Advanced RV Class B spotted

[markopolo]

Mike saw this Advanced RV unit recently:

















Ohio plates.

Very clean looking unit.

[gerrym51]

I'll take it.

[Davydd]

I wonder if that is Pebbles, Stewie or BamBam? They name each Advanced RV. I'm guessing Pebbles.

There have been some subtle changes on the exterior since this one was built. The water fill (I think that is what it is next to the electrical) has been moved and hidden. You can hide the electrical connection as well if you desire. The fiber glass skirt no longer has those visible latches.

[obgraham]

That's a nice looking rig. Shame that for all the cash they spent, they picked those cheesy looking wheels.

[Davydd]

What's missing from the wheels are chrome covers or what they call wheel simulators because they practically mirror the wheel design with chrome. Or think hubcap. Stock without the wheel simulators is a silver steel wheel. Options are white or black steel wheels. You can also get aluminum alloy wheels but unfortunately on a dually the four outer wheels are aluminum alloy and the two inner wheels are steel because two aluminum alloy wheels together will not fit. That means if you want a full tire rotation you also have the extra hassle and cost of dismounting and mounting four tires.

I know of quite a few Sprinter owners opting to forgo the chrome wheel simulators and some who have removed them. They are a hassle if you use a tire pressure monitoring system or install valve extenders to make filling dually tires easier. After some time on making a decision I finally opted to get Mercedes Benz factory glossy black steel wheels to go with the Graphite Grey Metallic exterior. I have wheel simulators now on my Great West Van and I don't like them. I guess I am going with the in your face look. Cheesy? I don't know. We will see.

BTW, there a a couple of Advanced RVs being used for rentals. This might be one of them if it still has the Ohio license plate.

[obgraham]

Sign of the times, I guess. "Hubcaps" are now "Wheel Simulators"!
Soon the "door" will become the "access portal", and the "window" will be the "external viewing portal".

I was probably too quick on the "cheesy" comment -- I know years back on a Minnie Winnie, after dinging one of those plastic "wheel simulators", I took them off and left them in the garage. Function sometimes overcomes looks.

[bobojay]

David is that the one that was at the B rally in Indiana?

[gdoug]

Originally Posted by obgraham

Sign of the times, I guess. "Hubcaps" are now "Wheel Simulators"!
Soon the "door" will become the "access portal", and the "window" will be the "external viewing portal".

Yep. Gotta be politically correct, now. A hubcap is a hubcap is a hubcap to me.

[markopolo]

Originally Posted by obgraham

...................... Function sometimes overcomes looks...................

+1

I had "wheel simulators" on 2 RV's. On one, a simulator on the rear would slowly rotate after X miles and end up pressing against a valve stem. On the other, the driver side front simulator would make a creaking sound whenever the steel rim flexed.

Booster did a fantastic job marrying looks and function when he switched back to steel rims on his Chevy. Photos here: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...tart=11#p10612

[booster]

It looks like the 80's might be coming back! White truck wheels were the hot thing back then.



I have always been a big fan of having body color on the wheels, but not as a monochromatic all one color deal like the ones on the Sprinter. Some body color on the the contours, or such, of a wheel, with aluminum or chrome on the rest can look very nice IMO. A nice chrome center (hub) cap would greatly improve the ones shown, to me, but everyone has his own tastes.

The terminology thing is really fun for me, as my father was a parts manager at a Chrysler dealer in the 50s and 60s, and he used to constantly complain about how they kept changing the names a catagories of similar parts. As I remember it from back then.

Hub cap--a cover that only covers the center of the wheel, including the lug nuts, but nothing more

Wheel cover---a cover that covers the entire wheel all the way out to the tire

Center cap--a cover that only covers the hole in the center of the wheel and not the lug nuts

Trim ring or beauty ring--a partial cover that goes only on the largest diameter of the wheel right at the tire and in a bit

Center cover--similar to a hub cap, going over the center of the wheel, but would usually attach to the lug nuts or the wheel differently and look more like a chrome hub a chrome lug nuts

Hub caps were used by themselves or with trim or beauty rings (baby moons and rings were very popular)

Wheel covers were used by themselves

Center covers were used by themselves or with trim or beauty rings

Center caps were usually on aluminum wheels with chrome lugs

Now days they have added "aluminum wheel simulators", which are just wheel covers made to look like aluminum wheels

It is nice to have the van look nice with aluminum wheels, and you do save a little weight, but there is a lot to be said for painted steel wheels. They are strong, need less retorquing, can be repainted when they get chewed up, are less likely to get bead leaks from corrosion, etc, plus they are cheap if you mess one up.

Of the old styles, one of my favorites on cars and trucks was baby moon hubcaps, chrome trim rings, on body colored steel wheels (the body color showed between the ring and hubcap)

[Mike]

I just like the Flying J theme colors on that pickup truck. A boondockers dream. Very cool.

I couldn't figure out who the A-RV belonged to or I would have asked those questions and requested "a tour". Most of the external plumbing was clearly visible below the storage drawer but it isn't very visible in the photos. Of course nothing says "RV" like rooftop solar panels, vents, and A/C. It was more obvious than the pictures depict.
There was no one inside that I could detect. They must have been in "stealth mode".

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by bobojay

David is that the one that was at the B rally in Indiana?

Bob, I believe you are right. I should have checked my photos. Confirmed from my photos. The B is called Pebbles.

[Fastpaddler1]

Originally Posted by markopolo

Mike saw this Advanced RV unit recently:

















Ohio plates.

Very clean looking unit.

Looks sleek and racy but where is the electric awning(any awning) or is this a day-tripper??
al

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by Fastpaddler1

Looks sleek and racy but where is the electric awning(any awning) or is this a day-tripper??
al

Surprisingly there are quite a few Advanced RVs without awnings. It becomes very tempting to leave the awning off once you create an almost totally stealth looking RV. You have to remember Advanced RVs are pretty much all custom from ordering exactly what you want from Mercedes Benz, to picking all options to picking all finishes. They also do custom cabinetry work. What I haven't seen yet is much variation in the basic floor plan--modified but not greatly changed.

It's a full RV for the long haul. Pebbles is described in Advanced RVs website Here. It is the middle one on the top row. I believe it is being used as a rental right now.

[rsrogers4]

Pebbles and Hans are the two Advanced RVs available for rental (I know because we're renting Hans in September). For more information on rentals, see: http://rvrental.advanced-rv.com/rental-info/

[wincrasher]

Originally Posted by Davydd

Surprisingly there are quite a few Advanced RVs without awnings. It becomes very tempting to leave the awning off once you create an almost totally stealth looking RV. You have to remember Advanced RVs are pretty much all custom from ordering exactly what you want from Mercedes Benz, to picking all options to picking all finishes. They also do custom cabinetry work. What I haven't seen yet is much variation in the basic floor plan--modified but not greatly changed.

It's a full RV for the long haul. Pebbles is described in Advanced RVs website Here. It is the middle one on the top row. I believe it is being used as a rental right now.

They should do a fairing on top to hide the awning as well as some of the other items on top. LTV does one one the Free Spirit SS & TE that looks great and would enhance the stealth look I suppose.

[Mike]

I can't imagine any situation, except maybe passing in the opposite directions on an interstate at speed, where you might not immediately realize the true identity of a 24' Sprinter based RV. Even when I'm not completely sure, I assume it's an RV until proven otherwise.
Even A-RV signs their work.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

They should do a fairing on top to hide the awning as well as some of the other items on top. LTV does one one the Free Spirit SS & TE that looks great and would enhance the stealth look I suppose.

I looked at that fairing on the LTV Free Spirit SS. To me it looks more like an attachment on top calling out more attention. It's sole accomplishment is to nicely integrate the awning it seems. Do they actually sell them that way? I have seen a couple of Free Spirit SSes on the road and neither had them. Also, their photos seem contradictory too as the slide side photo didn't have the fairing. When I first saw it my initial reaction was it would be a leaf trapper. I'd pass on that idea. Stealth is not that important since I know Mike is going to squeal me out anyway.

[Davydd]

There were 8 Advanced RVs at the Advanced RV Fest and Open House last May on the road. I think at least three were still Advanced RV units and the others were returning owners. I captured 7 in this photo (one was out) along with my GWVan and Karsty's ERA on the right. Note Karsty and I have an awning. Only one of the 8 Advanced RVs had an awning. I ordered an awning. I had a choice to pick what I wanted be it Carefree or Fiamma. I went with a Fiamma electrical.

[Mike]

I wont have to. It'll still be obvious, unless it's parked in a lot full of plain white Sprinters.
Seriously, if I was shelling out that much cash for an RV, I'd want others to know who made it and what it was and capable of doing. I'd even add some flame paint behind the wheel wells, and fuzzy dice hanging from the mirror. It would absolutely scream "spendy", to quote booster, but in a classy way, of course.

EDIT: How about that, I see them parked in a lot full of Sprinter based RVS. It is what it is......