Let’s get caught up…(pt 1)
I’ve gotten way behind on keeping up with this blog, and there is a lot to catch up on!
I have been following a couple of van builders for a few years, Panoramic RV and Noovo Travel Vans. Both offer a front dinette floor plan that has always been my favorite layout.
Checking out a Travato G, back in December of 2020
Prior to purhasing the Beyond, I had been interested in the Winnebago Travato GL but after the change in the dinette that removed the additional bed I turned to the Beyond.
Last year in April (2024) I had the opportunity to see the Panoramic RV class B when they made their announcement that they would be sold through National Indoor RV Centers (NIRVC). I had the opportunity to get a tour and interview with Philippe Marcotte.
Checking out the Panoramic
After spending time in the Panoramic it started the wheels turning in my head and I really saw how much that floor plan could work for me.
First view of the Plus prototype
A month later, I had the opportunity to visit Noovo for the first time, they had just come out with the Plus.
I started really thinking about changing vans but it was a tough decision. The Beyond had been a great van with very little issues so it was not easy to think about letting go of it. The year before I had done a remodel to remove the couch and add a flexible space where I could configure it with 2 twin beds, or remove one bed and have a table/desk configuration.
So I went back and forth for a while, keep the Beyond/sell the Beyond. I even entertained the idea of completely remodeling it to make a front dinette - but I felt that would be a risk since it would involve disrupting the plumbing and electrical and I didn’t want to do that.
Decor refresh… just in time to sell….
At one point I even decided to just stick with the Beyond and did a little decor refresh and made plans to upgrade the rooftop solar.
I had about 78k miles on the Beyond and so I debated again, do I want to invest in the solar or a new van?
Around this time Noovo had updated the Lite with some of the design features of the Plus - solid surface countertops, a cleaner, more unified look with a white ceiling and all oak wood finish (no more bamboo). This caught my attention so I took a second trip out to Las Vegas in September (2024) to see the Lite again - since the first trip I was more focused on the Plus. After this trip I knew I was going to make a decision and took one more look at the Panoramic as well.
What finally made my decision between the Panoramic and the Noovo was that the Noovo does not have propane (I no longer wanted to deal with a propane tank), has on-demand hot water and much larger fresh and gray tanks and no black tank. The lithium battery is 660 amp hrs standard, and they use Lithionics, one of the best batteries on the market and what I had in the Beyond. All at a much better price point than the Panoramic. Noovo also offered some flexibility with what I could add/remove. I was able to add an external solar port, larger window in the bedroom and remove the cassette toilet and opt for a dry flush toilet.
I had to have foot surgery to repair a ruptured achilles tendon so while I was recuperating my Noovo Lite was being built and I listed my Beyond for sale.
