Advancing Alvar

[Scottbaldassari]

Originally Posted by Davydd

..." My TV use consisted of mainly seeing how many channels were available."....

lol. I cant tell you how many times I did this In the "olden" days (as my daughter says), before internet and streaming. Usually set it up and turned it on thinking I would catch the news and weather...,hardly ever succeeded though.
Because I should have better things to do, and also because of the internet, cell phones, and digitally recorded movies, TV is definitely not a "necessity" in an RV these days. As far as I'm concerned, it should be an "option" (as it probably was on yours).

[Davydd]

With Advanced RV there are some assumed standards but everything is an option so to speak since you sit down with them and go over everything in detail. The TV is sort of one of those assumed givens as there is set cabinetry that also houses a wifi router if you want it. I did modify our cabinetry somewhat out of necessity to install our articulated beds.

[wincrasher]

Davydd, you've often mentioned you missed out on the 4x4 option.

I don't really think you missed out on anything other than making your van harder to live with and poorer fuel economy. Don't you think the climb up and down would have quickly gotten old?

Is there really any place you missed out on going this year for lack of 4 wheel drive?

[BobB]

Originally Posted by Scottbaldassari

As far as I'm concerned, it should be an "option"

Could not agree more, but I guess the focus groups and consumer surveys are telling manufacturers that people want TVs - not just one, but maybe 2 plus one outside. See more TVs in the A and C class, but now seeing more in the B class. I would like one (in the VW, we use an iPad Mini) for movies on a rainy day/evening. But somehow, set up in a simple coastal campground, listening to the surf (or birds, or wind in the trees....) I personally have no use for a TV outside. And being disconnected has its benefits.

I guess different strokes for different folks.

What would be nice is if manufacturers, if they are going to make all those TVs standard, offered a credit for not having the TVs, so you could apply it to some other option, like solar or add'l batteries.

[Scottbaldassari]

Originally Posted by BobB

...What would be nice is if manufacturers, if they are going to make all those TVs standard, offered a credit for not having the TVs, so you could apply it to some other option, like solar or add'l batteries.

Agreed. Some of those Flat screens can get pretty pricey, not to mention all the wiring, antennas, DVD's etc... Especially when many people already own laptops with DVD that are portable, and more probably energy efficient...

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

Davydd, you've often mentioned you missed out on the 4x4 option.

I don't really think you missed out on anything other than making your van harder to live with and poorer fuel economy. Don't you think the climb up and down would have quickly gotten old?

Is there really any place you missed out on going this year for lack of 4 wheel drive?

With the extended body Sprinter I think the extra 4" clearance would be a plus. My minimum clearance is 7-1/2" (at the nerf bars) but that isn't enough. I bottomed out getting onto a small ferry in Nova Scotia where the ramps meet. The ferry operator apologized and said he could have gotten closer (less ramp incline) and did so at the other end. Nevertheless the skid plate was damaged but did its job.

We haven't driven on any beaches yet. That is something I would have liked to have done but don't feel comfortable doing so without 4x4.

[BobB]

Originally Posted by Davydd

With the extended body Sprinter I think the extra 4" clearance would be a plus. My minimum clearance is 7-1/2" (at the nerf bars) but that isn't enough.

Can you have the suspension adjusted or "lifted" to give you some more clearance? May not be cheap, but may give you some extra inches for clearance.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by BobB

Can you have the suspension adjusted or "lifted" to give you some more clearance? May not be cheap, but may give you some extra inches for clearance.

I'm not aware of any aftermarket lifting of a Sprinter or have seen any examples of it done on a Sprinter Class B RV. I doubt you could lift 4". Anyway, we already have the VB Air Suspension which is a total replacement of the rear suspension that gives a very smooth and stable ride compared to the factory suspension.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F43gRg_8TV8

[obgraham]

We've yet to watch any TV in ours. I keep saying I'll remove it, but haven't quite had the nerve.

[Davydd]

On our most recent 2 month trip we had one rainy day where we were pretty much confined to our B in a campground. That was in Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland and there was no TV to find over the air. They had great wifi, BTW, which was a pleasant surprise.

[Davydd]

We are having our first cold weather in Minnesota with temperatures below freezing. The temperatures have been under 32 for over 24 hours now and as low as 21. I just checked my batteries and they are at 42 degrees with an outside temperature of 26. Typically the batteries have been stable since being home at the end of October at about 6-10 degrees above outside temperature when parked and not being used to any degree. That indicates to me the heating pads are keeping them warm. They are at 99% charge.

Today I am experimenting with shore power, Rixen option to heat the glycol heat exchanger with electric only and also turning on the electric radiant floor. Before I turned both on Alvar was stable inside with the outside temperature at 26 degrees.

[markopolo]

Has solar has been keeping the batteries up even with the heating pads in use?

If so, that's excellent. Snow cover will likely affect that at some point.

Will you leave it plugged in for the worst of winter?

[classbbud]

After working with ARV for eleven months, I received a quote on the phone with the price of the motorhome. This was the first time I received any price quote. I had figured the price would be close to $200,000 but it ended up being close to $300,000. I now have a decision to make. Is an ARV worth $300,000?

[gregmchugh]

Can't there be a price list showing ranges of cost for various options so you are not so far off in the estimate so far along in the process?

[classbbud]

that's not the way it works at ARV.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by markopolo

Has solar has been keeping the batteries up even with the heating pads in use?

If so, that's excellent. Snow cover will likely affect that at some point.

Will you leave it plugged in for the worst of winter?

No snow yet.

Actually I am leaving it plugged into 30a shore power. The solar is pretty much a non-factor since I am mostly in a shaded woods and winter daylight is short. I don't know that answer but with little sun I doubt it would. When not plugged in I have a 6 amp draw without the battery heating pads on from the inverter, wifi, cell booster, alarms, idiot lights, chassis battery Trik-L charge, parasitic and natural loss. So I could go four days and the auto start would come on with how I have it programmed.

Of course my other option is to disconnect the batteries and they can go to any temperature without harm since there would be no charge going to them and they would not be supplying any power. The van would go totally dark. They would maintain charge easily for 6 months that way. However, I like to go out and tinker so will leave it plugged in.

[Scottbaldassari]

ClassBBud: "Is an ARV worth $300,000?"

Wowsa. Apparently, ARV is the cream of the crop.
A "thing" is worth what ever you're willing to pay for it.
My question would have to be; is ANY RV "worth" $300,000.00 ?...

[Applegater]

David, picking up JAKE at ARV in mid- December therefore really interested in your cold weather observations since we will be parking JAKE outside when we get home. Especially interested in how the glycol heater works plugged into shore power. For other recent posters our experience with ARV has been great.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by classbbud

After working with ARV for eleven months, I received a quote on the phone with the price of the motorhome. This was the first time I received any price quote. I had figured the price would be close to $200,000 but it ended up being close to $300,000. I now have a decision to make. Is an ARV worth $300,000?

Is it? You'll have to answer that for yourself. Not knowing what you were negotiating I have no idea if it is. I am just glad I bought when I did. I think I got in just in the nick of time before their backlog of orders took off and maybe before they refined their cost model. I know there are a lot fancier ARVs than mine now.

[BobB]

Originally Posted by classbbud

that's not the way it works at ARV.

Why would a company like ARV spend 11 months of their time working with a customer on a custom RV and NOT ever discuss $? Risking all that time to have a customer get sticker shock and walk away?

Classbud - Didn't you ever - during the 11 months ask what all this was costing? If so, what did ARV say?

Like Davyyd, I was in the design field. One always has fundamental discussions with a client - from the start - about program, schedule and budget. The clients who said "don't worry about the budget" are the scariest; we always gave them an estimate, whether they wanted it or not.