Are Aktiv and RoadTrek Class B Motorhomes going out of business? As many Aktiv and Road Trek owners know by now, on Feb 15, 2019 Erwin Hymer Group North America, Ontario manufacturer of RoadTrek, Hymer Aktiv, and Carado Class B motorhomes ceased business operations, laid off all their employees, and was placed into receivership by … Read more
See our calendar of Best 2023 RV Shows this winter. See other show and RV links at the bottom of this page.
ChicagoLand RV Show
The 2023 Chicagoland RV and Camping Show will be held February 16 -February 19, 2023 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. (see links lower down this page)
Here’s an idea of what to expect from our attendance at previous shows. I particularly enjoyed touring a number of Retro Campers and Travel Trailers (pictures below).
The AirStream Sport 16 is the pinnacle of compact luxury RV Traveling
The Chicago RV-Camper Show is about 10 times larger than the Madison RV Show we attended a few years ago. Hundreds of pull-behind campers, travel trailers, fifth-wheel trailers, and motor homes from Class B to mammoth luxury coaches.
We scored some discount coupons online which saved us “seniors” $4 off the regular $12 show price. But we got clipped real good at the nearby parking – $15 and still had to walk almost two blocks to the Convention Center. A better deal for parking and only about a block more of walking is the CTA Blue Line Depot at 5801 N. River Road (2.5 blocks north of the Convention Center).
While the Donald E Stephens Convention Center is a large facility the exhibit space was quite odd-shaped so it was really easy to get turned around and lose your sense of direction. If I went again I’d want to bring a compass to help navigate. Many times we stood around trying to figure out if we’d been down this aisle or that one.
Some of the highlights for us. Getting a chance to tour some of these luxury Motor Coaches. We see them often during our travels but never have been in one before. Another unit we’ve admired from afar but have never seen up close and on the inside are the famous Airstream Travel Trailers. One dealer had several sizes from a compact 16 footer to the larger, more luxury models. We spent some time admiring the new Winnebago Fuse, built on a Ford Transit chassis. I think this one is going to be a winner for Winnebago. We also liked the Winnebago View 24J, a very classy and well-appointed compact Class C motorhome built on a Mercedes chassis.
TearDrop and Pod Trailers
We did some Pod & Teardrop Trailer profiles a few years ago in an earlier RV Show article. We saw a few new models at this show and some we were familiar with but now tricked out with more accessories and distinctive styling.
Pod or teardrop trailers like this Tab are offering stylish and compact camping alternatives to tents.
Vintage & Retro Travel Trailers & Pods.
Our favorite camping units at the show were the Retro & Vintage travel trailers that have become more popular recently. Love the shape and the moon hubcaps. One both Jo and Eileen thought was really neat was one made by Amish craftsmen, the SunRay Travel Trailers in Shipshewana, IN.
We loved this Sunray Retro Camper made by Amish Craftsmen
Touring the Madison, Wisconsin RV & Camping Trailer Show
The 2023 Madison RV Show will be held on Feb 3, 4 and 5, 2023
Pods, Tear Drop and Ultra Lite Campers were popular items at the Madison RV Show. (For more on these new trends in travel trailers, scroll down for photos, descriptions, and info links lower down this page)
Held at Madison’s Alliance Center, the Madison RV Show features hundreds of trailers and fifth wheel “homes”, many of them more suitable for parking at a campground for several months than weekend traveling or traveling around the country. Jo and I had hoped to see some motor homes but there were only a handful in attendance.
More RV Show & Review links near bottom of the page
RVing & Outdoor Lounging
We are seeing more and more of these fancy outdoor kitchens as a popular feature in the larger travel trailers and fifth wheel homes. Another accessory is an outside plug-in and a mount for a flat screen TV and a set of outdoor entertainment center speakers. All these features seem oriented to the camper who spends as much lounging outside of their rig as they do inside. Keeping with this theme, another relatively new feature we noticed were units that were equipped with an the additional outside entrance to the RV that led directly to the bathroom. So when you are outside and need to go “potty” you can go directly there instead having to walk through the main living room of the RV. Would also be handy for the younger generation who may be tenting or in a pop-up camper next to the grandparents bigger RV.
In addition to the regular kitchen, this model offers an outdoor kitchen complete with sink, stove, microwave, fridge, and the usual outdoor bbq grill
This one had, in addition to the outdoor kitchen and bbq grill, a second outside entrance to the bathroom convenient for outdoor living
Pod Trailers and Tear-Drop Campers
A popular style travel trailer that seems to get a lot of attention are these retro tear-drop shaped models that are aero-dynamic and light enough (under 2000 pounds) to be trailered by a smaller, more fuel efficient vehicle (i.e. SUV not needed). These units are a nice graduation from tent camping because they can fit on smaller camp sites, are easy to tow, easy to store at home, and yet offer a clear improvement in comfort and protection from the weather over tent camping. Two of the more popular of this type of unit are the T@b (aka Tab) and the R-Pod. They come in a variety of floor plans, including slide-outs, expandablesome of which include the outdoor kitchen to give more room inside for other amenities.
The largest and most completely outfitted of the compact pod trailers are those offered by Forest Rivers R-Pods Compact, but the unit even includes a separate bedroomThe convertible dinette and kitchen sink (stove is to the left out of view)Even some of the smaller units offered an outdoor kitchenThe dinette (converts to a bed) inside the Tab. The cabinets also serve as a pass-thru from the outside kitchen
Pictures & Links to some Ultra-Light & Pod Travel Trailers
Forest River R-Pod
Forest River’s Pod Campers offer the most conveniences but are heavier than most in this class, yet they still would be classified as light. forestriverinc.com/rpod/
The T@b or Tab Camper Trailer
The T@b also offers a number of extra features or conveniences but in a compact package.
So-Cal compact trailer
The So-Cal Teardrop trailers are light and compact but offer a few ingenious comfort and convenience options.
The Little Guy is the T@b’s little brother for the ultra-lite travler whose primary interests are a good warm dry bed ready to go in minutes if not seconds.
A Class B Motorhome is essentially a Custom Van built on an assembly line by a motorhome manufacturer. In the US the most popular van chassis as a base for the customization are the Mercedes Sprinter, the Ford Transit, and the Dodge Ram ProMaster. Some of the top Class B RV manufacturers are Airstream, Pleasure Way, Coachman, Winnebago, and Hymer-Road Trek.
What is the difference between a Class C and a Class B Motorhome?
What distinguishes a Class C motorhome from a Class B is that in the former case only the Cab section and underlying frame and running gear come from the vehicle manufacturer. Whereas in the Class B it is the entire vehicle. Inside a Class B and a Class C vehicle may look very similar; however the interior width of a Class B is limited by the basic width of the van chassis. So in general, for a given overall vehicle length, a Class C is more spacious because the coach section of the RV is wider than the cab.
The Winnebago Travato is the leader in Class B Motorhomes
The Thor Compass is a Class C motorhome
Advantages of a Class B RV
One advantage of Class B is price and value. For the motorhome manufacturer, it is less expensive to convert and customize the van chassis over having to build a coach section from the ground up. Another advantage is driving ease. Many Class Bs feel as easy to drive and park as an SUV or large pickup truck. Service is also a plus since just about 100% of the drive train, running gear, etc. are standard parts and service that are available from a Mercedes, Ford, Chevie or Dodge dealership.
There is also a broader array of interior design options because you aren’t limited to the major RV manufacturers models. A whole small industry has sprung up of small custom van shops that build a Class B or custom camper van based on a customer’s specifications. The most popular of this group of custom RV manufacturers is Sportsmobile. They have 3 manufacturing shops (Texas, California, and Indiana) and offer both standard models and custom design-your-own van or motorhome.
Lately there are also small van component manufacturers who offer do-it-yourself kits to convert the interior of a van into a completely furnished RV. The kits offer modular units that slide in place. Some are meant for permanent installations, but others are built in a way that you can easily remove them so you can use your van for general cargo carrying.
The Top Class B Motorhomes
While the custom-job and component shops offer many interesting options, our Class B review here focuses on what is available from the traditional RV manufacturer. We are also focusing on vans that are full-featured motorhomes in contrast to camper vans that may not have a bathroom or lack a furnace or air-conditioning unit.
The major disadvantage of the van-built RV is space, space both for interior comfort in the “coach” or living section of the unit and space for storage of clothes and gear. How a particular manufacturer and model handles these challenges is a major consideration in our ratings.
Some of the criteria we considered in narrowing the field:
Less than 23 feet long; too long affects ease of handling and parking
Luggage space – room enough for two golf club bags
Natural Lighting – this is particularly important due to the small living space
Dinette option that doesn’t require tearing down your bed
Seating and Seat Belts for at least 4 people
Convenience accessories and appliances equal to larger units
Cost – under $125,000, otherwise why not get a Class C
Using these criteria narrowed our options greatly. As we observed with our review of Class Cs, European RV manufacturers do a much better job than their American and Canadian counterparts in packing a huge amount of value and convenience in a small package.
One of the standards features you often find in Europe are the dinette set up front behind the cab that doesn’t require being broken down for the main bed, allowing the rear bed to remain made-up during the day if desired. A few American and Canadian Class Bs are employing that feature including all of our top rated units.
Post Update: The following reviews were the top 2020 Class Bs. Helpful if you are in the market for a used or pre-owned Class B.
European manufacturer Hymer is bringing their classic compact designs to their new manufacturing facility in Canada. Read our Hymer Aktiv 2.0 Review here.
The originator of the modern mass manufactured motor homes has 4 Class B models; we think the Travato is the best of them. Read our Travato Class B Van Review here.
Honorable Mentions:
If you only expect to transport two people or are a solo RVer, the compact RoadTrek 190 would be worth looking at. We also were impressed with the Canadian Manufacturer Safari Condo and their XL FLEX 22′ model. The one drawback we saw in this one was it appeared the dinette table had to be broken down during traveling. If off-roading, boondocking, and bringing your bikes or kayak with you fits your life style, the Winnie Revel is a clever compact 4×4 with just about all the amenities you’d need. Practical capacity would be 2 adults + one kid and you’d need about $150,000 to get set up right in this little guy.
In 2019 unfortunately 2 of the 3 recommended Class B Van Motorhomes featured in this article became discontinued and no longer in production. This was due to a major financial fiasco (including possible malfeasance by top executives) of Hymer North America, the Canadian manufacturer of both RoadTrek and Hymer brands of motorhomes (read more here).
That left the Winnebago Travato alone at the top of this market. Good for Winnebago, but not so good for choice of options by the consumer. One of the options is buying a basic Van and tricking out as a Custom Camper Van by using modular camping units that are being offered to the RV Market. Look for our article on this soon.
German motorhome manufacturer Hymer acquired RoadTrek to gain entry into the North American market. They are manufacturing a Hymer line of products in the RoadTrek factory in Ontario, Canada.
Unfortunately the Hymer Activ2.0 that we profiled in this article, and liked very much, is no longer being made due to the company discontinuing operations (see article referenced above if you want more details.)
We like the Aktiv 2.0 as it packs a lot of quality features in a compact package. It is built on a Dodge ProMaster chassis and comes in at less than 21 feet in length. The power plant is a 24 valve 3.6 liter gas engine that I’ve been told gets pretty decent gas mileage. A feature I particularly like is the dinette area is forward next to the cab, a setup often found in European compact motorhomes. There’s seating for four with a bench seat and the two cab seats that turn around. The foldup dinette table, however, is too small to handle four people, three max. This allows you to keep your rear bed made up during the daytime, a handy feature.
Dinette easily offers room for two and some tiny space for two more casual diners. Table can stay up while traveling for a passenger to use as a desk.
The Murphy Bed tilts up for access to the spacious storage compartments and provides an aisle to bring bikes, golf clubs, or other toys.
Another feature I like is the gen set is part of the basic Dodge engine, actually a second alternator that generates 110 power. Why this is a plus is because separate generators take special care and maintenance; if they aren’t regularly exercised the carb gets gummed up and as a separate engine it brings another set of maintenance chores. I suppose running your Dodge engine might burn a little more fuel than an independent gen set engine, but unless you use your gen set quite a lot, the difference is probably only a few dollars a year.
You can see the influence of German engineering in a number of the appointments in the interior. Quality materials and intelligent design. Spacious cabinets, good led lighting, and a decent amount of natural light through the windows and skylight. The rear area can either be a convertible power sofa that converts into a king bed or a murphy-style bed that folds up if you want a huge amount of cargo space for bikes, golf clubs, etc. Even in the down position, the murphy bed provides a goodly amount of extra storage underneath.
While shown sleeping front to back, sleepers less than 6′ could sleep side-side in the coach due to the slightly larger width of the ProMaster chassis.
The main drawback is the relatively tiny closet. It looks to be only about 12 inches wide, maybe even less. So not much space for hanging clothes. The refrigerator is also smaller than the Roadtrek, coming in a 3.1 cubic feet.
Like theRoadTrek 210, the Aktiv also offers the EkoTrek battery management system as an option that greatly extends your off-the-grid living and comfort. Unlike the RoadTrek, the Aktiv has a more hefty towing capacity – up to 3500 lbs. And it is considerably less expensive to buy.
Hymer Aktiv 2.0 MSRP starting at $102,427
Important Feb 18, 2019 Update. Our enthusiasm for the Hymer Aktiv 2.0 has been greatly dampened. The Ontario firm has just laid off its entire workforce and announced it is going into receivership. Apparently some malfeasance by members of the upper management were part of the problem. Read more about the Hymer Layoff here and their financial difficulties involving an estimated $300 million in liabilities.
While Hymer won’t be returning, the company buying the assets of the firm and the RoadTrek name has re-entered the US-Canadian motorhome market. See our December, 2020. Article onThe “New” 2021 RoadTrek
New RoadTrek Motorhome
Next Review: Winnebago Travato – employing many of the design features of the Aktiv with a few twists.
Compact Class C MotorHome Reviews – PleasureWay Plateau XLTS
2021 Update. While PleasureWay no longer makes the XLTS or any Class C motorhomes, this review will be handy for those shopping for used or nearly new compact motorhome. The XLTS is worth considering. 2023 Update – surprise! Pleasure Way, after a 4 year absence is again making the XLTS.
In my previous reviews of American or Canadian Compact Class C Motorhomes, I didn’t include a new entry for 2018 from Pleasure Way Industries from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The main drawback hampering its inclusion was price. An MSRP base price of $145,470.00! Our threshold was $100,000. While you could expect to find a dealer who could knock several thousand dollars off that $145K price, I would be surprised if a buyer could ever get below $110,000.
But for the benefit of those who might not be scared off by the sticker price, I’ll review some of the strengths. While Pleasure-Way has been known for producing high quality Class B motorhomes, the Plateau XLTS is a wide-body Class C. That extra width is important as even the high end Class Bs we’ve looked at always seem claustrophobic. While using the Mercedes chassis that has become popular, they managed to keep the length down to 22′ 9″ whereas many competitors using the Mercedes platform are pushing 25 feet.
Our benchmark features for a compact Class C Motorhome are those we have found in our Winnebago Rialta. Those are:
Low profile, aerodynamic and attractive body style
Short length (21 feet) enables parking in a conventional automobile parking space
Driving and manevering it is as easy as a pickup truck
Doubles as a deluxe passenger van with seating for 4 adults and 3 kids
Large coach windows, with natural light lending an open feeling to the interior
Large rear-facing picture window with view from the driver’s seat
Good gas mileage: 17 – 19 highway
Has the same coach accessories/conveniences of much bigger units.
Two features of the Rialta we don’t have that we might trade-off against having some of the above are: 1) Not having to tear down the bed each day to put up the dinette and 2) Having better service available than we now have due to the no-longer-available-in-US VW eurovan engine and chassis.
How does the XLTS stack up?
Somewhat aerodynamic and attractive body style but rather tall at 10′ 9″
Shorter than many competitors at 22’9″
Driving – we would need to do a test drive, but with decent aerodynamics and shorter length expect it better than most
Doubling a passenger van – does well here, can tote at least 5 adults.
Rear lounge area has three fairly spacious windows, good natural lighting
Has medium-sized rear window with view from the driver’s seat.
Mileage claim: 14 to 16 mpg (diesel fuel not gas)
Coach accessories/conveniences are top notch, A+
The coach fit and construction materials of the Pleasure-Way XLTS are grade A. Tubular steel frame, a molded fiberglass skin with very few seams, everything bonded together without fasteners. High quality, durable clear coat finish. Inside the cabinetry is quality construction, real maple wood with mortise and tenon joints. Deluxe appointments like corian countertops, spacious dry bathroom, dimmable LED lights, 6 cubic foot 3 way refrigerator, lithium batteries, a 2000 watt sine wave inverter, and many more very deluxe accessories. The monitoring panels for electrical and plumbing utilities are extremely high tech – touch pad features, providing state-of-the-art metrics and controls. So you get lots of creature comforts and quality materials to help justify spending up to $50,000 more than units that may bear some physical resemblance to the XLTS. To be fair, part of that premium price is due to the Mercedes chassis. In our reviews of Class C options, it seemed just changing out the chassis from Mercedes to either Dodge or Ford saved from $10,000 to $20,000.
I like the floor plan. Two lounge areas. Good use of space and option to keep the bed made up.
The two handy workstation tables.
Sofa bed converted into Queen Bed
A few special features of note. Behind the driver and passenger seats are two work station tables that when the seats are swiveled around work nicely for a laptop computer or an individual dining table. In the rear lounge area is a power sofa that converts into a bed. In the sofa configuration, there is also a dining table (that stores when the bed is made up). But due to the two workstation tables up front, one could elect to leave the rear bed made up. Another nice feature of the power sofa bed is that it can convert either to a full-size queen bed or two twin beds. Given its larger bathroom and relatively short length, there is a decent amount of interior storage space in closets, cabinets, pull-out drawers, etc.
Pleasure-Way doesn’t quote the amount of exterior storage. It looks to be at least halfway decent. Not sure we could store two golf bags, which is one of our personal criteria for a Compact Class C motorhome. We’ll amend this report once we are able to visit a dealership or find this model at an RV Show to see it in the flesh. So stay tuned for more reports.
PS. Also on our 2018 review docket is an in person review of the new North American Hymer Aktiv 2.0.
We are the owners of a classic motorhome admired and desired by many prospective motorhome buyers: the Winnebago Rialta (shown at the top of the page). In production from 1995 to 2005 the Rialta ceased being manufactured by Winnebago because the VW Eurovan chassis upon which it was built was no longer being made for the American market.
We love the low profile, aerodynamic and attractive body style and we get stopped often by people admiring it as what they have been looking for. Besides looks there are other features we like about the Rialta.
Short length (21 feet) enables parking in a conventional automobile parking space
Driving and maneuvering it is as easy as a pickup truck
Doubles as a deluxe passenger van with seating for 4 adults and up to 3 kids
Large coach windows, with natural light lending an open feeling to the interior
Large rear-facing picture window with view from the driver’s seat
Good gas mileage: 17 – 19 highway
Has the same coach accessories/conveniences of much bigger units.
But our unit is getting “long in the tooth” and one of these days we will have to buy a new Class C. Which is the reason we began doing serious research on the alternatives.
Every year when the new models come out, our heads are turned to see “what’s new” and what might be a viable replacement if and when we decide to sell our Rialta.
Here’s our review of leading candidates.
Compact Class C Motorhomes – Europe Sets the Standard
In our attendance at RV Shows and searching online we’ve yet to come upon any units (made in USA or Canada) that provide a nicer bed setup and better mechanical service options without compromising many of the features of the Rialta we love.
It seems the kind of motor home that would be a good alternative to the Rialta is only built in Europe. They seem more dedicated than US manufacturers in providing the most in space and convenience in the smallest possible footprint.
To follow are samples of several European models of compact motorhomes that manage to pack a whole lot of room in a small footprint
European Style Motorhomes set the standard in Class C
Hymer Motorhomes
Typical of the kind of compact motor home you find in Europe are the models made by German Manufacturer Hymer. Their motorhomes manage to pack in a huge amount of internal and external storage in a small footprint. Their build is quality throughout with ingenious engineering touches.
The smallest of their units is the Hymer Van At 19.65 feet long, the Hymer Van is even shorter than the Rialta. And at 9 feet tall it is only a little taller. It is an amazing little unit with a permanent bed system – either double or twin, a dinette area for 3, van seating for 4, large exterior storage, and ingenious storage drawers and units throughout the interior. Quality design and materials throughout. It is built on a fuel efficient Fiat Ducato Chassis. The only downside to the Van model is apparently coach Air Conditioning isn’t an option. Here’s a video profile of the Hymer Van.
Larger Hymer Compact Motorhomes
To get a larger kitchen set-up, more space in general, and coach air-conditioning you’d have to upgrade to either the T-Class CL model or their Hymer ML-T model.
The twin-bed bedroom model T-Class CL 574 is 22.3 feet long; the queen bed model T-Class CL 698 is 24.1 feet long. Both these models are on the Fiat Ducato chassis with an option to upgrade the hp from 130 hp to 180 hp. The ML-T models are built on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis. The ML-T 560 offers a double-bed setup for the permanent bedroom. The 560 measures 22.9 feet long and 9.5 feet high overall. Quite compact compared to Sprinter builds we find in the US. It seems US motorhome builders can’t build on a Sprinter Chassis any less than 24.5 feet. Europeans must have access to a slightly smaller Mercedes Van Chassis or it is just that European idea of not making something any bigger than it needs to be for the features you want?
Both the ML-T and Class CL have dining for 4 persons and dry baths wit a separate shower unit. Like their smaller 314 Van little brother, ingenious storage drawers and cubby spaces all over the place providing lots of storage – no wasted space. The outside external storage (called the garage) offers a massive amount of storage space.
Hobby Optima Motorhome
Just to show you that Hymer isn’t alone in offering spacious, quality-built, compact motorhomes, lets take a look at another German motorhome manufacturer: Hobby. They offer similar quality and options to Hymer but give the buyer a few different options or layout configurations not offered by Hymer. I like their Optima model 65 GQ. While spacious in the interior it runs only 22.9 feet in length. The dinette can can handle up to 5 people and their are seat belts for 4 passengers. This model comes with a queen size bed. With an average set of options, the Optima prices out around $75,000 US dollars. Take a look at the Hobby Optima Video here:
In researching on the Internet I discovered another possible reason for the space and size efficiency of European motor homes. Apparently in Europe on a regular automobile license you can only drive a vehicle weighing up to 3500 kg. Anything over that and you need a special license. So there is a consumer incentive to offer full-featured motorhomes under that weight. Unfortunately in the US there isn’t that incentive.
Here’s a few more examples of the kinds of compact, yet full-featured motorhomes offered in Europe sent to me by reader Mathias of Austria.
LaStrade Nova EB
LaStrada Nova EB
The Nova EB is a class B sized motorhome 22.9 feet long built on a Mercedes sprinter chassis with very clean lines. But it is a Class C because coach section is manufactured by LaStrada. It is under 10 feet in height and about 7 feet in width. It has a dedicated front lounge with seating for 4 at the dinette table and a dedicated sleeping area in the rear which can be two twins or one large double bed. Generous garage style exterior storage. A very attractive unit that would sell well in the US.
Dethleff Pulse
Dethleff Pulse
The Pulse is a low profile Class C from Dethleff’s that is 22.9 feet long, less than 10 feet high and 7.5 feet wide. It has ample garage style exterior storage, a dedicated front lounge/dinette area and a dedicated bedroom in the rear with either twin beds or one double bed. It is built on a Fiat chassis which is similar to the Dodge Ram. That extra interior space from a custom cab unit makes it so much more livable. It should be built here but US manufacturers are tied into essentially doing Conversion Vans on the narrower profile.
Wingamm City Suite
Wingamm City Suite
The City Suite is built on a Fiat Ducato chassis that is 22.9 feet long. However it’s width is the same as the Fiat Ducato van but it isn’t a class B due to the fact that Wingamm builds the entire coach section – “The bodywork is not the sheet metal of the van, but a fiberglass monocoque with all the thermal and acoustic comfort guaranteed by Wingamm standards. The entrance door is not the huge sliding door of the van, but a solid hinged door made of insulated double-shell fiberglass.” While the same width as its Van counterpart, the custom built coach allows a bit more interior room and layout options than you get with Van conversion style Class Bs. Also unlike Class B motorhomes the City Suite has garage style generous exterior storage. Like other Euro Compact Class Cs, it has a dedicated front lounge for 4 and a rear double bed.
Unfortunately European standards haven’t been copied here. There is no viable alternative to the Winnebago Rialta made in the US or Canada. If you believe there is let me know in the comments so I can find out more about it!
ChicagoLand RV Show
The 2017 Chicagoland RV and Camping Show was held Feb 16 – 19th at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. The Donald E Stephens Convention Center is a large facility but the exhibit space is quite odd-shaped so it was really easy to get turned around and lose your sense of direction. At last year’s Chicago RV Show I told myself if I went again I’d want to bring a compass to help navigate. Well I forgot the compass and got turned around several times – again!
We were very impressed with the Thor Vegas, an affordable coach-style motor home.
We again scored some discount coupons online which saved us “seniors” $4 off the regular $12 show price. We also saved some money by parking at the CTA Blue Line Depot at 5801 N. River Road (2.5 blocks north of the Convention Center.
In addition to checking out “what’s new” across the spectrum of RV Motorhomes and Travel Trailers, our personal goals for this year’s show was to look closely at Class B and smaller Class C motor homes and also lightweight and retro or vintage-style travel trailers. We might be in the market for either of these two kinds of RVs.
Retro Travel Trailers
In last year’s post on the 2016 Chicago Show we showed several pictures and manufacturer links to Retro or Vintage Travel Trailers, an increasingly popular style. One of the originators of this new “back to the 50s and 60s style of travel trailers” is Riverside RV who makes the Whitewater Retro trailer. This year they have expanded their line of Retro style trailers with Retro Toy Haulers.
The couches in the living room of this Retro Toy Hauler fold up to provide room to haul your 4 wheeler or snowmobile.
The retro theme continues in the kitchen and back bedroom of the toy hauler.
My favorite retro-style travel trailer is Gulf Stream’s Vintage Cruiser. As they say in their promo the Fun of the 50’s married to the Technology of the 21st Century. The Vintage Cruiser comes in a variety of lengths and floor plan configurations. My favorite is the 17rwd as it weighs less than 3000 lbs, is a compact 20 feet long, yet feels roomy in the interior.
For 2017-18 Gulf Stream has carried over the wood-grain look from the interior to the exterior.
I like the cozyness, yet room for four, of the dining area of this 17 foot model.
Sort of semi-retro looking is Forest River’s R-Pods. The RP-179 has a slide-out dinette area and was Jo’s favorite. Like the Vintage it is a compact 20′ long and weighs less than 3000 lbs.
Comfortable dinette, full closet with storage drawers, and queen bed had Jo thinking “pretty nice.”
Lots of kitchen counter space, convenient layout, nice view from the kitchen window.
