2017 Dynamex Rev 24RB

[LifeSong]

Hi Everyone,

I've been extensively researching Class C's.  I've gleaned a great deal of information from everyone on this site, thank you.

Does anyone have any options/experience with the Dynamex Rev with the drop down bed? It's on the Dodge Ram®ProMaster Chassis/ 3.6L V6 with 280hp and 260 ft.-lbs. of Torque.  It's 24' long, 92" wide (mirrors will add about 12").  It appears that the rear tires are slightly inset from the body of the coach which I understand is not desirable.  The Rev is fairly new to the market so I'm not finding many reviews.  It only allows for 2000 tow capacity.

I'm solo and want to workcamp close to full time so this will be lived in!  Thank you!

[Kirk W]

The REV was only built for 3 years, 2015 - 2017, which is probably the reason you don't seem many of them. It also probably means that it didn't sell well. A tow rating of 2000# will make it near impossible to find anything that you can tow, other than possibly a Smart for Two. The NADA average retail price at $55,600 is only 60% of the suggested list, which is low and also suggests resale isn't that great. The reviews that I was able to find seem to indicate that many owners consider it to be underpowered. 

[LifeSong]

Thank you Kirk, appreciate you pointing out some interesting ways of determining resale value and market worth.  I was also wondering why these coaches were already being traded in.  The search continues. 

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi LifeSong,

I am interested in this topic (small Class Cs). We are currently getting reading to start our 4th season in our ‘05 Casita Freedom Deluxe 17’ (travel trailer), so we are fine with small. I have 4.5 more years of work, but we are talking about small used motorhome (under 25’) in the next year or two. I remember when the REV first hit the market in about 2015. I thought it was hitting a sweet spot in the market, but I don’t see many on the road or them being discussed much on-line. When we get serious, we are going to lean toward a Coach House (particularly pricey), Pleasure Way, Leisure Travel Van, Phoenix Cruiser, Lazy Daze, etc. I am also intrigued with the Winnebago Travato 59K. We like the floor plan; however, it is a Class B and not a Class C. It might be a bit small. I am intrigued with what you find out about the REV as well as your final decision about a Class C.

Take care,

Dean

[Kirk W]

31 minutes ago, DeanCHS1980 said:

It might be a bit small.

Be very careful when you base your choice of RV for living in as your only home, base on the experience of short trips. Remember that when the RV is the only home that you have it will be the place you are when you are sick, or when weather is nasty for days on end or any other difficult period of life. The thing that really brought home to us how small our 36' class A could be was when Pam had ankle surgery and needed help to use the facilities. 

[DeanCHS1980]

Kirk W,

Agreed. Good points. Given my 4.5 years until retirement and that we camp about 40 to 60 nights a year, we want a small used motorhome to see how we like a motorized RV compared to our Casita. Plus, Laura is interested in some “Girl Camping” with friends, so a small motorhome has its advantages. We will keep the Casita. Come retirement, we will then potentially sell one or both and then buy the next RV (trailer or motorized).

I was sick once in our Casita (13 foot box). I ended up in an Urgent Care with a stomach virus. I was MISERABLE! 

Take care,

Dean

[Kirk W]

14 minutes ago, DeanCHS1980 said:

we want a small used motorhome to see how we like a motorized RV

We did that same thing. We had an RV of some type nearly all of our years with our sons, all of them towables . After the boys'  left we stopped RV travel for a few years then got a 24' class A to test the waters. We bought a new 36' class A for our 12 years on the road but have now downsized to a 20' travel trailer, as our RVing years are winding down but we still travel for several months at a time. 

[sandsys]

8 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Be very careful when you base your choice of RV for living in as your only home, base on the experience of short trips. Remember that when the RV is the only home that you have it will be the place you are when you are sick, or when weather is nasty for days on end or any other difficult period of life. The thing that really brought home to us how small our 36' class A could be was when Pam had ankle surgery and needed help to use the facilities. 

Any full-time rig also has to carry anything you would normally leave at home on short trips whether that be legal documents, family jewelry, hobby supplies, or whatever. Just because a 24' Class C worked for us for a couple years doesn't mean it will work for you. Evaluate carefully what you are willing to give up.

Linda Sand

[LifeSong]

Hi Dean,

You truly got some great feedback from everyone.  

I've been struggling for over a year trying to select an RV.  I want to full time workcamp traveling from north to south with the sun and warmth.

At first, like you, I had my heart set on a Travato 59K until I sat in it for an hour trying to imagine living in it.  Like Kirk and Linda said, that space is all you have to live in and store your possessions.  There was no wardrobe in the Travato and no cabinet space to store sewing supplies (important to me).

I like the Class B concept because I want small for many reasons.  Sometimes I like to get away from the masses and tuck myself into small spaces, the Class B is perfect for that.  Also, I did not want to tow and have the upkeep of another vehicle.  The B would allow me to travel into town better for supplies.  Kirk gave me great reasons to rethink this strategy.  I love Coach House, especially the 24' Platinum, it has better storage and a dry bath.  Like you said, they are very expensive even for used.

I'm now mostly looking at 24' C's and still struggle with the thought of a tow vehicle.  I've never driven anything that large and never towed and I'm fearful of it.  There are great classes out there so I'm trying to convince myself that I can learn.  I want to learn because I want this lifestyle.  So round and round I go.  It was also suggested here that I might think about a truck and trailer but I like the idea of moving easily between my drivers seat to my coach without getting out.  

Sorry for being so long winded.  I wish you all the best as you navigate this journey.  I found a blog of a woman that traveled full time for 7 years with a van and Casita, her blog is RV Sue.  She loved her Casita and has cataloged many great journeys. 

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi LifeSong,

I am intrigued with your original post regarding the REV. There is definitely no such thing as the “perfect” RV. I find choosing an RV to be a microcosm of life in general. . .a series of priorities, decisions, compromises, actions, consequences, followed by more reflections! How is that for some philosophy! We were recently in the Travato 59K at the Nashville RV Show. Very nice, but for the same money or less, there are some small Class Cs that offer more versatility. Of course, as the small motorhome gets bigger, the need for a toad increases as well. Another one of those compromises requiring research, decisions, consequences, etc. Since we have a Casita, we love molded fiberglass, thus one of my reasons for loving the Coach House 220 TB. I have also looked at the older molded fiberglass Chinooks (Concourse, Destiny, and Glacier). Very nice, but they stopped making them in 2005. I am not particuarly handy, so I don’t know about buying a 15 y/o motorhome. 

Hey, I bet you could quickly learn how to handle a Class C with a toad if needed. I understand your interest in a small motorhome. I know lots of solo travelers and couples with Casitas and other small egg campers. However, despite how easy it is to tow a small trailer, you are still either in the tug or the trailer as opposed to the advantage of the motorhome of being in your RV while driving. 

I am familiar with RV Sue. Despite our potential interest in a small motorhome, we love our Casita. We attend about 6 egg camper rallies per year. The molded fiberglass community is a wonderful close knit group. 

Hey, have you checked out the LTV Wonder FTB or RTB? I am really impressed with RTB; however, it just hit the market this past summer, so still quite pricey used.

Look forward to reading about what you choose to do.

Happy Camping,

Dean

[Kirk W]

12 hours ago, LifeSong said:

There are great classes out there so I'm trying to convince myself that I can learn.  I want to learn because I want this lifestyle.  So round and round I go.

The most difficult part of driving either a class C or a class A of similar size is the mental part. If you want to test before you buy anything, find someone you know who is going to rent a truck to move and drive it a little bit. You can also go to an RV dealer and take a test drive. No matter what RV you choose, a test drive is very important. Modern RVs are no more difficult to drive than a large car or van, for the physical skill requirements. The mental side is the greater challenge to change but it is also the most important part. You need a great deal of self-assurance just to live as an RV fulltimer. It is very important to realize that there will be times when problems crop up with nobody there as your support system when you travel by RV. Fulltime RV life is very different from a vacation as all of the baggage of your life will travel with you. From what you have said here I am thinking that you might be wise to rent a class C and take a week or two trip with it before you spend the money to buy one. 

[sandsys]

5 hours ago, rm.w/aview said:

Class C RVs leave the factory at weighing more than 90% of this rating which then will have the unit traveling at 100% or more of the GVWR after people move in. 

Wow! Certainly not all Class C RVs weigh that high. We had no problem packing our Winnebago View while staying within the GVWR. While I agree that some RVs are overweight by the time a dealer sells them a blanket statement like the one you made tends to be wrong.

Linda

[Kirk W]

6 hours ago, rm.w/aview said:

Class C RVs leave the factory at weighing more than 90% of this rating which then will have the unit traveling at 100% or more of the GVWR after people move in.

All of them? If you check out Lazy Daze the wet weight is 78% of GVWR  and 3000+# of cargo capacity. Winnebago is another class C that has reasonable weight characteristics. I wonder if you can share some actual weights versus GVWR of specific class C motorhomes as I would be interested to see the numbers. It used to be pretty common for that sort of thing to happen in all parts of the RV world but as far as I know, that situation has improved. 

This is an issue to be very aware of and that is true for any RV considered. 

[sandsys]

Our first Class B, however, with us in it,  only had 850 lbs. available for gear. Then they asked us to bring it in so they could add some decorative wood to hide the hinges in the rear door. We did but we removed that wood and the TV and a few other things to increase our capacity. I would never again buy an RV that close to capacity. From that day forward we always made driving a rig over a scale part of the test drive before we would consider purchasing one.

Linda

[Kirk W]

3 minutes ago, rm.w/aview said:

Read my previous posts, all of them.

 

51 minutes ago, Kirk W said:

If you check out Lazy Daze the wet weight is 78% of GVWR  and 3000+# of cargo capacity.

 

[Captain Happy]

That's what's so net about these Casita Trailers. There only 17 foot front to back. Can be towed with just about any vehicle that has a 5,000 to 6,000 tow rating. And with there size I don't how anyone could overload the light trailer. I have one, and I love it. It's my traveling rig. And this summer the plan is to stay in it full-time for over 6 months up in higher elevations of Utah.

I'm single

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi Captain Happy!

We love our Casita 17’ FD. Our goal is to keep our mid size SUV (rated to tow 7,500) to tow the Casita. In a year or two, we want to add a small used motorhome. We may also replace our other car with a small car that can be flat-towed. We would use the small car as a daily driver, but then could use it as a toad for some trips behind the small Class C motorhome. That gives us a trailer option as well as a small motorhome option both with and without a toad. We will use this set up until I retire June 30, 2023. At that point, we will reevaluate our options. Until retirement, we will camp 50 to 60 nights a year. 

Happy Camping,

Dean

[LifeSong]

Thanks, everyone for your continued attention to my question.  Everyone is so helpful here!

Dean,

I so appreciate your positive attitude and your encouragement that I can do this!  

I have no misconceptions that living on the road is not the same as camping.  Did a 3-month road trip in my  2001 Ford Windstar that I built out myself (original owner and she now has 274k miles on her and ready to go another 100k).  Only stayed in a campground once a month to "treat myself" to a long shower.  I  crafted a bed platform out of  80/20 slotted aluminum and added solar and a 3000w pure sine wave inverter.  Added the extra alternator to charge my "house" battery while driving and only needed to plug in every 3 days if I stayed put.  It was the best time of my life.  Sat on a backroad in Montana and cried like a baby as the beauty all around me engulfed my soul.  It was my ability to swing into backcountry dirt roads that gave birth to my desire to stay small.

After many different concepts, I think I'm leaning towards a truck and TT.  Like you Dean, I really respect fiberglass as a material for  TT's.  Currently looking at the 21' Big Foot.   

Thanks again everyone, enjoy your journey this day! 

[LifeSong]

Thank you so much rm.w/aview.  Solid advice about towing capacity limitations and the extra storage in the truck bed.

Sorry for the newbie question here😊  Do I not need to worry about the weight in the truck/truck bed when staying below the 50% of the GVWR?

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, LifeSong said:

Do I not need to worry about the weight in the truck/truck bed when staying below the 50% of the GVWR?

I don't know that worry is a good term but it is of some concern. You need to weigh your truck with it loaded just as you will when you travel and with a full fuel tank and all passengers on board, then use that weight to deduct from the gross combined weight to know what can be safely towed. If the truck bed is empty or near empty that increases what you can tow but if you put a big toolbox or an ATV in the truck bed, that has a very negative impact on towing weight because of the maximum combined safe weight. 

[LifeSong]

Thank you so much Kirk!  You have been a great help to me.

[Kirk W]

Helping each other is what the Escapee organization is all about. There were others who helped all of us when we were new so we just pass on to the next group as payment of the debt that we owe to those who came before us. I appreciate the opportunity to do so.  

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi Lady Song,

Wow, that was one impressive road trip in your Ford Windstar!!!

LOL, the Bigfoot 21’ is one of three molded fiberglass campers that we would consider at retirement. The other two are the Oliver 23.5 and the Escape 21. I am definitely a fan of molded fiberglass. You should attend some “egg” rallies for molded fiberglass trailers. We average about 6 per camping season.

Very interested in hearing what you end up doing!

Happy Camping,

Dean

 

[DeanCHS1980]

15 hours ago, LifeSong said:

Thank you so much rm.w/aview.  Solid advice about towing capacity limitations and the extra storage in the truck bed.

Sorry for the newbie question here😊  Do I not need to worry about the weight in the truck/truck bed when staying below the 50% of the GVWR?

Hi LifeSong,

In my opinion, cargo carrying capacity (payload) is one of the most overlooked numbers in the truck/trailer equation. Tow capacity is very important, but not the only variable. GVWR & GCWR are variables as well, but generally speaking if you focus on tow capacity and payload, you are well on your way to focusing on a great tow vehicle. 

Quick example. Our Casita weighs 2,910 lbs. The tongue weight is about 375 lbs. Our ‘09 Kia Borrego Limited V8 is rated to tow 7500 lbs with up to 750 lbs on the hitch (tongue weight). From a tow capacity perspective, we have plenty of extra capacity if we wanted to upgrade and get a bigger trailer. However, my cargo carrying capacity of the Borrego is 1,154 lbs. You have to subtract the tongue weight of 375 lbs from the 1,154 along with my weight, Laura’s weight, our camping gear, Gibbs (our Maltese), etc. We are still well under our 1,154. However, if I bought a larger trailer that weighed 6,000 lbs, I still have a tow capacity of 7,500. Assuming a tongue weight of 600 lbs, I am only left with 554 pounds of payload. By the time I substract our body weights, gear, pets, etc. I will go over my payload rating, particularly if they are any additional passengers.

The bottom line is that most tow vehicles when towing a trailer will run out of payload long before they run out of tow capacity. 

In terms of tow capacity, I would want my trailer to weigh no more than 60% to 75% of my truck’s tow capacity (my opinion).

If you end up with a Bigfoot 21’, you would want a tow vehicle capable of towing the Bigfoot along with the payload capacity to handle the tongue weight and your gear, etc. inside the truck. Many 1/2 ton pickup trucks would do a fine job towing a Bigfoot 21’. Tow capacity of  the truck is also related to the rearend axle ratio. The Bigfoot 21’ is not a huge trailer, but at the same time will still require the appropriate tow vehicle.

Happy Camping (and enjoy the research process),

Dean

 

 

[LifeSong]

Wow!  So much to learn.  Thank you again, everyone.

Major learning point...You can't have too much truck!!!