wolfe10 Report post Posted January 29, 2018 Please, let's get back to the topic-- showering in a Class B and water heater capacity. Justification of choices between A's, B's and C's should not be a part of this. Let's not go off on a tangent here. Thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted January 29, 2018 Brett, OK. Does all Class "B's" count? Or just the 19', 20' 21' and 24' count? The OP's heading did not state! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted January 29, 2018 Guess I need an education here-- Not aware of any Class B's longer than a long WB van. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted January 29, 2018 Harvey Coach Work, built a 50 footer for the owner, FMCA deemed it to be a Class "B", FMCA Magazine ran an article on it, including floor plan and specs, pictures of outside an in! Motorhome magazine did the same! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted January 29, 2018 Carl, Can you PM me a link or know what month it was run. Kind of surprised it is not a C (Super C). We have friends with a Super C built on a Kenworth chassis. Let's not take the discussion of track. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redldr1 Report post Posted January 30, 2018 On 1/29/2018 at 2:10 PM, wolfe10 said: Guess I need an education here-- Not aware of any Class B's longer than a long WB van. Brett, See Page 53 of this months magazine for the official FMCA B-Plus description . The B+ description fits our motor home best but Forest River calls it a Class C. There is a third type of water heater being used in Class B's, and smaller Class C units, now. We have the Truma Combi which is a combined water heater and furnace. It is designed to save space and weight and it does do that... First the good: It is an excellent furnace. In fairness we have small 25 foot unit, with no slide outs, so there isn't a lot to heat... It is unbelievably programmable. Dual fuel sources (LP and 115VAC), what mix level of the fuel sources, fast tank recycle or Eco mode, On and Off Timer Programing for the furnace and water heater, temperature control for both, and more. It's very impressive for a RV system. It heats water fairly well and has an excellent tank recycle time, roughly 10-15 minutes, when using both gas and electric in "Boost" mode. Now the bad: 10 liters of hot water is all the tank holds...that is roughly 2.6 US gallons. When you have Truma Combi hot water management takes on a whole new meaning. For example do not run any hot water in the bathroom sink while the wife is in the shower. Adding a Oxygenics BodySpa shower kit helped on the shower side.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted January 30, 2018 Here is an excerpt from that article: Class B Motorhome: Class B motorhomes are at the opposite end of the spectrum from Class A motorhomes and are basically passenger vans that have been converted for use as a motorhome and feature a raised roof for more headroom. Class B vans are compact and have minimal amenities due to the lack of room but are generally equipped with a small refrigerator, water heater, sink and sleeping facilities. They offer the ability to travel and park anywhere due to their compact size and offer better fuel economy than their larger siblings. They are also easier to drive than the larger motorhomes so you don’t need a towed vehicle to serve as a dingy when sightseeing or shopping. Due to their limited size, Class Bs are best limited to use by 2 persons. A popular twist are the Class B+ motorhomes which are becoming increasingly popular. Class B+ coaches are a bit taller and feature a cab-over section for additional space, typically used as a sleeping berth or an entertainment center. Class B+ motorhomes often use stretched frames so it’s common to see units as long as 30’, which greatly improves interior space. Some class B+ motorhomes are capable of handling four persons comfortably. Class C Motorhomes: Class C motorhomes, sometimes known as mini-motorhomes, are built on a cutaway chassis which includes the front cab of a van or pickup truck with open frame rails behind the cab, which are stretched to accommodate various lengths of coaches. The coach builder then builds the coach on those frame rails and blends it to the cab. The most popular chassis currently used are the Ford E350 or E450 series although other brands and models are also used. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis has also found recent popularity in smaller coaches due to its compact and fuel efficient diesel engine. Class Cs are easily recognized by their large cab-over section, which is typically used as sleeping space. Class C motorhomes have come a long way since the early days and many Class C motorhomes now have slide-outs and feature the latest features and amenities. The lighter chassis of a class C limits the weight of your towed vehicle so that is a consideration when choosing a class C. They have been typically used as entry level motorhomes for buyers who need sleeping space for large families but recent advances in Class A motorhomes that offer bunk bed floor plans has taken away some of those sales. A Class C is smaller and drives more like a large van, which may be preferable to some drivers but many cockpit areas are cramped and can be hard to access from the motorhome’s interior, especially for tall persons. Basement storage space is much smaller than that in a Class A but they are also less expensive than Class A motorhomes so if your budget is limited a Class C may be your best choice. Super C Motorhomes: Super C motorhomes are still a Class C coach except they use a medium duty truck chassis such as supplied by Freightliner or International. These coaches are powered by diesel engines and are larger in size. Larger basement compartments offer plenty of room for cargo space, which is typically lacking in a smaller gasoline powered Class C, and have higher towing capacity. A Super C offers the ultimate driving experience due to the extended front axle compared to a Class A coach’s forward cab design but has less interior room than a Class A. Super C coaches range from entry level 32’ coaches up to extreme 45’ 600 HP luxury coaches. One popular variation is the Toy Hauler, which includes a large rear garage for hauling motorcycles, ATVs or other cargo. Prices range accordingly Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mweiner Report post Posted February 3, 2018 On 1/30/2018 at 2:14 PM, RedLdr1 said: Brett, See Page 53 of this months magazine for the official FMCA B-Plus description . The B+ description fits our motor home best but Forest River calls it a Class C. There is a third type of water heater being used in Class B's, and smaller Class C units, now. We have the Truma Combi which is a combined water heater and furnace. It is designed to save space and weight and it does do that... First the good: It is an excellent furnace. In fairness we have small 25 foot unit, with no slide outs, so there isn't a lot to heat... It is unbelievably programmable. Dual fuel sources (LP and 115VAC), what mix level of the fuel sources, fast tank recycle or Eco mode, On and Off Timer Programing for the furnace and water heater, temperature control for both, and more. It's very impressive for a RV system. It heats water fairly well and has an excellent tank recycle time, roughly 10-15 minutes, when using both gas and electric in "Boost" mode. Now the bad: 10 liters of hot water is all the tank holds...that is roughly 2.6 US gallons. When you have Truma Combi hot water management takes on a whole new meaning. For example do not run any hot water in the bathroom sink while the wife is in the shower. Adding a Oxygenics BodySpa shower kit helped on the shower side.... Wayne, beautiful Class C coach... Yes, we looked at Forrest River when we were shopping. Question, you said that you only have 10 litres which is about one half of a 6 gallon water heater....?? Is that correct? AND, is the Truma Combi heating system quiet??? I noticed that our propane heater is a little noisy with the fan.... It's OKAY, and we kinda get used to it, but, I can see why people like radiant heating systems.... Was there an opportunity to get a tankless system on your coach.... If I had to consider doing this over, I'd probably go for the tankless system. --Mark Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redldr1 Report post Posted February 3, 2018 6 hours ago, MWeiner said: Question, you said that you only have 10 litres which is about one half of a 6 gallon water heater....?? Is that correct? Yes, that is correct... It is not a big deal as long as you carefully manage your hot water usage. And as I mentioned it has an outstanding recycle time in "Boost" mode. Since we aren't "campers", we use our TS to tour, we are normally stopped at a campground with showers available anyway. Might as well use those amenities I'm paying for! Quote AND, is the Truma Combi heating system quiet??? I noticed that our propane heater is a little noisy with the fan.... It's OKAY, and we kinda get used to it, but, I can see why people like radiant heating systems.... While the Truma Combi water heater side is lacking it is an excellent furnace. Very quiet, no fan roar, and it warms the coach very well. Even so I usually use an electric ceramic heater as I see no reason to burn my LP while I'm paying for electricity in a campground. Quote Was there an opportunity to get a tankless system on your coach.... No, that isn't an option in the Forest River Sunseeker / Forester family. The Truma brand is German and is designed for small Euro sized caravans. After five years of living in Europe I know that most Europeans are more tolerant of small sized appliances than most Americans. With RV downsizing in general I suspect the Truma Combi will start being more common in both Class B and Class C units as time goes by... Truma also make a on-demand water heater that is used in some Forest River Class A brands. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mweiner Report post Posted February 4, 2018 4 hours ago, RedLdr1 said: Yes, that is correct... It is not a big deal as long as you carefully manage your hot water usage. And as I mentioned it has an outstanding recycle time in "Boost" mode. Since we aren't "campers", we use our TS to tour, we are normally stopped at a campground with showers available anyway. Might as well use those amenities I'm paying for! While the Truma Combi water heater side is lacking it is an excellent furnace. Very quiet, no fan roar, and it warms the coach very well. Even so I usually use an electric ceramic heater as I see no reason to burn my LP while I'm paying for electricity in a campground. No, that isn't an option in the Forest River Sunseeker / Forester family. The Truma brand is German and is designed for small Euro sized caravans. After five years of living in Europe I know that most Europeans are more tolerant of small sized appliances than most Americans. With RV downsizing in general I suspect the Truma Combi will start being more common in both Class B and Class C units as time goes by... Truma also make a on-demand water heater that is used in some Forest River Class A brands. Wayne, I agree...we use showers at campgrounds as well as electric whenever we can.... yes, it's an feature you're paying for...... We tried a small ceramic heater... didn't work out too well... didn't warm up that great, I'm thinking about an electric blanket...but, we have great wool blankets..We have a solar panel system and controller for our rig...works extremely well.. LP capacity a problem for your coach?? What's the capacity? Like you, we're more "touring", sometimes do camp somewhere for a few days, but, we're NOT full timers...no interested in going full time...we do like to travel and seeing new places is perfect in a rig that gets better MPG.... I've met some people who have super large Class As, and they are certainly beautiful...but, when you talk with them, they make two trips per year...they are snow birds going once every six months.... that's NOT what I bought my rig for... We just got back from a 12,000 miles trip across the USA....Can you imagine how much more that would have cost at 5 or 7 MPG.... compared to the 18 to 20 MPG we got...it's a huge difference.... We did a little boon docking at some BLM lands and even some Wal-Mart's for a quick stop and pick up supplies.... the smaller rigs do have an advantage to park almost anywhere... I'm envious of your quiet heating system.... ours is working fine, but, a little noisy. We'll get over it...we try not to go places where the temperature is below 32 degrees... although it did happen a couple of times....we had to add antifreeze to the tanks...by the way.. I'm told that UNLESS you're storing the rig for the season...you can just add the "pink fluid", easily obtained at any Wal-Mart...we drink bottled water...it works in a pinch... Then, you don't have to stress about breaking a "PEX line". We got home and flushed everything through several times...no problem. Enjoy your rig.... nice features. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MichaelCanode Report post Posted February 12, 2020 Hello, MWeiner and the rest of the group! My 1997 Airstream type B has a rear 'wet' bathroom, about 2/3 the width of the base vehicle. Suburban 6-gallon LPG water heater with an engine heat exchanger. Water is up to bathing temperature after around 40 minutes of highway driving, and stays hot for around 2-4 hours. I use a combination of the spray head and the bathroom sink for bathing: fill the sink around 2/3 full of just hot water, spray down body and hair, lather up with hot water and (usually) Liquid Neutrogena on a coarse washcloth. Then, rinse the washcloth and soak it in the hot water, wipe down top to bottom. Shampoo with same liquid soap, rinse with the spray head, done. I can shower every other day four or five times that way before running low on fresh water, and my LPG tank lasts me for around two camping seasons. I prefer the rear-bath arrangement in the 1988-2000 Airstreams, along with a few Coach House and Hymer models, because it spreads the interior space in the middle of the coach out wider. "Happy Cybercamping!" Michael Canode, F13059S / NZMCA #19250 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rolex Report post Posted March 8, 2020 In our 2019 Pleasureway Lexor FL water is heated as needed with a Truma Aqua Go plus instant hot water, so no worry about ever running out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted March 8, 2020 1 hour ago, Rolex said: In our 2019 Pleasureway Lexor FL water is heated as needed with a Truma Aqua Go plus instant hot water, so no worry about ever running out. There is nothing like a tankless water heater when on the road! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
