SopranoKris
New Member
Hi all,
I've been avidly reading the forums. My hubby & I are seriously considering getting a van to use as an every day vehicle and for weekend (possibly week long) trips. We have rented Class C RVs several times and while we love RVing, we are 12+ years away from retirement, live in a cold climate, and wouldn't have enough time to travel to warrant purchasing a Class C RV.
We started looking at Class Bs because of the ability to use them as a daily vehicle, so we'd get more use out of it. Then we could take impromptu trips when we wish, instead of having to plan/rent Class Cs.
We love the Hymer Aktiv that we've seen on the "We're the Russos" YouTube channel, but that would be a bit more van than we actually need at this time. We're not looking to go full time in it. Most of the vans we love are just ridiculously priced. We don't want to buy something that costs more than our home!
When I was a kid, my Dad converted our Dodge van into a camper and we took so many road trips in it. I was thinking of possibly doing something similar with a conversion van. We can always trade-up to something larger in the future as we get more time to travel.
So: what would you reccomend for Class B newbies looking for a conversion van? After our Class C rentals, we know we are fine with the smaller space of a van. The Class Cs were actually too big. We spend most of our time outside.
Our must-haves:
1. A large (preferably king or queen) bed in the back. We're fine with it being a booth that converts to a bed, although the thought of no seams in a mattress is appealing.
2. A small fridge (electric/battery)
3. A porti-potti that has a cover on it when not in use. Gotta have one for middle-of-the-night emergencies in a rainstorm.
4. Fans to keep air moving when camping (e.g. Fantastic Fan or similar)
Things we like, but aren't deal breakers:
1. AGM battery to run the fridge/fans if the chassis isn't running
2. Shore power capability to easily charge batteries
3. Swivel captains chairs
We don't need an extra row of seating behind the driver/passenger seats. It's just the two of us and a dog.
We are sorely disappointed at the lack of vans on dealer lots in our area (Lansing, MI). The only vans we can find seem to be designed to load up as many passengers as possible. Do any of you know of any affordable van models that fit what we're looking for? It's OK if the van is standard height or a high top. We don't have parking restrictions.
I had looked at a Hymer Sunlight, which seemed to give us what we wanted, and the price was decent (found a used one for $49K). We don't necessarily need the kitchen (we grill outside or go out to eat). But I'd like to know if there are some other vans we just haven't come across. Searching for Class Bs mostly brings up the high-end $130K vans that we don't want.
Any suggestions for us newbies would be most appreciated
I've been avidly reading the forums. My hubby & I are seriously considering getting a van to use as an every day vehicle and for weekend (possibly week long) trips. We have rented Class C RVs several times and while we love RVing, we are 12+ years away from retirement, live in a cold climate, and wouldn't have enough time to travel to warrant purchasing a Class C RV.
We started looking at Class Bs because of the ability to use them as a daily vehicle, so we'd get more use out of it. Then we could take impromptu trips when we wish, instead of having to plan/rent Class Cs.
We love the Hymer Aktiv that we've seen on the "We're the Russos" YouTube channel, but that would be a bit more van than we actually need at this time. We're not looking to go full time in it. Most of the vans we love are just ridiculously priced. We don't want to buy something that costs more than our home!
When I was a kid, my Dad converted our Dodge van into a camper and we took so many road trips in it. I was thinking of possibly doing something similar with a conversion van. We can always trade-up to something larger in the future as we get more time to travel.
So: what would you reccomend for Class B newbies looking for a conversion van? After our Class C rentals, we know we are fine with the smaller space of a van. The Class Cs were actually too big. We spend most of our time outside.
Our must-haves:
1. A large (preferably king or queen) bed in the back. We're fine with it being a booth that converts to a bed, although the thought of no seams in a mattress is appealing.
2. A small fridge (electric/battery)
3. A porti-potti that has a cover on it when not in use. Gotta have one for middle-of-the-night emergencies in a rainstorm.
4. Fans to keep air moving when camping (e.g. Fantastic Fan or similar)
Things we like, but aren't deal breakers:
1. AGM battery to run the fridge/fans if the chassis isn't running
2. Shore power capability to easily charge batteries
3. Swivel captains chairs
We don't need an extra row of seating behind the driver/passenger seats. It's just the two of us and a dog.
We are sorely disappointed at the lack of vans on dealer lots in our area (Lansing, MI). The only vans we can find seem to be designed to load up as many passengers as possible. Do any of you know of any affordable van models that fit what we're looking for? It's OK if the van is standard height or a high top. We don't have parking restrictions.
I had looked at a Hymer Sunlight, which seemed to give us what we wanted, and the price was decent (found a used one for $49K). We don't necessarily need the kitchen (we grill outside or go out to eat). But I'd like to know if there are some other vans we just haven't come across. Searching for Class Bs mostly brings up the high-end $130K vans that we don't want.
Any suggestions for us newbies would be most appreciated