Advice: Roadtrek Campervan vs. The Other Guys

[rudiger]

Another newbie seeking help on what to get. I would like one of the smallest production campervans. They all seem to be based on the short Ram Promaster 1500 (Thor Rize/Scope, Winnebago Solis Pocket, and Pleasure-Way Tofino). The latter two are out due to lacking a toilet and having a low-power electrical supply based solely on batteries with no auxillary alternator/generator to charge them.

That leaves the Thor 18' models that includes an Onan generator. Of those, the specific model with the best floorplan is the 18M. A pop-top would be nice, but it's only available on the 18A and I'm not crazy about the layout.

Unfortunately, these lower-tier manufacturers all seem to have horrible quality reputations. For starters, even though the Thor includes an Onan generator, it looks like a Rube Goldberg installation that hangs off the rear axle with very little ground clearance. That, alone, gives me pause.

So, I'm looking at the Roadtrek Play SRT. It's a little longer (Promaster 3500 chassis), but at 19' 7", would still seem to fit into a typical parking place.

My questions have to do both with quality and power supply. As an RV beginner, I've done perfuntory research and have a basic understanding of adequate power for HVAC away from an external power source, but still need confirmation that the Play SRT's electrical system has sufficient power to operate overnight, then how well and how long it takes to recharge. From what I can gather, lithium batteries are nice, but they're pricey and, if they let go, they're not cheap to fix and AGM might be better in the long run. The Roadtrek Agile SS really seems to have all this stuff covered, including a very good solar array, but I'm not sure if it's worth the hefty premium for one of those.

Likewise, I'd like some input on Roadtrek quality versus the other manufacturers. I'm hopeful that there wouldn't be nearly as many issues with Roadtrek as there seems to be with Thor, Winnebago, and Pleasure-Way products. I've read some stories about shoddy work, along with cheap materials that break easily.

I know this stuff has probably been asked many times before but appreciate any experienced RVers could offer. It's a big monetary outlay and want to make the best choice 'now' rather than have to deal with hassles later.

 

[RTRanger]

Have you considered buying an older Class B since you’re starting out?

We started with a used Coachman Class C and since it worked well for our needs, we upgraded to a new jayco alante Class A. (We were on the road, my wife was playing at festivals.) She has since retired from that gig so we sold the Class A and bought a Class B. We are now traveling between our cottage up north to our bungalow in Florida.

I picked up a 2015 Roadtrek Ranger on a 20’ Chevy Express Van chassis. I would say the interior build quality is way above our previous campers. When I was working, our company ran a small fleet of Chevy vans and rarely had mechanical problems with them. We got 16.5 MPG on our last trip to Nashville on I-81. The unit I bought has no LP gas and a compressor fridge. In Nashville we were parked for three sunny days and the 200W of Solar I put on the van ran the fridge the whole time and filled the 200AH lithium batteries by mid day. We also added one of those “cheap Chinese heaters” where the LP heater would have been and that has been working great.

I’m happy with the van and we spent a lot less than the Sprinter based vans we were considering.

 

[rudiger]

Have you considered buying an older Class B since you’re starting out?

We started with a used Coachman Class C and since it worked well for our needs, we upgraded to a new jayco alante Class A. (We were on the road, my wife was playing at festivals.) She has since retired from that gig so we sold the Class A and bought a Class B. We are now traveling between our cottage up north to our bungalow in Florida.

I picked up a 2015 Roadtrek Ranger on a 20’ Chevy Express Van chassis. I would say the interior build quality is way above our previous campers. When I was working, our company ran a small fleet of Chevy vans and rarely had mechanical problems with them. We got 16.5 MPG on our last trip to Nashville on I-81. The unit I bought has no LP gas and a compressor fridge. In Nashville we were parked for three sunny days and the 200W of Solar I put on the van ran the fridge the whole time and filled the 200AH lithium batteries by mid day. We also added one of those “cheap Chinese heaters” where the LP heater would have been and that has been working great.

I’m happy with the van and we spent a lot less than the Sprinter based vans we were considering.

Thanks for the reply. Even though it's winter, how do deal with Florida heat? Do you have coach A/C?

 

[RTRanger]

Yes it has ac/heat pump unit built in which can run off the generator if needed. The generator is right under the bed so if we’re not plugged in, we try not to use it. But we have our place in Florida to stay. We might do weekend trips to FL State Parks we like in the future. We had been spending winters in Florida for a number of years because we could do festivals whereas up north the number of shows were limited to inside venues.

One of the reasons we bought a place is it was getting harder and harder to find nice places to stay. The state parks we liked filled up the minute you were able to reserve a site which was eleven months before the date you wanted to go. Now we come and go when we feel like it.

 

[WinMin4]

OP you could skip the B class, buy a minivan, portable refrigerator, bring along a Honda generator, with stow and go folds flat and sleep in it. Bring along a tent. Stay at airbnb/hotels.

 

[jnc4d]

OP you could skip the B class, buy a minivan, portable refrigerator, bring along a Honda generator, with stow and go folds flat and sleep in it. Bring along a tent. Stay at airbnb/hotels.

I use a solar power station like Jackary and Bluetti. It is safer for me.