RoadTrek Sprinter RS or CS Adventurous for family of 5

[AdventurerW]

Hello Everybody,

New guy here with a family of 5. Really could use your expertise.

Will be in the market to purchase a 1-2 yr old used RT CS or RS Adventurous (or like vehicle) in 3 years. My kids will be 4, 8, 12 respectively in that time. Is this a set and done deal? No. This is what I desire and have been for several years now, so it has some staying power.

I don't want a B+ or C RV for many reasons. Most important is bc anything larger is not really an everyday vehicle, nor (just as importantly) will my HOA stand for it. They have approved the B (or anything smaller).

Here are my thoughts going in it.

1 - Kids are getting older - want them to experience this with us. 20 years from now, I want to say this with happiness and not regret.

2 - This will be for everyday use: commuting to practice (not everyday, but most), extending weekend trips (for ie, park at the beach, spend all day there in comfort and then go back to RV campground or home...go to soccer tournament, stay in vehicle until the next game later that day as opposed to going back to hotel...use it for week vacations from say Florida to Rocky Mtns and augmenting it with RV resorts/campgrounds or hotels).

3 - Sleeping all five in it will be for only rare occasions. I don't see it as a hotel replacement. 5 is too tight and do not need to experience it to know it. I would bring a pup tent with me if we stayed at a campground so at least 2-3 will be in tent and rest in Sprinter.

4 - Is it expensive? Yes it is. Would I be foregoing retirement and digging into emergency funds to buy it? No. I bring this up b/c i think this is important to not let it come in front of investments, savings, etc.

5 - Life is **** short. The wherewithal to make a quick plan on Friday night and leave on Saturday to go somewhere new with the family is extremely enticing. Sure we could do this with an SUV, yet at a very different convenience/stress level. After all, the Sprinter is for convenience (amongst many other perks), lower stress as compared to being cramped up in car on a long trip, and maximizing the day with those you love.

6 - We are not big campers. So getting this rig will not automatically turn us into campers - and I don't expect to turn into Webelo Papa Joe (I wish I had Webelo skills). The idea of camping is great. We may love it! Yet I only see us doing it for one night and then continuing on our sightseeing ways. The idea of staying at one place for a week is not enticing, so the versatility of getting up and leaving is a wonderful prospect. If we did stay at one place for a week, than it would have to be coupled with a cabin or some kind of RV style resort.

7 - Great expectations lead to great disappointment. After reading many forums, I have read many saying "good luck" buying this with a family of 5 in mind. I get it. That's why my feelings on this vehicle is not for living. To not treat is as a Class A RV. It's primary purpose is to extend the day and explore, using it as a place to lounge in nature, to augment it with cabin's, campgrounds, hotels (if using for a week).

8 - Picking Roadtrek due to their 6 year warranty and b/c they are less expensive than Airstream.

Questions:

What do you RV.Net faithful's think about this concept?

If you were to choose between a RS and CS Adventurous, which one would it be? I am siding towards the CS as I like the enclosed galley.

What else can you say to a newbie like me? Am I being realistic in its usage and intent?

[AdventurerW]

davepcpowernet wrote:


Have you looked at Mike Wendland's newsletter at mwendland@me.com , Your RV Lifestyle Newsletter?

He has links to his blog, Roadtrekers on Facebook, etc.

I understand your point. Utility against comfort. Kids are resilient, too and you certainly are not our age (80+ and still Rving)where comfort is paramount!

If you do go with Roadtrek, be sure to weigh the propane generator against the engine mounted generator and the 4 battery option. We have the engine mounted and 4 batteries which allows us to overnight hookup free with power to spare. Driving the next day recharges.

Hi Dave - all in on the engine mounted inline generator with volt start. That will be a must for me in order to be as less shore power dependent as possible.

Yes, I do follow the Wendland family on podcast. Enjoy their stuff.

Thank you Dave for your support and enjoy the roads out there.

[Caseyontheroad]

AdventurerW,

Don't know how you (or your HOA) feel about going a bit longer, but Roadtrek offers both the CS and RS on an extended body Sprinter.
XL Sprinter
That gives you an 18 inch open storage area behind the rear couch. It may not sound like much but it would give you a spot to corral all of the stuff a family of five needs and free up space inside the main body of the van.

[sprintstream]

I have a 2005 Gulfstream Vista Cruiser Sprinter Class B. The Sprinter chassis is an excellent choice for what you want to do. I too recommend the popup. This gives you options not mentioned. If you use a popup you don't have to take it everywhere all the time. If you are in a campground it keeps your spot rather than packing it all up and unhooking everything. If just the adults go then you use just the van.

We love our Sprinter but repair locations can be a problem to find. Not all MB , Dodge or Freightliner dealerships work on them. Few independent shops are equipped or trained either. They are out there but just be aware.

[davepcpowernet]

AdventurerW wrote:

davepcpowernet wrote:
I would certainly lean toward the RS. It would certainly lend itself more to a family of five with its seating and the view out of its windows.

Riding comfort for passengers in the RS also be a plus. Roadtrek seats are very comfortable, especially with the faux leather.

Again, the downsides would be limited storage due to the much smaller cabinetry, smaller fridge and the placement of the microwave. The toilet space is also smaller.

Thank you Dave!

My line of thinking on choosing the CS over the RS: CS has a bigger fridge - good for family or with the fellas during tailgating (where beer storage comes at a premium).

Yes, the RS has a 4th option for a sleeping arrangement. Thoughts here are I would be pitching a tent anyways on a campground. So the extra 4th is nice, but unnecessary.

In the event of bad weather, where we all have to sleep in the CS. Adult and 2 kids in the back (yes it could be sardine-ish, but can work), one on the front bed, and yours truly on a makeshift bed on the aisle.

Have you looked at Mike Wendland's newsletter at mwendland@me.com , Your RV Lifestyle Newsletter?

He has links to his blog, Roadtrekers on Facebook, etc.

I understand your point. Utility against comfort. Kids are resilient, too and you certainly are not our age (80+ and still Rving)where comfort is paramount!

If you do go with Roadtrek, be sure to weigh the propane generator against the engine mounted generator and the 4 battery option. We have the engine mounted and 4 batteries which allows us to overnight hookup free with power to spare. Driving the next day recharges.

[AdventurerW]

davepcpowernet wrote:
I would certainly lean toward the RS. It would certainly lend itself more to a family of five with its seating and the view out of its windows.

Riding comfort for passengers in the RS also be a plus. Roadtrek seats are very comfortable, especially with the faux leather.

Again, the downsides would be limited storage due to the much smaller cabinetry, smaller fridge and the placement of the microwave. The toilet space is also smaller.

Thank you Dave!

My line of thinking on choosing the CS over the RS: CS has a bigger fridge - good for family or with the fellas during tailgating (where beer storage comes at a premium).

Yes, the RS has a 4th option for a sleeping arrangement. Thoughts here are I would be pitching a tent anyways on a campground. So the extra 4th is nice, but unnecessary.

In the event of bad weather, where we all have to sleep in the CS. wife and 2 kids in the back (yes it could be sardine-ish, but can work), one on the front bed, and yours truly on a makeshift bed on the aisle.

[davepcpowernet]

AdventurerW wrote:

davepcpowernet wrote:
We have a Adventurous CS. With the second passenger seat and the rear couch we can seat 6 and sleep 3 with the front bed option. Though we only travel with the two of us. Pulling any sort of trailer is somewhat inconvenient if you want to stop someplace in town or even in some crowded rest stops. Once in a while we have been places where tourist traffic was rather horrendous and with a trailer or even with a wider RV than the sprinter would be problematic. We do really like the Roadtrek and in two years have traveled over 30K miles. Seating more than that really cuts down on interior utility - storage especially and as well placement and size of the fridge and microwave.

Hi Dave - when you mentioned "seating more than that", what # did you mean? More than 6? More than 2?

If you had a family of 5 right now, would you go RS or CS? And why? This rig is desired as a weekend extender, a comfortable ride for my family with the amenities to "extend our stays" at places without having to leave for some food or a toilet. Any long trips we take will surely be used in conjunction with tents, motel/hotels, RV resorts.

The ride itself will be a thing of beauty to explore places.

Seating more than 6 as some of the models do is what I am referring to. For the two of us we removed the third seat and added the closet instead. This leaves the couch in back for three crowded seats plus the two in front. My wife reports that riding in back is like riding in the back seat of a school bus. If seating 3 in front and two in back works, then there is the loss of storage that probably would need to be made up some other way for a family of 5. There are ways to do that such as a hitch mounted storage box or like others have suggested, a trailer.

You mention longer trips using other facilities which is what we do. Our stays in motels average about 1.3 stays per week. Otherwise we usually stay in campgrounds with an occasional stay in a Cracker Barrel or a truck stop. The CS allows us to do that.

I guess the upshot is when you mention mainly using it for a deluxe transportation and if I were in your shoes, I would certainly lean toward the RS. It would certainly lend itself more to a family of five with its seating and the view out of its windows.

Riding comfort for passengers in the RS also be a plus. Roadtrek seats are very comfortable, especially with the faux leather.

Again, the downsides would be limited storage due to the much smaller cabinetry, smaller fridge and the placement of the microwave. The toilet space is also smaller.

The major plus for both models is the Sprinter. It is very easy to drive, comfortable, and easy on the fuel. I once drove for 19 hours in order to make it in time for a funeral. I would not have done that in many other vehicles.

I haven't spoken about the quality that Roadtrek puts into their vehicles. It is excellent, especially compared to the rest of the RVs out there.

[AdventurerW]

Am perfectly fine if anyone thinks I'm looking through rose colored glasses. If so, please do tell me b/c I welcome a reality slap in the face.

Nothing is bad as it seems, nothing is good as it seems. This is the approach taken when I buy something.

[AdventurerW]

davepcpowernet wrote:
We have a Adventurous CS. With the second passenger seat and the rear couch we can seat 6 and sleep 3 with the front bed option. Though we only travel with the two of us. Pulling any sort of trailer is somewhat inconvenient if you want to stop someplace in town or even in some crowded rest stops. Once in a while we have been places where tourist traffic was rather horrendous and with a trailer or even with a wider RV than the sprinter would be problematic. We do really like the Roadtrek and in two years have traveled over 30K miles. Seating more than that really cuts down on interior utility - storage especially and as well placement and size of the fridge and microwave.

Hi Dave - when you mentioned "seating more than that", what # did you mean? More than 6? More than 2?

If you had a family of 5 right now, would you go RS or CS? And why? This rig is desired as a weekend extender, a comfortable ride for my family with the amenities to "extend our stays" at places without having to leave for some food or a toilet. Any long trips we take will surely be used in conjunction with tents, motel/hotels, RV resorts.

The ride itself will be a thing of beauty to explore places.

[AdventurerW]

Biaggio wrote:
Check out a Winnebago ERA X that will seat belt 7 and sleep 2. Pack a tent for the kids ..........
Or tow a pop up for them.

Hi Biaggio - just took a look at several online and it is sweetness. Better interior inside than the Roadtrek RS. Only thing that concerns me is the WB comes across as an RV moreso than than the RT with the ports on the side of the RV.

I'm taking the family to an RV show here in Jacksonville this weekend so hopefully i get a chance to see one of these EraX beauties.

[AdventurerW]

jakegw2 wrote:
Well here are some of my brief thoughts:

I have 3 kids and a class B (a PW Travato). Once you have had a class B for trips (even just for an afternoon) it would be hard to tolerate anything else. The extra room, the fridge, the potty, the furnace (if you need to wait somewhere cold) all combine to make travel and parking far more pleasant with kids. We use ours all the time and absolutely love it. Of course it is too small, so we have been looking at larger ones like the Roadtrek models you mentioned. Like you, we have our financial ducks in a row and can purchase one of these without irreparably harming our ability to retire, pay for college, etc.

My whole family (kids & all) went to the Hershey PA RV show the year before last and spent the better part of two days climbing in, out, and all over all of the class B models where were on display (which was pretty much all of them - Hershey is the biggest show in the country). It took very little time for us to cross the Roadtrek Sprinter models off of our shopping list. I wrote a post describing our impressions which you can see here (Thoughts from the RV show)

The issues we identified that bothered us may not bother you. One ongoing concern I have however is how well the more complicated class b vans will hold up under even moderate winter usage in the northeast. The road salt can be tough on exposed parts, and there are a lot of exposed parts under these vans.

Hi Jake - thank you for the wealth. I'm all in on the MB Sprinter chassis. With 3 boys, it'll always be cramped inside. Purchasing it to live in it for extended periods of time with 5 inside is a bad idea.

The quality of the chassis first and foremost is important to me. The PW, RT, WB Sprinter models are all intriguing to me (forget Airstream - too expensive).

[davepcpowernet]

We have a Adventurous CS. With the second passenger seat and the rear couch we can seat 6 and sleep 3 with the front bed option. Though we only travel with the two of us. Pulling any sort of trailer is somewhat inconvenient if you want to stop someplace in town or even in some crowded rest stops. Once in a while we have been places where tourist traffic was rather horrendous and with a trailer or even with a wider RV than the sprinter would be problematic. We do really like the Roadtrek and in two years have traveled over 30K miles. Seating more than that really cuts down on interior utility - storage especially and as well placement and size of the fridge and microwave.

[Biaggio]

Check out a Winnebago ERA X that will seat belt 7 and sleep 2. Pack a tent for the kids ..........
Or tow a pop up for them.

[jakegw2]

Oops, make that a TRAVERSE - I wish it were a Travato!

[jakegw2]

Well here are some of my brief thoughts:

I have 3 kids and a class B (a PW Travato). Once you have had a class B for trips (even just for an afternoon) it would be hard to tolerate anything else. The extra room, the fridge, the potty, the furnace (if you need to wait somewhere cold) all combine to make travel and parking far more pleasant with kids. We use ours all the time and absolutely love it. Of course it is too small, so we have been looking at larger ones like the Roadtrek models you mentioned. Like you, we have our financial ducks in a row and can purchase one of these without irreparably harming our ability to retire, pay for college, etc.

My whole family (kids & all) went to the Hershey PA RV show the year before last and spent the better part of two days climbing in, out, and all over all of the class B models where were on display (which was pretty much all of them - Hershey is the biggest show in the country). It took very little time for us to cross the Roadtrek Sprinter models off of our shopping list. I wrote a post describing our impressions which you can see here (Thoughts from the RV show)

The issues we identified that bothered us may not bother you. One ongoing concern I have however is how well the more complicated class b vans will hold up under even moderate winter usage in the northeast. The road salt can be tough on exposed parts, and there are a lot of exposed parts under these vans.

[AdventurerW]

Someone talk me out of getting one of these in the future! 🙂

Would rather hear it from experienced Sprinter Class B RV users.

I have zero practical experience with Sprinter B RV's. Have studied them in forums, articles, Roadtrek websites, and videos. Have seen them at RV dealers. Have called Roadtrek a few times.

It doesn't mean anything until I hear experiences from real owners.