Your Opinion on Roadtreks?

[hepcat]

Used, factory-built B-van prices in general have been climbing steadily for the past three years as new Class-B prices skyrocket. A new Sprinter chassis B-van is $130k now! I wanted a b-van with some specific features, and low miles and I looked for a year and a half until I found mine... and then I made arrangements to drive 600 miles with cash within two days of when I found it on Craigslist. To find any b-van from mid-90s or newer for under $10k with under 100k miles is really rare. With only 40k miles and in really good condition,I'm pretty sure I could unload mine for something around $20k today if I was patient and held out for that kind of money. Unfortunately, it'd take more yet to buy another van anywhere near as nice as it is.

 

[BigT]

There is no way I would lay down 25 to 30K on an 05 Roadtrek.
A Roadtrek is basically an over sized van that the manufacturer threw a sink, shower, toilet, and bed into. Not to mention 11 years of wear and tear. Vehicles are supposed to depreciate with age. 

I guess I'm just used to "Kalifornia" prices.  When you're born, raised and spend your entire life in the most expensive part of the country (no, I don't come from, or live in, wealth), high prices are just the norm.  Sure, I'd love to find a RT for $5,000, but that's not going to happen unless I shop out of state, and it's hard to jump on a great deal when it's two thousand miles away.

 

[Ballenxj]

I guess I'm just used to "Kalifornia" prices.  When you're born, raised and spend your entire life in the most expensive part of the country (no, I don't come from, or live in, wealth), high prices are just the norm. 

I remember living in Nevada when the California housing went sky high. Well, long story short, they mostly sold for more money than most of them had seen in their lives. They all came boiling into Nevada like a bunch of spoiled rich kids throwing their money around and buying up all the available properties for way more than they were originally asking, thus driving the prices up to become un affordable. This created a huge problem for those that only had regular incomes, and as you can probably  see is one of my pet peeves. I really hate to see that sort of thing happen anywhere, especially here.

 

[lterry]

To each, his own...  it's always interesting to hear the perspective of others.  Certainly everyone's needs are different...  and Roadtrek sells a TON of coaches.  They obviously suit a lot of folks, and more power to them!  

It wasn't my intent to denigrate the brand, just to point out that for many folks, some floorplans are more suited to the way they travel than others, and that some of those 'features' that look really appealing for some folks at first blush,  turn out in practice to be frustrating space-wasters.  The shower in the Airstream B-van, for example, wouldn't have been a deal breaker for me, and it wasn't... but it wasn't as practical for me as what I have now.   I used the wet bath shower in my 23Rk regularly, but I had 30 gal tanks.  The small tanks in a B-van, for me, are what makes a shower <mostly> impractical.

And having had both B-vans and the 22'-23'  B+/small C moho, they have more in common than they are different and I used mine much in the same way.  The 23RK I had was more motorhome-like and the extra 4' made a significant difference in room and tank capacities.  OTOH, I wasn't as excited about having duals on the rear, and the extra width and length when using it as a van and trying to get around town.

I shower every day in my Roadtrek, leaving my gray tank valve open to drain since I only use biodegradable soaps. My shower/tub combo doesn't have a drain in my "hallway" so I guess it's a little more convenient to bathe, no need to dry my floor. Attached is a picture of my bathroom setup. I have a RT Independent. It's also a 3/4 ton with a 5.9.
I would LOVE to have dual wheels on the back - the lack of them is the only fault I can find with the RoadTrek. I do catch a lot of wind and the sway isn't fun.

 

[lterry]

I just noticed how grimy that looks. This picture is from the day I brought it home, before I'd had a chance to get my sponges out.

 

[BigT]

What's a Roadtrek "Independent"?

 

[rvpopeye]

It's a RoadTrek that isn't a Democrat or Republican !

 

[nadine]

I'm a big fan of Roadtreks. They can feel crowded, but that is very subjective and each person will have a different idea. The ground clearance really isn't so bad, it's the  fiberglass steps on the sides that get banged up--you can just ignore them. 

Check out this video i shot of one of our members 170. It's gorgeous and I could live in it for the rest of my life very easily!

[video=youtube]

a 2001 roadtrek  dodge it has 98,000 miles for $20,000 help need assistance is this worth checking out

 

[vtwinkicker]

One thing to keep in mind with the Roadtreks. If I remember correctly there isnt a lot of roof real estate for solar panels. Maybe 200 watts of space on the larger ones?

I had a '99 Roadtrek 190 Popular (Dodge) and found it had plenty of storage for myself. I did use the shower often and although you have to wipe down the shower curtain it only takes a minute or so, not really a big deal. I also cooked all my meals on the stovetop, used the fridge, the toilet. About the only thing I didn't use was the furnace except to chase the morning chill as they are electricity hogs. Sure was nice to reach out of the sleeping bag, tickle the thermostat and wait 10 minutes to get out to a warm home.

The older ones have more storage IMO. It seems the newer ones are giving up storage to make them appear more luxurious to whatever demographic they are targeting. I found the cabinets to be shallower than the older Dodge ones. Maybe the newer vans just got smaller?

I enjoyed having mine and would get another if that was the direction I wanted to go. Right now I have a hitop cargo van that I self built. I don't need all the holding tanks and systems of a Roadtrek at this point in my life so its not for me.

I have friends with various motorhomes. Class B's, A's, and C's. I am amazed at how many say they dont use the toilet or ever cook inside etc. Why buy something if you are not going to utilize to its potential?

 

[hepcat]

I shower every day in my Roadtrek, leaving my gray tank valve open to drain since I only use biodegradable soaps. My shower/tub combo doesn't have a drain in my "hallway" so I guess it's a little more convenient to bathe, no need to dry my floor. Attached is a picture of my bathroom setup. I have a RT Independent. It's also a 3/4 ton with a 5.9.
I would LOVE to have dual wheels on the back - the lack of them is the only fault I can find with the RoadTrek. I do catch a lot of wind and the sway isn't fun.

Everyone's "needs" are a little different.  My biggest issues with the interior shower is the room-to-amount-of-use ratio and that most class B mohos have pretty limited tank capacities, both on fresh and gray water.  You can make 12 gallons last a long time if you're not showering.. but, as you know, you need to not only dump your tanks frequently, you need to fill them frequently as well when you're using the shower.  Now, my 32' Kodiak Chassis Super-C is a whole 'nother story...  but even with that the gray water tank capacity is pretty small when two of us are using the shower daily.

The dual wheels don't help with body sway, they're for weight distribution on the axle for adequate carrying capacity on the tires.  If you're experiencing body sway (both of my b-vans swayed pretty hard) you need to add or beef up your anti-sway bars...  you should have the heaviest you can buy on both axles.  I've got a heavy after-market on the rear that I installed.  The front on mine is the standard Ford bar that I haven't gotten 'round to swapping out for a heavier one... yet.  They make a WORLD of difference when you're out getting blown around with sidewinds.

 

[Ballenxj]

The dual wheels don't help with body sway, they're for weight distribution on the axle for adequate carrying capacity on the tires.  If you're experiencing body sway (both of my b-vans swayed pretty hard) you need to add or beef up your anti-sway bars...  you should have the heaviest you can buy on both axles.  I've got a heavy after-market on the rear that I installed.  The front on mine is the standard Ford bar that I haven't gotten 'round to swapping out for a heavier one... yet.  They make a WORLD of difference when you're out getting blown around with sidewinds.

As an aside, I had an older model Sportscoach (mid 80's vintage) that had a tag axle. I always considered it a non essential item that required two extra tires, but I suppose they were deemed necessary for the length and weight?
I found out why it was nice while driving my 31 ft. M.H. on I-15 on a really windy day. Solid as a rock with very little sway. I was impressed. I just didn't like the fact that I had eight large tires to deal with, especially when the time for new ones rolls around. :-/

 

[Michael4104]

My first post. So here goes. I have a Roadtrek 210 Popular so I thought I'd comment on it.
The Roadtrek 210 Popular has a 30 gal fresh water tank , 22 gal gray water tanks and a 15 gal black water tank. Mine also had the four seats up front, but I removed the passenger side one. I'm single so I like the extra room when entering the Van. There's also a lot of room on the roof for solar panels. I have two 84 watts and four 50 watts panel that I'm planning to install when my hardware (metal) arrives. There is a lot of storage available if you don't get crazy.?

I start my full time living in this van the middle of January after I move my 40' 5th wheel to a new home. Yep I'm excited.
Michael j

 

[reflex439]

Sure, I'd love to find a RT for $5,000, but that's not going to happen unless I shop out of state, and it's hard to jump on a great deal when it's two thousand miles away.

Shopping out of state is pretty much the only way to find a good deal unless you are really lucky. And one needs to jump on it fast when they find one. I had two really good deals sold out from under me before I could finalize the arrangement. I finally bought mine in TN, and had to fly in to pick it up from MA. But it was clean, good history, low miles, and everything worked. Now after three months living in it last season, and 13K miles traveled, I’m very happy with it and wouldn’t let it go for more than I paid for it. 

I also have more holding tank capacities that others suggested here. My 2000 190 Popular has 32g fresh, 26g gray, and 12g black. I plan dumping/filling every two weeks for one person, or every week for two people, even with daily navy showers. But I also use bottled water for drinking and cooking.

The lowered floor adds standing height without needing a full 24” high top, thus the 190P is under 9’ and even fits in most drive thrus if so inclined. The floor isn’t much below the rear axle and front suspension components, so it has little effect on ground clearance. It's 20' length fits in a standard parking spot, so I'm often allowed in where RVs and Campers are explicitly excluded or sent off to remote parking lots. So I use it far more often even for day trips where I'd never bring a larger motorhome.

The isle shower isn’t as convenient as a full shower, but now that I have a working system to make it fast and easy, I use it often and prefer it. Since the shower deploys quickly in the isle, I can use the bath ‘closet’ for storage and still have a shower without moving anything! Win-win for me over a full side bath shower and loosing all that storage space. The extra 5 minutes it adds to my shower time once a day is nothing to pay for all that extra storage!

I’ve owned quite a few Class A’s, C’s, and trailers over time. This has been the most solid RV I’ve ever had. Its solid wood built inside a fully enclosed steel structure. It’s holding up very very well.

But what I really really love about the Roadtrek over an A or C, is the increased usability I get out of it because of its small footprint and go anywhere size. Even when not traveling, I use it easily 2-3 times every week for day use as a home base for some lifestyle activity or event.

I would love to full time in this and travel the country, and will in a heartbeat if the chance ever comes up.

 

[Nelda]

Just a quick note here to mention if you have a roadtrek (or anything) there is a GTG in Tillamook Oregon on June 20th.

 

[Stargazer]

Always wanted a class B. Last summer I rented a 2016 RT for two weeks and was impressed with the quality build. The side bath was cumbersome to use and extremely small and the center aisle was very narrow (I'm 5'3", 130#).

In Feb, I purchased a 2011 PleasureWay Excel TS. Expensive but what I wanted. It is a cutaway body so wider center aisle and much better bath. And a real closet! Haven't had it out yet but will soon be full timing in it.

Seems more "open" than the RT.

 

[BigT]

I recently found a 2000 170 w/88,000 miles and in mint condition (remodeled cabinets, seats and panels), but it was still $20,000.  

That same RV would be $13,000 in Texas.  

That's California pricing for you.  

 

[TrainChaser]

The asking price often isn't the selling price. They can ASK whatever they want, but what people are willing to pay is something else. Offer less, and give them your phone number. The longer they go without getting what they want, the more reasonable they might get.

 

[SoulRaven]

A few years ago, I decided to move into a Class B from a 17' Toyota SunRader for more stealth and towing capacity. I choose a Coach House 190 (19') as my primary focus because of the floor plan as I didn't want/need a third seat like the RoadTrecks.  I found a 1994 Dodge B350 Coach House with 89,000 miles just a few miles from my house for $9,500. No rust! Lucky me!
    I'm very happy with my Coach House after 4 years of extensive travel. It's very well made with birch plywood and no particle board anywhere. Yes, it's "tight" inside but I'm a solo traveler and of "normal" body size so the Coach House is perfectly sized for me. I like being able to cook in the galley, reaching everything without moving my feet. No real issues to speak of..... 5.9 engine gets a steady 15-17 mpg which is fine by me. MUCH better and less leaks (like zero!) than the SunRader and it tows my Suzuki DR650 motorcycle like it wasn't there.
      My biggest surprise was how easily it is to "Stealth Camp" in the Class B. I've removed most of the decals so it could be a medical transport van at first glance. Have "camped" in city parking lots (San Francisco) for days thanks to the holding tanks. By moving around every three or four days (dump/fill on moving day), I've found that I can camp almost anywhere without question. I "think" a large part of this is by being in a Class B and not a "Chester the Molester" van, my "neighbors" are more tolerant? 
      Bottom line is look at some other models, like Coach House and look around the South East for better prices and lower rust.

Happy Trails!
Chuck

 

[BigT]

I just found another 2000 RT 170 in San Francisco.  This one has 43,000 miles and is in absolutely mint condition.  
Problem is, they want $33,000 for it.   :s

Looks like I'm going to have make a trip to Florida if I want to find one at a reasonable price.

 

[Michael4104]

Gees, I have a 1993 210 in the bay area for a lot less than that.