Class B Vans & Culture: Compact Motorhome Life

Hello. Lyman sue spun wait a minute guys I hope you're having a very, nice day today. I'm going to be talking about de Mai and giving my impressions, of what's taking place from the Class B. Motorhome. Van market, and also what's taking also place in the van culture, I'll. Be looking down him on occasion at, mic laptop. To check my notes, by. The way I hold a Class B van, for, many many years when. I lived in San Francisco I would take it to places, that included Lake Tahoe the, Eastern Sierra all, over Arizona New Mexico Texas. And. Of, course Colorado. Very nice I love Colorado, so. I have. Experience. Driving. And camping. In various, locations. Including boondocking, in a, Class B then. Or, Motorhome, let. Me talk about the benefits, of owning a Class, B van, or Motorhome. Number. One on my list and, in. Many persons less, is the fact that they're very small and, compact. And, well and because they're small and compact they're also very. Maneuverable. You. Can ride them down the highway, dirt. Road on a, you. Know on. In. Suburbia. And urban environments, and. You. Don't have any issues it's just like driving a truck or, an SUV maybe a little bit larger. So, because they're so small you. Know you could also Park them anywhere, you want pretty, much if. You're going to go to the restaurant or go. Shopping. You. Can park it in that regular, space, you. Can't, do that with, a Class A or. Class C, and. You. Know definitely not with a fifth wheel it's. Very difficult to take those into any sort of environment that's outside of the, main highway, or a or. RV, Resort. Class. B vans, also, serve double duty as, people. Haulers you. Can they, again. They have like a three for five extra seat belts on them yet the driver the, passenger, maybe four, more seats at the back on, some of these vans that you, know have actual seat belts and even for even, for child. Safety belts and you. Can take, the family you, know on excursions, be they shopping. Take. It to school take. Them to a band, camp take them to a math camp wherever. You want and it's very convenient because you have a refrigerator, there if they want a beverage and you. Can also think. I'll take a nap you know if it's if, they need a nap and, park in the side road of course you can also go in the bathroom and these year they wash your hands of course. They also serve as. Vehicles. Where you can go camping, yes. You can go camping in these and I've done it many many times, you. Know and and it fits almost anywhere you want to go there's no excuse, for those. RV. Parks or our. National parks or you know for boondocking, that you can't find a space and often, you don't not even go to the ones with the you. Know with the other Motorola's. You can actually, park where they do some camping and, save, some money so. I've done that many, many times gone camping in this and felt, very comfortable. Very warm very cozy, my wife and I have enjoyed it tremendously and, so. You can definitely go camping, into Class B the. Main, consideration, for a lot of individuals, you can't take a lot of people with you you can't you, know take more at two or three or maybe, sometimes for people with you because, there's, not that much space you know you're limited in space that's, the big downfall, of class B's is that, you don't have much. Space but. It's but you know you, sacrifice, how because you. Can go more places and enjoy and do more things, class. B's also. Are toy haulers, there are many examples of, Class B vehicles, out there that. You. Know have an open area as you open the back hatch and. You there's, an open area right down the middle where you can put a kayak a bicycle.

You. Know any other kind of a skiing equipment or snowboards, that's, no problem some of the newer ones actually have a large, cavernous, area and you, can put something even, larger in there, Kent you got to be with increasing, its depth it's not a you know. Actual. Toilet so it's a small. Toy hauler and. If. You want it's also can be considered a limousine first yeah I know some manufacturers, are touting. Their. Class. B there's essentially limousines, they're. Marketing. Them to the more, affluent communities. Of. America. The you. Know the country club set and, they advertise. Them and market, them enhance examples. And like expensive. Car. Shows and car, auctions and you know the where they're selling million-dollar, vehicles, so, they're selling these. $200,000. $150,000. You know luxurious. Class. B's so, they're they can be used as limousines they even actually you know have two front chairs and, they have two other chairs and they have the silk of the back so you can a lot of people you drive down the road very. Comfortably, they're. Actually marketed I'm again, Airstream. And specifically. Is. Marketing, them for people, that will have second. Homes you, can go from your first home to your second home have, a beverage on the way take, a nap if you need to and. Watch. A little TV for the family, in the back you, could you know it's, a very pleasant way, to go and the seats are quite plush and, because. The one. Of the things I've noticed in a lot of these more luxurious. Brands. Is that they have white seats something. That's, an essentially, anathema, to campus, you know you want you can't get those things dirty they're you. Know you if, you're going out a camping. You're gonna get dirt on you you're gonna get stuff on you and to sit on a white leatherette. See, it is like it's. Not gonna work so these, are definitely, for. People that are dressed up and nice. And clean and rarely. Go outside, the. Negatives, of a Class B are, readily apparent to some. Class. B units are quite cozy, and in fact a little bit too cozy for some I've, gone off into a RV, show like when they here in Fort Worth in Austin or in the San Francisco Bay Area or LA, and heard. The complaint from. Family. Saying my god, how. Am I gonna fit more my four kids in here oh my. God they, don't have a big-screen TV look, at that bed. It's barely enough for you and I you, know stuff, like that and they don't like walking down the narrow. Halls and there's, your kitchen. There's your bathroom, and there's your bed it's, and, it's. Not, very, much, space room and of course, typical. Of most. Class. B's there. Is very. Small amount, of you, know space, for storage you know they asked cirrage above storage. Below outside. Storage, is non-existent. Most of these class. B's. They. Also have very limited, tank, capacity. So, if you're into boondocking, if you want to go out the middle of you. Know Arizona or, Texas. Or Florida. And do some boondocking. You. Know it's. Very difficult because you have very small tanks, in the class. Piece. Fifth. Wheel and a Class A is more. They're. Better, design, for boondocking, you can add a lot of solar around those units and they have big tanks big waste tanks so you can stay out there for a whole week maybe 14 days and not. Have, to go out and go into. Town or, to, the service, station to, dump, your tanks and second box vanilla and you can blow that gigantic. Refrigerator. With all kinds of food that you last you, and, your partner for quite a while and, you can also take the kids along if you really wanted to because there's usually more room. In a Class A and. Class. E and a fifth. Wheel. Yes. Class, B's a very. Limited, storage, again like I said earlier, you don't have much space in these units just, have the if, you if you. Want to go somewhere and take a lot of stuff. Class. B's are not, perfect. For that you, needed buy a toy. You know a toy hauler or a, fifth. Wheel or, Class A or Class C, and, usually have underneath, storage. Mouths, that you can access you, could put all your favorite stuff that. You desperately, need in, those units that the, Class B community. Essentially says they say that themselves we rationalize, you, know the, existence, of class means that you. Become a minimalist, you don't necessarily. Take all the stuff that you think you need you. Find out what you really need you just need some, food some. Dishes some. Water some. Outfits, not, every outfit you're not gonna go to the cocktail. Log every night and just. You know you plan your vacations, you go hey I'm gonna go camping out, there and I'm gonna do a certain amount of hiking and I'm, gonna take a shower every, two, three days the. Meantime taking a sponge bath and using, towelettes, that stuff like that I'm not going to take 15, minutes of a, shower, because I'm not at the resort, or with.

Hookups You. Can, as. Many class B's you know go to a resort or, campground. With full hookups but, you know it's, it's, it's. Not ideal for that it's not made, for that what's. Made for that are these a's, seas, and these. Fifth, wheels you, know if you go to these resorts, it's. Like home on wheels you. Know class. B's I'm gonna be very serious with you. They're. Designed, for people on the go they want to go places and have a lot of fun and they go. A lot of places they don't go just to a few places a. Class. A, or. A fifth. Wheel you're driving, down I find, the. 101. Iten. I-35. And, just going down those highways, you're not going down through. From. You. Know Prescott, Arizona down, to Asher, Rome Arizona, going like this. And. I've done that and, at. Night it's quite difficult. Again. You're playing your little trip you're just driving for. Hours go, to that resort for. Our school of that resort maybe stay at that resort for, two three months or old month and maybe. Do some boondoggle, for another few, weeks and then go to a resort for a. A few days just to re-energize. And, then, you go. Back. To boondocking, so. There are a lot of options out there for people, who want to stay a long time, at a location class, peas are okay but, again, you sacrifice, a lot but. What you gain is a lot, of Independence, Class. B vans are not known for their luxurious. You. Know kitchens, and bathrooms, they're usually very small they. Usually contain are just a two propane, stove. Top maybe, a convection. Microwave just, a microwave, and if you're lucky maybe your stove but. That's about it for you know the cooking, equipment. For, and the showers are usually, wet. Baths and, sometimes, you have to tilt your head and some of these older units just to fit in there it's. Not. Expansive. Again you know it's. Very everything, is compact, in, a Class B. Let. Me tell you of some of the luxury, brands out there selling, for a hundred and fifty to.

Two Hundred thousand. And they're. Quite, nice again, how, do you define a luxury, brand they're, the ones with the shiny wood. You. Know highly glazed, wood. And. Also the white, typically. They, have white leatherette. Furniture. They're. Very plush sometimes, even have you know a couple extra pieces that say the first two seats the you know driver in the passenger they also have another pair of seats and the, sofa, in the back those, are typically, touring. Bands they, take it from point A to point B and they. Just happen to have the, ability to camp but they're primarily just glorified, limousines, here, are some of the brands Airstream. Lounge, and, grand. Tour quite, nice and then, the coachman Galleria. Beautiful. Interiors, I love the woodwork in those units and of, course a Winnebago, there era series, they have I, think, four or five different errands out there currently pleasure-way. Plateau, one. Of my favorite brands beautifully, made and, quite. A few other brands so if. You're interested in you. Know traveling, in style. Not. Necessarily camping, but just traveling in style. These are the brands for you let. Me talk about adventure. Coaches, these, are, designed. For people on the go they're. Going to include. A lot more storage for bicycles. Scuba. Gear whatever. You want and they're, designed to take stuff and your, living accommodations. Are minimal. At best something, they have sometimes a bad that comes you know comes down it's not very thick and, that's. About it it's it's. Pretty Spartan existence but. It's nice if you're a young person especially, it's, very pleasant because you're going place you're still healthy you're, still viable you're going out there and having a great time you know with your partner it's, it's a lot of fun so, these are the brands out there in the currently the market they range from 65,000. To. 150,000. Winnebago. Or revel which is four-wheel drive and also has a cavernous. Back, area to put stuff and the, Paseo. Also. The coachman, CrossFit. And. Of course heimer active which is dominates. The European. Market. There's. All kinds, of them out there and if you have a chance check them out I really, am motivated by these if I had the cash I'll, consider something in this, genre I'm especially. Especially. Like the Paseo. It's a beautiful unit, what. Types of buyers are, there for, Class. B units. There's. The affluent. Upscale, client. Which Airstream is really under serious ly marketing. Their products for these. Are individuals, that are going to use them just a little bit just to go from point, A to point B maybe. Crash. At a rest. Stop once in a great while or, take. It from to the hotels and they're, gonna you know have plenty of room for all their you. Know luggage. In and, they. Can it's going in style it's essentially, your own personal, limousine, and you could take two three four extra people with you again, they have the two seats in the front and two, extra seats in a bench in the back so, there's plenty of room for like six, people so if you got a family of two, adults and then four, children, it's perfect, you know go from your house, and.

Denver Colorado and just drive up the road and, you're going to Jackson, Hole Wyoming you, know for, the summer to do some fishing. And hanging, out in front of the fireplace it's. A great way to go if you have the money and, it can afford 150. To 200 thousand dollars again. You're. Not going to go out hiking. And. Scuba. Diving and, skiing. In these units because you know you once, you come inside, are. You gonna sit on that white. Leather it furniture. Probably, not you're, gonna have it's not it's not built for that it's not that it's not very it's durable, but it's it. Gets you, know it's it's. Not gonna work, I'm seriously it's not gonna it doesn't look right to get a all spongy, and dirty and muddy white, leather and furniture that's, my opinion the. Middle class family, buyer looks, for something that's conserved, double, duty because they're gonna you know on a budget so, they're, gonna buy something that's you, know sixty. To a hundred thousand. Bucks and. They're. Gonna use it to go camping take the kids camping if they're, you know only have a couple kids that's perfectly fine if, you have more than that it's gonna be difficult they're gonna have to stay in the tent outside. So. You can take, the kids, camping. And have, a great time for three four days because. You have such small tanks. Small. Tanks you. You're gonna have to you. Know only go out for a few days unless, you go to a place with hookups if you gotta go with hookups you can stay as long as you want and the. Kids can enjoy themselves and you can enjoy yourself they. Also are good for taking. The kids to school you. Can take the kids to school in this bus they can you know there's you know there's plenty of room back there some, of them have they'll get four seats that you can you, know strap them in and be safe and it's, great little people hauler and you, could take them to, like. I said earlier a math camp you know to. Band camp you can take them to a football game the. Hockey, match whatever you. Know, sports you're into or events you're in to do you know to concerts, you, know, family events you can take the whole bunch. And that, six-hour trip is not as bad because they can always you know I stopped inside the road they, can go to the restroom they can have a soda our beverage, or you know a nice, cool sandwich, and, just hang out for a little bit and, then continue, down the road and feel comfortable they can also look at a TV, that's. Great play, video games they, have plenty you know plug-ins for USB, stuff so kids, and adults can, enjoy themselves on. The trip, the. Adventure sports. You. Know buyer they are, usually. Younger, and I. Consider, myself an adventure sports but even, though I'm 66. Years old but. They're typically marketing, these two you know 20-somethings. And 30-somethings, and. They're going out there you see them looking cool and they're. Riding. Their bicycles out in the country and scheme, and, snowboarding. And having. A great time so you can haul all your stuff and once you get inside you don't mind that the furniture is going to look a little you, know it's just simple, cloth furniture, that you can wipe off and, you. Get a little mussed up and you'd only you, may take a shower every one or two or three days but, you can always jump in the river of course it's might be licensing but you can jump in there so.

These Are great great. Vehicles. To uh you, know you, know go in these are the adventure sports buyers and of course you can you have options, you get a small unit. You. Get a you know a four-wheel drive unit, you can get a unit with a cavernous, back you can have ski racks kayak, racks bicycle, racks you, can get the whatever you want you can customize it your way these are the again. The active, community. This is the active communities are not the people they're gonna send their fifth wheel and watch, the cable television it all day and. You know, these. Are this is a different, segment of the market. Finally. We have van, dwellers, these are individuals, who live, in their van year-round yes they live in their van year-round, some. Of them are. Adventure-seeking. Young, kids and adults, and they're, traveling around the world and, having a great time not necessarily a world they can go across the ocean in event but across the United States maybe even Latin America in Mexico in their van and, they, you, know they're. Young they can do this they have. No responsibilities. Major, responsibilities. Yet and maybe, even they're doing some you know online. You know work. You know they work in clear you, know via. The internet they're accessing their jobs they can do their jobs that way if, if they're so lucky so, they're, going around and having a great time you, know swimming. Snorkeling. Hiking. Fishing. What. A great, you, know way to live you know for a couple of years so, again, some of them just start doing it for a couple years and after that they didn't they you know maybe sight I it's, time to have. The family have some kids and live in the suburbs, and work from 9:00 to 5:00 and that's, not, you. Know that's. Not a lot of fun but at meantime they're having a great, time. Also. Van dwellers include people. That are forced. Because. Of their economic situation to. Live in a van they. Only make six hundred, nine. Hundred bucks, a month and they, cannot afford that house to. Rent a house or an apartment or, even a studio, apartment Silicon. Valley they go for two three thousand, bucks or in, Dallas they go for eight nine, ten thousand, but I mean a thousand, bucks so, they're pretty expensive so so. They've been you. Know, given. The boot by, our society, unfortunately. That's what the safety of the been dead they've been. Marginalized. And they, have to survive on the fringes so they live in their little van. They. Build a small bit they sometimes. Buy a used van you know five ten year old van and they modify, it they put a bed in it they. Put a, small. DC refrigerator. Which you can store a little bit of food. They. Have a little cooktop essentially, this for, most of these folks that I've seen have a little coleman cooktop look, you know propane stove and that's, their life they're on the, road they're. Surviving. On the fringes and they. Park in, the suburbs, they try to look you, know, you. Know they they.

Don't Want to be known they don't want to be obvious, they're, doing it surreptitiously, so. And also they park in the boondock, here and there you, know in areas, known that they they can have, a little camaraderie and. Be, left. Free and, survive. On that very small check sometimes, they even drive to Mexico to get medical attention on. The but you know to save a couple bucks because, they don't, have a lot of money. So. These are van dwellers on the fringe and one, of the, main. Proponents of. That. Community, the, van dwellers is a Bob. Wells of, RTR, fame the rubber, tree rendezvous, he has that every. Winter. In January and. In. Quartz out Arizona where. Thousands, of van waters gether you know affluent, to struggling. Individuals, and, Bob. Wells us is, essentially, their evangelist. He's their leader. In. Promoting, this lifestyle, of trying to survive in, current. Day America, so. Those. Are van dwellers. Thanks. For checking out my video my, name is his sous mine, will minute, God as I hope it's been useful don't. Forget to Like subscribe, and. Share. Out greatly, appreciate, it please, leave any comments please, make. Us also I would, greatly appreciate professional. Friendly. Comments. And I. Look. Forward to seeing you on the road I am I I am a camper, in fact next week I'm going to. Down. South Texas and, doing some camping down there in Big Bend and I'm, gonna be doing that for several days then I'm coming back to Fort Worth because I have to come back, to class. So. Again ss- Usman, will manna Garza, gracias. Adios. Bye, bye.

2018-02-07 18:12

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