hpdrver
Feb 08, 2018Explorer
2019 Sprinter
The new generation Sprinter has been released in Europe. News reports a 12100 GVWR and shipment to US later this year. Looks like it will be a great improvement for class C motor homes.
ctilsie242 wrote:
I wonder what engines they will have available. The four-banger gasser just seems a tad underpowered to move such a heavy beast.
JT wrote:
"News reports a 121000 GVWR..."
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:? I think there is an extra zero in this figure, *if* the first four numbers are accurate at all.
pnichols wrote:
Whenever we leave home with our RV, we consider it as a bit of an expedition for which we should be fully provisioned. As such, we try to leave home with all tanks full that should be full and all tanks empty that should be empty - plus plenty of food on board for several days - plus all manner of clothing, tools, and equipment to deal with a variety of expected and unexpected situations.
This requires a Class C based on a solid truck chassis engineered for plenty of extra weight carrying capacity over and above the coach itself. We shopped for about a year until we found just the right small Class C on an overkill 4-series chassis, instead of the usual 3-series chassis. So far even 12 years after we bought ours, this would be difficult to achieve unless a Ford E450 or Chevy 4500 chassis is under a new small Class C. As far as I can tell, the new Sprinter chassis and various other modern small cutaway van chassis types commonly available today in the U.S. still would not provide the weight rating overhead we would feel comfortable with for optimum safety, reliability, and drivability under all conditions.
pnichols wrote:
I depends upon how "small" a coach is that's built on that upcomng 12,100 lb. GVWR Sprinter chassis.
Our smalll Class C (24 feet) motorhome weighs around 11,800 lbs. when almost fully loaded for most trips. I would not feel comfortable having a 12,100 lb. GVWR chassis carrying around a 11,800+ lb. coach mile after mile, year after year. I like more GVWR headroom than than that - for a variety of reasons.
The Sprinter chassis may be "kindof OK" as a base for some small Class B+/C motorhomes but - IMHO - not optimum.