Hmm – a little more space and a dry bath? Class B+! | 2020 | Post 3

Our research for the perfect RV continues.

Let’s re-cap – The Class B camper van is perfect for me and Barry. Although, Sami is absolutely sure she will never go near a wet bath.

Class B Pros – It can be parked anywhere – in most standard parking spots or at the most in two lengthwise or at a curb in front of your favorite shop or restaurant. They are nimble and can be used on the daily as a regular vehicle. Also, It’s a bit cozy.

Class B Cons – It’s a bit cozy. I know – I said that was a pro. Cozy can be good or bad. It will absolutely sleep 3 but the sleeping space for a 3rd person is almost always a converted table and chairs or air mattress setup, which isn’t the most comfortable for anyone over about 8 years old. The wet bath can be a con for some.

So, where are we now? I guess we have to go bigger!

No, no, no – not that much bigger. Let’s be rational now.

So – our search continued. We started searching for the elusive Class B with a dry bath and came up with an interesting middle ground between the Class B camper van and a Class C (Cab Over) Motor Coach. Introducing (to us anyway) the Class B+ Motor Coach! Actually, to be technical, there isn’t any such class but the term B+ is used by RV manufacturers to indicate that it is a Class B, built on the same chassis as a Class B camper van, however, the body is widened and sometimes slides are added. The Class B+ coach doesn’t have the bed space over the cab like the Class C and it looks a little more modern and up to date. Most Class B+ coaches also have a dry bath which separates toilet and shower spaces. This may be it. We may have found exactly what we’re looking for! Hurray!

Our search for class B+ coaches came up with quite a few choices. Most were actually more like a class C with the hump over the truck cab that was used for extra storage space. Since we are trying to be a bit more stealth so as not to raise too much attention in the neighborhood, we didn’t include Class Cs in our search. The B+ coaches that really stood out were the Winnebago Era, the Thor Compass, Pleasure Way wide bodies, and Leisure Travel Van. Of course there are others, but these manufacturers not only seem to use high quality materials and construction; they have nice decor choices that didn’t scream 1970s den.

We kept going back to the Leisure Travel brand (LTV) simply because we appreciated that they seemed to think of everything – comfort, style, technology. This is certainly not an exclusive endorsement of LTV. The brand just appealed to us. LTV seemed to have the highest quality overall both interior and chassis. So we focused on LTV and in particular the Serenity model. First we looked for used, then we determined that some of the technology and chassis safety features of new models were attractive. Safety features such as blind spot, lane keeping, and adaptive cruise control sounded like features that would come in handy on a long drive. The more residential feel and decor palettes are more zen – soft fabric colors, clean lines, nice contrast with cabinetry.

The search for a LTV Serenity wasn’t necessarily difficult. There are plenty for sale that are two years old or newer. The challenge is the resale price. We tried to negotiate for a few offered by private sellers but most stuck with their original asking price and were not ready or willing to budge. Additionally, most we found for sale were a day or more drive away which meant either we drive and pick it up and both of us drive home separately or we take a plane to pick it up. If you have ever bought a used car, RV, or boat, you know that what you think you are buying may not be what you see when you show up. Then we figured out, based on forum conversations we could likely negotiate a brand new coach for just a bit more than a 2 year old used coach. Here’s the thing – used LTVs are are really expensive so new ones – well – even more so. Now we had to seriously decide if we were willing to spend so much on an RV that would get used maybe a dozen times per year, mostly long weekends. We both work and are at least 10 – 15 years from retiring so we know that we aren’t taking any of those amazing month long tour journeys of the top 10 favorite national park for a while.

So – if the LTV and other class B+ coaches are too far out of our price range, what’s left? Maybe it’s time to expand our search and start looking at towable trailers and fifth wheels? Or maybe we should look at Class A coaches. Clearly, we still don’t know what is right for us but we have started to rule out some types and manufacturers. so, we’re getting somewhere! We are feeling like we should pick something, use it for a few years and figure out whether what we picked is right or if something else would work better.

Check out what we bought in our Video:

As always, stay with us while we research RVs, and cool (and necessary) equipment we discover along the way. We’ll share with you how we figured out what works for us and our travels in our RV. Of course we will give unbiased reviews of RVs, equipment, places we visit, and the best way to travel comfortably with only the necessities.

Thanks for being our guest. We’ll see you soon.

Sharon, Barry, and Sami