Get Class B (sleeps 3) Travato G, Thoughts?

[Losangeles]

Get Class B (sleeps 3)
Travato G, Thoughts?

Hi all

Don’t get me wrong - we LOVE our 2017 Escape 21’ and have spent many happy trips already. Many more to come.

However sometime I will likely want to do some solo road trips.... and may want a shift in our camping style... so SOMETIME (unsure when) we would sell our 21’ Escape and whatever the midsized SUV we are towing it with at that time.

It will also not be always 3 campers (as we are now - myself my wife and our young daughter) at that point..... but instead usually 2 and sometimes 1. (And occasionally 3)

Advantages of a class B: (current top pick is the Travato G Winnebago)

Almost any campsite works. Including a “tent only” campsite I would imagine. (Cool!)

Stealthy camp on some quiet residential streets. Free and easy and flexible. Inconspicuous.

Easier to park. Easier to maneuver.

I can imagine that the benefit of being able to pull over, pull the shades, whip out the bed, and go to sleep in any weather, at virtually any place, (even quiet residential streets) would be immeasurable.

***** And - does anyone have any experience with modern cassette toilets? *****. HYMER USA has them. Travato does not.

I recently learned about cassette toilets in HYMER class B camper vans , and after the initial shock, I can actually see some advantages!

No need to find an actual RV dump station (although you can still use one)

From what I understand I can wheel the small cassette into any toilet stall and dump it. McDonalds. A gas station toilet. An outhouse. Anywhere!
Is this indeed correct?

I did, however, read somewhere that is is best to rinse it out with fresh water and dump again to help keep the internal float gauge working accurately.

How on earth would that be possible at McDonalds, a gas station bathroom or an outhouse? Ick.

Or am I missing something?

If anyone here has ever used a cassette toilet I would be very interested to learn of their experiences.

And yes, of course - it has far less capacity than the usual black tank on a travel trailer.

The HYMER Class B use a cassette toilet - even their USA models.

Nothing against RV dumps but sometimes they are nowhere near, and after about 5 days of boondocking... no matter what best practices we follow... our black tank starts to stink.(after 5 days when there are NO toilets anywhere nearby)

(However I’m just remembering the trick that we should be doing ... and we don’t , and that is after a flush, then let a little water into the bowl to better seal the gap. True?)

So I did recently test drive a brand new class B - a HYMER I seem to recall (saw a bunch that afternoon) and the thing I REALLY didn’t like was driving around ordinary streets at city speeds all of the metal organizer baskets and bins and internal cabinetry “stuff” was constantly making a loud rattling. Really noticeable and very annoying. I was kind of shocked. I think it might drive me mad. Anyone ever driven in an outfitted classB (kitchenette, etc) and noticed this?

The other thing that bugs me about class B ( and I have noticed numerous other people commenting on this on the internet) is how terribly overpriced Class B campers are. I mean... take a basically $45,000 cargo van and put some cabinets, some windows, a shower stall, a water heater, cassette toilet, plumbing and wiring and a fold down bed in it, and it is suddenly $100,000 minimum ?!!!?!

That just does not pencil out, especially when you look at what you get for far less money in an Escape or a stickey SOB RV.

:-(

I know that when the time comes I could buy one a couple years old that has 20k miles on it and save at least $20,000 (many on the market right now) but that doesn’t give me the warm fuzzies like a new one would.

I know one retired forum
Member here just sold his 21’,bought a new empty cargo van (Sprinter maybe) and is doing their own build and conversion, and they live very near LA, and they kindly offered to show me the van... I am keenly interested and indirectly can look at their forum post about this transition as the spark for this thought of eventual conversion to class B.

:-)

But I don’t have the skills, time or inclination to do the build & conversion. (Tho plenty of cool videos on YouTube about it)

Thanks for reading this far if you did, and thanks for any thoughts.

John.

[gbaglo]

Couple things.
Every time you need to go to the store for milk, you have to pack up your class B, putting everything away, and when you get there, have fun trying to find a large enough parking space.
As for dumping cassette toilets, many places have signs forbidding the practice ( and that includes BC Forest Service outhouses ).

[padlin]

Just what restaurant customers want, someone lugging a cassette full of $%^ through the place.

I was told the same when I looked at Truck Campers.

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Couple things.
Every time you need to go to the store for milk, you have to pack up your class B, putting everything away, and when you get there, have fun trying to find a large enough parking space.
As for dumping cassette toilets, many places have signs forbidding the practice ( and that includes BC Forest Service outhouses ).

Good thoughts.

:-)

John

[Fun&Sun]

My wife and I have rented camper vans in Australia, they all have cassette type black water tanks. Most camp grounds In Australia have gray water hookup with separate dumping stations for the cassette, they are easy to handle and easy to clean. We had a Mercedes sprinter van (single wheels on the back) and every time you wanted to go into town you had to pack up. Parking was a challenge at times in some malls and on side streets (we where 22’ long). Good luck with your decision, Happy travels.

[caddoster]

the cassette is not very easy to conceal.. so mcdonalds and gas stations might not be as simple as you thought. as an exercise, next time you go somewhere, think about where you can dump the cassette.

I think most time when you see a class B parked in a city/park area you assumed they are (stealth) camping anyway

[Greg A]

I looked at a lot of the vans at an RV show recently and there are some cool ones. I think they fit if you want to move, move, move and are mostly touring, like Santiago mentioned was his main purpose for the change. For us, we will most likely be doing 30 day + or longer stays in favorite spots after some initial broad touring and the Vans aren't really suited for that type of RVing. As mentioned previously, not having a good vehicle option to use when you get to a destination would not work for us. Guess it really comes down to knowing what you want to do and then fitting the trailer to that lifestyle.

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by Greg A

I looked at a lot of the vans at an RV show recently and there are some cool ones. I think they fit if you want to move, move, move and are mostly touring, like Santiago mentioned was his main purpose for the change. For us, we will most likely be doing 30 day + or longer stays in favorite spots after some initial broad touring and the Vans aren't really suited for that type of RVing. As mentioned previously, not having a good vehicle option to use when you get to a destination would not work for us. Guess it really comes down to knowing what you want to do and then fitting the trailer to that lifestyle.

Thanks everyone for the great thoughts. :-)

Greg do you recall what models of vans caught your eye?

John

[rbryan4]

A motor home doesn't fit our camping style. We love to set up camp, then go explore the area in the tow vehicle. There are some advantages to a motor home, to be sure, but for us the disadvantages are greater. Personally, I'd buy one of those big behemoth 5th Wheels and upgrade my truck before I would ever consider a motor home - even a small one.

[Greg A]

John,
Looked at quite a few. Winnebago Travato, Paseo and Era were three impressive ones. Dodge, Ford, and Mercedes respectively if I recall.
Airstream Interstate several models, think the AS were all Mercedes.

[padlin]

When we looked at them just before getting the Escape we liked the Pleasure Way and Coach House. If you're into back country boondocking, the SportMobiles.

[caddoster]

Safari Condo (Canadian company) make some neat van conversions. They also make the Alto which is a nice cool little trailer (not fiberglass).

[Chotch]

B class are probably the most expensive camper per square foot you can buy but from what I've seen the quality of most is exceptional with resale hard to beat.
We owned a 2004 Pleasureway for a year, our first camper. Had a lot of fun with it from Maine to Florida. There was a lot to like fit anywhere, quick set up, self contained with on board generator that you could fire up without even getting out. Thing was after spending 5 weeks in it my wife was getting a little claustrophobic.
you either have a bed or a dinning area, the bathroom (regular toilet) although functional was really cramped for me using shower. Moving around inside it was best if one person was sitting. Paid a lot for an 11 year old vehicle but when i sold it got more than I paid for it, including what I put into it for maintenance and some modifications. Sold it too cheap as the guy that bought it was in California and flew a driver out to pick it up
Now our 5.0TA feels like a town house compared to the B class and doesn't seem to get smaller every day. Needs a little larger camp site but almost as easy to tow and when we have to get a 6 pack or qt of milk you don't have to make like a turtle and take your house with you. Where I traveling alone and planed on spending no more than a couple days at a time in 1 place I might consider going back to a B class. Until then couldn't be happier with our 5.0.

[float5]

I looked at some including Roadtrek and Airstream's version. What I was often finding is that the tanks are very small.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

A motor home doesn't fit our camping style.

We are very much the same. I do understand the draw and some of the benefits, but it just wouldn't work.

We have good friends we camp with all the time that have a 25' Winnebago on a Mercedes chassis that is a very well built and finished moho. Most everything about it works for them, but guess who gets to do all the driving to locations away from the campsite. Yeah, me!

[Jim Bennett]

I have never had a problem finding a place to pull over and park for the night. I have even done residential roads, but try to stick to side ones. We are usually stopping at 9pm or later, lights out, and gone 7ish in the morn.

We have used parking lots in community centres, arenas, and the such. Also pulled out onto an approach to a field on a rural road. As well, freecampsites.net offers up a ton of great suggestions.

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by Greg A

John,
Looked at quite a few. Winnebago Travato, Paseo and Era were three impressive ones. Dodge, Ford, and Mercedes respectively if I recall.
Airstream Interstate several models, think the AS were all Mercedes.

Thanks Greg.



John

[Brian B-P]

We have a motorhome... and stuff rattling around can be a bit annoying, but mostly addressed by stowing stuff suitably. Ours doesn't have built-in metal racks, shelves, or drawers (the cabinetry is much like an Escape). What it does remind me is that with a trailer, all that stuff is rattling around and potentially getting damaged - the driver is just less aware of it.

The parking challenge with a Class B is just in length, as these vehicles are no wider than other full-sized trucks and vans... but I'm sure that length can be an issue, when trying to park somewhere that a tug alone (with the trailer left in a campsite) would fit easily.

If the length turns out to be a huge issue, you could go with the shorty Hymer Sonne... if you fit in it.

The Travato G plan looks functional... but the rear end is like an Escape 21' front end, squeezed into a narrower space. That squeeze forces the bathroom to be re-arranged, and take up more of the length of the bed. That might make access to both bed and bath difficult, but that's an individual matter.

Both the Travato and all Hymers (in North America) are built from the Ram ProMaster (which Hymer has used for a long time in Europe as the Fiat Ducato). It might be nice to be able to tow the Escape with the Class B for a transitional period; however, the front-wheel-drive ProMaster is not the optimal choice for that (a Transit or Sprinter might be a better fit). The ProMaster does have the advantage of a somewhat lower floor than the RWD models (which is the main reason for the design).

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

We have a motorhome... and stuff rattling around can be a bit annoying, but mostly addressed by stowing stuff suitably. Ours doesn't have built-in metal racks, shelves, or drawers (the cabinetry is much like an Escape). What it does remind me is that with a trailer, all that stuff is rattling around and potentially getting damaged - the driver is just less aware of it.

The parking challenge with a Class B is just in length, as these vehicles are no wider than other full-sized trucks and vans... but I'm sure that length can be an issue, when trying to park somewhere that a tug alone (with the trailer left in a campsite) would fit easily.

If the length turns out to be a huge issue, you could go with the shorty Hymer Sonne... if you fit in it.

The Travato G plan looks functional... but the rear end is like an Escape 21' front end, squeezed into a narrower space. That squeeze forces the bathroom to be re-arranged, and take up more of the length of the bed. That might make access to both bed and bath difficult, but that's an individual matter.

Both the Travato and all Hymers (in North America) are built from the Ram ProMaster (which Hymer has used for a long time in Europe as the Fiat Ducato). It might be nice to be able to tow the Escape with the Class B for a transitional period; however, the front-wheel-drive ProMaster is not the optimal choice for that (a Transit or Sprinter might be a better fit). The ProMaster does have the advantage of a somewhat lower floor than the RWD models (which is the main reason for the design).

Thanks for all the good thoughts Brian.

We are now considering a MB Sprinter, 2019 model, the 2019 Sprinter re-design, then taken to Sportsmobile (maybe) in Fresno for a semi-custom interior build.

I only need one kidney, correct?



john

[wetzk]

We have an RV manufacture down here that builds a fairly nice class B.
The left kidney payment probably would be needed here too.

Family run Nokomis RV manufacturer paves own way to success - News - Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Sarasota, FL
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