A Class B is a van you can park anywhere. It fits in a normal space, drives like a large car, and lets you sleep at a trailhead that a Class A cannot reach. The trade is space and water: 20 gal goes quickly, and two people living in a van for a week need a plan.
Length and footprint
| Length | Fits |
|---|---|
| 17–19 ft | Standard parking space, city streets |
| 20–21 ft | Most spaces; tight in garages |
| 22–24 ft | Two spaces, or a pull-through site |
Under 20 ft is the sweet spot for access. Above 22 ft the van stops being a van for parking purposes and starts behaving like a small motorhome.
Drivability
| Factor | Reality |
|---|---|
| Parking | Standard spaces under 20 ft |
| Turning | Car-like; no special technique |
| Backing | Rear camera helps; short wheelbase is easy |
| Fuel | 15–20 mpg |
| Speed | Highway comfortable at 65–70 mph |
The Class B’s advantage is that it is your only vehicle. No towed car, no second insurance policy, no shuttle logistics.
Sleeping capacity
| Layout | Sleeps | Comfort |
|---|---|---|
| Rear bed, transverse | 2 | Tight for tall people |
| Rear bed, longitudinal | 2 | Better for 6 ft+ |
| Pop-top | 2 + 2 | Children upstairs |
| Convertible bench | 2 | Setup twice daily |
Two adults is realistic. Four is possible with a pop-top and children, and miserable in rain when everyone is inside.
Solar and battery
| System | Output | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| 100 W panel + 100 Ah AGM | ~40 Ah/day | Lights, phone, fan |
| 200 W + 200 Ah lithium | ~80 Ah/day | Fridge, laptop, fan |
| 300–400 W + 300 Ah lithium | ~120–160 Ah/day | Fridge, induction, inverter |
| No solar, alternator only | Depends on driving | Minimal |
A 12 V compressor fridge draws 30–50 Ah a day in warm weather. That single appliance decides the solar budget.
Water capacity
| Tank | Typical | Duration (2 people) |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh 20 gal | 20 gal | 2–3 days |
| Fresh 30 gal | 30 gal | 4–5 days |
| Grey 15–20 gal | Matches use | Dump every 2–3 days |
Water is the van’s real limit. Navy showers — wet, off, soap, rinse — get a shower down to 2 gal and turn two days into four.
Cost per night
| Option | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dispersed camping | $0 |
| Public campground | $20–35 |
| Private RV park | $45–75 |
| Harvest Host / similar | $0 with purchase |
| Van rental | $150–300 per night |
Owning a van is cheaper per night than renting one after roughly 40 nights a year. Renting is the right way to test whether you like it.
The first week is the test
Rent before you buy. A week in a van in bad weather tells you more than a year of reading reviews. The things that annoy you on day two — the bed, the fridge noise, the water pump — are the things you will live with for years.
Pay attention to where you put wet gear. A van has no vestibule, and wet jackets end up on the bed within an hour of a rainy walk.
What the van is good at
| Strength | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Trailheads, towns, small sites |
| Setup | Zero: park and sleep |
| Fuel | 15–20 mpg |
| Stealth | Looks like a van |
What it is bad at
| Weakness | Detail |
|---|---|
| Space | Two people, one aisle |
| Water | 2–3 days without refill |
| Rain | No separate room |
| Storage | Gear competes with living |
A rainy day in a Class B is the test most people fail. Two days of rain in 70 sq ft is a relationship exercise.
Before you buy or rent
- Sit in the bed; lie down if you can.
- Check the fridge draw in amps.
- Confirm the solar output on a cloudy day.
- Measure the water tank, not the brochure claim.
- Check the grey tank size against the fresh.
- Drive it on a highway, not just a car park.
Resale and rental economics
Vans hold value better than most RVs because the chassis is a commercial vehicle with a long service life. A well-maintained camper van at five years old is still worth 60–70% of new.
Rental is the way to test the idea: two weeks at $200 a night is $2,800, which is expensive for a holiday and cheap compared with buying the wrong van.
Where to go next
For the larger class, see the Class A guide; for power, the battery and shore power guide; for portable power, the power station guide.
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