help with class C - thinking of Sprinter

[steveandjil]

Dear All:

Haven't been on these forums in a long time. Need some help. We have had an entry level Sunnybrook Fifth wheel for 11 years. We used it a huge amount except for the last couple of years. The kids are now grown and out of the house, and my wife and I miss having an RV. The Sunnybrook is getting very decrepit, and it's probably time for a change if we are going to travel at all.

We were thinking of downsizing as many have done as a way to make the trips easier and hence more enjoyable. We looked at a bunch of options, and one that impresses is the Sprinter chassis class C's. How have people liked this? Here are some very specific questions:

1) Do you pull a toad, or just drive the coach around?
2) How reliable has it been for you?
3) We saw the Thor product and the Winnebago. Back in the day, Thor did not exactly have a great reputation, but why is the winnebago so much more money?
4) If you downsized as we may, are you happy with the choice.

Thanks in advance,

Steve

[steveandjil]

PS: I LOVE that cargo net idea. I am a bit chicken to screw into the ceiling ...

Steve

[Dakzuki]

steveandjil wrote:
Obviously lots of diverse options - this is quite different than the Fiver world.

The LTVs are really unique and clearly well engineered, but just too small for us - there is a reasonable chance that our kids may occasionally join us and an LTV with us and 2 dogs might be tight.

The Phoenix Cruisers are definitely on the list, the biggest issue is that you have to go to a 29' version to get a regular bed and that is a must for us. Might talk to them about our options. (Ooops, obviously I was incorrect re the bed configuration, have to take a good look at the size, we had decided against the View 24J because of the size of the corner bed). Thanks, Ron!

And the Winnebago View/Navion versions are all in the mix, though we are going a bit nuts here regarding bed arrangement vs kitchen counter space vs overhead bunk vs storage. Yikes.

We are really excited about getting back to RVing, hopefully we will be able to choose one!

Appreciate all the help!

Overhead bunk IS storage. In fact we removed the mattress and installed a cargo net as it's just the two of us. We can put the mattress back if needed. Cargo Net Link

[steveandjil]

Obviously lots of diverse options - this is quite different than the Fiver world.

The LTVs are really unique and clearly well engineered, but just too small for us - there is a reasonable chance that our kids may occasionally join us and an LTV with us and 2 dogs might be tight.

The Phoenix Cruisers are definitely on the list, the biggest issue is that you have to go to a 29' version to get a regular bed and that is a must for us. Might talk to them about our options. (Ooops, obviously I was incorrect re the bed configuration, have to take a good look at the size, we had decided against the View 24J because of the size of the corner bed). Thanks, Ron!

And the Winnebago View/Navion versions are all in the mix, though we are going a bit nuts here regarding bed arrangement vs kitchen counter space vs overhead bunk vs storage. Yikes.

We are really excited about getting back to RVing, hopefully we will be able to choose one!

Appreciate all the help!

[Dakzuki]

hotfudge wrote:
Hi Steve:
One more thought regarding installation of HWH levelers on a MB chassis. I've been told (but have not verified yet) that MB will void their chassis warranty if levelers are installed. Concern is possible racking/torqueing the frame. Stabilizers are OK. Just a heads-up.

I do not believe that to be true. A modification has to be proven to have caused damage. I can see how they would not advise it. Much like anything else they would not recommend anything they have no control over. You can void your warranty by installing a stereo.

[hotfudge]

Hi Steve:
One more thought regarding installation of HWH levelers on a MB chassis. I've been told (but have not verified yet) that MB will void their chassis warranty if levelers are installed. Concern is possible racking/torqueing the frame. Stabilizers are OK. Just a heads-up.

[ron_dittmer]

magnusfide wrote:
Phoenix Cruiser offers the MB Sprinter platform now. Have only heard good about them and Phoenix Cruiser builds it well. We're saving up for a PC.

Hi Steve,

We've owned a Phoenix Cruiser for 7 years now and counting. They are nice for the money spent, very well thought out little rigs. All models are offered with high quality optional slide outs. The company works customer deviations without a complaint, either at no charge or at cost. The company sells only factory-direct so you work directly with the people making your rig. And they stand behind their products well beyond the warranty period, meaning they will do repairs on older rigs at reasonable prices. I recall someone bought a 10 year old rig that was in an accident with repairs done poorly. He brings the rig to the factory and they rebuild the rig right for less than $2000. They basically charged by the hour, the right people on the job to get the rig put back together properly. Would Winnebago do that?

Two models, the 2350 and the 2400 are available on the Sprinter chassis.

CLICK HERE to get to the company website.

CLICK HERE to see model 2350 with a rear corner double bed. It is available on the Sprinter as some pictures show.

CLICK HERE for model 2400. This model is also available on the Sprinter.

CLICK HERE to see our 2007 2350 without a slide out. Very little has changed since 2007. Today the company offers a stretched version of our rig. It measures about 25' long, around 16" longer than ours. That one "Fancies" me. I'd request the extra space go into the bathroom and a longer bed to gain more outdoor storage. But the stretch is not available on the Sprinter, only the E350 and E450.

[Gonzo42]

We have our very first RV and have had no serious problems whatsoever. Now I want to add a toad, which by the owners manual must be less than 3500 lb tow weight.

This is Sprinter based and you should do a search on this forum on pros and cons re: the Sprinters. One of the cons is service cost, if you want to have a shop or dealer do service. I do all my own.

I always want more storage space no matter what I already have. You can see some of my DIY mods with a search here.

On a personal note we didn't want a class A mostly due to lack of ingress/egress.

There are only the two of us with occasional grandkids so this one suits us well. YMMV

[hotfudge]

Hi Steve:
A year ago, we were exactly where you are now in your Spriter B+ (or C) decision making process. Following retirement, I spent nearly five years doing 'RV research' including a plethora of discussions with active users. We came to the conclusion that we didn't need or want a large MH, FW or TT. We narrowed our search down to Sprinter chassis based B+ units..and began looking at ALL makes and models closely. Fast forward.

We are expecting delivery of a 2015.5 LTV Unity TB next month and are excited beyond description. Why the Unity TB? Well, for me, being an engineer, its what you can't see that is most important. (chassis design, capacities, attention to electrical and plumbing layout, form and fit, a tasteful full body paint job that doesn't look like a modern art billboard, etc.) For my bride, its all about color, storage, layout, etc) We also have different sleeping habits. I'm an early riser and lets just say...my wife is not. She loves to stay up 'til the wee hours reading. Our much anticipated Unity TB fits our lifestyle perfectly with separate sleeping and living areas, tons of storage AND stationary beds that don't have to be folded-up, lifted-up or cranked-up every night and morning...or walked around during the day. The twin beds in the Unity give each person more sleeping area than an Island queen, corner bed or the Murphy bed. I was a concerned about having slides (and their inherent problems) so that eliminated the corner bed and Murphy bed versions. And. if any one of the six motors goes out on the Murphy version....you don't go to bed. We bit the bullet and ordered the Alcoa wheels to eliminate reported wheel trim issues. Also, went with the 160W solar panel and extra fantastic fan options. I could go into many more reasons why we purchased what we did but it truly comes down to personal preference, life style and whether 'details' are important.

Bottom line, LTV products built the Sprinter chassis are tops in my book. A trip to the factory would be well worth your time. The Sprinter chassis with V6 diesel engine is the way to go. I drove a LTV Unity around some Colorado back country roads (high altitude) and it didn't miss a beat with power to spare. At highway speeds it purrs like a kitten and is easy to handle. The cab layout is great. NO bulbous center engine console! Halleluia! My bride took a turn at the wheel and she loved it. My only concern is that the CCC is around 1100 lbs so the cast iron frying pans will have to remain at home! We will not be using a Toad. (I'll rent something cheap if we stay in one place any length of time) Maybe we'll get a bike rack or carrier for the rear. So that's where we're at.

Good luck in your search, Steve.

[steveandjil]

Thanks guys, appreciate the help. The Winnebago view is the current front runner. Any more comments appreciated.

Steve

[neschultz]

We went from an equal length TT to the Sprinter based Class A Winnebago Via and love it. It handles and fits anywhere we want to go. My wife wouldn't\couldn't drive the pickup with the TT but has no problems at all with the Via. We don't often tow but it has a negligible effect when we do. You are not just getting the diesel engine but the whole Sprinter chassis...... you won't see posts about cheap handling fixes, dog houses, noisy engines, etc. on the Sprinter based RVs. The only necessary (to us) mod we've done is to add HWH levelers. We've put 9000 miles on ours since March with no troubles at all. Good luck!

[Dakzuki]

I have a 2011 Navion J. I pull a toad if I feel I will need a vehicle at my destination. We took the toad this weekend to the coast and didn't even use it. I ended up being used as a trailer for carrying fire wood and other stuff.

[magnusfide]

Phoenix Cruiser offers the MBSprinter platform now. Have only heard good about them and Phoenic Cruiser builds it well. We're saving up for a PC.

[midnightsadie]

OK ,here it goes ,we had big , went to a 2007 leisure travel van class C has a 5cyc MB diesel , just two of us , it,ll tow a small toad, and handles my 18ft boat with no problem, most times just drive the rv, we would not go back to a class A just to darn big, we take it to arizona from ohio almost every year, trust worthy unit, and quality made rv. most the newer V6 engines get 15mpg ,ours does way better. no problem pulling the mountains. leisuretravelvan.com. service for us has been easy we have a local dealer, in 34k miles its had two problems both simple and repaired in less than a day, the engine itself has been flawless just purrs,down the road.

[HowellJourney]

Steve-I look forward to seeing the responses to your posting. After evaluating various Sprinter chassis, we have elected to go with the Winnebago View or Itsaca Navion. We really like the 24J with the U shaped dinnette that is new for 2015. We are also evaluating vehicles we can tow four wheels down and leaning toward the 2014 Honda CRV with a weight of 3428. We plan to use a Roadmaster tow bar (had problems with Blue Ox) and the M&G Braking system. Ten years ago, we full timed in a Monaco Executive 42 ft. diesel pusher for two years and do not want that size of motorhome again.