Coachmen Nova 20C

The Coachmen Nova 20C is the value pick among lithium-equipped Class B vans, and it leans on the Ram ProMaster's biggest advantage: width. Owners consistently note the extra interior room over a Sprinter or Transit, which makes cooking and moving around easier in a van under 21 feet long. The Li3 lithium package — a 630 amp-hour battery, 3000W Xantrex inverter, and a second alternator — turns it into a genuine off-grid rig for a couple, and Coachmen's cabinetry earns real praise, with some owners calling it the best short of custom work.

The knock, as with much of the Class B world, is quality control. Owner reports include a Li3 that spent roughly six months in the shop chasing faulty sensors and electrical issues that ended in a motherboard replacement, a battery that shipped with a screw protruding into it, dead outlets despite a full-charge reading, and an unreliable gray-tank monitor. Smaller misses like sloppy headrest stitching make some owners question final inspection. The flip side is that Coachmen's factory and dealer support is genuinely strong — the head of the Class B division is active answering owners online and at rallies, which matters when you're sorting out a new van.

This is a couple's adventure van for buyers who want lithium off-grid capability and ProMaster width without paying Sprinter money. At $148K it undercuts comparable lithium Sprinter builds and the gas ProMaster V6 is cheaper to fuel and service than a diesel. Against an Airstream Interstate or a Sprinter-based van, the Nova gives up AWD traction, some refinement, and resale, but wins decisively on price and interior width. Buy from a supportive dealer, shake it down thoroughly early, and you get a lot of capable van for the money.