rolandandlinda
Virginia
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Joined: 06/08/2009
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We owned an older 1992 190 but recently went to this lightly used single owner 2007 170 out of necessity. We also have an old Class A. We use the "B" for a second car and nearly any trip over a couple hours but recently took the newer 170 for 2800 miles/two weeks/4 nights and cmpgds/2 nights boondocking/several nights plugged to friends 15 amp circuit but lived in the RV. We travel with 2 small dogs. We use the Stowaway II on the back for extra storage. With that background, a few comments follow:
1. For driving/maneuvering convenience and economy on the go, the class "B" class in general has our vote. No change. Love the "A" room when we have to live in something more than three weeks or we are staying in one place a lot. Otherwise, we use the "B".
2. The 170 is a Chevy chassis (standard) with a 6.0L V8. Driving results:
--little over 17 mpg on the road (tad poorer than the 318 on our older 92 190)
--turning radius, steadiness, and responsiveness better than the Dodge chassis on our old 92
--plenty of power
--visibility very good but the corner little inset side mirrors are essential to avoid a blindspot.
--We have a $100 back-up wireless system self-installed, which helps but it is pretty much a poor substitute for a much better on-demand system we have in the Class A. I won't buy another cheap one.
3. Driving comfort and safety.
--While the front leg room is a bit truncated, comfort is good. I did not cramp up in long hours; My wife is short and the seats are really good to her. However, she loves to sit in back with legs propped up and half reclined.
--Everything is reachable up front but front space to put things (like most vans) is short changed. Side doors have nice compartments but getting your hand into one is a bit tight.
--We use a 3-connector 12V that sets in the center and hooks to the single 12V receptacle. May seem silly, but this really helps since we plug cell phone charger and GPS
--Power and maneuverability are high points. Plenty of both.
4. Sleeping and sitting/living in the RV
--Sleeping is split into 2 locations. My wife is pretty short and sleeps in back comfortably in a side to side arrangement; I use the right side with a special pad/board used in the 170 that bridges the front seat (turned sideways) and the passenger seat at the side door. This arrangement may sound complicated, but both of us are comfortable and sleep well. It takes 5 minutes to set up or put away. The arrangement is better for us than both in the back like we were in the 190. When we were both in the back of the 190, neither of us moved without the other waking, and going to the bathroom got interesting. On the new one, we don't disturb each other when moving around.
--The Roadtrek package of rugs and cushions must have been done by someone that liked puzzles. We ditched half of it and opted for some pillows and fleece blankets that fit on or around the primary cushions that make up the back bed, which is really a single. I made a small piece of ply that fits on the back of two wood rails that extends the rear single bed area and also covers a funny angled section in the back. If you have a 170, you know what I am talking about.
--This unit comes with two tables and posts for front and back. We normally do not use them; they are usually in the way. However, the large table top that stows in the back/left is used outside...to lay on the continental tire storage when it is rotated down. This makes a great outdoor table at the rear of the unit. The front smaller table is handy once in a while.
--A little side cabinet near the rear and left of the 170 has several shelves and houses hard-to-get receptacles for electronics. We use the cabinet for our "portable office"....the shelves are good for laptops and the receptacles can run on the road through an installed inverter. In the new world of electronics and paperless office notions, the cabinet is great to locate critical equipment (laptops, portable scanner, printer, etc.) but still keep it stowed and out of sight.
--Sometimes we eat in back with our legs "kissing"; sometimes we eat split (one in back and one in the passenger seat at the door). Either works; it is a bit cramped but livable.
--Cooking is easy for us; I do most of it. We eat healthy but simple, so the two burner and a microwave work fine. When I am cooking, of course, it's hard to get buy me, but that's a class B. Frig works OK...not as cold as I like in the frig section but the freezer is OK...and fits a 1/2 gallon of ice cream when I succumb to temptation. We are always running two ice trays; it works. The storage for food is OK; we package what we need to and keep essentials.
--Shower: I confess to not having tried it. I really don't like wet shower in the middle of cramped space. We are also missionaries overseas and have learned to wash without showers. I guess one day I will try it. Any one else tried it and care to comment?
--Toilet: the 170 floor space is relatively free because of the nice way they designed the inset toilet with a door that has a belly to accommodate the upper rim. However, you have to be to the rear of the bath to open the door and get to the "throne". It works; it's not ideal. I think I would have designed a folding door with a piano hinge and it would have solved the entrance/exit problem.
5. Floor space. Floor space is more convenient than the old 190 on the Dodge chassis. I like the metal "tub" and drain arrangement: it is tough, easy to clean, and accommodates the shower also. Head room is adequate. It feels roomier than our older 190 and everything can be reached with two steps. We can pass each other without crushing our bodies together, but carefully.
6. Sto-away II on the back. Buy it. It's worth every cent. Used it all the time, and the rotatable feature gets us to the under-bed storage pretty easily. Overall length is still less than a passenger truck and full passenger cab so standard parking spots in a Wal Mart accommodate us fine. Short spaces: we stick out about 2 feet. Over all storage capacity with the unit installed is about the same as what we had inside the 190, but the external storage is nicer for slightly larger items (we have some) that would not break down to go in most Class B's without some problems.
Bottom line: great solution at a good price.
Would I buy it at a new sticker price? Or, in other words, is the cost per cubic foot worth twice what I paid. I don't think so...I would opt for other solutions. However, that is why I hunted for what I felt to be worth the price. In my humble opinion, most "B's" off the lot are over priced, but anyone is welcome to holler at me and disagree.
As for us, we are going to keep this 170 for a long time, and intend to get much use out of it.
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pshubird
Daphne, Alabama, USA
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Joined: 03/13/2002
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We also have a RT 170 Popular. Ours is a 2005 model. Your review and comments are right on the money. We sleep with my wife and our cat in the rear bed and me on the side bed. I actually find it to be pretty comfortable. We have always used the shower in our 170. It works great. One thing that improved it for us was upgrading the Fantastik fan to be reversible. Reversing the airflow will keep the shower curtain away from your body while you shower. The aisle shower is a very clever idea. It ends up giving you a much larger shower area than any enclosed bath in a true Class B (not counting B+'s). Great to have another happy RT 170 owner here. Happy travels.
-Pat
Patrick
Daphne, Alabama
2005 RT 170P
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rolandandlinda
Virginia
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Joined: 06/08/2009
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Thanks for the comments. I do not pretend to be an expert, but it seems I made sense. I will try the shower and like the reversible fan idea. Last, I did not include the down points since the price I paid is a reflection of balancing value, which I think we did. There are mess ups in the design, but the advantages of small size, economical use, and utility out weigh them...at the right price. Two I will mention are a probably a fault in other RVs. The first is the atrocious hose for waste. After posting the other thread on the subject to get solutions I went out and tried to wrap it. It promptly split again with minor pressure. Fixable, of course, but one has to get someone else's gear to do it and it will cost in time and money. The second is the closures on the cabinet doors that rotate out. They are so tight that it takes 2 hands to hold on to them to keep them from slamming shut or to get them to open. The list of foibles is longer, but these two stand out because they get used all the time. Bottom line is the same, however. It is a keeper. However, if I had to pay full price for the unit, I would be pounding on someone's desk with these kinds of things.
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