Sprinter campers - how to choose one!

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wayneskid

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2010
Posts
10
We live in AK and have driven a 2001 VW Eurovan Camper (pop top) for 9 years and after a 13K mile road trip in the lower 48 in the winter of 2008 we decided we'd like something with a potty and a shower. After considering pickup campers and trailers we decided we like the various models built on the Sprinter chassis and have looked at RoadTrek, Itasca and Winnebago and have explored online the offerings from Sportsmobile and Airstream. As you might guess from us owning a VW, we tend toward the minimalist end of the spectrum for a road rig. We even looked at a screaming deal on a new 2008 Navion IQ and though is was a great vehicle at an incredible price, decided it was too big for our tastes. There are a limited number of dealers here in AK so now the questing comes down to determining which manufacturer(s) offer high quality engineering and build quality and the options we want. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Feedback from anyone with RoadTrek, Airstream or Sportsmobile experience would be of particular interest.
Thanks,
WS in AK
 
You are reading my mind. We are looking at a trip in the next few weeks to look in the Northwest at Airstream, Winnebago and RoadTrek. We might even try to get to Fresno to check out Sportsmobile but may not as this will be a 4 day extended weekend trip. We're getting more and more locked in to the idea of something on a Sprinter chassis. Lots of choices! We are overwhelmed!
 
We're trying to set up a trip now to go the Sportsmobile in Fresno to have a look. If we can, we're going to try to visit an Airstream dealer also. There are just so many choices and options! I will say Sportsmobile impressed me with their responsiveness to my emailed questions. I posted one on Sunday morning not expecting a reply until at least Monday. Sunday evening I got a response for someone named Alan. Turns out he is the owner of Sportsmobile West!
 
Sportsmobile seems to make a good product.  They also are willing to modify the interior to your personal requirements.  Most of the off road types pick the short wheel base for bolder and cow clearance.  If you are more focused on traveling (we are) the extended wheel base will give more interior space.  We have a Chev. extended van with pop-top.  Have enough room for fixed port-a-potti and isle bag shower.  Works fine for the two of us.  A Spinter would have even more room.  Happy travels.
 
Be sure that there is a Sprinter Van dealer near home. Sprinter requires special expertise and tools to service, and not every Mercedes nor Freightliner dealer is a Sprinter dealer. If you don't have a dealer near you, buy a Ford or GM van. In Denver, we're still waiting for our local Mercedes  dealer to finish remodeling so it can become a Sprinter dealer. We love our Roadtrek Adventurous. A Chevy would have been our second choice. Fords don't drive well and offer little foot room for front seat passengers. Roadtreks are the leading brand because they make a good product. This means used vehicles are more available. And I'm betting the resale values are better.
 
Just taken delivery of a Sportsmobile from the Austin location and could not be happier with the whole experience. We took over a year to decide after looking at a lot of class C's and then onto Class B's.    Roadtrek looked good but nobody from HQ or the local dealer here in Houston expressed interest in our business. I got really fed up with a lot of salespeople not knowing anything much about their products too. Sportsmobile on the other hand knew everything about their products (by definition!) and only too happy to help you decide what would work best.  I also felt that the price was very reasonable too compared to similar vehicles
 
Steve,
Is your Sportsmobile on a Sprinter chassis? If yes, what model year and wheelbase? I'm anxious to hear how you like it after a road trip or two.
WS in AK
 
I have the 2008 170"WB ie extended high roof version. There appears to be some real good deals on new 2008's out there.  Have done just a couple of one nighters trying things out before we leave for several months in CO & UT doing national and state parks. So far everything is good.

We really liked how we could configure it exactly to our specifications and changed it several times before production began as we learnt more and saw some example vehicles. 

Steve
 
Steve,
Is yours on the 3500 chassis with dual rear wheels? If yes, it sounds a lot like our AS Interstate. It would be interesting to compare them side by side. I was getting real serious about Sportsmobile when this one popped up. We should keep track of each other.
Wayne in AK
 
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