1. health and fitness
2. weight loss

SEPTEMBER 2012
Vol. 49 No. 9 • $3.99 US
www.fmca.com
The new Roadtrek
PLUS: Flat-Towing Basics • Must-See Arizona Sites
m oto
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RANGER
RT
Type B automotive styling
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BY LAZELLE JONES
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROADTREK MOTORHOMES INC.
ROADTREK RANGER RT
coach feature
ROADTREK
RANGER RT
T
he Ranger RT Type B
motorhome arrived in
Anchorage, Alaska, with
4,200 miles on its odometer. It had been driven from the
Roadtrek Motorhomes factory, not
far from Toronto, Ontario. I took
delivery of this new model to conduct a road test and livability review
for Family Motor Coaching.
I put another 450 miles on this new
motorhome, using Anchorage as a
base from which to venture out. If
problems were going to appear, the
Alaska Highway would be the triggering mechanism. Despite the mileage
incurred, only a couple of items were
52
familymotorcoaching • SEPTEMBER 2012
noted. One, an errant rock kicked
up by another vehicle on the gravelcovered washboard surface caused
a crack in the windshield. Two, an
aftermarket strap was added to stop
the swing-out, pivoting flat-screen
television from rattling against the
wall to which it was secured. Suffice
it to say, this gravel-and-dirt portion
of the Alaska Highway was a good
testing and proving ground.
Roadtrek’s new Ranger RT was
designed for a particular niche. The
company’s objective is to offer a fully
equipped Type B motorhome at a
lower price point. The vehicle has all
the utility and functionality of a large
The Ranger RT offers a
motorhome experience in less
than 21 feet (right). Two tables
(opposite) can be set up quickly
for dining or relaxing — one in
front for use with the cockpit
seats, which swing rearward, and
the other in the back for use with
the U-shaped seating area.
SUV but can be used for vacations as
well as shorter outings. This entrylevel unit does not contain several
items that typically increase the cost
of constructing a motorhome. For
example, it is not equipped to tow,
so any related expenses — wiring,
receiver hitch, etc., and installation —
are eliminated. In addition, it is built
on a lighter-weight chassis and powered by a smaller engine to increase
fuel efficiency.
The Ranger RT also features a flat
interior floor, which eliminates costs
associated with lowering the floor to
increase interior height and provide
a catch basin for the shower. (This
motorhome includes a wet bath with
a sit-down shower.)
The Ranger RT is constructed
using a Chevy 2500 van chassis as its
platform. The suspension is all GM.
The drivetrain features a 4.8-liter V-8
gasoline engine and a 6-speed Allison
automatic transmission with a selection that permits the driver to stay in
a chosen gear or change to a higher or
lower gear. The engine develops 285
horsepower and yields 295 poundfeet of torque, which I found sufficient to meet any driving scenarios I
encountered.
Roadtrek uses the existing van
walls that come from General Motors.
Workers remove the top of the
vehicle; apply spray-on insulation;
add the interior appointments; and
attach Roadtrek’s own fiberglass top,
which has been designed in-house, to
the walls. This results in an interior
height of 6 feet 2 inches — sufficient
for most individuals to stand fully
erect inside.
The Ranger RT has an overall
length of 20 feet 5 inches (without
the Continental kit that houses the
spare tire), an exterior width of 6 feet
7 inches (without the mirrors), and an
exterior height of 8 feet 9 inches.
I weighed the unit with a half tank
of fuel (approximately 13 gallons), a
full LP-gas tank (28 gallons), and a
full tank of fresh water (15 gallons).
The black water and gray water
tanks were empty (10 and 23 gallons
capacity, respectively). Onboard at
the time were two adults and one
teen, totaling about 450 pounds.
At the scales the coach registered a
gross weight of 8,280 pounds. The
gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
of 8,600 pounds, which when compared to the actual weight, means 320
pounds of additional cargo, fluid, or
passengers could have been added
to this 20-footer. The actual front
axle weight was 3,900 pounds, with
the rear weight 4,680 pounds. The
gross axle weight ratings (GAWR)
are 4,300 pounds and 5,360 pounds,
respectively.
I calculated the fuel economy over
450 miles of urban, highway, and
mountain driving to be 14.9 mpg.
Here is a motorhome that can be used
to run around town for errands, take
soccer players to practice, or arrive
at a social function looking sophisticated. Plus, the Ranger RT is goodlooking from every exterior angle.
Now here is just one of the pluses
A new entrylevel motorhome
designed for
first-time buyers,
RVers who want
to downsize, or
others looking for
a multipurpose
vehicle.
continued »
SEPTEMBER 2012 • familymotorcoaching
53
ROADTREK RANGER RT
coach feature
PHOTO BY AUTHOR
The Ranger RT test unit was
outfitted with the propane
option, which included a
7-gallon tank to fuel the LP-gas
furnace and two-burner LP-gas
cooktop (left). The stainlesssteel galley sink is conveniently
adjacent to the latter.
associated with driving a smaller
Type B motorhome. At the 2.5-milelong Whittier Tunnel, I was charged
the same fee as a sedan to utilize this
entrance and exit to Prince William
Sound. Fees assigned to a larger
motorhome can be considerably
higher. Once we were through the
tunnel and inside Whittier Harbor to
go on a glacier and wildlife cruise of
Prince William Sound, I was able to
maneuver the Ranger RT into a parking spot, much the same as if I were
driving a large sedan. No need to pay
for big-rig parking in the separate lot
across the way.
I navigated the motorhome around
the city of Anchorage, driving through
entrances to attractions, pulling into
service stations, and cruising down
four-lane or two-lane blue-line roads
that led to the attractions we had
gone there to see. Throughout these
explorations, the Ranger RT was an
absolute pleasure to drive.
With its totally automotive cockpit
and controls and overall automotive
configuration, the Ranger yields the
feeling of driving a large SUV or passenger van rather than a motorhome.
There is a very small learning curve,
if any, before feeling comfortable
54
familymotorcoaching • SEPTEMBER 2012
behind the wheel — and I suspect the
same would hold true for someone
who has never driven any kind of
motorhome. The instrumentation,
the dash-mounted controls, the
steering wheel, the audio system, the
automotive HVAC systems, and the
visibility out the front cab and to the
sides will assuage any anxiety about
being able to pilot this unit.
In addition to the driver and passenger doors, a hinged curbside entry
door opens into the middle living
area of the coach. Exterior running
boards facilitate stepping down to
the ground from all three doors. Two
additional doors on the rear of the
coach swing open from the middle to
permit loading and to provide access
to items stowed below the rear electric coach-wide sofa (24 cubic feet of
storage), which converts into a queensize bed (more on that shortly).
On the curb side, exterior compartment bays with hinged, lockable
doors provide access to the dual
deep-cycle house batteries. The
street-side exterior compartments
house storage, dump valves, and a
handheld shower, as well as the shore
power extension cable. One of the
street-side exterior bays can accom-
modate a set of golf clubs, fishing
rods, or any other long, bulky items.
Two lights illuminate this bay, one
positioned at each end.
The Ranger RT comes with a
30-foot-long, 30-amp shore power
cable and an auxiliary extension in
case the distance to reach a power
outlet is longer than usual. The fuel
fill is located about midway on the
curb side of the coach.
The interior of this compact yet
full-service Type B is configured to
include a permanent water closet and
a permanent sit-down shower. The
Ranger RT features a wet bath and a
flushable marine toilet, with the toilet
emptying directly into the 10-gallon
black water tank. The sink is molded
into the fiberglass interior walls of the
water closet and, along with the shower, it drains into the gray water tank. A
draw-across shower curtain protects
the inside of the bathroom door.
The front living area becomes a
larger, more usable space when turning the cockpit captains chairs rearward. Once that is accomplished, you
can bring out and easily install a table
around which lunch, dinner, or just
a beverage can be enjoyed. The post
on which the table sits stows behind
the driver’s seat and slips into a slot in
the floor; the tabletop is then added
to the upper end. Since the table is
located adjacent to the full-service
street-side galley, food prep and
delivery are easy evolutions.
The standard Ranger RT includes
a simplified electrical system, with
120-volt-AC and 12-volt-DC power
sources. When not connected to shore
power, the 120-volt appliances can be
Specs
operated using the dual large-capacity auxiliary batteries in conjunction
with a 1,250-watt power inverter.
The test coach featured the propane
option, which includes a propane
tank and propane-powered stove and
furnace. This option might be desirable for those who need additional
space heating provided by the furnace
or need to use the stove during extensive dry camping. As with all Roadtrek
motorhomes, a generator is necessary
to operate the air conditioner when
not connected to shore power.
The optional two-burner LP-gas
cooktop in the test coach galley included a fold-up/fold-down glass cover
that provides additional countertop
surface area when the appliance is not
being used. (When the propane option
is not added, an electric two-burner
cooktop comes standard.) The single
stainless-steel sink is accompanied by
a single hot-cold water faucet. Other
appliances include a 0.7-cubic-foot
microwave oven and a 3.1-cubic-foot
two-way (120-volt AC/12-volt DC)
refrigerator-freezer that is thermostatically controlled — no more frozen
produce when the temperature drops
at night. Storage above and below the
countertop is available in both cabinets and drawers.
While enjoying lunch or dinner in
the front living area, passengers can
view the optional flat-screen television from the rear-facing captains
chairs. The TV is attached to the back
of a cabinet in the rear of the coach;
it is mounted on an articulating
arm that permits it to be pivoted 180
degrees for viewing from either the
front or back of the motorhome.
As alluded to earlier, the rear of the
Ranger RT is a multipurpose venue.
When not being used as sleeping
quarters, this area can be configured as a U-shape seating area. A
pole-mounted table can be installed
quickly in the middle to create a
much larger dining area. The same
table post used in the front of the
ROADTREK RANGER RT
MANUFACTURER
Roadtrek Motorhomes
Inc., 100 Shirley Ave.,
Kitchener, ON N2B 2E1;
(888) ROADTREK (7623873); www.roadtrek.com/
FMCM
MODEL
Ranger RT
FLOOR PLAN
One standard floor plan
with various options
SLIDEOUTS
None
CHASSIS
Chevrolet 2500 Express
Cargo Van
ENGINE
8-liter V-8; 285
horsepower @ 5,200 rpm;
295 pound-feet torque @
4,600 rpm
TR ANSMISSION
6-speed Hydra-Matic with
overdrive
A XLE R ATIO
3.42 to 1
TIRES
Bridgestone, 16-inch
WHEELBASE
155 inches
BR AKES
Chevrolet 4-wheel
antilock, 4-wheel disc
SUSPENSION
Chevrolet StabiliTrak
electronic stability
control system; front —
independent with coil
springs and stabilizer bar;
rear — hypoid drive axle
with multileaf springs
SHOCK ABSORBERS
Chevrolet G10 van shock
absorbers
STEERING
Chevrolet Integral Power
ALTERNATOR
145-amp
BATTERIES
chassis – (1) 95 amps;
coach — (2) 6-volt AGM,
220 amp-hours
INVERTER
1,250 watts
ELECTRICAL SERVICE
30 amps
AUXILIARY
GENER ATOR
Onan 2.8-kw gas, optional
EXTERIOR LENGTH
20 feet 5 inches
EXTERIOR WIDTH
6 feet 7 inches (without
mirrors)
EXTERIOR HEIGHT
8 feet 9 inches
INTERIOR HEIGHT
6 feet 2 inches
GROSS
COMBINATION
WEIGHT R ATING
(GCWR)
13,000 pounds
FR AME
CONSTRUCTION
Chevrolet chassis
INSULATION
spray-on and spun
fiberglass
FRESH WATER
CAPACIT Y
15 gallons
HOLDING TANK
CAPACITIES
gray water — 23 gallons;
black water — 10 gallons
FUEL CAPACIT Y
31 gallons
FUEL
REQUIREMENTS
unleaded gasoline
PROPANE CAPACIT Y
7 gallons
WATER HEATER
2.5 gallons
WATER SYSTEM
electric, on-demand
HEATING SYSTEM
16,000-Btu (with optional
LP system)
GROSS VEHICLE
WEIGHT R ATING
(GV WR)
8,600 pounds
AIR- CONDITIONING
SYSTEM
(1) 10,200-Btu with heat
pump
GROSS A XLE WEIGHT
R ATING (GAWR)
front — 4,300 pounds;
rear — 5,360 pounds
REFRIGER ATOR
3-cubic-foot/2-way
AS-TESTED WEIGHT
(weighed with full water
and LP-gas, half tank fuel,
approx. 450 pounds of
passengers)
front axle — 3,900 pounds;
rear axle — 4,680 pounds;
total — 8,280 pounds
OCCUPANT AND
CARGO CARRYING
CAPACIT Y (OCCC)
725 pounds
TOILET
Thetford marine (foot
pedal flush)
WARR ANT Y
coach — 4 years/48,000
miles, limited
chassis — 3 years/36, 000
miles
BASE SUGGESTED
RETAIL PRICE
$72, 800
PRICE AS TESTED
$81, 313
continued »
SEPTEMBER 2012 • familymotorcoaching
55
ROADTREK RANGER RT
coach feature
The U-shaped sofa in the rear
of the motorhome converts
into this queen-size bed with
the touch of a button.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROADTREK MOTORHOMES INC.
56
familymotorcoaching • SEPTEMBER 2012
The monitoring panel, along with
the inverter control and the auxiliary generator start/stop switch, are
mounted where the ceiling curves
down to meet the exterior wall. Even
without the optional propane tank,
this unit would supply sufficient power via four 120-volt-AC receptacles,
plus two 12-volt-DC power ports to
charge handheld devices, notebook
computers, etc. The multispeed
ceiling-mounted Fan-Tastic Vent fan
can be set on automatic so it turns
on and off at the set temperature and
operates at various speeds to meet
the comfort needs of occupants.
The wood used to create the cabinetry and wall in the Ranger RT is
oak, with a cinnamon finish (a gorgeous look). The fabric covering the
rear sofa and side bench seats is lowmaintenance microfiber. The front
captains chairs come dressed with
original-equipment upholstery from
GM. Vinyl covers the floor from front
to rear. Above the windshield are
storage pockets that are designed into
the roof, which sweeps forward to
meet them. The street-side wardrobe
is three-quarters high, which means
that many garments can be stowed
wrinkle-free, and the pull-out mech-
Reprinted from Family Motor Coaching©, September 2012 • 800-543-3622 • w w w.fmca .com
coach can be inserted into a slot in
the floor for this rear area. The table
is stored below one of the seat cushions when not in use. The sofa comes
equipped with two seat belts, which
means a total of four passengers can
travel in this motorhome (although it
is rated to sleep two).
The sofa converts into a rear queensize bed with the push of a button;
the seat moves forward and the back
of the sofa lowers to a flat position.
The side bench seats and the tabletop
(without the post) are used to create
the rest of the bed. Again, watching television from bed is possible
by swinging the TV and mounting
mechanism rearward.
The optional LP-gas furnace is a
16,000-Btu forced-air heater controlled by a wall thermostat. Cooling
is accomplished by a 10,200-Btu roof
air conditioner (with heat pump). The
latter is positioned in the rear portion
of the ceiling, unobtrusive to those on
the inside while minimizing exterior
clearance issues. The electric water
heater holds 2.5 gallons. A 1,250-watt
inverter with a wall-mounted control
that toggles on or off is capable of
powering 120-volt-AC needs (with the
exception of the roof air conditioner).
anism on the drawers make articulation quiet and smooth. The cabinets,
drawers, and wardrobe door include
a push-in/pop-out knob that also
locks them in place for travel.
The Ranger RT also is designed to
provide outdoor comforts when a
destination/campsite is reached. An
optional 11-foot-long box mounted
at the roof line contains a crank-out
patio awning that extends outward
up to 8 feet. A port behind a small
door in the rear bumper reveals a
quick propane connect/disconnect,
so an outside gas grill can be enjoyed.
For cool aesthetics and ease of access
(should it ever be needed), a smartlooking Continental kit, mentioned
previously, allows for storage of a
spare tire.
The choices for full-body paint
include monochrome white, and
white with optional Deluxe Silver
Ground Effects, plus graphics.
The base manufacturer’s suggested
retail price of the 2013 Roadtrek
Ranger RT is $72,800. My test unit,
equipped with all available options,
came to $81,313. The house portion
that Roadtrek builds comes with a
4-year/48,000-mile limited warranty.
The Chevy 2500 chassis comes with
the conventional GM warranty of 3
years/36,000 miles.
The Ranger RT is a perfect fit for
the couple starting out to enjoy the
motorhome lifestyle; for those who
may be looking to downsize from a
larger RV but who don’t want to forgo
the accoutrements they associate
with the motorhome lifestyle; and for
those who want a motorhome as well
as a multipurpose family vehicle. FMC