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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 6, 2015 - 03:48pm PT
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So I am planning on retiring in just about two years. My wife and I will have a home base, most likely in Washington DC as we love it here and my wife, who runs a nonprofit wants to continue to work. I am looking at having a Mercedes Sprinter Sportsmobile built, rather than buying a second home out West. I like the idea of being able to travel to multiple locations rather than be tied to a second home and all the responsibilities that entails. So my question, anyone have experience with Sportsmobile on the forum?
Thanks!
Marty
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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I trust you will get a 4 wheel drive model. Wouldn't it be a lot cheaper
to buy a ready made one rather than custom?
These guys claim theirs get 15mpg...
http://earthcruiser.com/
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Great Dan Neil column comparing Sprinter to Ford.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/ford-transit-mercedes-benz-sprinter-big-vans-big-ideas-1419018007
Opening paragraph:
SEXY FARRIER. In this dream I wear a leather apron and no pants. I drive around in my Ford Transit full-size cargo van that has been converted into a mobile smithing shop, with one of those propane-powered miniforges in the back. Thanks to the best-in-class cargo height of the High Roof model (81.4 inches) I can stand to my full, strapping height, forearms glistening. I travel the countryside, shoeing horses and attending to the equestrian needs of the lady of the house. Neigh.
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Happiegrrrl2
Trad climber
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This morning I saw a Sprinter with Colorado plates at Walmart. It was rigged for living but I didn't get much a of a peak inside. The think is - they had dual wheels in the back. I had to wonder what they had done to need the extra wheels. It was the longer version.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 6, 2015 - 04:33pm PT
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Good article. For me the Sprinter gas milage and the 4x4 option are pretty important, but I am just starting the exploration. I suspect any thing I choose will have a few month lead me. Reilly thanks for the link. I am open to a used van with low miles, however would prefer a new vehicle.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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You're welcome. I've done a fair bit of research on this. I don't know
how much serious 4x4ing you intend to do but IMHO the 4x4 Sprinter would
not be something I would pick for anything very serious. As you've probably
found out you can be into a 4x4 Sprinter for well over $100K without batting
an eye. For another 60 you could be in one of those Earth Cruisers and
bob's yer uncle.
Jess sayin'... ;-)
A quick primer:
http://haw-creek.com/off-road-rvs/
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 7, 2015 - 02:45pm PT
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Reilly my hesitation with 4x4 is the gas mileage. At the moment I don't see us 4x4ing in the outback much although it would be nice in the snow. My thoughts are traveling from established areas, perhaps long dirt roads to lakes, lots of family visits in Montana. One of my main criteria is the beast will have reasonable gas mileage so that I don't try and limit the miles traveled by worrying about the cost of a fill up. I like the Sprinter because from what I have read their new turbo charged 4 cylinder is supposed to be a killer engine. Also, I have always been partial to German cars. Thanks for the feedback!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Sounds like the Sprinter will do well by you then. Now the hard part - deciding on who, what,
and how much! :-)
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 7, 2015 - 07:58pm PT
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T thanks a lot for the thread. I'm now following it. I must say the truck/ camper is a thought.
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Travis Haussener
Trad climber
Salt Lake City
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Very new to this as well, just bought a transit 150 for weekend warrior living. Our 3.7 L V6 gets about 18-19 mpg. I will say the wealth of info out there is over whelming, for reference transit has its own forum with lots of good info http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com, I'm sure the sprinter has something like that as well.
Edit: I'd be hard pressed for 4-wheel if you're driving across country etc...the clearance on most 2wd models should get you out and about on those back roads.
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Marty
Don't even think of getting a machine without 4x drive would be my utmost recc.
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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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If you want to get anywhere onto roads/trails less traveled then you better get a stout 4 wheel drive and a small trailer. I've had a couple of small class c's and tired of both quickly. Prefer sleeping in the back of the pickup and sit under the stars by the fire. Of course I have homes in multiple states to base out of, so am never too far from home sweet home.
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i'm gumby dammit
Sport climber
da ow
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I've spent plenty of time on the road living in a sprinter van. If you are planning on spending winters in the west you would def want 4wd. As far as 4 wheeling goes there is very little the sprinter can't do that we would want it to. Sure there's lots of FS roads it can't handle, but those same roads would have our crap spilled all over the place anyway.
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Another option people do is get a high clearence 4 wheel drive truck and tow a small camper. This has some advantages over having all the functions in one vehicle and I believe would be cheaper than the Sprinter van. I have a friend about 6'3" who drives a truck and tows a teardrop trailer. He finds it quite comfy for one person. You can buy teardrops pretty cheap either already outfitted or you can buy plans and do the conversion yourself.
Congratulations on your plans.
Edited to say Rick Summer just said the same thing above.
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Dec 16, 2015 - 08:32am PT
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Anybody have links to adventure trailer resources? Kits or off the shelf? (Kits, preferred)
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thirsty
climber
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Dec 16, 2015 - 08:51am PT
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I’ve spent a lot of time traveling around on extended road trips in a converted van and at other times in a truck with a camper trailer. The trailer is great once you find a place to set up. Its more comfortable in many ways, but it sucks pretty bad all the rest of the time like when you want to park at little pullouts to climb, stop in town for dinner or beer, explore what looks like a quiet dirt road into the woods and find you have to go many miles before you find a place you can turn it around and so forth.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 16, 2015 - 09:03am PT
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^^^^ Amen on the PITA turning around any trailer in East Bumphuk. There are some awesome
slide-on truck campers out there now. In fact, you can spend more on some than you will on a
28' travel trailer. $30K will get you a real nice one that will go on a one ton pickup without
duellies.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Dec 16, 2015 - 11:51am PT
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Some random thoughts, forgive me for any repeated info.
A vehicle, especially new, is going to lose money, while a second house will often appreciate. Of course the fun and freedom of a camper is very appealing.
Spending $60K+ on a vehicle and worrying about fuel cost is kind of strange. Do the math. For a gas V8 vehicle that costs say $30K vs. a Diesel at $60K, that $30K is going to pay for A LOT of fuel. Of course there's more factors such as climate change, not worrying so much about a fill up, and driving more or faster since you get better mpg etc. But again do the math. That expensive diesel may never pay for itself in better fuel cost.
In general 59 mph is going to get you good mpg while not being too slow. I generally set the cruise control at 59 and see most big rigs do the same. My rig can go much faster, and I will if I'm in a hurry, but for climate change and fuel $ 59 mph is good. I can literally feel the wind resistance increase above that speed. But I have a truck camper with a terrible drag coefficient.
High clearance is what gets you to most climbing areas. Rough dirt roads won't often need 4wd, just good clearance. I believe Sprinters have good clearance for a 2wd vehicle. 4wd is great for snow especially places that have chain controls, and in sand. Having both 4wd and high clearance will get you to the most places at the expense of worse mpg, handling, and ride on the road. 95% plus of your driving is usually on the road but many people get 4wd than don't really need it then their on road driving suffers. I have a true 4x4 truck because I ski and go on the beach, but I could get away with less clearance because as mentioned above a really rough road is going to toss all my stuff around, I'll get out and walk the last few miles if needed. Driving a nice handling Sprinter is going to be less taxing and more enjoyable on the road than an American full blown truck 4x4.
Trailers are supposed to go 55 mph, but the cops will leave you alone if you go the posted speed limit. As I said I usually go 59 anyway, but if I need to boogie I can. You can leave a trailer and drive around without the hassle. You are going to get the most room and not screw up the handling of your van/truck with the weight of a camper on it if you get a trailer.
A van or class B/C is nice to have that easy access to the back. With 2 people it's not such a big deal. But with three of four people it's nice to let the driver drive and listen to a podcast, while 2 people can sit in the back and play a game, etc. A truck and camper is probably going to get you way more for the money though. And a truck camper will have way more room and be more livable long term than a van. For long term living and full bathroom and kitchen, and not having to reconfigure every night and morning is really nice.
Dual wheels is going to handle a LOT more weight and handle better. I don't think they make many 1 tons without duallies. BTW 1 ton, 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton are misnomers. No manufacturers use those terms. They are left over from many decades ago when those were the capacities. e.g. a F250 is not called a 3/4 ton by Ford, just by the general public. You have to look up the real figures, which typically isn't carry capacity, it's gross vehicle total weight, and then you subtract the weight of the truck model (including everything like options) the weight of occupants and cargo, etc. then you get what you have left over for a camper, etc. When you start looking at those numbers you see why duallies can carry so much more camper.
The sprinter is a proven platform. Many German cars are average in long term quality nowadays, but the sprinter is good. The newer diesel vans from other brands don't have the same track record, and I'd be surprised if the quality is as good. Of course it really depends on how long you plan on keeping the vehicle and how many miles you'll put on it. If you plan on selling it before 100K pretty much anything will do, but the Sprinter will probably hold value better. But then something else may be cheaper up front. If you plan on 200K miles I'd get the Sprinter knowing that it will do that no problem and sill be reliable and have good resale.
Buying a Sprinter and having sportsmobile do the conversion is going to be big $$, but probably worth it if you have the money and that's what is going to make you happy, and it would be really tough to find a 4x4 one already done I imagine. But finding one already done, or getting a Sprinter class B will probably get you more for the money. If you don't NEED 4x4 and get a Sprinter class B with more room I can tell you it will be much more livable long term, but worse mpg due to the size/weight, and handling/fun to drive will suffer.
I think you need to be realistic about how many miles you'll put on it. The type of roads you'll be driving. How much time you'll be living out of it. To really figure out what meets your needs best without breaking the bank.
I have a Ford Super Duty crew cab, diesel, 4x4, long bed, with a 9.5' slide in camper. It's a third vehicle and I only plan about 3,000 - 5,000 miles a year. I bought used but both the truck and camper where in excellent condition (a key for anything used I've decided). Since I new I wasn't going to be putting 100K miles on it anytime soon I was able to buy used without worrying about having a lot of miles on it over the next 10 years or so. I save on taxes, insurance, etc. vs. a new vehicle not to mention the depreciation an capital that would be involved in a new vehicle. I can park in a regular parking space. I can go in snow or sand. It doesn't handle or ride all that well, but most of my miles are highway miles so it's just set the cruise control and go straight, and it's not bad on windy mountain roads now that I've got my suspension dialed in right. I can go on pretty rough roads. I never worry about getting stuck. I get 13.5 mpg. But I paid under $20K for truck and camper. So I could drive MANY thousands of miles before a more expensive/better mpg vehicle would pay for itself.
If you plan on driving a lot of mile and want a vehicle that's nice and easy to drive on the road, can do dirt roads, gets good mpg, get a sprinter van camper. If you want better off road and snow capability get it with 4x4. If you want more room get a Sprinter based class B. If you want to save money up front take a look at some of the newer diesel vans from other brands.
If you want more room and strong off road capabilities, and perhaps more for your money, and are okay with the hit to mpg and on road handling/ride get a diesel truck with a camper. You could also do a 2wd truck and camper, and gain handling and a little better mpg, but still get down a lot of dirt roads.
If you want more room still, don't mind towing while getting where you want to go, but can then leave the trailer there and have a nice comfortable truck/suv to drive around get a trailer. My sister in law just got a nice light Lance that she tows with her tacoma.
You may want to rent a few to see what really works for you. Or at least test drive some. Craigslist often has great deals for people renting out their own rigs and you can find some rigs that rental outfits don't offer. There's also your wife to consider. She may want a real bathroom, while you don't really care, but trust me, make her happy. :0)
You could also buy something used, and keep it for a year, learn what you like and don't like about it, then buy something new or more expensive without worrying about a huge depreciation hit. My mother in law got a relatively big class C, used, even though I was trying to talk her into something smaller like a class B. She's now thinking about selling it and getting a class B, which won't be a big deal since she got it used and will get most of what she paid back out of it. The funny thing though is cost for rigs is supply and demand, especially in the used market. A class C depreciates a LOT when buying new, but the Class Bs hold their value much more since they are more rare and get better mpg. So even though a Class B is smaller and cost less when new, they can cost a LOT more than buying the same year Class C.
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H
Mountain climber
there and back again
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Dec 16, 2015 - 01:00pm PT
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Hi Marty,
If your thinking of buying a Sprinter and commercially outfitting your just about right; the same as buying a house out here. Not cheap!
I went back and forth between Trailer, RV and Cabover. Ended up with a cabover. Now I am thinking van. I can't afford a new home or a decked out Sprinter but here is my two cents.
Met a guy in Josh with a new Transit. I only thought they came in those little guys but this was a stand up size. He was from Virginia. He told me he bought it directly from the factory in Virginia and save a ton. He rigged it up himself with the minimal of conveniences. Your close so check it out.
I was at Pinnacles and meet a guys from Carson who had a nice rig done professionally and it was nice and not cheap.
Here are my concerns. Clearance top and bottom. Too tall and those 4 wheel bushwacking roads with low lying branches are impenetrable with a big rig. If it is heavy enough with clearance you can get around fine.
Diesel engines last way longer than gas but usually don't get as good mileage and the fuel cost more (though its been getting cheaper).
Suspension is way more important than 4wd in my opinion. You load those guys up (I like my stuff) and the sway all over and can be dangerous in high winds.
Inside clearance is important too. I'm 6'. I need the head space but only when I'm parked. I don't need this thing to be 12' off the ground all the time. You might as well be dragging a sail behind you. So a pop top makes sense to me.
Shower and toilet; inside or out. They take a lot of space and water. Think about where your staying and how much time on the road vs staying put in one place your going to be doing. Luxury verses dirtbag style can make a difference when it come to how much space and stuff you need/want.
If money is no matter (like it is to me) than go with the biggest and the best. Especially if your going to be spending a lot of time in it on the road.
Good luck Marty. I've seen threads about this before with some good advice.
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Dec 16, 2015 - 01:55pm PT
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Marty,
My wife and I converted a cargo Sprinter into a camper about 6 or 7 years ago. We used Sportsmobile and have been very pleased with the results. What drew us to them was the flexibility they allow with the conversion. They have standard components that can be arranged away you see fit. We basically outfitted ours in a similar layout as our old VW camper van. They are reasonably priced when compared to Road Trek and other van conversions. Still pricy but not as bad.
My wife insisted on the longer van which I didn't want but it has worked out great. We have a fold together for a bed bench seating in the rear with enough space out the back end for two bikes or climbing or ski gear.
We couldn't be happier, now we're looking at upgrading the Sprinter to a 4WD given the fact I'm near retirement myself and plan on many long winter road trips to the Intermountain West, Canada and Alaska.
Charlie D.
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