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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Oct 30, 2018 - 10:10am PT
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It sure is cool to see how folks in other countries roll too.
I've always been perplexed when other countries have vehicles that the US should have too.
In Europe they've had smaller diesel van based RVs for years. They always made sense to me. Better mpg. Easy to drive and park. It wasn't really until the sprinters came to the US that we started seeing them and they are really expensive. We've had gas powered, old tech body on frame van based big bloated Class Cs, or the same chassis type smaller Class Bs, but they are also overpriced when used because they are in such demand.
For years I'd wonder why other countries had 4 door mini trucks like Tacomas, but we didn't get them in the US. We finally got them and people buy a ton of them.
I would also really like a Toyota 4x4 diesel camper van, which wasn't imported to the US. Like a VW Vanagon, but Toyota reliability, diesel power/mpg, and off road capability.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Oct 30, 2018 - 10:41am PT
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You could put a roof-top tent on one of these:
https://sherpatv.com/
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Oct 30, 2018 - 10:53am PT
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I've looked into Microvans for years. You can get them in Canada, but not here. Yeah, agree, but I don't think it's about emissions or power.
Even the conversion parts are difficult to obtain or flat-out blocked from the US markets. Surf around EU sites for seating, stoves, cabinetry, oddball parts - really nice stuff - then try to buy it and see what happens.
Remember the last VW camper - but it was a Winnebago conversion - and now you can't even buy it? WTF was up with that? Did VW really need Winnebago? Clean units still sell today for more than they were originally bought for.
The US built RV seems really profitable. They're made like complete junk, they build them large, they last about 10 years, and they sell for a lot of money.
There are some serious forces at play protecting the Elkhart Indiana RV industry - it all seems to me.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 30, 2018 - 11:09am PT
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There are some serious forces at play protecting the Elkhart Indiana RV industry
Put the tin hat away, bro, the crankloon Walmart cheap at any price US consumer is all the
protection that industry needs. They see shiny bling, lotsa space, and low monthly payments
and they’re ready to sign. That said Airstream and the other few quality builders’ sales are
doing well. EarthRoamer has a lengthy waiting list at $500K!
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Oct 30, 2018 - 11:40am PT
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I think that 4by4 Sorinter Vans with long wheel bases are asking for trouble if they get too adventuresome.
That's why we got the short wheel base (144") version of 4x4 Sprinter. This weekend wifey and I got the bench mounted on the rails in the van, now just need to affix the rails to the van floor with some custom hardware we still need to work out.
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MikeL
Social climber
Southern Arizona
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Oct 31, 2018 - 08:35am PT
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Did I say I was smart? I never really know anything until I get involved.
The vehicle was the most comfortable vehicle we ever owned and drove. (We have two Audi's in the garage.) The camper sufficed for what we needed, and the depreciation was very little. We had very few complaints.
I have found that the bigger financial investments in my life often become regrettable, and that the simplest and poorest times have been perhaps the best. I say "perhaps" because I no longer trust my memory of objective data. What I remember most are my emotions and moods of times, and there is many many other things that seem to create those than material things. (Werner is right.)
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Roots
Mountain climber
Redmond, Oregon
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Oct 31, 2018 - 09:25am PT
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One of my favorites:
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TWP
Trad climber
Mancos, CO & Bend, OR
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While at Iguazu Falls, Argentina, I saw this funky book-of-a-camper rig and its proud owner parking at the front entrance. It was a hot day and the metal box had but one tiny window, it so had to be hotter than Hades. I had to take a picture as it reminded me of my beloved Wildebeest of about the same vintage. (Photos of the Wildebeest appear earlier in this thread.)
After taking the first picture, I wondered how many people Dad was hauling around in his heat box. The answer: 13 people piled out of the box, happy and unfazed. (Only 11 people shown in the picture; there were more.)
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 11, 2018 - 10:46am PT
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We went the trailer route and just bought a T@B 400 teardrop trailer. Spent a night in it with the outside temp down to 18 degrees, stayed toasty...pretty sweet!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 11, 2018 - 10:58am PT
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Jim, I strongly suggest you invest in one, or both, of these...
Not necessarily those particular brands but you get it.
Don’t make it easy for the bastards.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 11, 2018 - 11:08am PT
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Reilly, we have the tire lock.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Nov 11, 2018 - 12:17pm PT
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A motivated thief could unbolt the wheel and install the spare - in maybe 5 minutes? Maybe some locking lug nuts as a cheap upgrade?
Yeah - the RV crowd where there's free camping - sketchy - motorheads are the worst.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 11, 2018 - 12:20pm PT
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Hey guys....I don’t expect to use it much in California...I should be okay.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 11, 2018 - 12:27pm PT
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JLP, with the lug nuts covered how do you remove the wheel?
Not saying you couldn’t Sawzall the lock off but the better ones are pretty stout.
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Nov 11, 2018 - 04:15pm PT
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The US built RV seems really profitable. They're made like complete junk, they build them large, they last about 10 years, and they sell for a lot of money.
JLP, you helped me out with a question about service on my Ford-based Winnebago, so I know you have a ton of experience, but I have to say I am still thrilled with my 28' Winnebago Outlook, which is 13 years old now. It's in perfect condition. Everything internally still works great and I think the only thing we have ever replaced is a toilet and a couple of screens that the chipmunks ate trying to get in. No issues with plumbing, electrical, heater, AC, Generator, kitchen appliances, materials all still look new.
We bought it at the end of the model year, one that was on a lot, and I thought the price of $62,500 was pretty good considering we were getting a brand new E-350 truck. We put some other money into it to get solar and an inverter, but it's been one of the best decisions we ever made.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 11, 2018 - 04:27pm PT
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My bro in law’s 2 yr old Bago has already ‘thrown’ its slide mechanism, some cabinets are falling apart, it was infested with mice because pipe and wiring holes weren’t caulked, and an axle went bad. Maybe his was just built on a Friday afternoon?
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BuddhaStalin
climber
Truckee, CA
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Nov 11, 2018 - 05:40pm PT
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Too bad its not a truck, a popup cabover camper is the bees knees for me. Regular open bed 4wd truck when you dont have the camper on. Versatile, truck is my daily driver. Fits under the carport in an apt building and fits through a drivethru with ease. Offroads well and more than you think you can, but I try not to work it too hard too often.
All Terrain Bobcat
Chevy Colorado 4x4 diesel
I know a few folks who really like their Rpods and Casitas and tow them with less than a 4runner.
Everybody has their favorite flavor, van, camper, trailer, etc
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TWP
Trad climber
Mancos, CO & Bend, OR
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Nov 11, 2018 - 05:47pm PT
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Jim:
I'm going to continue to give you the hard way to go about your Euro-sissy trailer.
I know your driving habits. To say you drive too fast is well, an understatement.
Trailers take an amazing beating and bounce around a lot more than the passengers in the towing vehicle imagine. No wonder; the vehicle has excellent suspension and it must otherwise no one would buy it.
Trailers on the other hand have small tires, weak suspensions and force is translated to their less-than-ideally constructed shells and interiors very effectively. If you don't believe me, ride inside the trailer for a while as Angela drives - and be sure to tell her to drive like a bat out of hell so you get the full effect. You'll cry "Uncle" in no time flat.
In short, the trailers break down and the owners wonder why ... unless they do the experiment I recommended above.
Jorge and JoAnn Urioste have told me about their disappointments with their trailer's reliability (a "Casita"), or lack thereof and they provide a useful data point.
You can tell me how wrong I am - but only after five years - and then I might listen to claims of good survivability for trailers. Because I know you won't slow down.
Cheers,
Your admiring friend,
Terry
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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Nov 11, 2018 - 05:50pm PT
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Different strokes for everyone. At 6'1" I can get a good nights sleep in a 96 Civic Hatchback by pulling the back of the back seat down, sliding the passenger seat forward, removing the headrest and reclining the seat all the way back while I kneel on it until the back of the front seat is crammed down level with the back of the back seat. Level everything out with soft gear and I am good to go.
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Crazy Bat
Sport climber
Birmingham, AL & Seweanee, TN
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Nov 11, 2018 - 09:24pm PT
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My 80 year old father finally realized he needed to move up from a tent. He was looking at teardrops but I convinced him to look at an Aliner. It is a great upgrade for him. We drove from Tn to Montana at speed with no reduction in gas mileage on my 4wd F150. My friends with older smaller Toyota 4wd pickups report a reduction of 2 mpg with the same rig. It makes a much better basecamp because you can stand up and cook in it. Of course we have to worry more about rain than you desert dwellers.
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