Price of a new Sprinter based RV

burlmart wrote:

From your sig you have had a nice variety of small B/C/B+ rigs. what are some hi and lo points you noted with them -- they are all about the same length, it seems.

As you noted, I've had a number of B and B+ rigs. I started with a brand new Winnebago View, which I drove for three years. I sold that after experiencing too many Sprinter related 'limp home mode' engine problems.

I liked the floor plan of the View, but didn't want to pay again what new Sprinter based B+'s were selling for.

So I bought a Trail-lite B+ - which is pretty much a Chinook clone. It was easy to drive, and quite affordable (had 19k miles, and I paid $18k for it). But I didn't like the rear entry door, which resulted in a small bathroom, and inconvenience at campgrounds when entering or leaving the coach.

I decided what I wanted was a small coach that had a side entry, a dinette so we'd have a place to eat and work on the computer. Also wanted a couch that folded out into a comfortable bed. And wanted a decent kitchen with a large two door fridge with good sized freezer.

And just as important - a real bathroom - with real toilet and sink - and separate shower, none of the cramped bathrooms that we'd hated in B vans.

I also wanted the reliability of a Ford or Chevy - which you can get repaired even in the remotest locations - something you can't do with a Sprinter based unit.

My latest and current favorite is a 2004 BT Cruiser 5210 which is a 22 footer with the exact floorplan I wanted. It has the Ford V10 on the Ford e350 chassis, which gives a decent ride and slightly better mpg than the Ford e450.

It has the dinette and couch bed we wanted, along with a nice kitchen with microwave, cooktop, and even an oven. Also has a real bathroom with standup shower, and real closets and a large double door fridge with big freezer.

The funny thing about the BT Cruiser 5210 is now many of the new expensive B+ motorhomes are coming out with the same floor plan, same body design as found on my 2004 BT Cruiser, but with asking prices well over $100,000.

Six months ago, I paid $15k for my BT Cruiser with 26k miles on it. I put new tires, brakes and shocks, had it aligned properly, and have less than $18k in it total.

I've driven it cross country, through all kinds of terrain and weather, and we've found that we really like the way it rides and handles whether on the highway, back roads or in the city.

The Ford V10 gets decent fuel mileage (11-12 range), the coach has leather seats, hardwood cabinets (no particle board), and the chassis has extra CC of over 2,000 pounds. Tow rating is 5,000 pounds - mostly limited by the hitch.

So by choosing to go this way, we ended up with a low mileage B+, that was very affordable (under $18k), is reliable, has plenty of room inside, and is easy to drive and park.

My wife and I are happy with it, and will likely keep it for a while

Bill