Talk me into or out of a Class B RV purchase

[38Chevy454]

X3 or whatever the count, about backing a trailer is not hard, just a new skill set that you will be able to learn quickly. Going forward is only a tiny bit more than what you do now with your car, you only have to be conscious about the extra length and some turning radius effects. Spend a couple hours time in a big empty parking lot practicing and you will develop the confidence and skills.

I understand about the not having a vehicle to tow a bigger trailer, but your argument does not really hold logic. Buying a complete Class B (a large full size van) is going to be way more cost than a trailer. I believe you could buy a decent used truck to pull the trailer and still be money ahead vs the Class B. Or buy a pop-up and tow it with what you have. A pop-up will have as much or more room than a Class B has. Hooking up a trailer (any trailer) is not as hard or bad as you make it out to be.

 

[Sanbenito1]

Why did I go with a Class B? I have a small front yard and no place to park a trailer without becoming the neighborhood eyesore. But I can park a van, especially because it doesn't look much like a camping vehicle. I also hate towing, and as a woman traveling alone I like to be able to go from my bed to the driver's seat, so that I can safely leave without having to step outside if any tweakers appear in the middle of the night. My van is a 4WD diesel Mercedes Sprinter van that I took to GTRV in Sebastapol, CA, to be converted into a relatively simple camping van: bed/sofa/passenger bench seat, sink, insulation, electrical outlets and lights, a 'pop top' with a sleeping bunk, portable toilet, fridge, heater, fan, closets and exterior hot shower. Even cheaper- lots of 'do it yourself' videos on YouTube (my conversion was about $23k; would have been less without the pop-top). The Sprinter van alone was about $32K new, before adding on the Diesel engine, 4WD, towing and safety packages. With tax and licensing the van came to about $45K. It gets 20 mpg average.


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[vgnbkr]

Last year I bought a GTRV - it's a campervan conversion with a pop-top, just like a VW Westfalia.

The great thing about GTRVs (and a few others like Sportsmobile) is that you get a Class B camper that will fit in your garage, so NO STORAGE FEES. Plus, it's always right there so you can use it on a whim.

We did a month long trip to Newfoundland this summer and absolutely loved it. Between boondocking, Walmart, and NFLD's cheap parks, our total accommodation costs for the month was CDN $160.

My GTRV is a 1999 GMC Safari minivan so lots of space on a semi-commercial vehicle that should last at least another 5 years (low KMs, no rust). You might have trouble finding one of those now, but there are a bunch based on Toyota minivans and Ford E-x50s floating around if you look.

Pop-top Class Bs are awesome!

 

[MBAustin]

These folks rent Class B's
Home | RV Motorhome Travel Trailer Rentals Sales in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, Florida and the USA (I know about them because they send us a letter every few months asking if we want sign up for them to rent ours out.)

We have a small (26') Class C but only because DH's wheelchair won't work in a Class B which was our original plan (before wheelchair). I can park in lots of places that a larger motorhome won't fit, but not in one regular parking place.

We are former tent campers, and growing up my family had several pop-ups before my parents moved on to first a Class C and then a Class A, so I'm familiar with a lot of the options. For the scenario the OP has described, I think trying out a Class C and then if it fits, buying a used one makes a lot of sense.

Just realized that in this post, I typed "C" in the last line rather than "B". Sorry for any confusion. Not trying to talk the OP into more RV than they want!

 

[Big_Hitter]

https://www.wandervans.com/#lets-wander

 

[Teacher Terry]

We only get 10 miles/gallon so if you are doing a lot of driving it gets expensive fast. I think if we did not have 4 dogs we could drive car and get reasonable hotels for less $ then taking our RV. Unless we are going locally and then just go to be in outdoors and hike, etc it has been very expensive. We went to Denver and was on a bus line which was nice but still 55/night. WE have a motorhome and don't pull a car. We would have to buy one that could be towed or buy a carrier to tow for 4k and then get worse gas mileage. Many of the newer cars can't be towed.

 

[REWahoo]

I think if we did not have 4 dogs we could drive car and get reasonable hotels for less $ then taking our RV.

Let's look at the numbers: a theoretical one week (7 night) trip of 1,500 miles.

Cost in a car (excluding the cost of the vehicle)

@35 mpg (43 gal x $2.25/gal) = $97
@$150/night for hotel x 7 nights = $1050
Total: $1,147

Cost in an RV (excluding the cost of the vehicle)

@10 mpg (150 gal x$2.25/gal) = $338
@55/night for RV park x 7 nights =$385
Total: $723

RV = $424 (37%) less than car/hotel

Note this example excludes the potential savings of cooking your own meals in the RV.

 

[SteveNU]

Let's look at the numbers: a theoretical one week (7 night) trip of 1,500 miles.

Cost in a car (excluding the cost of the vehicle)

@35 mpg (43 gal x $2.25/gal) = $97
@$150/night for hotel x 7 nights = $1050
Total: $1,147

Cost in an RV (excluding the cost of the vehicle)

@10 mpg (150 gal x$2.25/gal) = $338
@55/night for RV park x 7 nights =$385
Total: $723

RV = $424 (37%) less than car/hotel

Note this example excludes the potential savings of cooking your own meals in the RV.

Now amortize the $50,000 cost of the RV over 7 days......About $8,000 a night!

I've always found RVing doesn't make sense from the $$ and hassle standpoint unless you are using it a LOT. When you amortize the sunk cost of the rig along with all of the other expenses of maintaining it and look at the incremental cost difference between driving a car and staying in hotels etc. it takes a lot of traveling to make it worth while $$ wise.

You're paying a premium for the lifestyle and only you can decide if it's worth it.

 

[REWahoo]

it takes a lot of traveling to make it worth while $$ wise.

You're paying a premium for the lifestyle and only you can decide if it's worth it.

Agreed - but the cost of the RV wasn't what was being discussed here, only whether it was less expensive to go the car/hotel route. Teacher Terry already owns the RV.

RVing is definitely a hobby that doesn't pay for itself. As you point out, anyone who wants to RV because it is a less expensive way to travel is going to have to use it a LOT to make the numbers work.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Wahoo: we are usually able to find motels for between 50-70/night. We rarely pay much more unless in expensive city like SF. WE bought ours used for 14k and have put 3k repairs into it. I would never buy a really expensive one. In a motel we eat breakfast and lunch from our cooler and eat dinner out.

 

[REWahoo]

Wahoo: we are usually able to find motels for between 50-70/night.

OK, I'll make this my final "wow" on this subject.

 

[Fermion]

In an area where you can stay in a motel for $50 to $70, you can find a place for the RV for $20 to $30 with hookups.

If you go to Army Corp campgrounds, you will pay $18 to $20 for really nice roomy areas with electricity, water, and hot showers. The site will most likely be on a lake. If you are a senior, the price is half of that. $9 to stay lakefront with all utilities paid? Ridiculous.

Here is our view from our $18 a night camp site looking down at our boat. How does that compare with your $50 motel?

 

[Teacher Terry]

For example in Placerville we found a hotel for 85 and paid 62 for RV site. Not much savings considering we had to drive the car and the rv. The rv is too hard to drive around that area because roads are rural and crowded, etc. We spent 70/night last time we went to Stockton. I can usually find good deals on the internet for hotels. I have searched for the public campgrounds that are cheaper for where we are going but they are never anywhere around where we want to be. We don't want to go to a lake and swim. We take the RV to travel and see the sights.

 

[Fermion]

Well, that lake was only a few miles from Nashville, TN, which I hear does have some tourist things to do other than swim.

The only time I have paid over $50 for a RV site was when we went to Disney in California. We stayed right outside the gates in a RV park for about $65 a night. Hotels were over $100 though.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Well maybe I have just been unlucky that the places we have wanted to go have not had one near them. For instance the closest public campground to Placerville was 30 miles. We did go to a lake with some friends to just relax, hike and that was cheap. Because we tend to do a lot of driving in a month trip a big expense is the gas. We don't want to stay in 1 place for a month. In Denver the retirees said that the same rv park we were at only charged 400 if you stayed for the month. I don't want to spend a month anywhere.

 

[brewer12345]

Out west there is a ton of public land you can camp on. My favorite trip this summer was in a national forest. Zero fees.

 

[Teacher Terry]

WE want to be close to the sights and we want hookups.

 

[JackJester]

X4 on learning to tow a small trailer. Easy. We were scared, but knew it was the way to go based on previous experience with having your house with you all the time (i.e, a truck camper in our case). We bought our new 16' Airstream having NEVER towed any kind of trailer in our lives. I left the dealership and immediately took it to a large Home Depot parking lot and practiced backing it up and driving it in circles to get a feel for the turn radius. As with everything, you get better with practice, but I can confirm that my fear of towing was WAY over blown. Backing Up: Step 1) take your time. Step 2) look into the side/rear view mirrors. Step 3) if the trailer needs to go left, then turn the wheel to the right slightly (or vice versa). Step 4) correct as need be. Step 5) again, take your time....there will be times you have to pull out and start over. So what? And, you can tow a 'small' trailer/pop-up without a powerful truck or SUV. Not sure what vehicles you have, but they may work.

 

[harley]

there will be times you have to pull out and start over. So what?

Ha! That implies that there will be times when you don't. I've been pulling trailers (usually u-hauls) a lot over the last few years. Every single time I back in I end up pulling out and re-aiming a few times before I get it lined up right. But as you say, so what? It's not hard, just nit-picky.

 

[KCGeezer]

I've been debating a similar decision and understand the arguments for the small trailer over RV but I have another requirement that pushes me back towards the RV. I plan to fish quite a bit and therefore include a kayak in the equipment I need on some trips. Adding a small trailer to the RV seems simpler than 'trailer topping' the kayak on the truck or trailer. I've researched inflatables but can't get excited about them. Has anyone been in this situation and how did you fit all the pieces together?


Wisdom begins with wonder.

 

[brewer12345]

WE want to be close to the sights and we want hookups.

The trip I mentioned was close to the sights. Stone's throw from the incredible beauty of the Lost Creek Wilderness. Hookups are fine, but part of the attraction of campers is that you have the option of doing without them for a while if somewhere you want to go is not handy for full hookups.

 

[2017ish]

Well, that lake was only a few miles from Nashville, TN, which I hear does have some tourist things to do other than swim.
...

Seven Points Campground on Percy Priest? If so, wow. That is very close to downtown and everything else. Given the insanity of hotel prices in Nashville right now, you did quite well!

 

[Pbkmaine]

Buy used!

 

[Lyle]

So many good comments in this thread. To answer your question both my wife and I fear towing a vehicle and because we would not be confident doing so, and we would both be fearful doing so, I think that it would limit our enjoyment. We especially fear backing into parking spaces etc. Additionally if we towed anything other than a light pop up we would likely need to purchase a pick up or other vehicle made to stand up to towing a trailer. Both of our cars are paid for and will last another 5 -10 years and I hate the thought of trading one of them for a tow vehicle.

Also I kind of like the simplicity of just being able to drive a class B and park in town, not having to hitch and unhitch whenever we move etc. Not sure if we would or would not feel more cramped than we do in our current tent. However we would both enjoy not having to sleep on the ground any more.

I do intend to try to rent before buying and maybe always renting would make sense though renting is quite expensive. I sort of like the idea of buying something (if we enjoy the rental) using it heavily for 1 - 3 years and then selling it after we have aged a bit and are no longer enjoying it.

Suggest you look at a Casita trailer. There is a large following of older people that have rallies and even travel full time in these trailer. They are small enough and easily towed. There are even many single woman who travel in them. Check out the facebook page or the two casita forums on the internet. Sounds like you would fit right into this group.

 

[RonBoyd]

... and we want hookups.

Just out of curiosity, why is that? (I am not questioning your choice -- which is also mine -- but simply wanting to know your reasoning.)