Thoughts on Class C (or B?) RV vs Sprinter/Transit

Howdy Folks,

Curious if anyone out there is using a Class C (or B?) RV as your main vansion?

Obviously tons of pros and cons tgat i can only begin to speculate, but more interested in thoughts from folks who are actually doing it?

Why vs a sprinter/transit?

Did you use stock or any kind of remodel?

4WD, 4x4, or does the overall weight help with winter driving?

I'm in no immediate plan to do anything but continue to use my wife's SUV, but i think in the next 2-5 years we'll certainly add a van back into the lineup. 

Pictures would be very cool,

Cheers!

Dave

IMO those class C “vans” aren’t really vans at that point, they are RVs that just happen to use a van chassis. Then between the class B and the standard length, the difference in size seems to not have a massive impact on functionality, as long as the space is designed well.

The 144 Sprinter is absolutely perfect for us, it drives fairly similar to our SUVs (which are fairly deep on the high end spectrum of SUVs). We simply couldn’t locate a 4x4 in 2022, in fact we had to ship our van in from California after buying it over FaceTime from Mercedes Oxnard. With our snow tires we really don’t worry about anything. We aren’t off-road overlanding or anything though, and overall a Sprinter is a silly vehicle for that to begin with...lol

Ideally one would go with an ultra high end model like a Storyteller or a Revel, but we couldn’t justify the price point for not actually being vanlifers. Outside Van just launched a 144 that looks really nice too. All those builds have 99.9% of the features of a class B without any of the hassle. 

There have been a few threads on this topic. You may want to look into a teardrop trailer or small trailer rather than the van. There is a big advantage to being able to have a car/truck that you unhook from the trailer,  that you can easily drive into climbing areas with dirt road approaches and narrow roads. You're in SoCal?  I’m thinking of things like Clark Canyon and Benton Crags. Or at Red Rock, going into places like BVC. A trailer with car or truck is hugely cheaper than a class C or B.  
the disadvantage of a trailer obviously is that you can’t do stealth parking lot camping.

I owned a 28’ class C that towed my Subaru for 16 years. When I got too old to deal with the big rig, I bought a 21 foot class B, not 4 wheel drive, not lithium batteries, because My usage is not typically off grid, off road.

There are RV shows regularly. Go to one and compare features. 

I lived in a Class B I got for $9k for a year. People with $50k+ self builds were pretty consistently envious of all the comforts I had. Having lived in a Class B I would be unwilling to live out of self built full time, but it would be ok for trips that are shorter. 

The big upside of self built is having more storage space and often a better layout. The pros of a class B are literally everything else. Having a toilet and hot water and shower and furnace for cold nights and 30 gallons or more of fresh water storage and typical RV dump tanks is a massive deal. 

I'm hardcore on team class B. You can pick up ones in great shape for as little as $20k and get one with a strong engine and transmission but needs a little love for a lot less. I like Roadtreks personally. Mine got 16 MPG highway and even my 6'3" self could stand up in it.