ARV van with 1250W solar package - not my sale.

[GeorgeRa]

Interesting ARV Van - $300K in 2015 selling for $228 if price met in 2018 on eBay. Very unusual solar panels setup – 1250W. https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=63387
We will never know until sold, it could go for $300K or more.

[Davydd]

It's the Solar Womp, which has been featured many times here. The owners plan to build a new van but not before the new Sprinters come available.

[booster]

Isn't that the Solar Womp they built specifically for Burning Man for someone?

[angelmroman]

Yes it is.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

Interesting ARV Van - $300K in 2015 selling for $228 if price met in 2018 on eBay. Very unusual solar panels setup – 1250W. https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=63387
We will never know until sold, it could go for $300K or more.

How can it go for $300k or more considering that the ad has an instant buy offer of 227.5?

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

How can it go for $300k or more considering that the ad has an instant buy offer of 227.5?

If someone falls in love, have many to spare, and don’t want to wait. This is not an average van. You never know, the bidding war could be lurking….

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

If someone falls in love, have many to spare, and don’t want to wait. This is not an average van. You never know, the bidding war could be lurking….

Perhaps I have it wrong but my understanding is that if you agree with the "Buy it Now" amount (227.5k) cited, as opposed to "make an offer", there is no waiting for the auction to end. You bought it.

Since the owner is planning to buy a new ARV, I wonder why why he isn't employing ARV to include it on their available list.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by booster

Isn't that the Solar Womp they built specifically for Burning Man for someone?

Yep, it sure is. And I'm sure you'll be delighted to read the Ebay detail that recites maximum solar amperage delivery as 82ah.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

Perhaps I have it wrong but my understanding is that if you agree with the "Buy it Now" amount (227.5k) cited, as opposed to "make an offer", there is no waiting for the auction to end. You bought it.

Since the owner is planning to buy a new ARV, I wonder why why he isn't employing ARV to include it on their available list.

I think you got it partially right, if the bid exceeds the purchase price then the seller has no obligation to sell it for less, so it could be $300K or more, right?

In regards to not posting on ARV site, good point. This is an interesting van but the market very tiny, eBay could give him greatest exposure, the question is, is it a right exposure.

I asked the owner on the Sprinter Van forum why is he selling, no answer yet. He was very proud of it when he introduced it to the Sprinter forum in 2016. I recall him stating that if he is not going to like it he will do something else, couldn’t find this post but found this post about his objective for the Womp.
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...&postcount=262 and yes since he still struggles with Amps.

Looking at his pictures I was a little surprised that his van wasn’t even washed before taking pictures.

Wishing him best, but I think it is a difficult sale.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

I think you got it partially right, if the bid exceeds the purchase price then the seller has no obligation to sell it for less, so it could be $300K or more, right?

In regards to not posting on ARV site, good point. This is an interesting van but the market very tiny, eBay could give him greatest exposure, the question is, is it a right exposure.

I asked the owner on the Sprinter Van forum why is he selling, no answer yet. He was very proud of it when he introduced it to the Sprinter forum in 2016. I recall him stating that if he is not going to like it he will do something else, couldn’t find this post but found this post about his objective for the Womp.
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...&postcount=262 and yes since he still struggles with Amps.

Looking at his pictures I was a little surprised that his van wasn’t even washed before taking pictures.

Wishing him best, but I think it is a difficult sale.

This is what I think it's the way it works.

Currently, there is one bid at 175k which doesn't meet the undisclosed reserve. If a bidder exercises the buy now option listed at 227.5k, I think it ends the auction. I suppose if the bidding went above 227.5, the buy it now option would end but why would anybody in their right mind put in a bid higher than the buy it now option which, unless I misunderstand, ends the auction. I think when the buy it now option is executed a subsequent higher bid is void.

No question, this is a pretty spectacular B but IMO if would be foolish to entertain bidding on it without carefully inspecting it to see how it feels at the gut level. For example, the absence of any rear windows in an effort to increase insulation leaves you with a living space without any views and might feel more like a cave. For brief events like Burning Man et al, this could be a non-issue but for more typical day use travel it might be somewhat disconcerting.

I think he's still confused regarding amps vs amp hour nomenclature. He describes the maximum amperage delivery as 82ah. 82 it might be, but it's 82 amps. BTW, 82 amps output is awesome. If the solar panels are rated at 1250w, under peak conditions that array is operating at close to 92% efficiency.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

This is what I think it's the way it works.

Currently, there is one bid at 175k which doesn't meet the undisclosed reserve. If a bidder exercises the buy now option listed at 227.5k, I think it ends the auction. I suppose if the bidding went above 227.5, the buy it now option would end but why would anybody in their right mind put in a bid higher than the buy it now option which, unless I misunderstand, ends the auction. I think when the buy it now option is executed a subsequent higher bid is void.

No question, this is a pretty spectacular B but IMO if would be foolish to entertain bidding on it without carefully inspecting it to see how it feels at the gut level. For example, the absence of any rear windows in an effort to increase insulation leaves you with a living space without any views and might feel more like a cave. For brief events like Burning Man et al, this could be a non-issue but for more typical day use travel it might be somewhat disconcerting.

I think he's still confused regarding amps vs amp hour nomenclature. He describes the maximum amperage delivery as 82ah. 82 it might be, but it's 82 amps. BTW, 82 amps output is awesome. If the solar panels are rated at 1250w, under peak conditions that array is operating at close to 92% efficiency.

“but why would anybody in their right mind put in a bid higher” – exactly, but it is remotely possible especially in anticipation of a bidding war which based on the current bid is not likely.

If I recall this van is complex, solar panels have many charge controllers, split AC, who knows what is the state of batteries, if there is a problem ARV could be the only one capable to get it fix.

Luck of windows, that is not my cup of tea, one of the reasons why we did DIY on the passenger model.

Mixing A with A/h with Ah or battery energy in kW instead of kWh is unfortunately common, no cure on the horizon.

[Technomadness]

At that price I’d do the conversion myself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Davydd]

Solar Womp has the 800ah battery pack same as mine. If you are worried about it, remember, ARV trouble shoots at your site and or the make arrangements with an RV repair shop. I stopped in at Elite Power Solutions in Mesa, AZ, the battery supplier, as a courtesy for them to see one of their first solutions put to use by ARV. They volunteered to check out the system and did a little maintenance on the connections and fed back to ARV.

Solar Womp has the front windows of course and the sliding door window and full screen and only two turned around front cab seats to enjoy that outdoor view. The owner explained they mostly sleep in the back though it had an electric tri-sofa and with a full screen they can open the back doors. I've slept that way too. They are only missing the two side windows by the sofa in the back and the back door windows. A cave for sure but a lot of RVs, especially the small Class Cs or back of the van toilets in Class Bs are the same.

It's a custom van for sure and there are a lot of other "under the hood" stuff I've never seen a DIYer accomplish. Evidently they could afford exactly what they wanted to execute in a Class B and ARV delivered though ARV was puzzled about some of the features at the time. The powder blue upholstery may not be one's cup of tea, but anyone buying this one probably has the means to reupholster to their liking. The cab seats, BTW, are custom, I think Italian, and designed for long distance comfort.

It did survive three Burning Man's in the hot August Nevada desert. I'm not about to do that and I doubt anyone else has a van to attempt it.

The owner has, like me, had their ARV for three years. I know what he is going through in wanting to execute new ideas. I've seen Solar Womp a few times at ARV because even though in that three years they never let up trying new stuff and getting retrofits.

[Technomadness]

I that no cave is good- maximizes utility. The outdoors is right out the door.


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[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

... I asked the owner on the Sprinter Van forum why is he selling, no answer yet. He was very proud of it when he introduced it to the Sprinter forum in 2016. ... Wishing him best, but I think it is a difficult sale.

Owner also has a Facebook page where he explains why he is selling it.

https://www.facebook.com/solarwomp/

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

Owner also has a Facebook page where he explains why he is selling it.

https://www.facebook.com/solarwomp/

In their case of a lot of foreign travel it is better to sell than having it sitting in the garage.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

In their case of a lot of foreign travel it is better to sell than having it sitting in the garage.

They done some foreign travel since the whole time they owned Solar Womp. Mainly it is time to test out new ideas but not before the 2019 Sprinters become available as he told me. Could be their priorities have changed and maybe they have planned not to go to Burning Main this year. If so, why keep it? Could be after three years it is time to move on.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by Davydd

They done some foreign travel since the whole time they owned Solar Womp. Mainly it is time to test out new ideas but not before the 2019 Sprinters become available as he told me. Could be their priorities have changed and maybe they have planned not to go to Burning Main this year. If so, why keep it? Could be after three years it is time to move on.

Re the 2019 Sprinter, other than the prospect of a gas engine choice, are there any other 2019 model changes that would warrant waiting for it to be available for upfitting?

[Boxster1971]

Does anyone know the brand of Solar Panels installed on Solar Womp? I just looked at the photos on eBay and they look like flex panels mounted on a thin rigid panel by ARV. They are 250 W panels based on total of 1250 W for five panels. Flex panels seem like an unnecessary compromise for this application when they could have used quality rigid glass panels that offer 330 W each and better overall performance. But then the glass panels are probably heavier than the flex panels.

Edit: Just found one answer on the Sprinter-Source forum for the controllers - they are Tracer, model 2215BN controllers. Just found specifics on the solar panels in details of eBay listing, they are eNow flexible solar panels.

- - Mike
2012 Sprinter 3500 Extended converted B-Van by Airstream

[GeorgeB]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

Re the 2019 Sprinter, other than the prospect of a gas engine choice, are there any other 2019 model changes that would warrant waiting for it to be available for upfitting?

As mentioned in the Xantrex thread the new 9G-Tronic, 9-speed automatic transmission seems to be one of the most interesting upgrade. Remote PRO Connect system and MBUX infotainment system is another option that might appeal to Class B converters.

...RV owners will also appreciate the connectivity of MBUX, which was just unveiled on the new A-Class. Mercedes suggested an example of a family camping in the mountains who get caught in the rain while hiking – they can call ahead to their Sprinter to turn on the heat for when they return...

Although already available by high-end upfitters remote control integrated deeply in the vehicle system might be another selling point.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...ticle37946990/

Again, my favorite feature as mentioned before is the electric assisted sliding door.

Not sure about the styling of the new Sprinter. I like the thin (LED) headlights but the hood is more extended. But then I wasn't convinced of the latest iteration in 2015 but now find the previous one very dated. Time to move on.






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