If there’s one lasting impact from the coronavirus pandemic, it’s the realization that in our digitally connected world, people can work from anywhere. And “anywhere” can most definitely include working on the road, maybe even from a van-style recreational vehicle.
But whether you’re pursuing full-time “van life,” or just want to have an easy way to take a weekend camping trip, a van-style camper, known as a Class B RV, might be just the vehicle for you.
Read on for our recommendations for the best Class B RV for a variety of recreational and traveling needs, including a look at the features that makes each one a good choice for on-the-road adventuring.
Best Luxury Class B RVs
Many people in the market for a Class B RV, particularly those who plan to spend long stretches of time, or even every day on the road, understandably will want as many creature comforts as can be packed into a 20- to 30-foot vehicle only slightly wider than many passenger cars.
Listed here are our top recommendations for the best Class B RV options for those interested in an upscale RV experience, one that won’t leave you missing out on any of the comforts of home.
1. 2023 Airstream Atlas™ Murphy Suite
If you want to be sure you’re getting a best Class B RV, why not rely on Airstream, the company whose iconic silver travel trailers have virtually defined recreational vehicles for years?
The 2023 Airstream Atlas™ Murphy Suite, built on the reliable Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis, retails at a suggested starting price of $289,000. But what you get for that investment sleeps two people in recreational luxury, and is why it made our list as a best Class B RV.
Technically a Class B+ RV, which means it offers a bit more space than a traditional Class B RV, the Airstream Atlas™ is at the top of our list because it illustrates what the best in van life can offer.
Complementing its slide-out Murphy bed, the 24-foot Airstream Atlas™ includes a full bathroom and a well-appointed kitchen area that are as close to home living as you can get on the road. Find the best RV mattress for your new bed.
The kitchen includes a two-burner gas stove, a stainless steel sink, a convection microwave oven and even a refrigerator-freezer.
A diesel generator, a climate control system, and a powered awning to provide outdoor shade are among just a few of the other amenities in the Airstream Atlas™ that place it on our list as a best Class B RV.
For more on the Airstream Atlas™, and to see whether it might be the best Class B RV for you, check out the Airstream website.
2. Winnebago Revel
Like others among the best Class B RV options, the nearly 20-foot long Winnebago Revel is built on the venerable Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis. With a manufacturer’s suggested retail price starting at a bit above $210,000, the Revel sleeps two in an ample bed measuring more than four feet wide and more than 6.5 feet long, perched handily atop a gear storage area.
Other features of the top-of-the-line Winnebago Revel include a wet bath, which places a sink and a five-gallon cassette toilet (a cassette toilet flushes into a small tank that must occasionally be taken out and emptied) inside the shower space. There’s also a kitchen with a single-burner induction cooktop, a refrigerator/freezer and a stainless-steel sink.
An interior height of slightly more than six feet means that the Winnebago Revel will comfortably accommodate its users. Also, the Revel is well-equipped for off-grid use with a 320 ampere-hour battery that allows you to comfortably enjoy the outdoors. And should it get cold during one of your outdoor adventures, the Revel includes a quiet-running heating system.
Much more on the Revel is available directly from Winnebago, for you to evaluate whether it might be the best Class B RV for you.
3. Coachmen Galleria
At a little more than 24 feet, and with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of nearly $261,000, the Coachmen Galleria is at the top end for length of Class B RVs, and is also a top-end choice as a best Class B RV. Built on an extended Mercedes-Benz Sprinter platform, the Coachmen Galleria offers an impressive array of standard features within its ample space, from a 24-inch “smart” TV to a 12-volt air conditioner to multiple USB ports to accommodate all of your electronic devices.
But those aren’t the only reasons that the Coachmen Galleria made our list as a best Class B RV. The Galleria can sleep two adults and one child, and has room for seven travelers while on the road. It also offers four floor plans, all of which include a wet bath with sink, shower and toilet. Each floor plan also includes a galley with a variety of cooking and refrigeration options.
Also with the Coachmen Galleria, you’ll get a propane-powered generator and three 110-watt solar panels if your RV adventures take you beyond the reach of utilities. Additionally, R-15 floor insulation and a 12-volt air conditioner ensure that you’ll be comfortable during your time in nature.
Yet another reason that the Coachmen Galleria made our list as a best Class B RV option is the manufacturer’s attention to small creature comforts, such as the multiple USB ports in the living area, along with the reading lights placed throughout the RV, and motion sensor lighting for safety and security.
For a fuller exploration of the Coachmen Galleria, check out the manufacturer’s website.
Best Budget Class B RVs
If you’re new to the world of RVing, or if household expenses like kids or school leave you with budgetary constraints, there are still plenty of Class B RV options available to you. You should be aware, though, that even budget RV prices can extend into the low six figures.
Read on for a look at our recommendations for the best Class B RV options for those who have to pay close attention to household finances but still want the opportunity to spend time with family and friends in the outdoors.
4. Pleasure-Way Tofino
Built on the Ram ProMaster 1500 van chassis, the Pleasure-Way Tofino is an excellent entry-level option, and was an easy choice for our list of the best Class B RV choices, at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of just over $94,000. For that, you get an RV that uses a pop-top both to boost sleeping space and to open up the RV’s living space.
The overhead bunk, measuring four feet by six feet, augments the sofa below that converts to a queen-size bed. The Pleasure-Way Tofino also offers a sink, induction stove and refrigerator, along with ample interior storage space.
Like many entry-level Class B RVs, the Pleasure-Way Tofino doesn’t include interior bathroom facilities, but its impressive list of standard features includes propane, carbon monoxide and smoke detectors for safety, and even a touch-screen control panel that allows you to keep tabs on everything from battery charge status to levels of water and propane remaining available for use.
If you’re interested in the Pleasure-Way Tofino as a best Class B RV option that could meet your desires for pursuing the van life, the manufacturer’s website has plenty of additional information.
5. Thor Motor Coach Rize
Starting at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of just under $113,000, the Rize Class B RV offers a great introduction to the RV lifestyle. Alternatively, it can serve as a downsizing option for longtime RV enthusiasts who may be looking to simplify their RV life as children have grown up and left home.
Built on the RAM ProMaster® 1500XT chassis, and measuring nearly 18 feet, the Thor Motor Coach Rize can sleep two people within a choice of three floor plans. Two of those floor plans include a wet bath, while the third floor plan offers a toilet and shower combination.
All three floor plans include pull-out beds, two at six feet long and one just short of six feet. Additionally, each floor plan includes kitchen cooking space, with one option even offering a small dining area. Get the best accessories to outfit your new kitchen.
As an added touch, an array of earth-tone colors for the various interior surfaces of the Rize offer a touch of elegance to this top-ranked budget-level RV.
If you’d like to learn more about Thor Motor Coach’s Rize model, visit the Thor website.
6. Winnebago Solis Pocket
At the top end of entry-level bet Class B RV options is the Winnebago Solis Pocket, with a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price of slightly more than $140,000. Built on the RAM ProMaster® chassis with a 280-horsepower, 3.6-liter engine, the Winnebago Solis Pocket measures nearly 18 feet in length.
Within that package, you’ll find a floor plan including a Murphy bed measuring more than six feet long and over four feet wide, along with a dinette area that converts into a bed to give the Winnebago Solis Pocket the capacity to sleep three people.
Also with this Class B RV, you’ll get a galley with sink, stove and refrigerator. And while there are no onboard bathroom or shower facilities, the Winnebago Solis Pocket does include a small hideaway portable toilet among its amenities.
Finally, the numerous color and texture options for the Solis Pocket’s interior provide you with plenty of options for personalizing this choice for a best Class B RV.
Much more information on the Solis Pocket is available from Winnebago.
Best Floor Plan Class B RVs
One of the most important considerations you’ll have in your search for the best Class B RV for your needs is its layout. How well a Class B RV accommodates sleeping and eating arrangements makes a real difference in your weekend camping or van life experience.
Many manufacturers offer a variety of floor plans for customizing your Class B RV, but you should take a serious look here at our recommendation for the best floor plan among our listing of the best Class B RV options.
7. Pleasure-Way Ontour 2.0
At just under 20 feet long, the Pleasure-Way Ontour 2.0, built on the Ford Transit 250 chassis, is among the smallest Class B RVs available. But smart use of the space within this RV has earned it our recommendation as the best Class B RV floor plan.
Offering an amazing 78 inches of headroom—that’s 6.5 feet, enough for even the tallest RV enthusiast—the Ontour 2.0 also offers a bed that is just one inch shorter than its ample headroom, guaranteeing comfortable sleep, whether for a couple of weekend nights, an extended vacation, or full immersion into van life.
Unfolding from an electrically-powered sofa, the Ontour 2.0 bed is also more than six feet wide when deployed. Yet even with that luxurious feature, this RV still has room for a wet bath with shower and sink, and a kitchen with a microwave, induction stove and sink.
There’s even room for a closet for hanging clothes, and so that you can fully enjoy your surroundings even when you’re inside the RV, the Ontour 2.0 come equipped with screen doors for the rear and side doors.
For more on the Pleasure-Way Ontour 2.0 as a possible best Class B RV for your needs, check out the manufacturer’s website.
Wrapping up the Seven Best Class B RVs
No matter whether you’ll use it for months out of the year, or for just a handful of visits annually to the world of nature, our recommended best Class B RV options for this year can be a great option for travel or as a lifestyle.
And remember, the manufacturers we’ve introduced to you here offer lots of opportunities for you to customize these models to suit your personal preferences. Check out Beyond the Tent for much more on RVs.
- About the Author
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Jim Thompson grew up tent camping with his family, and was introduced to backpacking with the Boy Scouts. He attended a military college, where he was introduced to rappelling, an outdoor activity which he has not pursued.
Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Georgia, and spent 35 years as a newspaper writer and editor before become a writer for Apple Pie Media.
Jim can be reached at jimt3rd@yahoo.com