B Height

My 2006 pleasure way lexor TD on a chev was 8'10" as std, with the ac being the highest point. me adding a cover over the vent takes it up to 9'4".

I measured with laser level laid on highest point and holding measuring tape from ladder...add a couple of inches and a P-touch label on my outside mirror

your clearance may be more restricted if the approach is not level.



story in my family of my brother-in-law who used to zip through his local fast food drive through for years...until they laid in 3 or 4 inches of asphalt when repaving driveway.
it cost him about $50K on damages to his van ( not covered by ins.) and to the drive through overhead

mike

We have a similar situation, with a 9ft garage door that measures about an inch less clear opening due to hinges and garage door hardware. Our old T1N Sprinter fits but newer NCV3 Sprinter based Class B's are too tall.

We found only a couple options for a newer and larger replacement - custom conversions of either a medium roof Ford Transit or high roof Ram Promaster. Both will fit under the 9ft door but without rooftop air conditioning. The medium roof Transit is limited to 5ft 10in interior height and 20ft max length; not enough standing height for us six footers and didn't really gain much interior space due to the medium roof length limit.

That leaves the extended length (21ft) Promaster high roof as the biggest interior van that will fit under a 9ft garage door. And that extended Promaster feels pretty big inside, probably due to the combination the low floor, short nose, and significantly wider width than our Sprinter.

You mention not wanting a Sportsmobile. Is that a dislike of the brand or simply not wanting a poptop roof? The reason I ask is because Sportsmobile is the only converter we've found that installs the Danhard chassis mounted air conditioning system (often used in ambulances) on a Class B conversion. High roof Sportsmobiles don't have (or need) pop-tops.

Other custom converters can build a Transit medium roof or Promaster high roof that fits but without rooftop air. Or you could even try removing the AC from a factory built unit like Roadtrek's Zion or Winnebago's Travato. But Sportsmobile appears to be the only option for a full height Class B with air conditioning that fits under a 9ft opening.

I'd be interested if you find any other options. And BTW the Sportsmobile folks in Austin Texas have been very friendly and helpful in answering questions. (But heads up - they have a long lead time for conversions).

Thanks for the two responses above. I suspect that the best fit for us will be another 190P. We loved the room in the 210P and we love our Phoenix Cruiser but we think we may tour more and camp less in the next few years so we are starting the fun process of thinking and looking at RVs again. It is unfortunate that Pleasure Way and others have abandoned the Chevys.

Sportsmobile makes a fine product but we for a lot of reasons we just prefer a proven design.

The 190P with the wet bath, 6.0L engine and ability to park/go anywhere will probably be hard to beat for our use. We have owned rigs for 35 years and have had several Bs and Cs in that time. Both have advantages. You just have to remember that a C regardless of quality or length is still a TRUCK and a B is a VAN. That makes lots of difference IMO in handling, comfort, parking, how tired you get driving, etc. So, we are thinking again of B World.

I almost bought an old Intervec Falcon B about a hundred miles away a year or so ago and restore it, but that is just more project than I need at this time in life. Too many other things to do and enjoy in retirement.

Paul

I have the same issue with garage height but I decided to rent a storage space in order to own a Class B based on a newer style, taller van. There is a reason that most of the vans you see on the road now (RV and non-RV use) are mostly Sprinters, Transits and Promasters. The ride quality, visibility and driving experience are all considerably better with the newer vans. The newer vans are in a different league. It took me about 1 minute in a Sprinter van to cross Chevy off my list even though it won't fit in my garage.

If I am going to store off site I might as well keep my fully equipped Phoenix Cruiser. My goal is to have it in the garage, walk out there and throw a few things in and go. Anything off site will have to be winterized and voids my interest in Bs.

I know the Sprinters handle and ride remarkably well. I also know where we go there is no authorized service for hundreds of miles and every county seat has a Chevy dealership. Heading west from Oklahoma City, the next authorized Sprinter service is in Albuquerque. That's 550 miles. North from there next is Denver and that is about 450 miles.

To each his own. No Sprinter for me and I know they are incredible.

Paul

Except that is not true. Freightliner dealers and service centers can do Sprinter service work including warranty work. I just counted 15 Freightliner service centers within 200 miles of Oklahoma City. They also usually have better service facilities for trucks and heavier RV's than Mercedes Dealerships.

PSW wrote:
... every county seat has a Chevy dealership....

always my point,

if need be my chev can be fixed anywhere, by anyone, with parts from the local autoparts store.
I can do most things myself.

More complex vehicles may have more expensive upkeep...a wait for parts and a service network which reflects the various distribution schemes of the manufacturer during different eras.


I like the way the sprinter drove when I tested one ( 09 era- the rv conversion was poorly done, we passed), rented a citroen version of the promaster in ireland...that was good. and have rented transit passenger vans for work- underpowered, craaap seats.
none of these are lightyears ahead of the old chev in all aspects.


here's stupid question- with this 9' door, can the floor be excavated and repoured in a way so as to comply with HOA?
on my home, the garage floor is poured and separate from the slab for the house


Mike

Great question Mike but no, the slab is a monolithic pour with the house, piered and pretty thick. Soooo...no that won't work. Tearing out the brickwork and raising the lintel won't work because of the house design. Truly, no alteration is possible.

jrobe, I think most of the service centers you found are in the DFW Metroplex and that is a tough four hour drive. We have a great Freightliner shop in Oklahoma City and a big one in Tulsa. Wonder who gets priority in service? An older guy with his RV or a trucking company with a fleet?

Mercedes dealer down the road ten minutes will NOT service Sprinters. I asked and they will not service anything they cannot lift. I am told that is common. Yes, the local guy two miles away that specializes in his five man shop on Mercedes and a couple of other European brands will be happy to work on Sprinters and I am told they are good guys, but they cannot do warranty work. You are correct there is now a Freightliner "authorized" shop in Amarillo and one in Wichita. That is 265 miles west or 170 north.

In any event, I have no interest in that discussion because I don't want a Sprinter. I want a Chevy or Ford van. I want the carrying capacity, large tanks, etc. that a Chevy chassis allows. If I am going to have something taller than nine feet, it won't work.

Again, thanks for your replies. I think the Roadtreks (which gave us years of use all over the country without any problems whatsoever that I couldn't fix myself) are the best fit for us. Everyone has different needs and thoughts and that is what is so wonderful about all the variety of rigs available today.

Paul

Out of curiosity, what is bad about Sportsmobile? I am genuinely interested, because one of the candidates of a motorhome I was looking at would be a Sportsmobile upfitted Ford Transit or RAM ProMaster. I am leaning towards the Transit because the Ford is easier to drive, but the PM's few inches of width can allow for easier width-wise sleeping, saving on space.

I agree with you on Sprinters. Here in Austin, there is one place in Georgetown that sells them, as well as a Freightliner dealership near 183/71. Both service them. However, outside of Austin, there are not many places. If I have a Ford, there are many service places that can do warranty work.

ctilsie242, from all I know and have seen Sportsmobiles are very fine units. I simply like the looks of a Roadtrek 190P or 210P better and I had a 190 for seven years and a 210 for almost seven. I feel that I completely know and am competent around Roadtreks and that is my prejudice. I do all of my own maintenance on the RV stuff and have never taken a rig to a dealer to be worked on, just to the Chevy, Ford or Dodge place for chassis stuff. Once out of warranty, I have a great locally owned garage, third generation outfit, ten minutes down the street.

Just purely, purely personal preference. I do feel that the interior appearance of the RTs are more "traditional" and the Sportsmobiles have a more "modern" appearance. Guess an old goat just prefers old goat things that look like he does.

In any event, I just don't think there are more choices apparently than Sportsmobile or Roadtrek for something under 9 feet. I had hoped this thread would reveal some hidden gem I might have missed, but so far that is not to be.

Paul