What is a Class B Motorhome

A Class B or Van Conversion is a RV built into a full size van. These units normally have a raised fiberglass roof to allow enough height to stand inside. Some Manufacturers lower the van floor and this allows them to use a lower roof. Don't let the size of these units fool you, many of them have all the same amenities as large Motorhomes. For example hot water, shower, flush toilet, fridge, stove, furnace and air conditioning. There are many Manufacturers building Class B Motorhomes in the United States. The two most popular brand are Pleasureway and Roadtrek. And they are Made in Canada. People like these compact units because they are easy to park. This can be a real benefit when travelling across country. Large Motorhomes can be quite challenging to park in some Cities and Towns. The only real drawback to these units is price. They are quite labour intensive to build. A new top of the line Pleasureway has a retail price of well over $100,000.
Click here to view our stock of Class B Motorhomes

What to know about Fifth Wheel Hitches

There are two basic types of fifth wheel hitches, one for short box trucks and one for long box trucks. The short box hitch has a method of moving the entire hitch behind the axle, which allows the user to get the fifth wheel at 90 degrees to the truck. With the hitch in the forward position the front corner of the fifth wheel can hit the truck, causing extensive damage to both. The long box truck does not require a hitch that moves back because there is ample clearance. There are a variety of methods of adjusting your short box hitch to the rear position. Some have pins to pull and manually slide, some have levers and some are automatic; all require frame brackets. For some of the newer trucks no drill frame clamps are available. There are a couple other options, like an oscillating head and weight rating. Oscillating head basically means that not only can the hitch head rock front to back, it can rock side to side as well. Most fifth wheel hitches have a weight rating of between 12,000 and 25,000 pounds. Installation for most vehicles is between 3 and 4 hours labour, as it involves drilling quite a number of holes in your truck's frame and bed. Hitches generally start at about $675.00 and up, depending on your requirements.

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What is a Class A Motorhome?

There are two basic types of Class A Motorhome. One is a rear engine diesel, commonly known as Diesel Pusher. The other usually has a gas engine up front and is known as a Class A. Both motorhomes have a bus type appearance from the outside. Class A Motorhomes are completely built by RV manufacturing companies. This means they start with a chassis and build the entire coach, including the driver and passenger areas. There are a variety of options and features you will find on Class A Motorhomes. These include: built in generators, in motion satellite systems, solar panels, multiple slide outs, multiple air conditioning systems and even heat pumps, in addition to all regular options like awning, tv antenna, stereo and microwave. Most of the body construction of these units is now laminated type with metal or aluminum frame or a combination. The exteriors are usually RV fiberglass siding and, as always, the better coaches have moulded front and rear fiberglass caps. Class A Motorhomes range in size from 22 to 44 feet. It is unusual to find a diesel pusher under 30' although there are some exceptions. Many people are afraid to drive these units because they are typically quite large. You would be surprised at the increase in visibility these coaches offer. Many of the buyers for these units have owned most other types and consider Class A's the ultimate RV. Click to view our selection of Class A Motor homes.
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How RV Refrigerators Work

There are a lot of misconceptions about how RV refrigerators work.  For example, an RV fridge does not have a compressor or refrigerant like a household unit.  RV fridges have a coil system that boils ammonia and when it reaches the condenser, it cools.  There are three methods of boiling the ammonia: a 110 heating element, propane flame, and a 12 volt heating element. This type of refrigerator is referred to as a three way fridge.  Most units today are two way electric and propane.  Using a 12 volt heating element to cool a fridge is very difficult because the RV's house battery will discharge rapidly if you don't have another method of recharging it.  You can tell your RV fridge is working well if it cools right down in 2 or 3 hours.  Your fridge has a problem with the cooling unit if you get a strong smell of ammonia, the freezer is cooling but the fridge isn't, or if it becomes warm inside.  If you smell ammonia, the cooling unit needs to be changed as it is leaking.  If the fridge is warm inside or the freezer cold but not the fridge, your cooling unit probably has a blockage.  In most cases you would change the cooling unit.  About 10% of the time you can temporarily unblock a cooling unit by turning the fridge upside down.  Some people have tried driving over rough roads with their fridge in the back of their pick-up truck to loosen the blockage.  Changing a cooling unit is an expensive operation, even a rebuilt unit can range in cost from $600 to $900.  It takes approximately 2-3 hours to remove and replace the fridge and the cooling unit.  When a cooling unit needs to be changed, we will always recommend a complete fridge.  For a few hundred dollars extra, you will get not only an updated model, you will get new electronic modules as well.  Nothing is worse than installing a new cooling unit and having the ignition module or power supply fail, costing an additional $250.  Replacement refrigerators are available for most existing Dometic and Norcold models.  The cost to replace your fridge starts at about $900 for a small camper fridge to $2000 for the deluxe larger models.  Some of the four door models with ice makers reach $5000 and more.  The only way to extend the life of your fridge is to ensure that you keep the fridge level when in operation.

How Truck Campers are Built

Truck Campers are popular for allot of reasons. You can utilize your existing pick up truck and this will save additional insurance and maintenance costs. People who like to camp in the back country like having four wheel drive, more ground clearance and a unit that is shorter in length. Towing a boat, race car, horse trailer or utility trailer is an option with a truck and camper.Campers today have all the conveniences of a motor home or trailer like hot water, shower, toilet and some even have a slide out. There are three main construction techniques utilized by camper manufacturers. The stick and tin method has been around since RV's started to be manufactured. These campers are built with a wood frame, are insulated with fiberglass and have profiled aluminum siding. The second type of construction is referred to as bonded wall or laminated. This method utilizes foam insulation and Filon fiberglass siding. The sidewalls are built in one piece by bonding foam between the interior and exterior panels. The third is the moulded fiberglass shell. The manufacturer moulds the top and bottom of the unit and seams it in the middle. All types of construction have advantages and drawbacks.
Here is a couple links to more Truck Camper information:

What is the deal with truck camper weights?

Truck Camper tie downs

Check out our in stock Campers

Stick and Tin

Bonded Wall

Moulded

Truck Camper Tie downs

Camper tie downs have come a long way since the Belly Bar. Belly Bars are still available but the vehicle specific side mount tie downs are stronger and provide more ground clearance. Side mount or split mount tie downs are mounted to the side of the pick up's frame and usually requires no drilling. There are two manufacturers making side mount tie downs, Billis and Torque Lift. Billis tie downs are less expensive than Torque Lift but will not always work with trucks with running boards or side steps. We have found the Torque Lift tie down will work in just about any situation. Both of these companies can provide rear tie downs that mount to O.E.M. truck receivers.The only other type of tie down available is called a stake pocket tie down. They mount in the stake pocket on the top of the truck box. They are typically used for lighter duty applications. Check out Billis' fit list and Torque Lift.

Belly Bar

Side Mount / Split Mount / Frame Mount

Post Pocket Tie down

Class C Motorhomes

Class C Motorhomes are easily identified by their cab over bunk. These Motorhomes are built on a cab and chassis supplied by Ford, Chevrolet or Dodge. These chassis are commonly known as cut-aways. Some of the newer models have other makes of chassis like Volkswagen or the Freight liner Sprinter. To be considered a Class C there is always a bunk over the driver's seating area or in some cases this space has a T.V. and stereo and is known as a front entertainment area. They range in size from 20 to 40 feet for the most part although there are a few exceptions depending on age and manufacturer. Class C's are similar to a moving vans, but most of them are a large box attached to a van chassis and many don't have the cab over portion. Most C type Motorhomes have dual rear wheels similar to a dually pickup trucks. Class C's are available with single or multiple slide outs and many of the smaller ones have none. There are several manufacturer's building these units and many floor plans are available. Most R.V. rental companies use C type units because they are considered easy to drive, have passenger seating for six and are less expensive than Class A Motorhomes. Check out Hub City RV's selection of Class C Motorhomes by clicking here