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If the equipment on a Class B RV appears to be "complicated to master" for you, systems and equipment on other RV's will not be any easier.
That's because the industry pretty much uses the same equipment from the same suppliers for all those systems. The propane system that can power refrigeration, heating, cook stove, and hot water is virtually the same in all RV's. The refrigerators ... Dometic and a couple other brands offer electric/propane options (2-way, lo voltage and propane, or 3-way lo voltage/propane/high voltage (110V). The furnaces are typically made by Suburban. The A/C's come from multiple suppliers. The RV water system pumps, storage tanks, waste water tanks/valves/plumbing ... all come from a very limited number of suppliers. Hot water heaters ... same as the refrigerators, can be lo or high voltage electric, or propane heated.
Dealing with propane appliances is an art in fuel management, keeping an eye on the propane tank use and refilling as needed, shutting off the system when refueling the vehicle (actually, before you pull into the fuel stop). You need to be proactive about your energy sources and energy management, and water systems with any RV, even when you're plugged in at an RV campground with full utility hook-ups.
If you decide a "driveable RV" isn't what you want to operate, be prepared for the similar systems and equipment in an RV trailer.
Most refrigerators today are two way, but it's propane or 120v. Three ways add 12 volt, but are not as common as they once were.
Hot water heaters can also be both propane and 120 volt. Use both at the same time and you can significantly reduce your recovery time. I've never heard of them being 12 volt. You could never run one off of a battery, so your only realistic options are propane or 120 volt or both.
You shouldn't even be driving with the propane turned on. Most propane lines are exposed underneath and if any road debris hits a line and causes a leak you could easily have a fire that destroys your RV.
OP, you don't have to be a mechanic to learn how to drive and take care of a car on a basic level, right?
I had an old Airstream trailer that I lived in on property I bought in WA for a few years. It's not hard. And it's not like you need to learn everything at once. And, there are always people who can help or explain things to you.
For instance, you know you must need propane because your stove quit working. You look at the propane tanks and figure out how to remove them to take them to get them refilled. Or you drive your entire rig to a place that sells propane and go in and sheepishly ask if there's anyone who can help you, you think you need propane and don't know what to do. Inevitably, someone will come and show you how to detach the tanks. Then, they refill them for you and show you how to reattach them and hook them up, and how to tell when they're getting low, etc.
Or, you can just repeat the above every time you need propane, LOL.
And you drive into an RV park and ask the manager if they can show you how to hook up the electricity. Odds are, they will be happy to show you. Worst case scenario, you have to wait until someone can show you, and in the meantime, you light a candle.
But, you don't have to become an engineer. And just like anything else you've ever learned how to do, it's just one step at a time. Heck, I bet learning how to use your computer was daunting at some point in your life, and yet, here you are :-)
We've been on the road 4-5 months a year for eight years now.
What I've learned:
1. RV'ers are about the friendliest and most helpful folks on earth. Pull into a park with a problem and you'll be sure to find someone who can help you. In fact, they'll usually be fighting over who gets to help you first. Everyone loves to show off their knowledge.
2. You're going to need about half the gadgets and clothing you took with you and about twice the money.
3. You'll learn to jury rig and re-purpose like a pro in no time.
4. Though tempting, *don't* give that thingie an extra-hard twist just to see if you can make it turn further. You can't. It'll break off and then you really have problems. What "thingie", you ask? Doesn't matter, any thingie will do.
5. It will start raining just as you pull in. Get used to it.
6. The repairman will tell you, "I've never seen that happen before!" He's lying. He just would like you to think you have an extra-special-super-bad problem that will justify an extra-special-super-high bill.
7. You will park next to the campers whose dog "never barks when they go away". It does and it will. Incessantly.
8. Never park under a pine tree in the fall unless you want to be waking up all night, crying "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT????"
9. You will meet some gosh-darned interesting people and perhaps make some lifetime friends.
10. Rainy days spent dozing on the couch and doing absolutely nothing are wonderful.
11. You'll find that bathing in an upright coffin under a lukewarm drizzle can get you just as clean as a high-powered steam shower.
12. Meals cooked on a tiny stove and eaten at a picnic table fighting off ravenous squirrels tastes as good as those served at a 5-star restaurant.
Most refrigerators today are two way, but it's propane or 120v. Three ways add 12 volt, but are not as common as they once were.
Hot water heaters can also be both propane and 120 volt. Use both at the same time and you can significantly reduce your recovery time. I've never heard of them being 12 volt. You could never run one off of a battery, so your only realistic options are propane or 120 volt or both.
You shouldn't even be driving with the propane turned on. Most propane lines are exposed underneath and if any road debris hits a line and causes a leak you could easily have a fire that destroys your RV.
I'd be more than happy to do entirely without propane. After all, if you're already paying for your utilities with an RV park site fee (although I understand many charge separately for long-term electricity), might as well use it rather than have to buy tanks of gas on top of it and risk your life besides!
Most refrigerators today are two way, but it's propane or 120v. Three ways add 12 volt, but are not as common as they once were.
Hot water heaters can also be both propane and 120 volt. Use both at the same time and you can significantly reduce your recovery time. I've never heard of them being 12 volt. You could never run one off of a battery, so your only realistic options are propane or 120 volt or both.
You shouldn't even be driving with the propane turned on. Most propane lines are exposed underneath and if any road debris hits a line and causes a leak you could easily have a fire that destroys your RV.
The only thing we ever use our propane for is our stove/oven. As we're not the boondocking types, we are always staying in parks that have at least 30 amp electricity available. We've been on the road for up to ten hours without anything defrosting in our freezer or the refrigerator getting warm, so there's no use for us to use propane while moving.
We've never yet used the furnace; I'd have to dig the instructions out to even see how to cut it on. The electric fireplace heats the "downstairs" in the 5er quite well and a tiny spaceheater will warm up the bedroom or bathroom in a flash.
There are lots of complicated systems to master with Class Bs, too (believe me, I've researched them all), and a driveable RV won't really suit my purposes. But yeah; the trailer on fire (who knew the fridge ran on propane?) is one of those things that can go wrong.
Could you elaborate the B class issue? If it doesn't have a bathroom, the complication seems minimum in my view.
"The only thing we ever use our propane for is our stove/oven."
And I can cook only using a microwave and a plug-in hotplate, so...problem solved! I do hate having to pay extra for electricity in some parks, though; as pricey as they are, seems that should be included.
Could you elaborate the B class issue? If it doesn't have a bathroom, the complication seems minimum in my view.
Re: not suiting my purposes, I'll be driving around quite a bit while staying in each location long-term and don't want to have to unhook it and use tons of gas to take the whole house with me every time I do. Also less of a "house-like" atmosphere for my pets and me. As for complications, I'm saying they're ALL complicated. I suppose with any rig there are ways to simplify by just "roughing it" in one or more aspects (using only electricity and campground showers/bathroom, etc.).
Re: not suiting my purposes, I'll be driving around quite a bit while staying in each location long-term and don't want to have to unhook it and use tons of gas to take the whole house with me every time I do. Also less of a "house-like" atmosphere for my pets and me. As for complications, I'm saying they're ALL complicated. I suppose with any rig there are ways to simplify by just "roughing it" in one or more aspects (using only electricity and campground showers/bathroom, etc.).
I still don't get. B class living isn't complicate than condo living with a regular car. If you want to live in a RV like in a single family house, you'd better staying in SFH.
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