Best Class B RV’s For Full Time Living

Want to do a bit of exploring? Several manufacturers have designed a selection of Class B RVs for full-time living.

Take a look at this list and hopefully you will find the vehicle that will take you from coast-to-coast. We’ve done a bit of research, and found three Class B RVs with different approaches to full time-living.

If you are looking for a class b for energy, features, or weather/terrain, you should find something that is tailored to your needs.

Best Class B RV’s For Full Time Living

1. Class B 2021 Winnebago Travato 59KL
2. Class B 2021 Pleasure-Way Plateau FL
3. Class B 2021 Winnebago Revel 44E

Class B 2021 Winnebago Travato 59KL

Focus: Energy Generator

If the Travato 59KL has a running theme, it is energy. When lithium is in the name, it’s a pretty good indication of what the focus will be. The 59KL utilizes what is called the Pure 3 Energy Management System. This system has useful features that improve energy efficiency, production and allow you to potentially become entirely independent from the power grid. Let’s explore how this Class B works.

Energy Efficient

Everything from the windows to the water heater to the MPG is about not wasting a drop of energy. It is a masterpiece of efficiency. The 59KL is the first RV on the market to use the new Truma Combi Eco Plus. In this latest model, it works as both a water heater and an electric furnace. It can use both gas and electricity, and it is adaptive to the needs of the season. In the winter, it will keep your pipes from freezing. In the summer, it will heat the water without warming up the vehicle. It does exactly what it needs to do without wasting energy on unnecessary processes.

Windows

Whether a house or a mobile home, the windows are one of the quickest ways that you will lose your heat on a cold day. The 59KL comes with double-pane acrylic windows. Generally, acrylic is considered an inferior product. It is scratch-prone, less durable, an inferior insulator than glass. As far as this unit goes, I can’t attest to the durability, but the insulation is good. In most mobile homes you are going to have an R-value of .9, but these double-pane windows have a 2.5. It doesn’t quite reach the energy star rating of 3, but it’s still much closer than the competition. 

When you open these windows, they cover the opening like an awning. It’s a nice feature if you want to open the windows on a rainy day.

Production

It isn’t just efficiency; it is also about production. The 200-watt Zamp solar panels and two inverters. The first is a 3,600-watt pure sine inverter that is tied into the chassis engine. If the power gets too low, the alternator will automatically engage and send the energy through the inverter. That 3,600-watt inverter will change the DC into the almost universally accepted AC before storing it in the lithium-ion battery. That battery can hold 8,700 watt-hours of energy which is a ton of power. Your average energy-hogging washing machine uses 500 to 1,300 watts. You don’t have one of those on board, so the drain won’t be as intense as that.

CumminsOnan 2,800 Watt MicroQuiet Generator

The MicroQuiet generator is a potential weak point of the system. There are not many reviews for this generator, but the ones that exist aren’t typically favorable. Some state that contrary to the title’s claims, it isn’t quiet. Also, a few reviewers’ generators failed almost immediately.

There is good news. If you do happen to get a dud, CumminsOnan has a great limited warranty. If anything goes wrong with the generator with two years, they will likely cover it. During the third year, they will cover parts and labor.

Solar Panels

Without any upgrades, this unit comes with the Zamp solar panels (40 watts + 160 watts) that provide a total of 200 watts per hour. There is an optional upgrade to add more solar panels if more power generation is desired

Quiet

Of course, a gas generator is going to make some noise. If you want to keep things quiet you can rely on the large battery to run things through the night. During the day, you can silently generate your energy stores back to capacity.

The Layout

The bathroom is located at the rear end of the vehicle. This is a great location that keeps the bathroom from cluttering up the middle of the RV. You get a clear, open view of the layout. It’s open, less claustrophobic. There is a downside to placing the bathroom at the back. You might have a hilariously embarrassing moment if someone decides to open the back of the RV without knocking. Don’t forget to lock 59KL’s back doors. 

The Bed(s)

There is a dinette table that can is sectioned into three pieces: one tabletop and two legs. The legs screw into two holes located between the two beds. This is a Class B that doesn’t have any slides, so the space between the two beds is limited. To prevent entirely blocking the walking space, the table is off-center and small.

If desired, you can use the tabletop, and couple cushions, and a different configuration to connect the two beds. In my opinion, it isn’t worth the trouble. When the cushions are in place, they do not reach the same length as the beds. If I had to guess, it is about five feet long versus the two mattresses which are 2’6” x 6’2” and 2’6” x 6’8”. Using the connecting pieces of cushioning just sounds like an uncomfortable night. It also sounds annoying since it will block the pathway between the wet bath and the kitchen.

On a positive note, the bed is heated from both the true McCombie and an electrical heating pad. This should go a long-way to keeping you comfortable on the colder nights.

The Bathroom 

The sink is a clever contraption. Much like a hideaway bed, the sink basin unfolds out from the wall. It is located above and behind the toilet. The faucet twists out, and you have a sink that doesn’t take up any space. The toilet doesn’t get in the way, so it isn’t irritating at all. The water doesn’t drain in the basin. Instead, it is channeled back into the storage area where the basin recesses. More trailers need to incorporate this. It leaves a lot more room for the shower and toilet.

Co-captain Workstation

There is a hide-away workstation / tray table that you can use from the Co-captain swivel chair. The chair will need to swivel to a rear-facing position where the table can be pulled from a slot near the door. As an added convenience, there is a power station located near the feet and a pocket underneath the table’s access point. It is well-designed and entirely unobtrusive when not in use.

Powered Awning

The powered awning comes with an LED strip and a wind sensor. If a strong-enough wind is detected, the 59KL will automatically retract the awning to protect it.

Basic Features

• Water Tanks
  • Fresh: 26 Gallons
  • Grey: 13 Gallons
  • Black: 13 Gallons
• Interior Height: 6 Feet, 3 Inches
• Exterior Height: 6 Feet, 9 Inches
• Exterior Length: 21 Feet
• Gross Vehicle Weight: 9,350 Pounds
• MPG: 18 to 22 Highway

Key Features

• Related Floor Plans: 4
• Average Price: $122,390
• Sleeping Capacity: 2

Class B 2021 Pleasure-Way Plateau FL

Focus: Fancy Features

Pleasure-Way’s theme, as you might guess, is luxury. If you are going to be spending a lot of time in a Class B, why not do it in style and comfort? 

The cabinets are built from your choice of either solid maple or a high gloss laminate. all the cushioned surfaces are strapped in Ultra Leather covers. 

Kitchen 

The farmhouse-style sink is a large 17” x 13” and deep. That in combination with the high-rise faucet will make washing dishes just a little bit less of a chore.   

Pleasure-Way built this model to have plenty of countertop space; something that just about everyone can 

Entertainment Center

I normally don’t delve into the entertainment products of RVs. Overall, they seem to offer the same basic packages, and I do not like repeating unnecessary information. The Plateau does have some innovative aspects to its entertainment system that have caught my eye, and luxury is all about the fine details.

Yes, you have a blu-ray player for all of your movies. Yes, you have the Wineguard’s digital TV antenna. This year, you even have a Bose soundbar and an LG smart TV. 

Pleasure-Way Inflatable Air Mattress – Cool, Uncomfortable, Loud

I am loving the innovative features that the Pleasure-Way team has introduced into the RV market. This isn’t a great full-time living mattress, but it is a great way to make some room for a friend. 

When inflated, the mattress fills the area at the front of the cab; filling around the driver’s seat and passenger seat. It isn’t a regular mattress. It has the typical flat surface, but it also has inflatable supports that extend into the legroom of those two front seats. There is also a second, detached piece you inflate and place between the two seats for additional and needed support.

I only have a couple of concerns that mesh into one. First, it is the likely possibility of accidentally honking the RV’s horn in the middle of the night. The sleeping individual will be close to level with the horn, so given enough time, it will happen eventually. The second concern is the length of the mattress. It is 5’1” long and 2’3” wide. That length is shorter than most, and it will force most adults to contort themselves. Not only is this uncomfortable, but it makes honking that horn much more likely.

Front Lounge

My sleep schedule doesn’t often coincide with the normal world. I flip between being a super early riser and a night owl that runs on very little sleep. I need a space where I can spend my waking hours without waking up my family. The front lounge is the perfect response to this need. There is a small LED TV that is conveniently located at the front cab. You can sit in cushy comfort on the True Leather driver swivel seat while watching a bit of Netflix. If you want to do some work on a laptop, there is a spacious Corian countertop located below the TV.

High-Quality Cabinets And Lots of Them

In a lot of mobile homes, you will find that the exterior and the interior of the cabinetry look a bit different. The exterior gets all the finish, but the interior just isn’t considered important enough to get that glossy treatment. The maple wood and high-gloss laminates both look amazing. It’s a standard that I just haven’t seen many manufacturers even come close to matching. Beautiful work!

Bathroom

Small, as you might expect from a Class B; also, a wet bath. The white interiors and window help to visually open up the space. The bathroom comes with a china toilet and the rest of the typical bathroom ingredients: shower head, sink, and medicine cabinet. It was noted in the company video tour of 2018 (applicable to the 2021 model) that the High Gloss Laminate Cabinetry option has more shoulder room on the toilet. Apparently, the doors are less intrusive. I’m not sure why this affects the results, but I thought that you should know.

Truma Aqua-Go Comfort Plus Instant On-Demand Water Heater

In addition to having an unnecessarily long name, the Truma system has two interesting features. This Truma system doesn’t have a warm-up period. In a regular water system, you will need to drain the cold water that is already in the pipes, so that the warm water can travel from the water heater, through those pipes, and out of the faucet. This new Truma system recirculates the hot water in such a way that it is immediately accessible to the faucet. 

The second feature is the easy drain lever. I love it. It makes winterization much easier. Since you are looking through a list of class b rvs for full-time living, this option becomes less valuable. However, it is still nice to have the option to simply pull a lever to drain the icy hazard. 

Energy

There are three solar panel options for this model:

• Option 1: 95 Watts (5 Amp)
• Option 2: 190 Watts (10 Amp)
• Option 3: 285 Watts (15 Amp)

 If you are buying with the intent of full-timing, you should invest in the 285-watt option. This is necessary, in my opinion, if you plan on a lot of boondocking.

In addition to these solar panels you will get these electrical components:

• Dual 100aH Eco-Ion Earth Smart Lithium coach batteries
• 2.5 KW Onan LP Generator w/ resonator
• Automatic generator start (AGS)
• 45-amp converter w/lithium charger
• Xantrex 2000 watt Pure-sine wave inverter

Corian Countertops

Corian is a solid, non-porous surface material and stain-resistant; perfect for kitchen applications. Its closest visual relation is smooth polished concrete, and it comes in two colors for this particular unit: neutral and carbon.

Basic Features

• Water Tanks
  • Fresh: 29 Gallons
  • Grey: 20 Gallons
  • Black: 12 Gallons
• Interior Height: 6 Feet, 3 Inches
• Exterior Height: 9 Feet, 4 Inches
• Exterior Length: 20 Feet, 11 Inches
• Gross Vehicle Weight: 11,030 Pounds 
• Gross Combined Vehicle Weight: 15,250 Pounds
• Horsepower: 283 HP
• 16000 BTU furnace
• 3.6: V6 Pentastar
• 3-way Refrigerator

Key Features

• Related Floor Plans: 8
• MSRP Price: $150,735
• Sleeping Capacity: 2

Class B 2021 Winnebago Revel 44E

Focus: Master of Weather and Terrain

Many RV owners like to stick to warmer climates. If you prefer to brave the cold winters, you will need an RV that is truly four seasons. Many manufacturers claim that their RVs are ready for those frigid temperatures. However, you will find that many of those claims are greatly exaggerated. Winter-ready full-timing class b RVs need multiple sources of power with a large fuel supply, an efficient heater, and everything needs to be contained within plenty of insulation. That pretty much perfectly describes Winnebago’s Revel.

Boondocking Ready

Winnebago built the Revel for the wilderness. This is the Class B that you can take off the grid since all of its features are all designed for independence. The off-roading tires will connect you to the ground, and the 325 pounds of torque will tear you through it. The rest of the features will help you to stay there for as long as you like. Here are a few of them.

Cassette Toilet

Okay, it’s time for the downside. Well, this is a downside to me. I prefer to stay as far from black tanks as I can, but I do still prefer to have them. Flushing your filth will be a bit more difficult with this unit. The silver lining is that the pipes will never freeze on you. You could live in the Russian Tundra and still have a place to poop.

Solar Power

The revel utilizes a 200-watt solar power system. You can expand that to 510 watts which is a massive amount of power for a unit this size. More power is better, in my opinion, so I always go for more power; whether it is stock or aftermarket. Smaller units don’t need to draw on as much power as the larger units, but I never like to be caught off guard.

Full-Featured Mercedes-Benz Chassis

The 44E sits on a 4WD Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis, and that comes with some very nice on-road benefits. Driving a car is dangerous, driving any type of RV is even more dangerous. If you plan on full-timing with your Class B, pay attention to this part. This unit is much heavier than a car, so the safety features make a massive difference in an emergency:

• Low-Range Electronic Stability
• Traction Control
• Active Brake Assist
• Lane-Keeping Assist
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Four-Wheel ABS Brakes and Navigation

Some of the above features are just darn convenient. This unit will almost drive itself. Actually, in some ways that is exactly what it does. 

The Active Brake Assist will make sounds to warn you of potential collisions. If you are reacting, it will assist you in applying an adequate amount of pressure on the brakes. If you are not reacting, it will automatically engage the brakes.

The low-range electronic stability, four-wheel ABS brakes, and traction control will manage the power distribution to your wheels during those dangerous moments. They will each help to keep you from losing control in what could have been a life-altering or even fatal accident.

The lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control are costing the government millions of dollars in lost traffic tickets. No, I can’t say that I feel bad about that. Human attention can easily drift on the open road. Over several hours, those lane lines can become hypnotic. Suddenly, you see the police lights flick on and you glance at your speedometer to see that you were 20 MPH over the speed limit.

These two features and the onboard radar can prevent that spendy slip of the mind. With them, you can relax and know that you will drive at the correct speed, stay within the lines, maintain a preset distance from other vehicles, and break for obstructions: pedestrians and vehicles.

Rearview Camera with Park Assist

The Revel is almost the size of a regular car, so backing up isn’t nearly as big of an issue as it would be for a 5th wheel. Still, this is a nice feature that nearly everyone can appreciate.

Basic Features

• Water Tanks
  • Fresh: 21 Gallons 
  • Grey: 21 Gallons
  • Black: 5 Gallons
• Interior Height: 6 Feet, 3 Inches
• Exterior Height: 10 Feet
• Exterior Length: 19 Feet, 7 Inches
• Gross Vehicle Weight: 9,050 Pounds
• Gross Combined Vehicle Weight: 13,550 Pounds
• Horsepower: 188 HP
• Fuel Capacity: 24.5 Gallons
• Warranty: 12-Month/15,000 Basic Warranty
• Bathroom: Wet Bath
• Refrigerator: 2.5 Cubic Feet / Compressor-driven

Key Features

• Related Floor Plans: 5
• Average Price: $163,292
• Sleeping Capacity: 3

Conclusion On The Best Class B RVs For Full Time Living

Class B RVs can make a great full time living choice if you can find a model that works for your lifestyle and needs. Spend time shopping around and make sure that you look at brands and manufacturers that offer great features, are built using quality materials and are proven reliable.