This is our second B. Our first B was a 2005 Pleasure-Way Plateau Sprinter. GWV's current competitors building on the same 3500, 170" WB model are the Roadtrek RS Adventurous, the Leisure Travel Vans Free Spirit, The Pleasure-Way Plateau, the Airstream Interstate and maybe soon the Winnebago ERA again. You can convert the same model in your own custom configuration through Sportsmobile.
Why did we switch from Pleasure-Way or go with Great West Van? We upgraded to a new GWV Legend to satisfy several desires we accumulated over five years of B van use. The first obvious one was getting a new and newer design Sprinter with better cab luxuries and quieter, smoother ride.
Secondly, we desired more zoned living in being able to utilize the driver and passenger seat swiveled around toward the back of the van and set up to a temporary table. We didn't have that in our Pleasure-Way. We did not want a second row of passenger seats and have to give up storage for them.
Thirdly, we desired a fly and mosquito screen solution so we could come and go from the B without opening and closing the large sliding door. We also needed to keep our cat inside the B. GWV has come up with a screen enclosure and a sliding screen door that is unique to meet this desire. I don't think any other manufacturer has addressed this issue.
We also had the dealer add a custom roll and zip up, leave in place bug screen to enclose the back door opening. GWV offers a snap on one as an option but the dealer's solution was better.
Fourthly, we own a 20 cubic foot hitch receiver cargo carrier in order to carry two inflatable kayaks and various other items. After a couple of lengthy trips including one six week trip where we used our kayaks in only one place we decided a cargo carrier that extends the B length another 3 feet just wasn't worth the aggravation. It completely changed where we drove and where we parked. So on one trip we left them at home and you guessed it, we passed up many unanticipated opportunities where we could have used the kayaks. So the desire to carry them inside the B yet not in the way became a huge desire. Again, GWV came up with a unique design no other B has in the Tri-fold electric sofa to give us the storage area we desired.
THE TRI-FOLD ELECTRIC SOFA
The Great West Van Legend is an electric tri-sofa design without the attending ottomans and backrest cushions to fill in for a bed as most other Bs have. The sofa flattens and fills in the back area into a King bed utilizing three panels - the seat, the seat back and another panel behind the seat back. I think this is unique to GWV. You can sit three legally while underway and you can adjust the back slope. The wheel wells of the 3500 dually chassis are carpeted and serve as foot stools.
The single biggest advantage of the GWV tri-fold sofa is its tremendous storage. It rides on side rails so the underside storage is 12"D x 69" x 40" and mostly free of interfering support hardware. We can store everything we had stored under the sofa in our P-W plus everything we had stored in a 20 cubic foot cargo carrier shell on our hitch receiver. In addition it has a 13"D x 20" x 27" basement storage. We haven't sleeped in it yet so are hoping on the come it will be what we wanted.
The Tri-fold Sofa
The Bed
Clear storage under the sofa
The bonus. If you want you can glide the whole sofa forward and have standup storage behind for things like bicycles while traveling.
This view is with the sofa all the way forward. What you see stored is what will fit under with the sofa all the way back or in the bed position. It is everything that was carried in our previous P-W Plateau with the hitch cargo carrier. The two gray bags are inflatable kayaks that were previously carried in the cargo carrier.
Lastly, for a B we were impressed by the ample and clear (comparatively) pass through wide aisle from front to back. It is a full 28". What does that mean? You don't have squeeze sideways to get by your partner or interrupt and wait your turn to pass. The Airstream Interstate closes down to a tight 19" between fixed cabinets to get to the bed. Most of the other electric sofa models also squeeze you down to get to the sofa to sit. No other B comes close to the 28" clearance. This is something you don't appreciate unless you have prior B experience and I suspect is a unexpressed but felt reason some people move up to a B+ RV.
We thought the Pleasure-Way Plateau had the best bathroom of the mentioned Bs with good space, a window, a nice vanity and medicine cabinet and an operable roof vent. The GWV has a good size bathroom as well but with a quirky slide out lavatory over the toilet. Since we haven't camped yet I am kind of holding my opinion in reserve on this idea. It does make for a more roomier bathroom for a shower without having a lav in the way and the shower head itself is better positioned. The bathroom also has a rather large roof skylight that is nice.
Bathroom Skylight
Slideout Lavatory
Bathroom with Lavatory closed. It slides in under a cabinet.
There were also a lot of other things we were looking to upgrade to that almost every B could have satisfied such as two house batteries, but this B in aggregate satisfied the most desires for us and in more unique ways.