Shopping for lightly Used Class B Motorhome

[Mottman442]

Newly Empty Nesters and looking for a "right-sized" Class B Motorhome. went to the local RV dealer and walked through a brand new Pleasureway Diesel - and really confirmed that we are in the right size category - but the Pleasureway is out of our price range. I have traditionally bought low mileage 1 or 2-year-old cars and truck allowing the original buyer to take that initial depreciation hit. Not a lot of options in the Class B category - with Thor, Winnebago, Pleasureway, Road Trek and Coachmen to dominate on RVTrader.com  - but using that same strategy looks like it would work for RV.... 

The Pro Master seems to be a little light on engine power - there is a premium on the Mercedes Diesel and the Ford V-10s are a little hard to find.

Just want to get a feel from the "Pros" in the forum about how I should go about evaluating the features that are the most important in these type of RVs. My wife and i would most likely make mostly long weekend trips ( within 1,000 miles ) - Thanks !

 

[SeilerBird]

My opinion is to buy as cheap a class B as you can find. I am sure that after a year you will be upgrading. Bs are wonderful for one person taking weekend camping trips. But for more than one person and serious trips a B becomes very small.

 

[Mottman442]

Thanks, My wife and I think with the arrival of grandkids in the future, a larger Motorhome is probably in our future - but we have to start somewhere.  Just want to start small and get the hang of maintaining the various systems. 

 

[SeilerBird]

That is a good plan but you would be better off starting with a small class C. There are a lot more of them for sale and you won't lose as much money when you trade it in.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If you have your heart set on a B, your options are going to be limited and prices run high because of limited numbers. On the other hand, resale value is good.

The most important features are the ones that make your camping life most pleasant. Don't worry so much about engines and mechanicals - focus on livability.

 

[Isaac-1]

You don't say how you plan to use it, but in my opinion the big limitation on most of the class B units out there is not so much the interior space, but their limited cargo carrying capacity (in pounds), and their small tankage.  Some have as little as 500 pounds of cargo carrying capacity, which you can get to quickly once you start adding up the weight of passengers, luggage, pots, pans, bbq grill, camp chairs, etc.  Keep in mind also that most of these small diesel class B's have propane powered generators onboard, when mated to a propane tank of only 12-15 gallons capacity, you are looking at only about 24 hours of generator run time before needing to refill the propane tank, and this is assuming little or no use of propane by the stove, water heater or furnace.  Maybe ok for a weekend camping trip, but not necessarily much more, before you find yourself searching for a place to refill your onboard propane tank.

 

[WILDEBILL308]

You can keep an eye on PPL and see what is available and what they are going for.
https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/used-rvs-for-sale/mini-motorhome
I think it might a good idea to look at some of the bigger units as suggested by others, you will need more room for the grandkids.You will be saving money in the long run.
Bill

 

[Krow]

We had a B.  It's the perfect size for camping while you're traveling.  You can go anywhere you can access with a pickup.  If you spend more time camping than traveling, go with a larger C or A or a trailer.