ram promaster class B

The Ram Promaster is based on the Fiat Ducato. Fiat owns Chrysler.

I love my Promaster. I have had 1 Ford E350 based... and 2 Chevy based rigs. As a member of the Scrawny Little Old Lady club and just 5'4", it is the most comfortable van I've ever driven. Finally, I didn't have to add to the height of the floor in front of the driver's seat. (those that don't like it much tend to be over 6'1")

It is also the best handling rig of my four. The Ford was horrid at best. The two Chevys were good... the one with duallies the better of the two, of course. But with the addition of Sumos front and rear (beefed up bump stops) in my Promaster, there is little or no effect of normal wind or passing trucks... or corners and driveways. The front wheel drive makes it easy to maneuver with its short turning radius.

The wider body also make it very roomy on the inside. Much better than the narrow Sprinters.

I personally wanted to avoid the expensive Sprinter (both up front and service costs) as getting 100-200,000 miles is irrelevant to me. And for the price difference I can pay for many years worth of gasoline. :C

But there is no getting around that the new Sprinter van has more bells and whistles, and is certainly prettier than my snub-nosed Promaster.

I've been 'eyeballing' class B's for a different way of camping where we can't take our class A.

I've been reading extensively about the Winnebago Promaster Travato and the Winnebago Sprinter Boldt. Winnebago offers the Travato with the Pure3 Lithium battery system with no generator (extra alternator) or one with a generator (no lithium system).

The Boldt is Pure3 Lithium only. Now, these are not comparison coaches because the Boldt is on the Sprinter diesel chassis with a dual tires on the rear axle, etc. The Travato is gasoline only (made diesel units a few years ago) and is a non-dually.

The Promaster chassis doesn't have the new safety features that the Sprinter chassis has (lane warning, auto braking, etc.) The Promaster does not have an electric driver's seat but it very adjustable manually.

Safe travels,
MM.

I have a Promaster-based class C (the Winnebago Trend). My other RV is a Ford E250 based class B. My 24' Promaster is a far better handling vehicle with a tighter turning radius, better resistance to crosswinds, and quieter ride than the 17' Ford. I also have the Sumo Springs bump-stops installed (inexpensive and so worth it). For the cost and performance I think the Promaster is the hands-down best option on the market right now and I would preferentially choose it as a platform for B over the Transit and Sprinter without any hesitation.

I have a cheapo Hymer Sunlight Van One on a 2017 Promaster chassis. We bought it last summer and have put 6,000 miles on it. I get about 17-18 mpg and it does everything we want. The ride is decent, it handles well, we overnight sometimes in a truck stop and enjoy the ease of using it. I have the second alternator that acts as a generator and lithium battery set up for using it to run the fridge and the invertor. I have had a class A and C but with the two of us this is ideal. Go to Carado and Sunlight or Hymer Aktiv and wannabes. You will have to ask to join but they are not picky. Also check out the Promaster forum.

Thanks everyone. The Promaster is an ugly van, and the interior is cheap looking. But it is much more affordable than the Transit or Sprinter. I would have no interest in lane keeping or all that expensive and useless electronic junk. I believe a driver should drive, not let the vehicle do it. And you are correct that it has a lower floor and is wider. So I just downsized from a 40 foot class A to a Roadtrek Zion SRT. Have only driven it home from the dealer so far. Nice to park it in the driveway instead of at a storage facility a few miles away. We are looking forward to a trip soon. Until the snowbirds leave Florida, we may just do an overnight at Wallyworld or Cracker Barrel. Then a real trip this summer to see family all over.

The only thing I would add: keep the weight between the axles. People who have been doing their own conversions on Promaster cargo vans report a loss of handling and traction on the front-wheel drive due to too much weight behind the rear axle. I'm sure the companies who are building on Promasters realize this - but don't plan to put a scooter-carrier on the rear, for example.

opnyn8d wrote:
Thanks everyone. The Promaster is an ugly van, and the interior is cheap looking. But it is much more affordable than the Transit or Sprinter. I would have no interest in lane keeping or all that expensive and useless electronic junk. I believe a driver should drive, not let the vehicle do it. And you are correct that it has a lower floor and is wider. So I just downsized from a 40 foot class A to a Roadtrek Zion SRT. Have only driven it home from the dealer so far. Nice to park it in the driveway instead of at a storage facility a few miles away. We are looking forward to a trip soon. Until the snowbirds leave Florida, we may just do an overnight at Wallyworld or Cracker Barrel. Then a real trip this summer to see family all over.

As I've mentioned above, I'm considering a Class B. The new electronic amenities will make their way to the Promaster chassis which I would welcome. A couple of my new cars have these features and they work very well. Safety is paramount and I think these features are worth it.

These features don't mean that you are 'not driving' the vehicle, they usually 'activate' when the is a deviation of where the car should be. It could save your life if you make an error. And, we all have the potential to make errors!

Safe travels,
MM.