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Topic: My B and a question?
Posted By: JamesJudasPriest on 08/29/16 04:39pm

Thought I'd post a few pictures of my summer vacation mobile, and also see if there are other owners of my kind of class B

1990 Dodge B-350 based Islander goldstream. Full paint and exterior restoration in 2013

The overcab sleeper is great. While I like roadtrek, pleasureway and other brands of B RVs as well, they all lack this. I don't know why there are no more widebody or Van based Bs with overcab sleepers.

Anyway, here are a few before and after pics.

[image]

[image]

[image]


I plan to have it as long as possible

Posted By: Jayhawk on 08/29/16 05:03pm

Beautiful transformation. Did you do anything inside?

Posted By: JamesJudasPriest on 08/29/16 05:07pm

Thank you very much!

Layout Identical. Its one of those dinette layouts where the rear of the van is the bathroom. Cushions reupholstered, painted over dated wood accents, New stove, fridge, complete electrical rewire!

Mechanical stuff to keep it safe (brakes, fluids, tires, belts alternator, shocks, axle seals, etc)

Posted By: Tripalot on 08/29/16 05:35pm

Older people - many with arthritis, can't get into a cab over bed - e.g. truck campers.
We loved our T.C., but realized with getting older and bad knees, climbing into that bed would be difficult. Our current B+ has a Murphy bed which works well for us but even it is a little higher than a normal bed.

Your unit looks v.g. - you did a nice job of restoring it. Keep enjoying it as long as you can.

2014 Triple E Regency GT24MB (Murphy Bed) with all the good stuff
towing a 2016 Jeep Cherokee TrailHawk
Berkley, the amazing camping cat missed dearly (1996-2012)

Posted By: goreds2 on 08/29/16 06:45pm

Awesome B - Very cool - You don't see many of those! I am sure you have had people ask if it is for sale.

See Picture In My Profile
I have a 1989 Dodge XPLORER RV Class B - Purchased 10/15/10 IN CASH
Fiance' purchased a Class C 2002 Dynamax Carri-go on 5/1/15 IN CASH
We've got the best of both worlds

Posted By: AsheGuy on 08/29/16 07:12pm

Very nice looking restoration. Sounds like a great job on the interior also.

David & Margaret - 2005 LTV 210B 3S
- Our Blog -


Posted By: hl remington on 08/29/16 07:48pm

Looks great.

Posted By: JamesJudasPriest on 08/30/16 08:37am

Thanks for the comments!

Posted By: JamesJudasPriest on 08/30/16 08:40am

goreds2 wrote:

Awesome B - Very cool - You don't see many of those! I am sure you have had people ask if it is for sale.


You are correct. A number of people have approached me about buying it and I tell them sorry, I love it too much. Even if I was going to sell it, I would have to ask for a price that would be unreasonable to most for an older van. but Iv'e spent a lot and at this point I might as well just maintain it for as long as possible.

Posted By: Naio on 08/30/16 09:48am

Beautiful paint job!

I think it's a small C, though, not a B. The difference is that the RV is a little wider than the original van. And that is what makes the cabover bed possible -- if you stay within the van width, you only get about 5' for the bed.

3/4 timing in a DIY van conversion. Backroads, mountains, boondocking, sometimes big cities for a change of pace.


Posted By: studio_driver on 08/30/16 06:04pm

Sorry Naio but the pictures clearly show that it started as a van. It therefore fits the definition of a Class B. Side cut-outs and cab-over have nothing to do with the classification.

This has been discussed to death before on this forum.

Beautiful renovation work in any case.

Alain

2007 PW Excel TS
2 adults


Posted By: cjoseph on 08/30/16 06:29pm

That is the epitome of a B+

It started as a van and had some box added to it.

What the industry calls B+ is often just a C minus the cab over bed. Those should really be called Class C- ??

Chuck, Heidi, Jessica & Nicholas
2013 Tiffin Allegro 35QBA

Posted By: AsheGuy on 08/30/16 07:04pm

cjoseph wrote:

That is the epitome of a B+

[emoticon]

Posted By: My Roadtrek on 08/30/16 09:20pm

studio_driver wrote:

Sorry Naio but the pictures clearly show that it started as a van. It therefore fits the definition of a Class B. Side cut-outs and cab-over have nothing to do with the classification.

This has been discussed to death before on this forum.

Beautiful renovation work in any case.

Alain


X2

Posted By: sodajerk on 08/31/16 07:27am

Why all the discussion over letters of the alphabet? Why not just call it "looking good."

Happy Camping
Jim & Jo Ann
1973 Wide Body Superior Class B on a Chevy 1 Ton Van. 350 Fuel Injection
"Oldie but goodie"

Posted By: ennajean on 08/31/16 09:50am

I like it. (looking good)

Anne and Dick

DABEE a 2006 Ford Sportsmobile Penthouse top.

Posted By: 401nailhead on 08/31/16 07:24pm

Great B! Great Dodge. As an owner of a Coachmen with a bed up there, I like a lot. I think we have to see the interior photos though. Also, my question is, that is a lot of front surface. What gas milage? I get about 13 mpg with the coachmen, and really want to be at 14 at a minimum.

Posted By: My Roadtrek on 09/01/16 12:55am

sodajerk wrote:

Why all the discussion over letters of the alphabet? Why not just call it "looking good."


As the former Moderator for this forum I will try and explain the reason.
Mainly, it's to keep the two forums, the B and C from becoming intermingled. New owners sometimes, not in this case, don't know if they purchased a Class B, or Class C.
Since a so called B+ can be 35' long with multiple slide outs, the letters are a way to keep the forums organized. You don't see Class B's posted in Class A, and the same goes for this forum. If I see a post about a Class C I will usually tell the person so they can post in the correct forum where they will find other similar RV's and get the best help. Contrary to what people sometimes think, it's not about disparaging a certain type, or class of RV, is just keeping posts in the correct forum.
The problem in this post was a misinformed person, who didn't know the difference between a B, and a C making an incorrect comment.
To the op, very cool looking Class B, and one to be proud of.

Posted By: JamesJudasPriest on 09/04/16 07:49pm

I believe the van should be classified as a B.

It does in fact retain the original rear van doors, bumper and chassis except for portions of the sides and top. The vehicle was originally purchased as a van and then brought to the conversion company. Apparently back then that is what was done hah.

In terms of fuel mileage, I'm honestly not sure However it doesn't seem that bad. I can go over 550 km per tank it seems if flat highway. The motor is the first year of EFI and it is a 360ci.

Posted By: BillJ999 on 09/06/16 06:54pm

Here is how the RVIA describes a class B. The pictures sure look like this van! There is no mention of it starting as a van or a cutaway, whether in the class B or class C description.
http://www.rvia.org/?esid=TypeBMHs

Posted By: SuperiorBound on 09/06/16 07:04pm

I too prefer the old style B like yours.

Posted By: My Roadtrek on 09/06/16 07:55pm

BillJ999 wrote:

Here is how the RVIA describes a class B. The pictures sure look like this van! There is no mention of it starting as a van or a cutaway, whether in the class B or class C description.
http://www.rvia.org/?esid=TypeBMHs


This is from RIVA'S consumer site.
Type B Motorhome
"Commonly called van campers, Type B Motorhomes are built using automotive manufactured van or panel-truck shells. Van campers drive more like the family car, but offer the comforts and conveniences of home on the road."

Type C Motorhome
"Type C Motorhomes are built on an automotive van frame with a wider body section attached to the original cab section. Many Type C Motorhomes are easily recognizable by the over-the-cab area that is often an optional sleeping area. Amenities are similar to those in conventional motorhomes."

Go RVing

These are the definitions that RV.Net uses for its web site.
I'm sure it will continue to be argued till the dead horse comes back to life. [emoticon]

* This post was last edited 09/07/16 05:12pm by My Roadtrek *

Posted By: Davydd on 09/07/16 06:46am

Here is the clickable link.

Type B Motorhomes

Note they don't say Class B anymore. They say type B but clearly say camper van. The rest is somewhat not very clear as a distinction such as drives like a family van, sleeps up to four and an out of date price range. The examples of the Bs are out of date as well since no new B looks like the examples.

Does it matter? What matters is what RV.net says and how it sets up its message boards. Why people argue that and can't accept it is mystifying to me.

Davydd
2021 Advanced RV 144 WB 2500 Class B
2015 Advanced RV Ocean One Class B

Posted By: BudJ on 09/07/16 07:56am

Davydd wrote:

Here is the clickable link.

Type B Motorhomes

Note they don't say Class B anymore. They say type B but clearly say camper van. The rest is somewhat not very clear as a distinction such as drives like a family van, sleeps up to four and an out of date price range. The examples of the Bs are out of date as well since no new B looks like the examples.

Does it matter? What matters is what RV.net says and how it sets up its message boards. Why people argue that and can't accept it is mystifying to me.



Yes, Type B. But the word 'class' is now 'type'.

There are now Type A and C too, you may have missed it - maybe not.

Bud

Posted By: My Roadtrek on 09/07/16 01:56pm

They use to call it Class changed to Type several years ago. Even though they changed it, pretty much everyone kept using the term Class. It was discussed back then as to why RIVA changed, and several people thought that RIVA felt that Class was not "PC" enough. [emoticon]
Go RVing is RIVA's consumer site. Has a little better definitions.

* This post was edited 09/07/16 05:14pm by My Roadtrek *

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