Thanks for your support and comment. Happy Travels!

You're so welcome!

We both have driven tractor trailers in our lives, and many other large vehicles on the roadways, and we're convinced it is just a case of people not understanding what it is like to drive a large RV or Truck. Among other things, the acceleration is limited , and it can be hard to see with all the blind spots. Maybe if everyone was required to drive one before they could get their license they might appreciate the difficulties, and have a bit more patience. But until that time, we just have to take a breath and remain calm when "incidents" occur. Thanks for your comment.

So happy we could help. I guess the difference is that we aren't trying to sell any of these RV's, and we've never been shy about telling it as we see it. Thanks for the vote of confidence.

That was exactly our intent. Thank you for your comment.

You're very welcome. We are having fun with this. Thanks for your support.

You bet! Thanks for your support.

Hmmm, now that's interesting. We do remember the train wreck that was the auto industry in the 70's and 80's, but we're not sure if the RV industry has reached that point yet. Anyone else have an opinion on this?

Thanks for the information. We totally forgot to mention the advantage to being able to park the RV in our driveway. You make some very strong arguments for the class B. Happy Travels!

You make a great point. The Patriot got great MPG, and even with the higher price of diesel the cost was less than we expected. We really break down the costs in this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/r9aPmMh_18DId40.html You can use our formula to see what it would have cost with a lower MPG. Thanks for the comment.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. We try to keep our videos fun and lite, and the name goes a long way to reminding us that as much as we learn, there is always more to learn and experience.

We totally agree. There are some exciting new models and floor plans coming out these days. It seems one of the hardest parts of selecting an RV is trying to balance your needs and wants. With each trip we come closer to finding that "sweet spot" between manageable Travel size and living space. Thanks for your support.

Thanks for the information. Unfortunately for us, our rear lounge kinda splits the bed so we couldn't use the fitted sheet without it hanging down. This is the kind of thing that prospective Class B buyers should be aware of. Your comment is very much appreciated.

Thanks for the compliment. Rose feels exactly as you do, she likes more space. We are now considering a travel trailer because the cost is lower, and they have a ton more space inside. We just have to be comfortable with pulling a trailer everywhere we go. It's a trade off either way. Good luck with your search.

Everyone should read this comment. Thanks for the clarification. We actually just got back from Europe, and we were surprised at the sheer number of RVs on the road there. Almost all of them were either Class B's or short Class C's under 25 feet, and we understand why. It was hard enough getting around in our rental car, and I can't imagine navigating some of those roads in a larger vehicle. Wow! Thanks for the comment.

@@halffasttravelers2702 Yeah, I, like a lot of Americans I suspect, used to think that RVing was kind of an "American" thing untiL i started traveling the world as an adult. If the number of RVs on the road are an accurate indication, we have nothing on several countries in Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand. Norway and France in particular, are crawling with them. Also, France's "aire" system for free RV stays should be the envy of every other country.

Wow, we weren't aware of the Aire system. It seems the French realize what a huge tourism opportunity the RV community can provide. Thanks for the information.

Great post, and excellent advice. Thank you!!

Thanks for the comment. We love Matt's videos as well. We looked into rental for our cross-country trip earlier this year, but the cost was more than the depreciation for the unit we purchased , and we had the opportunity to go that route. If it would have been a shorter trip, we definitely would have considered renting. If you're going to Texas, make sure you don't miss Big Bend National Park, and try to stay in the Chisos Basin Campground. Very inexpensive (Around $16 a night), and easy access to all the hiking trails. If you haven't already, we have two videos about our experiences there. Happy Travels!

Yeah, the twin bed units seem to offer more space to move around, and with the bathroom in the back they feel like they have more room up front. It seems more and more manufacturers are going toward induction cooktops in their smaller units. Paired with lithium packages, they can eliminate the heavy and cumbersome propane systems. We don't mind the induction so much, because that's what we have at home. Thanks for your comment.

Wow! First of all, this sounds really exciting. You are going to have such a good time trying to figure all this out. As far as our opinion on whether or not you need to go with a Class B, I guess that depends largely on you and your needs and abilities. If you can feasibly construct the design of your choice, that will ensure you are getting what you want without having to make "sacrifices" with perks you neither need nor want. We learned a lot on our road trip last year so here are some things to consider: You will have very little space to move around inside, this is important for times when you are stuck somewhere in bad weather. Also, remember that if you do not have certain features in your build (Lighting inside & out, food preparation, refrigerator, a way to keep your battery charged, etc.) You will need to carry at least some of these items with you. Keep this in mind when laying out your storage areas. For example, you can replace the fridge with a cooler, but then you will need to replenish the ice regularly unless you get an electric cooler in which case it could run the battery down while you're away or overnight. You could get a small generator, but then you have to carry it and its fuel. Solar, either portable or roof mounted might be an option as well, but again that is weather dependent. There are reasons why Class B's have the amenities they do, and most are there to make your stay inside more enjoyable & logistically feasible. There are a ton of videos on van builds with great information about what you are planning, and I would also watch those "after-the-fact" videos where they discuss whether or not they would do anything different the next time. I hope these comments assist you, and we hope your upcoming adventures are as extraordinary as ours have been. Good Luck!

This is very true. Dan totally would have been able to do more boondocking, but Rose shut that down immediately. As it is, the Patriot is versatile enough to allow different types of uses, that's why we like the Class B.

Yes, it's a trade-off we gladly make. Thanks for your comment. Happy Travels...

We have discovered that some of these features can be disabled by the driver. Unfortunately, the crosswind assist is not included in that list. We spoke with the Mercedes representative, and he recommended checking with the dealer to see if the sensitivity can be adjusted. Once we have attempted this, we will update the video. Thanks for the post.

Yeah, living in the small space is a challenge. We did it for just over a month and a half, and we have great respect for those who are able to live the van life. The cost factor is a huge consideration, and we have found that the Ram Chassis is relatively cheaper than the Mercedes. Unfortunately they tend to be smaller as well. We've seen some very small and inexpensive Class C's, but as you said you have to be mindful of the quality and really shop around. We can see why so many folks choose a travel trailer instead. We hope you are able to find the right RV for you. Thanks for the comment.

@@halffasttravelers2702you’re welcome 😀 , my crv is 14 years old, I’m getting ready to buy an odyssey, turn it into a camper like I did the crv which is tight for me and the dog. I’ve been researching RVs since 2020. I’m giving up , going to minivan it for a while. When I sell my house next year I just might put a trailer on land I have in Maine and travel for the winters 6 months at a time. I need to go see what and who’s out there 😎

Thanks so much for your comments. Before we started, we weren't really sure what style of Rving would be best for us. It seems that there may be a lot of other people trying to figure it out as well. Comments like yours are so useful to assist others in making these decisions. Looking back on our trip, we think that we took two kinds of journeys; one, to discover new extraordinary places and experiences, and another to determine what type of RVing was right for us. We are still on the fence as to whether or not we are going to make a change for next year's trip. Stay tuned...

Great advice seconded by this Promaster owner who travels off grid and rarely stays at campgrounds. Get a class C for the room if exploring in a van isn’t for you. 10,000 feet up in the dirt in Wyoming.

Thanks for your comment. We are so glad to hear about everyone's experiences. We are aching to get back out there, but we have a few cruises booked this fall. Once we get back we'll decide if we want to go with something bigger, although I think Rose has already decided. Happy Travels!

B+ has storage above cab (it is not a sleeping area); Class C has a sleeping area above the cab. You can have a toad with either.

@@kathykeene2092 That’s still a C. A Class B is built inside a van. There is no official class B+. It’s just an unofficial made up category by the manufacturers.

Not yet, but the Mercedes Rep we met at the show believed that we may be able to have the dealer adjust the sensitivity. We'll let you know if they are able to fix the issue.

Well, we're so good we only need three clubs, so they fit practically anywhere. Great comment!

We have the American Coach Patriot MD2 manufactured by Midwest Automotive. It is a rear lounge floor plan.

Well I'm not sure about the "older" part, but yes, but you're probably right about the usage. We learned a lot on the trip, including the limitations of the design. That being said, we wouldn't have traded the experience for the world. Thanks for your comment, and Happy Travels!

Please don't get us wrong, we are very happy with our Patriot, and feel the good well outweighs the bad. As with everything, there is room for improvement. Thanks for your comment and support.

@@halffasttravelers2702 I know it would take a full time staffer to search out videos like this one to get the feed back needed for their design department, all we can do as consumers is pray they actually do pay attention to the likes and dislikes of users, and not sit in their design cubicle and merely fantasize about what would work in the real world.

We really enjoy making these videos, and we feel as though we are providing good information to those who are interested and who may need it. If that means we have to give up a little of our privacy, then we are good with that. Thanks for your comment.

We weren't familiar with that brand. We'll check it out. Thanks.

Ha ha! Yes, we seem to be living up to our names, don't we? Check out our website where we have a blog describing why we went with this Class B for the trip. It wasn't an easy decision. Thanks for your support.

We see you have interpreted our video as a complaint about the purchase we made, this was not our intention. It was intended to outline an evaluation and critique of the RV we chose based upon our experiences during our cross-country trip. If you are interested, we have a blog on our website describing the process and research we used when selecting the Patriot. At the time, it seemed the perfect choice. I will include the link here: halffasttravelers.com/blog/f/why-we-chose-the-american-coach-patriot-rv-for-our-us-road-trip We value all comments, even those containing constructive criticism. Thanks

@@halffasttravelers2702 I very much appreciated your honest evaluation. Thank you and please KEEP ON SHARING! 🙂 Happy travels!

Thanks so much for your support@@jeangraceNpeace6767

The shower in the back of the van is great! The ones with twin beds infront of the bathroom