Class B vs B+ Motorhome

[Roadtech]

Originally Posted by LewK

Roadtech
One significant difference is the B is constructed inside a factory assembled crash tested vehicle. The B + and C are built on a cab and chassis that the converter attaches a body to.
There are multiple You tube videos demonstrating what happens to those bodies in the event of a severe crash or rollover.

Great point.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by LewK

Roadtech

One significant difference is the B is constructed inside a factory assembled crash tested vehicle. The B + and C are built on a cab and chassis that the converter attaches a body to.

There are multiple You tube videos demonstrating what happens to those bodies in the event of a severe crash or rollover.

Obviously a different animal but some of the Prevost appeal is the build out inside a stainless steel factory shell versus most class A motor homes built up around a truck frame and engine.

LEWK - great analogy. Now I know why my Interstate was so expensive. It's a mini-Prevost!

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

LEWK - great analogy. Now I know why my Interstate was so expensive. It's a mini-Prevost!

MIKE - I pretend everyday I am driving a Prevost that is customized for a little guy. We even pretend we have a Class A by ingress/egress via front passenger door only. Wont work for tall folks but it is little folks friendly.

[c21bill]

Originally Posted by Meeks

Makes sense on less mpg. I do have concerns regarding the stability in wind and trucks passing. I will know more when I test drive one and rent one down the road.

It would be great if Mercedes offered a wider rear axle! We can dream .

Thanks for your response!

We just completed a 32 day, 6900 mile trip in our new Unity and averaged 17.33 for the entire trip including a lot of local driving. Only 1 mpg less than we averaged with our Airstream and a full 2 mpg better than our previous Itasca Navion IQ. Being as the Unity is similar in footprint and dimensions as the Navion and an identical chassis I would have to attribute the better mpg to aerodynamics.

[Meeks]

Hi All,

I wanted to circle back to this thread to thank you again for all of your input. After a year and a half plus of research, attending trade shows, and renting an identical unit on Outdoorsy.com my wife and I ordered a 2020 Leisure Travel Van Unity FX. We take delivery later this year.

Thank you so much for all of your valuable input!

Chris

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

Same here, forgot due to high price, but for the very serious off-gridder it would be ideal. Maybe they'll come up with a tamer 'city-dweller-full-hookups' version that would be cheaper (wishful thinking)

Late to the party here, but Born Free built exactly that on either the Dodge 5500 or Ford F550 platform for the last four or five years they were in business. They’re pretty reasonable on the used market when one comes up for sale. Mine is on the Chevy Kodiak chassis.

[gmillerok1]

Originally Posted by Meeks

Hi All,

I wanted to circle back to this thread to thank you again for all of your input. After a year and a half plus of research, attending trade shows, and renting an identical unit on Outdoorsy.com my wife and I ordered a 2020 Leisure Travel Van Unity FX. We take delivery later this year.

Thank you so much for all of your valuable input!

Chris

Good choice. I owned 2 Class B's on the Sprinter platform over the last 12 years. The first was a Roadtrek Adventurous (fortunately made before the recession by the original owners with only a single minor build defect and not like the sloppy builds made afterward), and a 2011 Airstream Interstate. I sold that unit to a lucky couple last spring. The reason was the difficulty for my wife to get around the lounge bed because of back issues. In its place will be the new Wonder Rear Twin Build, which allows easy access to the beds. I take delivery in November which is a bit late in the season, but it is what it is. Which will I prefer? Time will tell, but LTV's build quality seems much higher than I'm used to seeing in any RV. I'm sure there are benefits and drawbacks for both the standard Class B and the mythical Class B+. But the Wonder seemed to be not too small and not too large and a good compromise between the two classes. No, the back won't survive a severe crash as well as it's not a steel cage, but we won't be back there while we drive. While LTV builds are not without issues (no RV is) they do seem to at least try to do a good job in both design and build quality. It will have about 1800lbs of cargo carrying capacity, which is plenty so that's not an issue (one reason is I did not order a genset gaining about 200lbs, having had my fill of the Onan LP genset on my Interstate). Instead, I will do a major lithium upgrade to run things.

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by gmillerok1

Good choice. I owned 2 Class B's on the Sprinter platform over the last 12 years. The first was a Roadtrek Adventurous (fortunately made before the recession by the original owners with only a single minor build defect and not like the sloppy builds made afterward), and a 2011 Airstream Interstate. I sold that unit to a lucky couple last spring. The reason was the difficulty for my wife to get around the lounge bed because of back issues. In its place will be the new Wonder Rear Twin Build, which allows easy access to the beds. I take delivery in November which is a bit late in the season, but it is what it is. Which will I prefer? Time will tell, but LTV's build quality seems much higher than I'm used to seeing in any RV. I'm sure there are benefits and drawbacks for both the standard Class B and the mythical Class B+. But the Wonder seemed to be not too small and not too large and a good compromise between the two classes. No, the back won't survive a severe crash as well as it's not a steel cage, but we won't be back there while we drive. While LTV builds are not without issues (no RV is) they do seem to at least try to do a good job in both design and build quality. It will have about 1800lbs of cargo carrying capacity, which is plenty so that's not an issue (one reason is I did not order a genset gaining about 200lbs, having had my fill of the Onan LP genset on my Interstate). Instead, I will do a major lithium upgrade to run things.

Curious... what made you go with the Ford Transit-based Twin Bed over the Unity based on the Mercedes Sprinter?

EDIT: Ohhhh both come with the diesel option!

Chassis - Ford Transit 350 HD Cab w/ 3.2L I-5 Turbo Diesel 185HP/350ft-lb w/ 6-speed Automatic Transmission

You just added one more option for me to consider... love the looks of the Mercedes chassis and the seat (those seats are so comfortable)... easy to decide when there were no other options with diesel available...

For my next RV I want a diesel generator if it is available... even if I also add lithium later. I want both power options. I will be going to the local dealer (Gerzeny's RV World Lakeland) this weekend to look at the Thor Sequence, Pleasure Way, and the LTV Unity... will take a look at the LTV Ford-based chassis as well...

Anyway, back to normal programming...

[Meeks]

Originally Posted by gmillerok1

Good choice. I owned 2 Class B's on the Sprinter platform over the last 12 years. The first was a Roadtrek Adventurous (fortunately made before the recession by the original owners with only a single minor build defect and not like the sloppy builds made afterward), and a 2011 Airstream Interstate. I sold that unit to a lucky couple last spring. The reason was the difficulty for my wife to get around the lounge bed because of back issues. In its place will be the new Wonder Rear Twin Build, which allows easy access to the beds. I take delivery in November which is a bit late in the season, but it is what it is. Which will I prefer? Time will tell, but LTV's build quality seems much higher than I'm used to seeing in any RV. I'm sure there are benefits and drawbacks for both the standard Class B and the mythical Class B+. But the Wonder seemed to be not too small and not too large and a good compromise between the two classes. No, the back won't survive a severe crash as well as it's not a steel cage, but we won't be back there while we drive. While LTV builds are not without issues (no RV is) they do seem to at least try to do a good job in both design and build quality. It will have about 1800lbs of cargo carrying capacity, which is plenty so that's not an issue (one reason is I did not order a genset gaining about 200lbs, having had my fill of the Onan LP genset on my Interstate). Instead, I will do a major lithium upgrade to run things.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. You've had some nice rigs. The LTV Wonder is sweet! I would have preferred the Ford diesel over the Mercedes diesel for what I perceive as better reliability and if not certainly more places to get service (and more affordable too). Yet, the layout of the Unity FX, for our travel desires, won us over.

LTV definitely builds a quality coach. I like the company's ethos. And yes, lithium batteries are fabulous! I'll be adding them to the Unity as I did with the Airstream I'm saying goodbye to on Wednesday.

Aren't we lucky to be able to have had and have such nice RVs!

[Meeks]

Originally Posted by wachuko

Curious... what made you go with the Ford Transit-based Twin Bed over the Unity based on the Mercedes Sprinter?

EDIT: Ohhhh both come with the diesel option!

Chassis - Ford Transit 350 HD Cab w/ 3.2L I-5 Turbo Diesel 185HP/350ft-lb w/ 6-speed Automatic Transmission

You just added one more option for me to consider... love the looks of the Mercedes chassis and the seat (those seats are so comfortable)... easy to decide when there were no other options with diesel available...

For my next RV I want a diesel generator if it is available... even if I also add lithium later. I want both power options. I will be going to the local dealer (Gerzeny's RV World Lakeland) this weekend to look at the Thor Sequence, Pleasure Way, and the LTV Unity... will take a look at the LTV Ford-based chassis as well...

Anyway, back to normal programming...

You're playing with fire looking at all those nice, shiny new RVs !

Enjoy.

[Roadtech]

Originally Posted by Meeks

I'm saying goodbye to on Wednesday.

Are you trading in your Airstream on the LTV?

[Meeks]

Originally Posted by Roadtech

Are you trading in your Airstream on the LTV?

We chose to sell the Airstream on our own to avoid a dealer commission. The out-of-state buyers are a young couple who will be traveling North America for a year with their one year old. Couldn’t have asked for a better match for the trailer. And we sold our pickup truck to a local friend. The selling of the Airstream and truck will help fund the new LTV motor home.

[Roadtech]

Originally Posted by Meeks

We chose to sell the Airstream on our own to avoid a dealer commission.

Thanks, could I ask how did you advertise it? I am looking at doing the same as you, going from a 27' Serenity to a Class B van and need to trade or sell the trailer.

[gmillerok1]

Originally Posted by Roadtech

Thanks, could I ask how did you advertise it? I am looking at doing the same as you, going from a 27' Serenity to a Class B van and need to trade or sell the trailer.

It took me about two weeks to sell my Interstate on RVTrader.com if that helps. Also, there is a Facebook page “Leisure Vans for sale” that may be helpful. You won’t have a problem selling a LTV as they are in high demand.

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by Roadtech

Thanks, could I ask how did you advertise it? I am looking at doing the same as you, going from a 27' Serenity to a Class B van and need to trade or sell the trailer.

I've sold a number of RVs in the past few years.

1) Pro-quality photos are essential... enough so that the prospective buyers get a real sense of the condition and amenities of the RV, not so many that they won't look through them all. Here are the photos I did of the Coachmen B-Van I sold this past June as an example:

https://flic.kr/s/aHskufziqm

2) List it here, and RV Trader at a minimum. Facebook marketplace has a LOT of traffic and is free, and Craigslist can be of value as well; just be prepared for some oddball and lowball replies. Nonetheless RVs still sell there well.

3) Decide what kind of payment you're willing to take (cash only, cashier's check, wire transfer etc) and state that clearly in your ads. That will cut down on a lot of lookie-loos. State clearly that you want a deposit, how much, and how you'll want it delivered as well. The more flexible you are, the more likely you'll be to sell it quickly. Risk assessment is always a question, but remember your buyer is equally at risk. There is a point at which you each have to assume some risk to make the deal happen, but you can minimize that by doing a background check on your buyer. One of the things that I've done is to have the buyer get a cashier's check and text a photo of it ahead of their arrival which gives you the opportunity to confirm with the issuer that it's valid before you send the trailer down the road.

Last, make sure you document the transaction. Memorialize your agreement in writing with ALL of the pertinant information, agreements, dollar amounts, how they're paid, and EXACTLY who the parties to the deal are with ID info.

Doing all that, I've yet to have a problem with a sale. It doesn't make you immune, of course, but it limits the opportunities for there to be issues during or after the sale.

Good luck!

[Roadtech]

Originally Posted by gmillerok1

It took me about two weeks to sell my Interstate on RVTrader.com if that helps. Also, there is a Facebook page “Leisure Vans for sale” that may be helpful. You won’t have a problem selling a LTV as they are in high demand.

Thanks, but I'm going the other way. Going from AS trailer to a B van. I will try RVTrader though.

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by gmillerok1

It took me about two weeks to sell my Interstate on RVTrader.com if that helps. Also, there is a Facebook page “Leisure Vans for sale” that may be helpful. You won’t have a problem selling a LTV as they are in high demand.

For the most part, good reviews on the LTV... this is the only one that I have found so far with negative comments from someone that was full time in one. Leisure Travel Van Unity 24MB RV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCVe81Wc9fo

She switched to a Class C after her bad experiences with warranty claims. Moved to a Tiffin Wayfarer. But it was more of an issue with the floor plan... it just did not worked out well for her... This is why we are looking and testing many before we jump to our next RV... Twin bed (like she moved to) or Island bed, is what we will be looking at for ease of getting in and out of it...

Something that worried me from her video was the flooding coming from the rear outside storage door... at 5:30 in the video...

[Meeks]

Originally Posted by Roadtech

Thanks, could I ask how did you advertise it? I am looking at doing the same as you, going from a 27' Serenity to a Class B van and need to trade or sell the trailer.

What the other posters wrote about selling is great advice that I second. I listed here on AirForums and on RVTrader and the Buyer saw it on both sites. We used Escrow.com a service I have used before that I really like.

[Roadtech]

Originally Posted by Meeks

What the other posters wrote about selling is great advice that I second. I listed here on AirForums and on RVTrader and the Buyer saw it on both sites. We used Escrow.com a service I have used before that I really like.

Thanks, good luck on your Unity, a great rig...

[Docevil87]

Originally Posted by wachuko

For the most part, good reviews on the LTV... this is the only one that I have found so far with negative comments from someone that was full time in one. Leisure Travel Van Unity 24MB RV

She switched to a Class C after her bad experiences with warranty claims. Moved to a Tiffin Wayfarer. But it was more of an issue with the floor plan... it just did not worked out well for her... This is why we are looking and testing many before we jump to our next RV... Twin bed (like she moved to) or Island bed, is what we will be looking at for ease of getting in and out of it...

Something that worried me from her video was the flooding coming from the rear outside storage door... at 5:30 in the video...

Wachuko
Enjoy looking this weekend. Wife and I spent a day at Hershey looking at Unity. Leaning toward twin or island. The rl is interesting but too new of a layout, bugs need to be worked out. We want full time bed with no slide. Love the look of the interstate exterior, does not look like rv. Wish unity looked more like atlas exterior. Also want 4 seatbelts.