Which is Better: Small Class C RV or Class B Camper Van

Small Class C RV or Class B Camper Van? Which is the better choice? In this video, we share our experiences in both types of small campers to help you decide whether a small Class C RV or a Class B camper van is the better choice. If you're considering either of these campers, this video will help you make up your mind.

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[robertcknox]

One thing you did not mention is safety. A class B must meet crash tests etc. that a class C doesn’t not have to meet. A class B being all metal is safer in a lightning storm than fiberglass class C or B+ units. We have owned both a B+ and now a B (Pleasureway Ontour 2.2) that fits my 6’5” frame with a living area that with a touch of a control panel turns into a 6’7” bed with north south sleeping so my wife doesn’t have to climb over me to get our of bed at night. Most small class C and B+ units have a relatively low CCC. We could not carry water in our old B+ without going over its CCC. Our class B Ford Transit with dual tires allows us to carry anything we want without worrying about CCC. We also have the largest class B bathroom that even I can fit in. In our much bigger previous RVs I had to take the bathrooms door off to fit in. We like being able to fit in normal parking spaces with the class B also unless of course we stick our bikes on the back. That adds about 4 feet to our 21’ 10” van.

[bebopkirby]

The great conundrum for me has always been that what l want to drive to the destination and what l want to be in when l get there are always two entirely different vehicles.

[kwatt-engineer]

We have owned a class B+ (Road Trek, Chevrolet van chassis) and two different size class Cs. Our current RV is a 27 foot class C Coach House. We tried lengthy trips on the B+. The bed had to be reconfigured, sleep vs travel. Although it had a shower, it was so cramped that RV stops always included scrutiny of the bath and shower facilities. We found the suspension to be marginal for the weight of the camper. Heavy duty shocks helped but did not cure the problem. The ground clearance was marginal. Access to holding tank piping was problematic. The RV had a macerator pump to empty the tanks If the pump failed access to the pipes for emergency dumps would have been nearly impossible unless it was somehow raised. The soft suspension made it less stable on bumps and curves Than I would like. The plus was MPG we got about 14.5 overall, not as good as diesel, but the fuel and maintenance are much less. Our next RV was a 22 foot Coach House. I can't say enough about their quality. Not cheap, but you will not go broke trying to get a lesser quality RV to work as it should. Ours was built on a Ford E450 cut away chassis. Highly recommended for durability and ability to carry any thing you can stuff into it and most things you can tow with aplomb. CH builds to your specifications. While we were at the factory we took a walk through the parking area for unfinished Cutaways where you could get clear access to the frames and suspensions they had the Ford E450s, ford Transits and Mercedes Sprint cab plus bare frame vehicles there. We compared the E 450 to the Transit and Sprint frames The E450 was built with heavy duty steel members By comparison both the Transit and Sprint were built with lots of spot welded layers of heavy gauge sheet metal with suspension to match. We did trade up to the 27 foot model, which we have driven coast to coast twice with trips lasting as long as six months . Unlike the van we never had concerns about clearance or durability. With the Ford chassis We found that even the 27 is not much more demanding than a crew cab truck to drive fuel consumption is about 11. 7 ish. I didn't mention how nice it is to have a usable dry bath and shower. It means you can be fully self contained and need not be concerned about the RV park facilities. In summary, we really like our 27 foot class C and wouldn't consider either the Sprint or Transit due to concerns over durability and/or road clearance in rough conditions.

[captainjim]

We have had motorized RVs from 40' diesel pusher motorcoaches to Class B campervans. While we really enjoyed the Class B vans we had, the limited storage for clothes (many have just a shirt closet and a couple drawers) if your travels will take you through different climates. I admire those of you who can spend extended time in a Class B (i.e. all the "van life" folks), but we really appeciate having a full bathroom, dedicated bedroom, bigger fridge, and especially storage space that our low profile Class C offers. No doubt, what a couple can comfortably tolerate will depend on their capacity for minimalism... we motorcycle tent camped decades ago... thought we were living large when we converted a van back in the 70s... upsized different motorhomes over the years, and now in our "golden years" downsized to a nicely appointed smaller Class C (over your 25' max for this video), but we travel comfortably for months at a time. (We are not full-timers.)

For those who haven't tried the RV lifestyle and are wondering what size might work for them: spend a week living in one room in your house: cooking, sleeping, and doing your bathroom duties... and see if you are still speaking to each other at the end of the week. ;-)

[largolt]

One BIG pro of a class B or B+ (lightly modified but doesn't require the rear to be a dually) is you will not be turned away from campsites because of the size. Oh, and you can park it in your garage without hitting anything. The biggest complaint I hear online is that class Bs almost never have a slide but Roadtrek offers one. You open the rear doors and pull the back room out. There's your living room/bedroom. Those guys are mad geniuses. Never thought about putting a slide in the back of a van...

[davidfromtexas]

We have had a Class C Jayco on a Chevy Chassis that was about 24' long and we now have a Class B Vandoit build on a 148 Ford Transit Eco Boost. A lot of the decision for you is how you will use the vehicle. Do you plan to make trips that you intend to spend a lot of time in one spot or do you want to move around? We took our Jayco to Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah in 2021. It had the huge overcab bunk and it was pure hell to drive. The wind was ruthless and it was a terrible experience to get there. While we were camping it was fairly nice but the bathroom was small and the bed was a little short and we were just miserable. Last year we got our Class B, if you can even call it that, its a passenger van that has 80-20 setup in a way that it has a bed, kitchen pod, no bathroom but we do have a toilet and a curtain, but we can sleep four if we need too. We took that thing all the way to the west coast, up to San Fran, across and back down covering around 4500 miles and six National Parks and Disneyland. It was freaking glorious. We were so nimble. We used Cracker Barrels, truck stops, campgrounds, and even a parking lot but we always could take a shower there and it was one of the best vacations ever. My vote is for a Class B. You can park in a regular spot, you don't need a toad, you have everything with you always, and you can visit every nook and cranny everywhere.

[Rose-qrxn]

Excellent!!! You are so articulate and clear!! Can’t thank you enough for this review! I’m sold now on a small class C.
Bathroom’s are important to me. As a widow, I generally don’t feel safe hanging out in a public bathroom.

[martinbecklen]

One of the great things about this video is the education in vocabulary that novices like me get. Thanks for a great job.

[joeuser]

I put all the van life channels into a couple of categories. There's the folks who go around and show other people's builds, there's the follow my life 'cus I'm a YouTube star channels, and then there are the ones cover the in's and out's of camper vans and the life. You've repeatedly presented great videos of the latter. Thoughtful, detailed, and reflective of the time you spent producing this. I hope you keep it up.

[kingforaday]

The conundrum for me with both of these is once you get to your camp site you are stuck unless you want to constantly break camp to go somewhere. Sure you could get a tow vehicle but them you get into if Im gonna do that why not a trailer and pickup? Yeah you could get a bicycle, tricycle, or even an e-bike but one isnt going to go far on one of those.
It definitely boils down to how you are gonna camp and travel.

[CraigPeer]

My wife and I opted to have a custom class b camper built on a MB Sprinter 170ext AWD van. It's got plenty of room, an expanding shower ( to 38" x 42" ), a King size bed in back, 7' of counter, a 4' couch in front, and can go off road - at least on dirt roads that aren't too rough. The big thing for me is the Sprinter van body itself should be far more trouble free since there are minimal holes / cut outs. I think class b's can be more durable. Been reading plenty of horror stories here on YouTube regarding class c's having stuck slides ( stuck out! ) and the like.

[gordon]

Well done! We have had a 21ft class b van for several years and every time I drive it I love it. Overall though I would suggest it is more like luxury camping, tight for 2 for longer stays whereas a small class c would be more like a small hotel room. Much less fun, but much more livable. We would like a small class C (under 24 ft), but find the quality of most far less than we are used to (lithium batteries, compressor fridge etc). Floorplan can make a big difference too, small permanent table and big garage a plus in a class b. For longer stays do believe class c much better…short stays more class b focused. Depends on how you camp…and most folks can make anything work with compromises.

[krhode]

Drivability is HUGE. Test drive vehicles on a busy freeway. I had a small class C that was frightening to drive in high wind and on rutted freeways at freeway speeds with trucks going by. Even after adding sumo springs and a sway bar, drivability was an issue.

[Brigand]

We built out and camp in our minivan, we call it a Class B-.

[bobjacobsen]

Great overview. We have owned several class C’s and now have a class b Roadtrek Chase. One thing you missed is gas mileage. The b van’s are far superior to the c’s. Our style is now more long distance travel in comfort instead of camping which our Roadtrek is wonderful for.

[stephendidomenico]

Extremely informative comparison. Clearly a well-informed and experienced RV'er.

[philc.]

We love the nimbleness and fuel economy of the B but miss the space of a C. Since its just the two of us now with no pets or kids anymore we settled for a Travato 59G. When I need more space for longer trips I'll hook up a large storage box on a hitch mount.

[lovematters]

I think you won't truly know which type RV you need until you get in one and see how you use it. It's hard to know what you just don't know. Now that I've had one for a year, I know better how I'm more likely to use it and will make a more informed decision when I purchase the next one!😁

[ChopperChad]

I’ve never understood why manufacturers like Winnebago don’t build a small class C on the Ford Econoline or Chevy cutaway chassis. Most of the current typical Class C’s are 8’5” wide and 11.5’ tall. Seems like something that’s 7.5 wide and under 10’ tall and 20’ long would be a hit. No complicated slides of course.

[VanDoghies]

These comparison videos are the best! Great job guys! We definitely love our Class B for the mobility aspect above all else. We just traversed from NorCal -> Wa St -> Utah (Van fix) -> British Columbia in 4 days. (and we don't feel burned out). Pivots happen and a Class B really helps adjust over lugging a C around so quickly.