Over the years we have set up several Class B Motor homes as tow vehicles for a variety of trailers, for many people this creates a very versatile RV combination. They can often be combined with everything from cargo trailers and boats to a travel trailer for children or guests to stay in.
            Generally speaking, setting up a class “B” for towing presents a special set of challenges. One challenge is to be sure the van has enough load capacity to carry the trailers hitch weight. Class B’s are usually pretty close to load capacity on the back axle, so a good way to handle the hitch weight is to fabricate a very solid hitch receiver that can transfer a good portion of the hitch weight to the front wheels of the van. This improves stability as well as increasing the hitch weight capacity. Stability is still a concern since most class B units have a very long rear overhang.
            This summer we took a trip to the east coast with five Airstream families that we have traveled with for many years. My mother wanted to join us, along with our two teenage daughters. Mom wanted her own space, and the girls stay up a lot later than I do, so we decided to tow the Airstream with a class B motorhome to give us a third private sleeping area. Since we would be towing a 34’ Airstream, the question was which class B to use? The Ford based van would do the job from a power perspective, but I have towed with them in the past, and I am pretty familiar with them, so there was not much to learn there, and I always try to experience a new dimension in towing whenever the opportunity arises.
            I really wanted to try out the 3.0 litre diesel Sprinter chassis on a long trip. Choosing the best class B chassis to tow the 34’ Airstream was an interesting exercise in RV theory. Most of the Dodge Sprinter/Mercedes class B’s are built on a 22’9” 170” wheelbase van, chassis. This wheelbase is only 8” shorter than what a lot of 30’ class A motor homes once had. The long wheelbase is great for highway stability but it does necessitate the need for some additional space for maneuvering when it is combined with a 34’ trailer - it would not be the best combination to get in and out of campsites. In addition to the overall length considerations, the back axle of the longer wheelbase chassis is pretty much maxed out for weight capacity and due to the overall length and wheelbase it is pretty much impossible to transfer enough weight to the front wheels to make the motorhome a viable candidate for towing a 34’ travel trailer – towing a smaller trailer or a boat would be no problem.
            Last year, Pleasure-Way introduced a class B motorhome that they call the Accent model, which is built on a shorter 19’4” 144” wheelbase Sprinter chassis.  Although this van is much shorter and lighter than the larger model, it has the same weight capacity - so there is plenty of margin for you to carry some hitch weight, and the wheelbase is short enough to achieve weight transfer. We had plenty of weight capacity left over, even with the 34’ Airstream attached and five of us in the van. This seemed like the ideal trailer/tow vehicle combination.
            The first step in our travel itinerary was to put about 1200 kilometers on the van to break it in gently. Running at 90 -100 km-h, with gentle use of the accelerator the Accent was able to run an impressive 27.6 miles to the Imperial gallon or 10.3 litres/100 km.
            We added reinforcement to the standard hitch receiver and removed the rear mounted spare tire. With CAA and E range truck tires loaded well below their maximum limit I have never considered a spare all that mandatory but if you really felt one was a necessity there is space to mount a winch bracket underneath where the generator option would normally be positioned.
            All Sprinters have a 3.0 litre V/6 Diesel producing 154 hp which sounds very low these days but what makes this engine shine is a very flat torque curve of 280 lbs-ft torque from 1200 right through to 2400 rpm. Combined with the 5 speed transmission there are no flat spots between gears.  Some people think this is the same drive train as the Blue Tec used in the M, G, and E class Mercedes vehicles, which is also a 3.0 litre, however the Blue Tec is a completely different system - it produces 210 hp at 3800 rpm and 398 lbs-ft torque from 1600-2400 rpm - it is also mated to a 7- speed transmission but this drive train is substantially more expensive and no more economical.  
            Though you can never have too much power the 154 hp Sprinter drive-train is a remarkable performer. With the 34’ Airstream attached and five of us in the van with all our gear; two full fresh water tanks, and propane in both vehicles etc… the combination weighed just over 18,000 lbs. I expected to do most of my towing in 4th gear, but the Pleasure-Way towed the Airstream quite effortlessly in 5th gear and even climbed moderate grades without shifting down. In 4th gear at 100 kpm most normal grades are climbed easily; the 8-9% grades in northern New Brunswick needed third gear at 85 km-h which is more than respectable performance.
            One of the units in our group was an impeccable 1991 Airstream 35’ Classic motorhome with a Pre-Vortex fuel injected 454 with 230 HP. I would guess that it would be pretty equal aerodynamically and almost as heavy as our rig, yet performance on hills was about the same.
            On one very steep hill in a campground I wondered if the Sprinter actually had enough power - it started to vibrate while trying to climb the hill, and was bogged right down in speed. For a second I wondered what was going on and then I remembered the traction control switch. I turned it off and the Pleasure-Way took off up the hill climbing it quite easily. There was no real traction problem, the system just seems to be overly sensitive - but as long as you can turn it off that is not a problem.
            Towing fuel economy was very good for the size and weight of the combination, averaging 16.8 MPG for the trip and as high as 17.8 MPG on some tanks at a 100 KPH. That’s pretty impressive considering the class B motorhome was towing a 34’ trailer!
            Some may think that the Sprinter vans would be unstable due to the tall and narrow look - but they actually handle quite well. The initial impression of the vehicle is a bit of an optical illusion - despite the narrow appearance, the track is actually 1” wider than the other vans, and the rear suspension stance is 5” wider.             Even on some of the back roads in PEI, which are well covered in front heaves the Sprinter was quite poised and never felt overly top heavy. The rack and pinion steering certainly helps here. Strong crosswinds have some effect but no more than you feel on some SUV’s. The previous generation sprinters had 225/75R x 16” tires and but this one has moved to 245’s which are not necessary for load capacity. Switching back to the 225 would give some additional steering precision, power and fuel mileage, if was towing something less aerodynamic than the Airstream it would like be a worthwhile change.
            Pleasure-Way adds air bag helper springs to the rear axle, and while they may be helpful on the longer van, the Accent worked best with the air suspension set at minimum pressure - there was just not enough weight to make them necessary. Once we figured that out, the ride quality was quite good, with a little bounce in the rear seat at times, but overall nothing severe. Pleasure-Way makes the quietest motor home on the road - there is rarely any hint of a rattle or squeak in the interior. The only sound we heard was an occasional rattle from the huge sliding door. The swinging side door on the Ford and GM based vans is much more user friendly for a class B. Other than that, the van was flawless - without a single repair needed or a single quality glitch discovered during the entire trip.

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