Yup.... I would probably fall in love if it was gas.... Will not do diesel - don't like the smell and MB are rebound for their expensive repair and parts.
The wife and I have been looking at Class B and B-Plus vans for some time now including doing deep dives on models we are interested in. For me, the Pleasure Way RVs have become my measuring stick for quality builds and materials. So far, some have come close, but not taken the lead. A clue to the quality is the 5-year warranty they provide for their RVs. At this point, my number one pick is the 2024 Pleasure Way Ontour 2.2 that has the upgraded 600AH Lithium package.
Just checked the website for the builder as I am always interested in what options are out there. Challenge for me is headroom and bed length. I am 6'2 1/2" tall bare foot (wife measured me so no cheating, LOL), so with my running or hiking shows on, that adds another inch for headroom. This builder only appears to use Promasters. Unfortunately, both this van and the Mercedes fail the headroom test. I cannot tell you how many I have checked out and immediately walked out as my head rubs the ceiling. The Ford Transit, for most builders, passes the headroom test, but only a few pass the bed length test (two just barely). So frustrating for taller people to experience van life!@@cwarman63
I purchased the 2023 Pleasure Way OnTour 2.2. The quality has been exceptional. I have had no warranty issues in the six months that we have owned the van. The layout and look of the Plateau XLTS is identical to the OnTour 2.2 with the exception of size. I heard horror stories across the internet about quality issues in the RV industry. I can say that Pleasure Way does not have quality problems and is well worth the price if you can afford it.
I drive a 25 year old Pleasureway Excel on a Dodge Chasis. Sure the mechanical systems need upgrades but the Pleasureway cabinets, powerbed, plumbing, etc are all original and in perfect shape.
Hey Bob once again you hit it out of the park. The Mrs. is good as usual but really loud at the end of the video. But then I've been married for 24 years and it's pretty normal. Thanks guys
Excellent review of the XLTS. We opted for the Ontour 2.2. The XLTS is too boxey for us, but still a great RV if you really want the dry bath and the wider coach.
Check out the pleasure way ontour 2.2 Great quality and much better price. I'm still in the shopping stage but getting close to pulling the trigger. Have you looked at the Embassy class b?
I'm impressed that you're putting out a video this week with everything that's going on in your personal lives. Hope your dad is doing well. Yes, the PWs are generally regarded as very well put together, high attention to detail, cabinets that are put together with screws, not staples, etc. They call those B+ (some call them C-), but they're really just a sleeker, sexier C than the classic form factor from decades past. Way too big and bulky for my taste, but I'm the one who downsized from a Travato to a Solis Pocket. I like the nimble maneuverability. And the paucity of Mercedes dealers and repair shops across the country can be an issue. I just asked Siri and there are 384 Mercedes dealers as opposed to 2500 RAM and almost 4000 Ford dealers. And as you get into rural areas, if you have a breakdown, small towns in the middle of nowhere don't usually have Mercedes facilities. And diesel can be a problem - you can always find gas but you can't always find diesel. Plus, you pay a whole lot in import charges for that Mercedes. And repairs cost more, parts cost more… I don't get it why people buy them in such droves. But that's me and I tend to be risk averse.
If you want something nicer than the Pleasureway XLTS, have a look at the Leisure Travel Unity RL or Wonder RL (rear lounge). No slide, lots of room, absolutely gorgeous finishing and Canadian quality. The Pleasureway XLTS used to come on the Ford chassis at a lesser price. I’ve seen some used ones where people removed the cabinet over the cab and installed HD drawer slides to have a single wide bed above the cab. Great idea if you are a single traveller or have small kids. Pleasureway, Road trek and Leisure Travel have been around for many years and are very common in Canada where they are built.
191K Financed for 20 years at conservative current rate 8% is $ 1,597.60 a month for a total $383,424. No thanks! The interest is more than the cost of the van!
Thank you , just saw your short on the Balmore Meter. We were looking for that a few months ago. And I just had the bottom drawer out last week , marveling at how cheap the construction was. She put a few heavy pots and pans in the bottom drawer and the bottom dropped out and she could not get it open. You would think they would have put a bead of wood glue and a little bigger staple in the front and back. I put a few brass screws and some Elmers in the front and back every two inches, and for good measure two #12 x 3/4 on the side panels front and back. When I get a chance I will also do the upper two. And pull the meter out to check the fuse. Cap'n Rick, Port of Lewes, DE -- PS: like I said I have to live longer!
B's have no sleeping above cab but their toilet and shower are combined, B+ is also no sleeping over cab but have separate toilet and shower. C's have sleeping over cab. At least that's my understanding. We recently purchased a 2024 B+ RV on a ford chassis.
I will turn 79 this month, I have to figure out how to live until 99 so I can keep fixing the 20J. Every time she stops around she has a list. Can't imagine you would consider a Mercedes due to the high price of repair, and La Mesa, Really.
We have a Pleasure-Way OnTour 2.2, we’ve had it 2+ years. Bought because of quality reputation. PW are hard to find! The PW rep from Saskatoon told me they only make 100 of each model for the US market. We went with a gas unit as the Mercedes chassis was easily $30k more. Also, our Ford can be serviced anywhere, diesel mechanics probably harder to find. I’m glad you are highlighting them, the prices are quite steep.
Too hot to be in warehouses (assuming non-airconditioned?) checking out rv's in your heat! Brutal. Hardcore. Thanks for sweating it out! We're downsizing from a Tiffin Phaeton QBH. Planning on just short day or multiple day experiences - looking at the Pleasure Ways, but more serious about Leisure Travel vans. Leisure Travel also has excellent workmanship and a good ride. I know Pleasure Way as mainly stretched B class, but this one looks very nice!! Hoping all is well, thanks again for your latest and greatest!
Check out Pleasure-Way... (and the other two Canada companies that make Class-B) - They are so much better!!! We purchased a 2 year old 2019 Pleasure-Way Lexor TS for $95k back in 2021 and love it... Awsome quality and craftsmanship... Did not need any modifications to make it more functional... And both the first owner and us have had not a single problem. The new Coachmen Class-C 19CB that we had before was plagued with never ending problems almost all attributed to poor workmanship.
Technically there is no such thing as a B+....it's a marketing term used by dealerships/salesman. It will be registered as a Class C as in a Cutaway chassis. They are cool giving you typically 12 more inches inside and Pleasure-way makes a beautiful RV. Great video!
You are correct. B+ is really a C with no over cab sleeping. It’s a marketing gimmick. There is no official category that’s a B+. However Pleasure-Way makes awesome Quality.
Prefer an all lithium system with a second Nations alternator. PW makes great vans but they are behind the times in using generators and propane instead of at least 630 lithium batteries. Why no convection microwave?
That is a beautiful RV, too beautiful. One good ding or scratch would drive you crazy. It is too bright inside. It is too expensive. The style / design would only give you more storage and a bit more room. What I noticed recently when watching a review of a new Chinook is that the front seats are really not very accessible being down lower than the house. SO you get a few more feet in the back and minus a few feet in the front. Parking would be a nightmare. Stay with a Van, but do try a different one soon. Now I am wondering are the good covid resale values gone? Get out there and make a deal on a new van. We have a 2019 Travato K and the only model we would move up to is a Leisure Travel Wonder Rear Twin Bed.
Agree! We loved it but it’s not the right one for our needs at this point. All your points were spot on. We did see a Van we absolutely fell in love with. It wasn’t anything we had looked at before. But this being a La Mesa show we wouldn’t buy from them again if we could help it.
B+ is just an apt marketing description. Take your pick as to what exactly makes it that. Its not, whether you can sleep over the cab, though in a B+ you wouldn't have the room to get a bed in. Consider how some big Cs or even Super Cs employ the space as cupboards, now these are hardly B+, see ? Its a general descriptor that the coach is smaller than a typical C, similar length to a long w.b. B van, typically neatly blended in with chassis such that it is like a puffed out more roomy version of a B, more than a full on boxy C. A B+ is typically more sophisticated and better built than a typical straight boxy C ( not a rule, just a tendency ). To the DMV it is and always will be a C, as it is determined by fundamental chassis form. The manufacturer build the "B+" coach on a C chassis but it is just subtly bigger than a B and so neatly blended in that to call it a B+ is a legitimate, meaningful marketing way to describe this actual C to understand it better.
Would never do a vehicle that big. We almost never use campgrounds. Forrest roads and parking would be tough in one that size. You mentioned Roadtrek. They're coming Pivot lineup with the epic bathroom are on my radar but they will likely be pricey
Hello Bob...Hillary 🤗 I think it's nice..but its too big ..I like a B- van much better!!! Thanks for sharing .. P.S. We liked the Tofino..(simple) that you showed on one of your videos ..we almost bought it ..but it didnt have a bathroom 👍😊😁♥️
Love it the only thing I don't get is the fact how they always put the stove right next to the bed wouldn't you rather have the Sing close to the bed instead of having a stove where Greece will get all over your bed?
It's a beautifully built, quality, rig with one MAJOR flaw and one potential improvement change. The major flaw.....it has a tiny grey tank that is only just over HALF the size of their own Plateau TS Class B van!!!! This is the deal breaker for me as it would mean finding a dump every 2 days for us who like to shower every day. Oh well..... Secondly, the design improvement would be not offering a twin bed model which opens up the rear space so much more and improves the storage options even more on each side. These coaches are sold to many retiree couples, and we love the twin bed layouts for ease of access to bathroom, ease of floor space for getting dressed, and the extra storage options.
At that price Bob you can get your STO Beast, granted its larger inside and more storage but you’ll loose the ability to go off road and easy drive/parking… ;)
:) WOW! Nicew rig, BUT as yo said too much $$$$$ fror most of us : I had heard good things about the Brand. Safe travels and ALL the BEST! Cheers from the Left Coast :)
I consider a B+Plus to be a converted van with duallys and a cutaway with no cabover to be a C-Minus. Not surprisingly, my terminology has never been adapted by RV marketing. The Plateau is a nice C minus.
The Pleasureway can be compared with the Leisure Travel Vans also built in Canada. I would avoid the 4 cyl Mercedes chassis until it gets some real world North American experience.
Personally, I’d curb the excitement for a moment and start looking at this RV critically. You know what to look for now since going through so much with your current RV. Your experts in build quality and you know what to look for. I don’t believe the sales pitch of 400 build hours. Seems like a gimmick. Anyways just be careful. I’d hate to see you go through it all over again. Have you considered a mini van with a camper kit? With that you’d never see a RV service center ever again. Liked your video. Another great one. Keep up the great work. Appreciate your hard work filming and editing to bring us all such great content. Appreciate you both.
When I think through the financial math, I wonder why it is taking so long for someone to figure out that they can ship the chassis to Asia, have it build there using local components and cheap labor, and then have it shipped back to the US.
You know - if you continue to shop for a new van you will eventually BUY a new van - regardless of your intentions. That said - don't let me stop you from doing so!
Hmm... $191,000 pull down shades, mattress topper needed (?), 4 cylinder & seems low to the ground. Appreciate your great videos, but I'll pass on this one
There's no such thing as a B +.... It's a marketing gimmick. Here's the only thing you really need to know..... If your vehicle was built on a cutaway chassis.....all Class C's are including the one you're calling a B plus..... No, it's not about the overhang in the front of the vehicle..... Class C's are great for families and they are harder to park and get worse mileage than a Class B. Plus, they are not as nimble driving and won't fit into regular parking spots. Yes, they do have more storage space, but, don't think just because they have the space that you can carry all the weight you want. I know plenty of people who got a Class C like this and were virtually overweight the moment they took delivery.... they carry paper plates and utensils. Finally, some of these units don't even have a spare tire..... All depends on "how you travel" and use the vehicle....
