you are destined to look for a perfect replacement. I am not sure one exists!

Good luck in your search.

Appreciate. We are sticking with Vegas 25.6

 

[Scubawise]

Thank goodness!
A few of us were arranging an intervention/regatta/rendezvous.

I bet

 

[Scubawise]

View attachment 46897

Agree with the Duck. It would have been fun for a bit downsizing to the Class B but I think you would have had regrets. When we started the downsizing thing from a 41 foot diesel pusher with 4 slides and room to carry stuff we never used, we wanted to go small. I was thinking 24 feet or less. But because the wife did not want to give up her washer/dryer and I did not want to give up leveling jacks, we ended up with our current 32 foot long Class C. Hind site tells us that we would have been in shock if we had gone much smaller in size.

My two thoughts are:

I would never again buy a propane generator. Been there and done that.

It seems silly to purchase a Class B with the intentions of towing anything.

If you have time I have a short story for you:

Years ago we were camping in a state park with that big diesel pusher and at 3 am a tree fell on it. Not the ideal alarm clock. The coach ended up staying in the body shop for 6 months. About halfway thru that period of no RV the wife was having serious camping withdrawal symptoms and wanted to purchase a small travel trailer to camp in. I told her our Ford SportTrak only had a 3500 pound tow rating so it would need to be very small. She got on the internet and the next thing I knew we were driving to Springfield, IL to purchase a 16 foot Scamp for $8000. At the time we had two Softcoated Wheaten Terriers. One was 32 lbs and the other 55 lbs. The first night camping proved to be a sleeping challenge since both dogs wanted to stay in the very small bed with the wife and I. The next day we stopped at a Walmart and purchased a sleeping bag. After that I always put down the dinette at night and used the sleeping bag while the wife and dogs enjoyed the bed. We had a lot of fun with that little camper but after two years I got tired of keeping up two RV's and we sold it. We got more money for it than we had in it.

Thx for sharing

 

[Scubawise]

Scubawise, traveling with two pets it would be a big adjustment to a B or B+. There just isn’t a lot of free room, As for a generator the propane generator makes less noise than diesel when running. With our history of RVs we prefer the sprinter because of the ease of driving, it drives like an automobile, gets great mileage,withe exception of the def it is very reliable vehicle.

Noted

 

[yukongrant]

Glad to hear you've made a great decision. But to play devil's advocate, here are 2 points for others to consider.
1) I've never sat in a campground and said I need a smaller RV. But I have said that driving through traffic; trying to get into and out of gas stations; trying to find a parking space and backing into a tight camp site.
2) At a camp site, we really don't spend that much time inside the RV. Yes, we sleep in it; take a shower and use the bathroom and do some cooking. Most of our time is outside in our lawn chairs or picnic table. We don't mind taking our laundry to the park laundry, put it in, go back to the lawn chairs until times up, then go back.
Many things are compromises. You just have to pick your pain points.

 

[Scubawise]

Glad to hear you've made a great decision. But to play devil's advocate, here are 2 points for others to consider.
1) I've never sat in a campground and said I need a smaller RV. But I have said that driving through traffic; trying to get into and out of gas stations; trying to find a parking space and backing into a tight camp site.
2) At a camp site, we really don't spend that much time inside the RV. Yes, we sleep in it; take a shower and use the bathroom and do some cooking. Most of our time is outside in our lawn chairs or picnic table. We don't mind taking our laundry to the park laundry, put it in, go back to the lawn chairs until times up, then go back.
Many things are compromises. You just have to pick your pain points.

Agree. Our recent successful exciting no issues 9 day camping trip (6 dry camping) with sun, cold, rain, mud, dirty puppies, setting up Puppy sleeping areas proved our current thor vegas 25.6 works great. Lora was concerned about your 1st point. But limiting driving to 1.5 to 4.5 hours is our new plan

 

[Bob Nodine]

Agree. Our recent successful exciting no issues 9 day camping trip (6 dry camping) with sun, cold, rain, mud, dirty puppies, setting up Puppy sleeping areas proved our current thor vegas 25.6 works great. Lora was concerned about your 1st point. But limiting driving to 1.5 to 4.5 hours is our new plan

Scuba,

For some years now we have strived to limit our driving day to less than 300 miles. I can almost predict miles by how my body feels and at 300 miles I am dead tired of driving. We enjoy our travels more by just taking our time and we always have enough buffer to handle a two hour back up on the interstate. I remember the days when we still had jobs and had to adhere to a schedule. These days we just enjoy the travel and ignore the workaholics passing us at 80 MPH.

 

[Scubawise]

Scuba,

For some years now we have strived to limit our driving day to less than 300 miles. I can almost predict miles by how my body feels and at 300 miles I am dead tired of driving. We enjoy our travels more by just taking our time and we always have enough buffer to handle a two hour back up on the interstate. I remember the days when we still had jobs and had to adhere to a schedule. These days we just enjoy the travel and ignore the workaholics passing us at 80 MPH.

Good plan..

 

[marksil]

Everyone has an opinion

Diesel is a hobby. It does not pay. A test of the ram(I don't know of another test) shows gas and diesel within 2mpg of one another.
Diesel premium paid when new to have a diesel is ridiculous.
Fans will tell of torque. Ask them how they use that torque over how they use a gas engine. Transmission not shifting as often is the carrier of that water.
Go to a non-fanatic youtube page and then decide on your own.
I only know from experience why I'm not a diesel hobbiest. If $2000 less than a gas model I'd still say no let alone the HUGE premium you'll pay for diesel.

Propane generator is a silly greeny type thing that swills fuel from a tiny tank.

Go drive one. Compared to a new axis/Vegas;
The getting to the back from those front seats just sucks.
The windshield size sucks
The cab width is maniacally poor.
The cab is a flippin' work truck with a work truck level of design effort.
The passenger foot room sucks
The wetbath and probable cassette toilet sucks.
You won't have to worry about 1/3 tank of water because that's what you'll possibly have if full.

B and b+ are only a smallish percentage shorter than your current unit.
The turning circle and height and width of a b+ and EVERYTHING BUT THE LENGTH is identical to your current unit. A regular b is slightly narrower than your current rig but all else is the same-ish as your current thor.



Other than those I don't have an opinion on b class vs axis class.

Duckface has seemed like an experienced knowledgeable Long time RV’er; I have appreciated much of his advice. I am sure he has great points here, and I am in total agreement about avoiding Diesel. Your parameters sound quite similar to mine, and I settled(because you are always settling) on the Tellaro AT. I really enjoy driving the Ram 3500 chassis, find the Tellaro has exactly the layout I need for my gear and my comfort. Mine is a ‘22, no lithium(which many here have had issues with) just a whisper quiet Onan generator which powers everything it needs to efficiently. I have made my peace with the cassette toilet, and smile as I leave national parks and wave goodby to 100 people waiting to pump out. My gray water is the palest possible,only biodegradable soap and water. Yes, Boondocking is limited because of a small freshwater tank, I keep mine topped up whenever opportunity presents itself. Check one out, drive it if you can, see what you think. 3 years and 15 000 miles later, stilll happy, I’ve gotten past the stupid easy but nuisance fixes all Thors come with, it just works for us. A caveat, my previous Rv was not an RV, but a 2002 VW Eurovan Camper, so in comparison the Tellaro is a hotel.

 

[dkoldman]

Yeah, yeah, yada, yada and I glad you find out there is no place like home on 25.6 Vegas Street, but what I want to know is when Lora is going to start the 25.6 driving lessons

My wife will pull the boat on trailer, launch the boat, and even drive the boat, but she gets nervous sitting in the driver seat of RV just to start it up or turn it off.

One day, I am gonna play sick and see what happens