Class B with 2.7 and towing trailer?????

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razu13612

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Jun 20, 2007
Posts
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Location
UP State NY, Headwaters of the St Lawrence River
Input requested !!!!!  Am getting a bad case of "wanderlust" after disposing of the Ole Beaver a few years back and have been seriously considering getting back into the "game", but as a "solo AARP-PHart" this time around......... BUT, I want to downsize to a Class B and tow a small enclosed trailer, AKA a Toy Box!!!!!  I have been researching a lot of Class B's and have at least a thousand concerns.

First, I want to thank members like CamperAL, Oldebit, Kartsy, and many others for their very thoughtful insight/comments/threads about the subject of Class B's.......

Some of my concerns that I am asking for input are as follows:

I am considering a unit in the 20 foot range, diesel, SRW, 2500 frame.  Started looking at Pleasureway, Leisure Time, Winnebago, Airstream and Sportmobile....... Any comments +/-  ???

Is towing a smallish trailer "do-able" with the 2.7 engine?  General question, I know, with many variables.......

Do all Class B's have bathrooms?  The ones I have looked at all have them, but they are so small as to make them practically impossible to use.  I do NOT take Navy Showers and have found through experience that a 6 gallon water heater is NOT enough...... I'd much rather use a motel/hotel facility, a truck stop bath facility, or campground unit (if clean)........

Do any of the unit have rotating passenger seats?  Is this even legal to have in the unit?

Depending on the responses that I get, further postings may follow!!!!!!

Thanks, Razu
 
You might start be checking out the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of a typical 2500 series chassis then subtract that from the GVWR of any of those proposed vehicles. It will give you a ball park number. The actual weight you will be able to tow will vary based on the actual weight of the tow vehicle  and loaded weight of the trailer versus the GCWR of your combination.

Do all Class B's have bathrooms?  The ones I have looked at all have them, but they are so small as to make them practically impossible to use.  I do NOT take Navy Showers and have found through experience that a 6 gallon water heater is NOT enough...... I'd much rather use a motel/hotel facility, a truck stop bath facility, or campground unit (if clean)........

I think most do but.... your wishes or needs seem to say you are well out of the normal class B characteristics, perhaps into the B+ range (which are actually more of a Class C unit) or the B's built on  a longer Sprinter chassis. But 20 feet is VERY small regardless of make. For example: There are only two sizes of hot water heater commonly available, a 6 gal, and 10 gal, but..... now you run into the holding tank sizes which are very low on B's like this.  Highly unlikely a 10gal WH would ever be found in such a unit.

You can only cram so much stuff into these small machines..... and your needs, as listed above, put you WAY out of this class and length of RV. You are into the motel stay category and, if so, why buy an expensive RV, your car or truck would be a lot cheaper. You are dreaming in techicolour if you expect to get all you wish for in a 20 foot B class  van.
 
razu13612 said:
I am considering a unit in the 20 foot range, diesel, SRW, 2500 frame.  Started looking at Pleasureway, Leisure Time, Winnebago, Airstream and Sportmobile....... Any comments +/-  ???

Diesel?  You mean the ones based on the Dodge/Mercedes "Sprinter" chassis?

Is towing a smallish trailer "do-able" with the 2.7 engine?  General question, I know, with many variables.......

People tow with Sprinters with the 2.7 turbo diesel all the time.

Do all Class B's have bathrooms?

No.  They're optional with Sportsmobile, for example.  Some Bs just have tent toilet (porta-potty) somewhere.  I suppose it would work ok if you're by yourself and don't use it very often.  The tanks on those can fill up remarkably quickly.

The ones I have looked at all have them, but they are so small as to make them practically impossible to use.  I do NOT take Navy Showers and have found through experience that a 6 gallon water heater is NOT enough...... I'd much rather use a motel/hotel facility, a truck stop bath facility, or campground unit (if clean)........

Well, it depends.

Some Bs have a bathroom with no shower.

Some Bs have a wet bath.

Some Bs have a shower right in the middle of the van, where you pull up a floor panel to reveal a shower pan, and then there's some sort of curtain arrangement that goes around you on all four sides.

I've never seen a B with a dry bath and a separate shower or tub but I imagine that out there somewhere in the wide world of RV-land they probably do exist, and if they don't, I would guess that Sportsmobile will make one for you.

Do any of the unit have rotating passenger seats?  Is this even legal to have in the unit?

I believe they are quite common.

 

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