RV Show, that is. We made it to the State Farm Stadium yesterday to check out some Class B campervans. It was an interesting expedition. When we arrived at the stadium, there were about 10 Class B vans outside...
These are what we came to look at, but I thought this might be all there is for the Class Bs, since they were outside. I was pleasantly surprised when we went inside, where it is blissfully air conditioned, and there were a bunch more Class Bs. There were other RVs inside, but the campervans are what we came to see. LaMesa RV is the dealer who is putting this on... I have joked that everyone knows you can sell RVs cheaper by renting a huge football stadium and paying people to move them from your sales lots to the stadium and then back at the end of the show. No, it doesn't make sense, but it does bring people out - there was a pretty good crowd there. It didn't hurt that it was free parking and free admission. ;-) So, definitely some non-RVers who were out for an afternoon lark in air conditioned comfort.
Quite a few manufacturers and models were available to check out. Enough that it was hard to keep track after a while. Joan and I each picked out a favorite... and it was the same one. 3 different chassis manufacturers (Ford Transit, RAM, and Mercedes/Sprinter), and it looks like the designers all went to the same school... and copied off each others' homework. 3 or 4 basic layouts, mostly because there is only so much you can do with that little bit of floorspace. A lot around...
The floorplan/interior that caught our eye...
Only 2 manufacturers who offered a mascerator (pump) for the black and gray holding tanks...
I have to say that I really like the premise of that mascerator (inside that compartment that is closed), especially for this size RV - no 3" sewer hose that you have to haul around - the mascerator chews up your waste into a poo-puree (pun intended) that can even be run uphill, if necessary. "And, why would that be necessary?" you ask. Well, if every RV park would put their sewer connections at ground level, it wouldn't be necessary; but that's not the way most of them do it. Excrement does not run uphill, and if your RV's sewer outlet is fairly low to the ground (as most of them are), it can be an issue. TMI for you non-RVers?
2 comments:
If you are considering these, my advice is to avoid the RAM chassis. My brother is an expedited cargo truck driver. He had zero problems with the Ford Transit van over several years, but when they switched him to RAM it has been nothing but trouble -- transmissions that break repeatedly, computer modules that die, three month (!) waits for parts, and so forth. For him RAM has been a disaster and forced him to change companies that he worked for.
I'm obviously out of the market but those six-figure prices were shocking - to me.
Hi Earl. I have to wonder if the issues your brother had with the RAM chassis was on the previous model - they made some significant changes in the 2022-2023 year models (9 speed transmission instead of the previous 6 speed). I belong to several Class B forums (much like our CF guitar forum) and asked specifically about reliability of the different chassis - seemed to be more issues with the Sprinter (Mercedes) chassis and far fewer (and less expensive) with the RAM and Ford.
I have been out of that market since we bought the Aspect... and that motorhome has been an anvil of an engine, the Ford Triton V-10. Well, except for fuel mileage. We have been keeping an eye on Class B prices for over a year now - there was certainly some sticker shock for us on prices throughout the RV industry. Right now, the Class B market is the only growing segment. Having owned one previously, I understand why they are priced from $100K to well over 250K due to how they have to be built: a lot more man hours to to build within the structure of the van as opposed to putting the house part of motorhome onto a bare chassis that can be built on an assembly line. You are not alone in the shock of a Class B costing more than a much larger Class C... especially with the use of lithium batteries in the Class B instead of using a generator. I DO like the idea of being able to use the a/c or microwave while underway without having to fire up the generator. That also means a 3000 watt inverter, DC to DC charging, and an additional "under the hood" alternator/generator that can top off those big lithium batteries. Most of the Class Bs with a lithium system are on the far side of $150k. :-0
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