Sportsmobile

We got our '12 SportsMobile because they built it to our specs/usage. Too many things come standard on many PW, Traverse, RT etc that we didn't want nor need. It cost you to not get them! SportsMobile people treat you right, do what you want and do excellent work. If you want a van built for glitz and glamor, they will do that. But if you're a serious camper, they'll make it functional and help guide you through things you never even thought of. Can't praise them enough.

We dry camp exclusively and TT works better for us-former Sportsmobile owner.
Now, a $2M Marathon coach mother ship towing a day play toy might be something
ponder.

+1 Stan909. That is what B-vans are all about IMO.

I.M.O. There is nothing like getting in your vehicle and driving from your campsite(secured by tag n maybe a few items) and going site seeing then if you decide you want to lounge around all day , you've got your fridge , your chairs, your toilet, your stove, your bed incase you need a nap. In other words the beautiful freedom afforded by a Class B van.

Last year we sold our 4WD, Quigley, E-350, diesel sportsmobile.
Very fun, high quality built in Fresno but we (couple and one or two dogs) did not use it nearly as much as expected (had hoped to drive the Al-Can etc).

We ended up buying a TrailManor fold up TT (far far more room and creature comforts for short mtb trips to Moab and dry camping in the Rockies w/ solar and two Honda 2000s) that we may park in an ordinary, residential garage and be towed w/ our "everyday Colorado vehicle" (Dodge Durango V6, w/tow package-620#/6200#). For us, our smb was a designated camper and not really an everyday driver (still wonder if a dually sprinter might be a more ideal daytime traveler-tow vehicle w/ more storage, day bed/fold up dinette, and a portable porta potty for a lightweight TT-but unlikely an everyday vehicle).

IMO, there is nothing like getting to your destination, dropping your lightweight TT and going for daytime sojourns or a meal without having to worry about losing your camp spot and repacking everything just to go 5 miles to a store.

The earlier posters provided pretty accurate responses. Sportsmobile conversions are mostly about function rather than glitz. The furnishings in our 2006 Sportsmobile with 106,000 miles are still solid.

There is another factor that you should consider. B vans have limited space. Road Trek, Pleasureway, etc. each make only a few different layouts intended that are intended to fit "average" customers. They may include features that you don't need and lack features that you want.

Sportsmobile allows you to design your own floor plan so you only get the features you need and don't waste space on features that you won't use.

comment on what I have- 2006 pleasure way lexor TD on a 2005 chev 3500 chassis 6 litre 3 speed with OverDrive.

my mpg seems to be right about 16 mpg at 65 mph cruising w/ 10% ethanol gas

the power on the 6L is perfect for the 8500 pound van.

the tranny is well matched allowing engine braking ( by downshifting) to save the brakes in the mountains- 3rd will hold at about 55 mph, 2 will hold about 45 mph.

prime mover for me getting a chev was I have GM's and know how to work on them- another brand would require a learning curve ( for example "where is the solenoid?").
if you relay on dealer/ shop service then that wouldn't apply to you.


the build quality of the cabinetry, the lay out of the electrical and plumbing systems - the entire conversion- is good

the first thing to look at is space...if you are tall you won;t want a sideways sleeper model
a tall van is great for comfort if someone is moving around while you are driving and pop-top is better for mpg...maybe not as good in poor weather camping.

enjoy the hunt- I spent months looking for mine.
lots of tire kicking

mike

Thanks a bunch folks,excellent feedback. It definitely gives me a good starting point.

About Sportmobile vs RoadTrek or PleasureWay, they are building different things, so it depends on what you mean by "quality." Sportmobile builds camping vans and purpose built vans to suit your business or hobby needs. Build quality is excellent, finish is great, but materials are functional rather than screaming "luxury motorhome." Similar to what you might expect from Winnebago but maybe better put together. RoadTrek, PleasureWay and Airstream are building small luxury motorhomes for people seeking something resembling a tiny luxury motorcoach. That's partly why a custom built Sportmobile might be $20K to $40K lower than a new B off a dealer's lot; the other part is that the dealer still needs some margin to stay in business, while Sportmobile is factory sales.

MPG. I don't know what a Sprinter really gets. DIN figures for the old 2.7 five cylinder translated to 22 MPG for the high top. DIN MPG for Sprinters with 2.1 and 2.2 liter diesels with manual transmissions were better, but we got only the I-5 with automatic. In the second generation, DIN MPGs for the 3.0 V6 sold in the USA have not been any better, but DIN MPG does not translate well to EPA tests or U.S. driving conditions (e.g. 80 KPH highway speeds).

You need some Sprinter people to tell you what they get.

My 2013 E-350 van with 5.4 V-8 has averaged 14.8 MPG over 12,000 miles, but I'm just breaking it in, that's not enough distance to get a good average. Most of my driving is either stop and go around town (as low as 12 MPG in summer) or road tripping. Best MPG performance has been traveling 2-lane highways in the winter, no A/C running, getting 20-21 MPG several fillups in sucession. On the other hand, filling up with E-85 while going through the Midwest I saw a drop of 2 MPG, which still pays off if E-85 is more than $0.60 cheaper than E-10 regular.

However most of the year, I am running both A/Cs full blast to keep a van full of passengers cool, and that eats up a lot of gas no matter how slowly you might be moving, so it really cuts into around town MPG.

Ford has a 4.6 V8 offered as base engine for E-150 and E-250 that is supposed to be 1-2 MPG better, average driving. Indeed, the only real difference between E-250 and E-350 at the end of production was that the E-250 offered the 4.6 V-8, while the 5.4 was base engine in the E-350.

FWIW, there is no longer a Ford V-8 van, the E-series has been replaced by the fifth generation Transit which offers only V-6 gas engines and a five-cylinder diesel for the U.S.

Chevrolet, it depends on which of four engines is installed, and which transmission you get. The 5.3 (the V8 for 1500, base is a six) with 4-speed does about the same as a Ford. The 4.8 (base engine for heavier vans) does a little better. If you get a big enough van to need the 6.0, it will get about the same as the Ford 5.4 with a 4 speed, but will do 2-3 mpg better around town with a six speed (recent models).

M-B diesel is going to consistently do a lot better than this, and how it does will depend on how high a top you buy.

Unless you go way back, you won't find a V-8 Dodge. The Dodge van got replaced by the Sprinter.

The Dodge van was built in 2003, design dating to 1994. V8s offered were 5.2 and 5.9 Magnum small blocks, with common rail fuel injection. These are comparable to the engines Ford abandoned in favor of the modular or Triton V-8s in 1997, and those Chevrolet abandoned in favor MPI Generation III (and since 2007, Generation IV) small-blocks.

If you are thinking about buying something built on an old Dodge van, buy no earlier than 1994 and look for the 4-speed overdrive, not all vans had overdrive.

Current van from the successor Fiat-Chrysler America is the Ram Promaster, an Americanized, North America-built Fiat Ducato. Engine offerings here are the 3.6 Pentastar V-8 from Chrysler minivans and sedans, and a Fiat four cylinder diesel, 3.0 liters, with a self-shifting six-speed transmission. The diesel probably does about the same as a Sprinter of similar height and weight, although the 2.2 liter diesels used in Europe get about 20% better MPG.

I suspect what you are looking at, modern engines at least, will be 20-24
MPG diesel, unless the RamPromaster turns out to do better, versus 14-16 MPG with a gas engine of 240-300 HP, whether it is a 3.7 V6 or a 6.0 V8. Older V8 engines will do much worse, 8-12 MPG was not unusual in the late 1970s through the 1980s.

I suggest that you ask Paul at Sportsmobile, Austin TX your questions about engines, suspensions and drive trains for class b. I found him to be very well informed and he works with all name plates. When one of us owners answers we may be biased in favor of whatever we drive.

I drive a 2004 Sportsmobile/Sprinter2500 with 240,000 miles. The original quality was better than the Coachmen that I formerly drove but I haven't evaluated other brands. The I5 diesel continues to be efficient and powerful enough for the job. I don't intend to get a new b but if I did I would certainly consider the new 4 cylinder Sprinter diesel.