The Perfect RV

Since we shared the review of our Grand Design Imagine 2670MK you’ve asked questions like
– ‘Why did you choose this rig?’
– ‘Is it the perfect RV?’
– ‘Would you purchase this make/model again’ 

Which are all valid questions if you’re considering a major purchase such as this. First, let’s take a look at all the different types of Recreational Vehicles currently on the market beginning with the simple to the lavish ones.

Towable RVs – usually no built-in generators on board.

1. Pop Up Tent Trailer – 

as it suggests, this is a trailer with a hard top and bottom, however, the ‘walls’ are all tent material.  The entire unit folds into itself, making it compact and extremely light.  Great for small families who don’t want to invest in a truck to tow. They rarely have storage or plumbing for a toilet and have no storage tanks for water etc.

2. Hybrid tent/trailer –

Still has partial tent sides (most often the bedrooms), but also has hard walls which generally don’t collapse.  These can usually still be towed with an SUV. Once again they don’t have any storage or plumbing to speak of.  They do however have more of a permanent feel to them and tend to last a lot longer than a tent trailer.

3. Teardrop Trailer –

these are pretty much mobile bedrooms, but they do also have an outdoor kitchen.  They are tiny and retro-looking – not suitable for full-time living. They are extremely popular with weekend warriors.

4. Travel Trailer –

A self-contained RV towed behind a truck with a regular ball hitch.  You would need at least a 1/2 ton truck to tow these.  They range from 20’ all the way to 36’ and can be ultra-light which can be towed with a 1/2 ton all the way to needing a 3/4 ton truck.  Travel trailers can have slide-outs (walls that expand the interior space) or like Airstreams – never had them.  Slides are a whole other topic of are they good or bad!  Their interior height is usually around 8.5’. They rarely have king-size beds and their exterior storage is minimal.  There are hundreds of styles and layouts! Many people dislike towing a travel trailer and they’re fearful of accidents.  We’ve found that driving at the correct speed and having anti-sway bars fitted to our hitch means no trailer sway and we’ve always felt safe.

5. Fifth Wheel Trailer –

Another self-contained RV towed with a truck.  Somewhat similar to travel trailers, however, the receiver hitch is in the bed of the truck which causes far less trailer sway.   Now you can tow more weight and have far better maneuverability.  Fifth Wheels are extremely popular as they are taller, brighter, and offer a more permanent home feel to them.  They usually have residential-style kitchen appliances and their interior height is around 10’.  They often have king-size beds and even washer/dryers!  They have an abundance of exterior space and slides are standard.  The downside to these RVs is they are heavier, needing a much bigger and more expensive truck.  They take up the bed of your truck making it useless for storage.  They are also taller meaning you are slightly limited on where you can park and drive. Cost wise they can be 50% more expensive than a travel trailer.

6. Toy Hauler –

These can be either travel trailers or 5th wheels types.  The entire back of the rig is a door/ramp and the back third of the trailer is usually a garage.  They are more utilitarian in their interior unless you spend a LOT of money as they are more of a garage for motorbikes, off-roading vehicles, etc.  If you can afford the upper range 5th wheels they are a great option to convert the garage to an office.  The rear ramp/door can be set up as an enclosed raised deck!  The downside again is the loss of your truck bed (with the 5th wheel option) and also the fact that the lower-priced travel trailer models are very simple and not home-like at all.

Non Towable – more likely to have a built-in generator

1. Truck Camper.

This is an add-on to your truck that sits on the entire bed and usually comes over the cab where the bed is.  In the last few years, these have improved by leaps and bounds.  Even so, they are small and can feel very cramped.  We do know people who live full-time in them, but it’s tight quarters for sure.  They have zero exterior storage and once again you lose your truck bed for storage.

2. B Class or Van Conversion –

These vans are an extremely popular option.  They can be purchased already set up as an RV, but many people convert their own Sprinter style van.  B Class/Van conversions are perfect for single travelers or young couples who want to travel/park anywhere.  They are completely self contained, have no slide outs, little living space but still remain popular for their functionality and ease of travel.  The downside to these is once again, no plumbing or storage tanks for waste water etc.

3. C Class –

Class C motorhomes, sometimes called mini-motorhomes, are a more compact version of the larger, bus-style models like the class A’s. These recreational vehicles are built on a van frame, or truck chassis, with an attached cab section.  They again range from 20’ all the way to 40’. The driving area of these motorhomes are usually like a delivery van and can be quite small.  They can have slide outs and once again can be as lavish or as simple as your budget dictates.  They generally have a lower ceiling and smaller kitchen areas.  They are less likely to have residential style appliances unless you buy an expensive one.  Their exterior storage is usually very small.  These RVs are when you begin to get onboard generators as standard which is great for boondocking (camping without any amenities).

4. Super C –

Class Super C RVs are motorhomes that offer a design similar to a Class C coach, but with a larger chassis and a larger power-plant. The super-large frame and extra-powerful engine open up a lot of possibilities when it comes to the details of the motorhome.  These are generally diesel engines and are the upper cost bracket.  They are larger in every way and usually have everything you would want for full time living – which of course comes with an appropriate price tag!

5. A Class

Class A motorhomes are built using a very strong, heavy-duty frame. Thse frames are built on either a commercial bus chassis, a commercial truck chassis, or a motor vehicle chassis. The 18-wheeler trucks use a similar build. The big, 22.5 inch wheels support the heavy load of the Class A motorhome. They can be either diesel or gas – diesel are favored as they have a higher torque and work better with heavy loads.! These are considered the epitome of full time living.  Beautiful huge windows when you’re driving and much easier to set up and tear down.  Lots of space both interior and exterior, standard generators and ‘push button’ controls for leveling and pretty much everything else.  The downside to the drivable RVs once you get to a larger C Class, is now you need a tow vehicle.  Most people tow a small car or a jeep.  This is the most expensive option.

Did we miss you type of rig?  Let us know in the comments below.

Now let’s talk briefly about the numbers and letters when researching RVs. This isn’t an industry standard.  It seems to us that there is no such thing as RV Industry Standards; but that’s just our opinion.

That being said, the majority of manufacturers set up the coding with the model name, followed by a code for options, then a code for the floor plan. The floor plan code usually includes three or four characters, and the first two numbers are usually the approximate vehicle length. This is the length of the living portion, not the overall length

Here are some examples of the letter codes.

B — Bath, Bed, Bunk

FE — Front Entertainment – Usually only found in 5th wheels.

K –Kitchen

MK – Mid kitchen

BH– bunkhouse

CK – Central Kitchen

DS – Dinette Slide

FB – Front Bath

FK – Front Kitchen

FL – Front Lounge or Front Living

IK – Island Kitchen

QB — Queen Bed

RB – Rear Bath

RK – Rear Kitchen

RL – Rear Lounge or Rear Living

Therefore, our Grand Design, Imagine, 2670MK is an Imagine model with 26’ living area and a mid kitchen.   We believe the ’70’ indicates the 7,000 lbs dry vehicle weight – but we couldn’t confirm this.  (Let us know in the comments below if we’re totally wrong).

Every rig has pros and cons and the reality is there’s no such thing as a ‘perfect rig’.  What’s perfect for one maybe a nightmare for another.  What works for your life would probably not work for ours. For instance as much as we love the flexibility of van life, parking wherever you choose and moving around with ease sounds awesome it wouldn’t work for us – way too small!  We have no off road toys and no desire to own any, so a toy hauler is a no go for us (although the idea of the raised deck is cool).   Class C or A motorhomes sound lovely, but now you need to purchase a tow vehicle to go along with your home.  Once that’s hooked up, you can’t back up! Or more accurately you can back up, but with great difficulty.  Also, you’re talking BIG MONEY when you start looking at motorhomes.

Therefore, the first decision you need to make is what kind of traveling do you plan to do?  Are you the adventure, hike, bike kinda traveler who needs less living space? Maybe Van life is for you.  Weekend warrior with your off road toys – definitely a toy hauler for you.  Are you wanting all the mod cons and ‘push button’ ease – Class A.  Money no option? – luxury Class A.

Let’s briefly discuss equipment inside RVs. The most important thing to realize here is that 99% of everything inside any rig, from the frame it sits on to the Air Conditioner up on the roof, is identical in almost every single RV on the market; no matter who manufacturers it.  This surprises most people – it certainly surprised us.  Therefore, if you currently own a rig but hate the water heater or think the air conditioner is a useless, changing your RV would probably not be the answer.

Once we made the decision to go full time (you can see why we brought our plans forward 8 years here) we began the search for an RV we could live in, with all our stuff and two dogs.

Our first priority when we began researching was we must be able to tow the trailer with the truck we’d purchased the year previous as we couldn’t justify losing money trading it in to purchase a 3/4 ton.  This limited us to either a tiny 5th wheel or a light weight travel trailer.  We didn’t want tiny, therefore travel trailer was the way to go for us.  We had some ‘must haves’ such as…

1. Trusted Warranty and Customer Service
2. Plenty of windows to let in light
3. Office space – as we need to be able to work comfortably 
4. Closet space – we’re going to live in it after all
5. Walk around bed – we’re too old to be climbing over each other
6. Solid Steps – less movement in the trailer.

We already knew we wanted a Grand Design product as their reputation for residential style build quality, warranty and service was impeccable.  We researched on line for months. We actually stumbled on our floor plan while scrolling through hours of YouTube videos.

The Grand Design, Imagine 2670MK checked every box and more than this, she had opposing slides giving the feel of massive living area and an island which created less choke points. Anyone with an RV knows that there are certain areas of your rig, where you just cannot pass and we have two.  One is immediately as you enter the rig and the other is at the foot of the bed.  Other than that she’s spacious and easy to navigate.

To summarize and answer to your questions

1. We purchased her based on Grand Design’s reputation, the appropriate weight, layout and of course price.
2. No!  She’s not perfect, but she’s gosh darn near it
3. Yes!  We’d absolutely purchase this make/model again.

Do you own a rig?  Why did you purchase the make/model you have?

We hope you enjoyed this blog post.  Leave us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.