Which is Better: Class A Motorhome or Class B Camper Van 

The agility and flexibility of a class B just appeals to us. My wife and I don’t need a lot of equipment on road trips or camping at a fixed location. I would be stressed driving a giant class A where everything has to be carefully planned ahead of time because it’s so big.

We have both. We use the Class A when are working projects with our volunteer mission group NOMADS because we stay in the same location 3 to 4 weeks at a time and need to carry more tools. When not working projects, we travel in the B for all the reasons you stated. We love the flexibility it gives us.

Back in the 90’s we had a class C when we went camping with the family. Years later it’s just me & my dog. I choose a 01 Roadtrek. Perfect size for me & my dog. It’s my only vehicle & I use it as both a campervan & a passenger van. I use it to tailgate & I park in a regular spot which is way cheaper then the rv spots. Luv my Roadtrek.

I love class b vans because it has a small footprint, easy to drive and more versatile. Perfect for day trips and driving up and down Ca following our son play baseball. Great weekend/week vehicle. Living in it is a whole other story though.

Lincoln and I were so excited to see both you on the front of the Costco magazine!! Congratulations!

Saw you guys on the front page of Costco magazine, congrats!!! Keep it up 👍.

Hi to you all👍 We have to agree it would be nice to have more room with a class A But after 6 years in two Class B RVs we still love the flexibility and having everything with us all the time. Thanks and Safe Travels.

Congrats on landing the feature story on the February Cover of Costco Connection magazine!!! We look forward to your videos. 😎

We own a 2008 Ford E350 that I converted into a class B motorhome. We pull a 21 foot travel trailer for the times when we want to stay in one place for more than a couple of days. Having the E350 has given us opportunity to travel easily when traveling in crowded areas. We receive complements on the E350 all the time in our travels. We hope these both keep us traveling for a long time.

So good to see Leo again.

And then there’s gas mileage. 6 mpg in our A, compared to 18+ mpg in our sprinter. For us, our 23’ van is perfect. No “shuffle” or piles of clutter. Very comfortable, just not quite as nimble as a shorter van.

Great comparison! Thank you.

It’s just me and my Tofino pop-top. It is SO easy in every aspect and who needs to take a lot of stuff anyway. Love it.

OMG! Just got my Costco magazine in the mail! So cool you two are cover page!

Thanks for sharing! We will be getting our EMBASSY Dolphin S CLASS B VAN ON A FORD TRANSIT chassis in April! Looking forward to traveling in our Class B! We don’t plan on staying in one place for more than a few days! More like Scott from GSLL!

Great educational video.

We have had both. Most recently, we had a Grech 24’ Class B and before that a Newmar 40’ Class A DP. Both have pros and cons. We tend to go on 3-4 months trips. The Van did not lend itself to those longer trips. The Van was less stressful travel. We will be heading out this next season with a 36’ Renegade Super C. Someday, I would like to have a smaller AWD Class B Van as well. Safe Travels!!

Different tools for different jobs. Good info as usual.

For me, the smaller rig fits better. Willing to give up space and comfort for mobility and ease to park overnight in any spot. What I would like though is a 45' Class A interior in a lifted Jeep Rubicon body.

In Australia we do not have specific Class A manufacturers. We do have converted Coaches. These can be luxurious or basic. Licences to drive these are standardised across the country. Unlike the US many go off road. They tow a SUV and a small boat on a trailer or an enclosed Garage. So you do see a 45ft tag axle towing a trailer in desert areas of Australia. Class B's are much more varied than what you get in the US, as their are many more manufacturers and outfitters. Primarily this is because there are more choices in chassis type

Great video guys!! Lincoln

Enjoyed your video, your even handed analysis of both rv types was refreshing. My wife and I have had almost every type there is now have had our class a (with a toad) for 10 years I agree with all your 19:10 comments. Sometimes it is a real pain other times it is great. Zero rv"s are good in all situations.

You guys are on the front page of Costco Connection magazine!

Very informative

First thing I want to say, and say it capitals so you will remember: YOUR RV IS YOUR CHOICE. Why am I being "rude" because I have found this truth to be missed. I what to thank Joe for repeating what your Dad said, mine said something along those lines and I did have a lot of kids--biological and otherwise and we took a lot of risks (some that I regret ;) Enough said--As a family we have tent camped, pop-up camped, travel trailer camped, toy hauler camped, 5-wheel camped, class C camped, and finally we are in a Sprinter class C. As a teen and 20ish single tents were great. You walked out into the wilderness and you and you buddies had a great time without "adult" interference. Married and has a child and tents were no longer fun. We bought a pop-up and camped with like-minded friends. We had several years of fun until with 2 preschoolers and the weather it was no longer fun. Went to a toy hauler when the kids had lots of "toys" to bring and this one lasted for over 10 years. My husband and I slept in the RV and the kids tent camped. We all had a blast and then one by one the kids left home, got married, and no longer camped with us, plus the toy hauler was falling apart because we had bought it used (about 5 years old) and then used and abused it. So we used a friend's class C gasser, he was thinking of selling it, in late 2019 and once again in May 2020. Husband drove it and wasn't happy, he wanted a diesel. So we bought a Sprinter class C...well it's ok but it's not exactly what we want. Pros: great gas mileage, easy to take into parking lots, heats and cools well, and unlike a trailer the passenger can get up and get snacks out of the refrigerator. Cons: The one we have has only one small slide so we do the "van shuffle" essentially all the time; it is shorter than the 5-wheels but over 11 feet so we still have to watch branches etc.; and last it doesn't fit well into suburban/urban driveways of our family. So if you're still reading what would work for us: 1-Something with slides so we would have more room to move around on rainy days, cold days, and mornings and nights which bracket our days out. 2-But we now moochdock almost as much, if not more, than we camp by ourselves--you know we've got to see kids, grandkids, nieces & nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, and of course siblings. So I'm thinking about a camper van (Class B) but husband says no because he doesn't want 2 RVs. 3-So what are we going to do? Well...use the Sprinter camper until we only take trips of 3 days or less because about day 3 he can no longer stand being cooped up in the camper we now have and in a camper van were borrowed he lasted about 2 days inside on a 3 day trip. Because if we moochdock at relatives he gets out of bed and immediately goes into the house and doesn't return to the camper until he is ready to go to bed so we can stay as long as I want. But that limits our alone trips to 3-4 days, and those he wants within 100-150 miles, and that will be ok until I retire in 2-4 more years, if we spent lots of summer weekends seeing our scattered family.

Love my Class A 26 ft 2001 Rexhaul! It is in beautiful shape with an 11ft Fiat tow.

Leo awww. He was the best

I have a bvan and I’ve been in a couple campgrounds to dump the tanks. Never spent a night yet. Slept at a lot of rest areas and Walmart though

A "B+" around 24ish feet is the best of both worlds for us. Dont give up much maneuverability while having a much better living space with a more usable shower.

Embassy Class B would want to try driving that big bus!!

I just stayed watching this video, picked up my mail and started looking at my Costco Connection and who do you think was on the cover? Joe and Kate Russo, that's who! That's pretty exciting. I'll start reading the article after I watch the video.

There also the question of storage and street/stealth parking. Depending you HOA (if you still have a house), you will need to have a special garage to park your Class A or storage it at storage lot. With a Class B, I store ours under a 10' carport with no issues. We also have had no issues with street/stealth parking with our class B, not to sure about a class A.

Class B for me

I guess I'm about to find out. I just bought a Ford Transit High Roof Extended length. It will be built into my home in April.

Hello, really well done video! In the 1990's I lived full-time in a class A with my family and for that time in my life, it was perfect and campgrounds were not as crowded, I don't ever remember making advance reservations for spur-of-the-moment stops. Fast fwd to the present day, we have a 25 ft toy hauler (no slides) that we love for wide-open BLM desert land & RV parks, etc with our SXS & dirt bikes. However, after a few cross-country trips, we find the size & towing to be exhausting. We passed so many interesting boondocking roads that we could not just go explore due to our size. I feel that you cannot be spontaneous in a large rig & I hated pre-planning all of our stops in advance, but the toy hauler has its purpose and we will keep it. We are now in the market for a class B van, most likely a high-roof extended Ford Transit. We live in the Yosemite area, even trees are often a problem with our current rig. We are trying to decide if a 2-wheel drive Class B would work or do we need a 4-wheel-or AWD for places like Baja for example. Any thoughts on that? I will look through your videos and congrats on the cover of Costco!

Class A because I am 6'2 and love to travel with my family; on rainy days we can play games, whatch movies, while my wife cooks and not feal for space.

Hi Joe great Video I also have had class A & now in a 4x4 sprinter van, I just finished reading both your books they were very good I enjoyed them a lot are you guys going to Peace Love & Vans in Dade city FL Feb 16-18 ??

It would have been cool to also include the flat bed camper as well with its pros and cons, I really like that set up, almost want to copy that rig. Thanks for the video, well done.

Right now we're considering a change. Class B is attractive, stronger structure than a Class A, and easier to park than a trailer. We've had two A-frame trailers and definitely need more space. If we go the trailer direction, more likely either fiberglass or a Trailmanor. We may look at a fiberglass Class C. Most likely will look around for a good used value.

Loved hearing this discussion, pros and cons of each. Many of the topics you touched on were our exact concerns and later were the reasons we purchased the RVS we currently own: 1.) A Newmar Dutch Star, 2.) A Vintage Airstream 19ft Camper, 3.) A 31ft Gulfstream TT, 4.) A Chevy Conversion Van with the EXPLOYER Co camping package. Yes, it'sa lot to own and store but the options are endless of us and if you do keep your vehicles in good repair they will sevice you for many years. All of ours have been a collective over time. Now we're in our 70plus years old and still travel regularly Wintering in our Class A Motorcoach in Florida or for longer travel stays elsewhere. The Airstream goes most anywhere fun... NASCAR, the Beach, etc. The Van goes sightseeing in city or small towns, fishing, adventuring about anywhere. The Gulfstream is pretty much retired now but went most places except for off-road. For us it'sa matter of where, what and when that dictates which vehicle to take and for how long our adventuring will be scheduled for. All are comfortable but "comfortable" is simply different with each one of them. Life's A Journey and we love traveling that Journey on the open roadways.

Class A if living full time. Class B if weekend trips. Maybe a Class C tho. I drive a truck that’s essentially a Class C.

First, we are not full-timers but spend 5-8 weeks out at a time. That being said, personally, I prefer the nimbleness of a Class B and for me, my anxiety level would go up with each additional foot of length. I want my travel experience to be more relaxing. Regarding gear, if it doesn’t fit into the 18 foot Class B, it doesn’t go. And we have found that we don’t really miss those items. It does help us make priorities. The equipment we take is seasonal. For example, we have found that during trips in the fall, our SOLO stove fits nicely into the van but when camping at warmer times during the year, that is left at home.

The one-on-one call service would be very valuable to beginners and those moving from one size RV to the other. You should make billions! I've had both, a 37' Diesel and now my Embassy Ford Transit long body high top dually. I loved the diesel for the air ride, living space and love the B van for the go most anywhere, park most anywhere conveniences. I had the A bus to allow my mom to travel with other family. Mom is no longer with us and the B was the next logical choice. It leaks much less than the A...Lol

My LTV Wonder with a garage keeps all of my extra supplies out of my way. I am alone some of the time and I love the ability to fit into small sites and can park in my driveway. Have you ever considered a fifth wheel

In the perfect world without a budget, I would have a Super C and my Storyteller. The Super C for long trips over a week at one destination so I could have a TOAD for commuting and the space for the extended stay. I absolutely love my 144 wheelbase. I dont even want to go up to a 170. The extra few feet become a parking issue and not worth not being able to park anywhere.

My favorite is actually neither. I like a small class C. I've had all three, and I find it to be the best compromise for me. It is much more nimble than a class A and has greater livability than a B van.

Any chance you could speak to the “four-season” capabilities of your van? I’ve heard that no RV or van are really truly four season, but I have to find a better insulated van, class C, or truck camper because of my job transfer. I will be selling my travel trailer (that I currently live in with my two cats and dog) in hopes of finding a decent insulated rv/van to live in. I appreciate the calmness of your video delivery! Love you and Kate! Hope all is well!!! ❤

I see you're on the costco magazine how come

We just sold our Class A and are purchasing a Class B because we moved to an area where it is almost impossible to find good storage for a Class A. The 2 things we are going to miss in the Class A are the big refrigerator and cooking space and a dry bath. We will enjoy the nimbleness of a Class B, though.

We have a 45’ motorhome with a 30’ enclosed trailer that hauls a smart car and 2 Honda Goldwing Trikes.

Funny you should mention this. I have tried to think this through for years. I would love a big class A but for the type of camping we do, it is absolutely the wrong choice. Right now we have a truck and trailer but I am finding the cost of towing is starting to get up there plus it is long. Once I hit 65 I found I started to get a little anxiety towing. We had a truck with a slide in camper many years ago, it was our favorite but with our age now the bed over the cab is no longer usable ( my wife is partially disabled ) I am not at all crazy about a C, I think I would get a small A before I did a C. So now we are looking at a B+. Right now we are thinking of a LTV with the murphy bed option. We need the walk around bed and the bigger bathroom in the back is definitely a bonus. It would check most of the boxes for us, not perfect but is there really a perfect unit out there?

I can see the benefits to both but the class B would be my choice. Considering I have a minivan converted to a camping setup, the class B would seem very roomy😂. It really depends on what type of adventure you are going on. To me, the class A seems like you're bringing a house with you & that wouldn't appeal to my getaway to nature self. Take care guys.✌️

Next topic that would be interesting... Class B vs. Class C (or B plus). Would that be a good compromise between the bigger Class A and the smaller Class B? Be seeing you!

Class A, tow a 144 sprinter class B.

Interesting question class A vs Class B but isn't it also a bit of apples vs oranges? Not trying to be negative and I did enjoy this video. I have an idea for another one: Class A vs Class C. We do like your new podcast series, very well done, great questions that you ask.

I have an older Lance 1130 camper on a F-350 crew cab. For one person, I have plenty of room. I just wish I had more storage space (water tanks and clothes/food storage). So I can stay out longer in one place. So now that you've been on the cover of Costco magazine, when will you be on the cover of Rolling Stone?

We have a Pleasure Way Lexor. We tested a class A and it didn’t feel solid to us.

Just ordered a Westfalia Wave. PS: would you autograph our Costco Connection?😃

The thing with an Rv is everything is a compromise. Gotta decide how and where you want to travel. The cost is always a factor. ✌🏼

They're both good depending on your needs or wants. By the way i don't know what's going on but I'm not getting notifications from you for months.

Class A

👍👍👍👍👍👍

How is Mom???

Oh and by the way, I prefer a Class B for it's agility. 😊

hey Russo's - have you ever considered a Class C?

at only 5 foot tall i have yet to be in a class A i could drive, the seats alone even if there are pedal extenders are so massive my little legs hang over the edge like a four year old on the couch lol the RV industry truly caters to big male drivers but not only do single women buy RVs but a lot of married men would like to share the driving with their wives.

Did you ever consider a class C?

Class B is the only way to fly lol!

these elongated Class B's should be called Class BB. There are smaller Class B's. The Camper BB for sure. not A