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Downsizing
from a class A motorhome
to a class B?
Words of wisdom
from Roaming Times'
readers...
See reader's comments
and experiences at
bottom of page
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Roadtrek 190 Versatile class B motorhome - see review
Travel by class B motorhome?
See
RoTi class B section Search RoTi RV reviews
The gist of the article:-
- Downsizing from
class A to B
- Living in a
class B for long periods?
- Fuel consumption
and the environment
- Other things
people say about B's
- Roadtrek has
more than 50% of the class B market
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Better mileage and easier to drive? Keith and June Bowen told Roaming Times: "We downsized from a class A and have not regretted it. Better mileage and easier to drive with the class b, park and store all more than make up for less space."
Class A's - too much money and too much trouble storing? Darril Hughes told Roaming Times: "I am yet another who sold a class A and bought a class B. My 40' Holiday Rambler was just too much - too much money and too much trouble storing. My 17' Roadtrek is the nearest I ever want to come to an RV again. Class B's are definitely the best choice."
Fuel consumption and the environment? Pat H told Roaming Times: "I spent $500 on gas yesterday, I suppose driving a class A motorhome is not very friendly for the environment. Maybe a class B would be better. But we're traveling less and staying more and so we do less miles so that's environment friendly. We also boondock sometimes and we've just got a bigger solar panel. We're fulltime and we use less resources than a house dweller. We use very little water and we use less heat and cooling.
Fulltiming or extended periods in a class B?
Homer asked: "Can one person live in one of these Class B's for say, 3 months without going stir crazy. Are the showers usable and practical or is this just a stop gap impracticality. I am on the verge of going to a "B" from many years as an "A" owner. Only those of you that have them and use them would know.? |
Roadtrek RS Adventurous - see review
Fulltiming in a class B motorhome?
See
RoTi fulltiming section
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Fulltimed in a B for 8 years!
Trekker told Roaming Times: "I’ve owned a 1995 Roadtrek
190 Versatile Dodge with a 318 cu.in. V-8 since
late-‘94. It wasn't easy, but I lived in it full-time
for 8 years in all! I've towed a 24' trailer & a small
pickup truck with it. It has 80,000 mi. on it now & I'm
planning to start travelling again this summer. All in
all, it has been a great vehicle. Problems? Not many.
And I love the compact size, maneuverability, gas
mileage, and the fact that you can park it just about
anywhere. I still think it's a great vehicle. Give it a
try!"
On the other hand - several nights and then a
motel - "We LOVE our Roadtrek! We have had a
Monaco 36', a Lance pick up camper, a Rexhall 32' Motor
home, a TrailLte B+, and several travel trailers. We
were tired of paying for storage, and I was having
trouble getting into and out of a higher vehicle. When
we saw Class Bs we knew that one of those was for us!
After checking out several different manufacturers, we
chose the Roadtrek. We wish we'd gotten one long ago. We
don't have the room of the big motor homes, but we have
almost everything they have. Actually, we have TWO
seating areas with a table in the RT, which we didn't
have in the bigger ones. It's nice not to have to tow
another vehicle, but knowing that we could if we wished.
We can park in a regular parking space anywhere. We can
park our RT in our driveway, as it looks pretty much
like a regular van. We use it for traveling....the
convenience of the kitchen and bathroom for long
distance travel is wonderful. We have camped in
it....and have several trips planned with it where we
will camp for several nights and spend other nights in a
motel or with relatives. We use it around town, as it
has a lift on the back for my mobility scooter. It's a
perfect all around vehicle for us!
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Which class B?
People keep mentioning their Roadtreks - and there's a good reason; according to Statistical Surveys figures in 2008, the market shares were:
Roadtrek 59.2%
Pleasure Way 27.7%
Winnebago 3.7%
Leisure Travel 3.5%
All the rest 5.9%
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The Roadtrek 210 class B - see RoTi review
"A beautiful fusion of design, engineering and functionality with optional arrangements for seating and sleeping- the ultimate widebody class B!"
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(Latest comments first)
| author | comments | |
| DoggyDaddy | If I was concerned about fuel and the environment and wanted to stop pampering my self and be cramped, I would ride in a Greyhound.
If fuel prices get to the point they cramp my traveling, I will travel closer to home.
Selecting an RV is like buying shoes. You find something that fits, looks nice, and is in your price range. | RoTi item |
| Smiley the camper | Downsizing may be all well & good as far as saving on gas & being easier to drive, BUT, I have friends that are consideriung it & he is extremely selfish with the TV ( & many other things as well) I cant picture someone of this nature in a "B", all he wants to do is watch sports & game shows & she has no say so, You better make sure you can live with one-another before you go that small At least now, she can go into the bedroom & watch what she wants to... What it all boils up to, is sometimes close quarters are NOT the place to be ( unless you want to wind up in divorce court) | RoTi item |
| Brian | Would love to reach Trekker. I am going to live in my soon to be Road Trek 190, and would love to see how living there was for him. | RoTi item |
| Howard | I've owned a Roadtrek 190 for 3 years with no problems other than routine maintenance. It's really changed our lives we use it at weekends and never worry about hotels. | RoTi item |
| Linda | We have enjoyed many miles in our 170 2000/2001 Dodge Roadtrek. We've learned to travel lightly and drive smartly. We mostly get 15 mpg and sometimes 16 mpg. Only complaint is the frig doesn't work well when outside temperature is above 80. There are fixes for this problem, but we tend to just slip an ice chest in the frig when it's hot. Love the fact it can be parked in a regular spot. Highly recommend a Roadtrek to adventurers out there who don't think they need to bring their living room with them. | RoTi item |
| Derek Carnes | We have a 2004 Roadtrek 190 Versatile. We really picked this model because I liked the look of it and we'd read a lot about Roadtreks but it's been really great. Another thing we wanted was to be able to park it in our driveway and not have to have storage as we had with a Fleetwood class A we owned before this. Downsizing suited us. I would say I'm really impressed with the quality of the Roadtrek. We really enjoy it. | RoTi item |
| Jay H | It's been a dream of ours to have a Roadtrek and tour the country. This 210 model looks perfect. We're due to retire in 2011 and if it works out, this is the one for us. | RoTi item |
| Lennich | Down size? You bet ,but to a 24 FT TREK .Now this is a real motorhome ,Class A. Comfortable ,roomy , 15 miles to the gallon & a diesel. Can you buy them anymore ? NOPE. But I love my Trek ,that 38 footer was to much for me .The Trek is just right & we haven't given up any thing at all. . | RoTi item |
| roadwarrior | I drove my Roadtrek sprinter with my son from Baltimore to Alaska and back. We took a side trip and drove north of the Arctic Circle - over 1,000 miles of dirt road, NO PROBLEMS. The vehicle did Great, no mechanical problems (except the microwave handle) - never averaged less then 22 mpg. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone | RoTi item |
| Dan | We own a Monaco B+ and are enjoying the downsize from a 42' Executive. It has everything we need. Like Monaco. | RoTi item |
| Homer | Can one person live in one of these Class B's for say, 3 months without going stir crazy. Are the showers usable and practical or is this just a stop gap impracticality. I am on the verge of going to a "B" from many years as an "A" owner. Only those of you that have them and use them would know. | RoTi item |
| Brenda Cordon | Really love the look and layout of the Roadtrek and definitely think class B is the way to go. We have a class A and if we can sell it I'm set to buy the Roadtrek. | RoTi item |
| DesrtDrmr | We LOVE our Roadtrek! We have had a Monaco 36', a Lance pick up camper, a Rexhall 32' Motor home, a TrailLte B+, and several travel trailers. We were tired of paying for storage, and I was having trouble getting into and out of a higher vehicle. When we saw Class Bs we knew that one of those was for us! After checking out several different manufacturers, we chose the Roadtrek. We wish we'd gotten one long ago. We don't have the room of the big motor homes, but we have almost everything they have. Actually, we have TWO seating areas with a table in the RT, which we didn't have in the bigger ones. It's nice not to have to tow another vehicle, but knowing that we could if we wished. We can park in a regular parking space anywhere. We can park our RT in our driveway, as it looks pretty much like a regular van. We use it for traveling....the convenience of the kitchen and bathroom for long distance travel is wonderful. We have camped in it....and have several trips planned with it where we will camp for several nights and spend other nights in a motel or with relatives. We use it around town, as it has a lift on the back for my mobility scooter. It's a perfect all around vehicle for us! | RoTi item |
| Pat H | I spent $500 on gas yesterday, I suppose driving a class A motorhome is not very friendly for the environment. Maybe a class B would be better. But we're traveling less and staying more and so we do less miles so that's environment friendly. We also boondock sometimes and we've just got a bigger solar panel. We're fulltime and we use less resources than a house dweller. We use very little water and we use less heat and cooling. | RoTi item |
| Trekker | I’ve owned a 1995 Roadtrek 190 Versatile Dodge with a 318 cu.in. V-8 since late-‘94. It wasn't easy, but I lived in it full-time for 8 years in all! I've towed a 24' trailer & a small pickup truck with it. It has 80,000 mi. on it now & I'm planning to start travelling again this summer. All in all, it has been a great vehicle. Problems? Not many. Roadtrek had a recall on this model in '95/'96 for a serious brake problem. The rear spring could rupture the brake line leaving you without brakes - brake line needed to be rerouted. The day after I received the notice, I lost the brakes just as I was pulling into a campsite! Roadtrek paid for towing & repair. Make sure the previous owner has had this work done. Speaking of brakes, my vehicle seems to need the front rotors "turned" more often than it should. I suspect the brakes aren't heavy-duty enough for the load I'm putting on them & I don't know of any solution. When I had the first full tune-up done (36,000 mi.), the mechanic told me he couldn't replace the fuel filter because it was impossible to reach. At 50,000 mi. the filter clogged up completely. In order to get at it, they had remove the holding tanks and toilet! They reinstalled it under the passenger door. Needless to say, this was a VERY expensive fix for a problem that could have been avoided had Roadtrek spent 15 minutes & a few dollars more when assembling the vehicle. I called them & complained bitterly! They refused to pay a penny for the repairs. The original rear air conditioner was only 7500 BTUs - not enough to cool when in the hot sun. It went out in a few years and I replaced it with a 10,000 BTU unit that does the job. At about 72,000 mi. I had problems with the idler pulley on the Dodge engine. Besides the pulley, I had some hoses, belts & other parts replaced. It wound up to be rather expensive. By the way, as with any Class B RV, some repairs tend to be more expensive because there is more labor involved in getting at the problem. For instance, the refrigerator has to be removed to clean the igniter. I've also replaced the ceiling fan, toilet, stove exhaust fan, tires, shocks, etc....what I consider normal stuff. And, I've maintained the vehicle religiously (that's important). Sound like a lot? Did I discourage you? I hope not. Look at it this way, these are ALL the major repairs I've had with this RV in almost 14 years! Ask any other RV owner and I'm sure they will tell you that: "That ain't bad!" And I love the compact size, maneuverability, gas mileage, and the fact that you can park it just about anywhere. I still think it's a great vehicle. Give it a try! | RoTi item |
| Keith and June Bowen | We have a 2006 R-Vision class B. We downsized from a class A and have not regretted it. Better mileage and easier to drive with the class b, park and store all more than make up for less space. In fact we love the floorplan of the 213 although we don't have a slide. If we were buying again we'd probably go for the 235S which is only a few inches longer but has a slide. We've had very few problems and we've enjoyed using this more than we did the class A. | RoTi item |
| Dan Chase | We bought the 2005 Roadtrek 190 Popular and have no regrets. It's big enough for my wife and I and we've done about 25,000 miles of happy camping. I don't know why anyone wants anything bigger unless they're full timing. We get about 14 mpg on long trips. | RoTi item |
| Darril Hughes | I am yet another who sold a class A and bought a class B. My 40' Holiday Rambler was just too much - too much money and too much trouble storing. My 17' Roadtrek is the nearest I ever want to come to an RV again. Class B's are definitely the best choice. | RoTi item |
| Desert Dreamer | We've had travel trailers, Class A motorhomes from 32 to 36 feet, a truck camper and a Class B+ motorhome before buying our Road Trek. We LOVE the RoadTrek, easy to drive, easy to park, and perfect for travelling. | RoTi item |
| retired4fun | We own a RT 190P...it gives us the mobility and freedom to go when and where we please. With our previous TT's, and a C, we always had to be on the lookout for a CG. Now we stop when we want - the Trek fits in where cars go so we can utilize parking lots, etc. It has all the amenities we wanted, kitchen, TV, toilet, shower, bed. It has a great ride and good economy. We're gone in a few minutes and when we stay at CG...set up in minutes. | RoTi item |
| Pat Houghton | We have a 2003 Roadtrek 170. This is my first and only RV so I can't really compare it with class A or class C RVs. I find it very easy to handle and I have no problem fitting it into almost any ordinary parking space. We have all the amenities and I've never felt the inside was too small for traveling or living. I have very few criticisms. I read someones report on RoTi that said about having rattles but I've never found that. I think he just doesn't have things fastened properly. I had one problem with the air conditioning unit and one electrical problem but these were dealt with easily under warranty. The center aisle shower is OK, it's a clever arrangement for the space available but, if I'm at an RV park I prefer to use their facilities. This RV is of course limited by its size but then again, that's its main advantage. Based upon your experiences, would you buy one of this manufacturer's RVs again?: Yes. Rating: 5/5. | RoTi item |
| Shelby | We rv'd in both a 32' and then a 40' motorcoach. I liked the luxury of space and amenities. I am in the process of considering a compact rv where the emphasis is on ease of travel - no towing - and getting in and out of spaces and also a resonable gas mileage. I would only consider one of these if it would fit in our garage. The hassle of storing an rv is too crazy and expensive. This one looks really nice. I will have to see one to understand the bathroom showering situation. Also - I would like to go to the factory to get a sense of the commitment to detail and quality control that goes into it's manufacture. I am going to read more RoTi Roadtrek reports. Thanks. | RoTi item |
| Sonia | We store our RV over an hour away. It is very inconvenient but that is our only option. We have been considering a class B so that we can park in our garage. I am beginning to think that Big Rigs are best only for fulltimers. The bigger they are the harder they are to store. | RoTi item |
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