Why I picked a Class B (van) RV

When I first decided to really go full-time, I spent months looking for the right RV.  I already owned my van, but felt like I wanted something larger for going full-time.  I kept finding things that I didn’t like about the options out there.  It’s hard to find a used RV in good shape and the new ones are pricey.  Plus a lot of them simply weren’t designed for what I wanted to do.  I don’t need a TV on the outside and I’d rather have a good desk/work area than sleeping for eight.

I was starting to get frustrated not finding something I really liked.  Then I took my van out for a two week trip and started to see how I could really make it work for what I wanted.  There are a lot of different types of RVs out there from the bus-style Class A’s to pickup campers to trailers.  There are different benefits and sacrifices made with each type and there really isn’t a best option beyond what works best for a specific person.  That said, I wanted to share about what made me decide to stick with my van.

Easy-to-drive. A big factor for me when I bought my van was that I wanted it to be something that was easy to drive.  I bought it five years ago at a time when it was the largest vehicle I’d ever driven.  The Class A (bus-sized) RVs were super intimidating and the idea of towing a trailer made me wonder how I’d ever back it up.  Since then, I have taken a few Class A’s out on test drives and while I think I could manage, the van is still considerably easier to drive.  The large RVs aren’t that bad if you’re cruising straight on the interstate, but you don’t want to be navigating downtown traffic, on curvy mountain roads or a whole bunch of other driving situation with them.  Which leads into the next point.

Parking.  My van will fit in a standard parking spot.  (My particular van may be a little long for parallel parking in some areas since it has an extended rear-end.  The majority of Class B’s aren’t extended and wouldn’t have even that limitation.)  This makes it easy to take it pretty much anywhere.  Even some RV parks and campgrounds can’t accommodate some of the larger models.  One of the disadvantages with a truck with a trailer or fifth wheel is just that backing up into RV spots can be difficult.  While I’m sure I could figure that out with practice, it’s nice not to have to worry about it.

No Towing. With the large RVs most people want to tow a car behind it so they have something to drive around easily once they get there.  Or with a truck and trailer or fifth wheel, they are towing the trailer and driving the truck around once they’ve reached their destination.  The van means I don’t have to worry about towing anything.

Maintenance Costs. Maintenance costs on the larger RVs can be pretty high.  Even just replacing all the tires on a Class A can run around $3,000.   Plus, you are much  more limited in repair shops, especially with a diesel model.  I can take my van to any car repair shop for maintenance.  In the event that I have to have it towed, that will be a lot easier, too.

Minimalist.  My van has everything I need for a comfortable life on the road without having anything extra to worry about.  In some ways, I wish I had the huge storage space underneath that a Class A has.  Then I examine my motivations and the truth is, I don’t need to drive a storage unit around.  I want to travel and I don’t need that much stuff to do it.  I have enough space for the things I really need and I actually like the idea of not having extra stuff along for the ride.

A couple of things influenced my choice of the particular van:

‘The Cool Factor’.  I think all RVs are cool, but  my van is especially cool.  One thing about my van is that when I’ve had it out on trips, it catches people’s attention because it is so different from the RVs they normally see.  My van is considerably older than most RVs and it’s a different design than the newer class B’s.  People want to know more so they’ll come over and talk to me about it.  I love it when people come up and ask me questions.  One of the reasons why I want to travel is to meet people and I’m kind of shy by nature.  So having something that makes people want to come up to me and have a short conversation is really nice.

Price.  This was a huge deal to me.  RVs can be insanely expensive, and unlike a house, they depreciate quickly.  I paid $3,500 for my van and bought it without any kind of loan.  So my investment in it is minimal and I could probably sell it for as much or more than I bought it for.  This really isn’t something that has to do with the type of RV I bought, but with the fact that it’s over 30 years old and I scored a particularly good deal on it.  It’s certainly possible to dump an insane amount into a new Class B.

Well-built.  My van isn’t anything fancy, especially compared to the new RVs.  (I have been to a few RV shows and several dealerships and there are some really gorgeous RVs available.)  I don’t need anything fancy.  I just want something functional and solid and my van is exactly that.

The downside

There are always trade-offs and I wanted to mention the things I know I am sacrificing with my van.

Space.  I can stand-up in my van, but there is no way to really walk around.  There really isn’t much extra room.  I’m OK with this and plan to spend a lot of time in state parks and other beautiful areas that make me want to spend time outside.  If I want to stretch my legs, I can get out and go for a walk.  Still, a little more room would be nice.

No washer/dryer.  While people are split on whether or not they thing the washer/dryers in RVs are worth it, that is one thing that would have been a nice option if I’d gone for a larger RV.  There is no way I will ever be able to fit even the small washer/dryer combo units made for RVs in my van.  A couple hours at the laundromat is not my idea of fun.

No drums.  This is kind of the same as no space since I don’t have the space for my drums.  I’m going to miss my drum kit.  Had I gone with a larger RV, I would have loved to have found a way to fit in my drums.  I may be able to bring my snare drum in my van and I’m still considering if there would be any possible way to fit my electronic kit, but I don’t think there is a way I can manage to make that happen.

No separate vehicle.  Not having to tow anything is great.  But it does mean that if I am at a campsite and hooked-up, I have to disconnect everything before I can drive anywhere.  With an RV, it also means I have to have the dishes washed and put away and everything in place so stuff won’t go flying everywhere.