Class B Gas Engine High Clearance with Luxery Interior

[Bertiboo]

There are plenty of off-road 4x4 sprinter conversions out there. Take a look at www.outdoorvans.com. “Off the grid”is pretty cool.

Regards
Gary

[camerondsturgess]

Originally Posted by rockymtnb

LOL, that's useful real world feedback, and the Airstream lipstick evaluation seems consistent with other Airstream Interstate owners.

So out of curiosity, given your outdoor interests as a mountain biker and kiteboarder, what Class B RV would be on the top of your list if buying again?

I am in the process of figuring that out. So far safari condo is making the most sense if I go down the sprinter AWD (it’s not really a 4x4) their flex model lifts the bed up so we can get all the gear out. The challenge is the gear is under the bed. Read. Wet gear under bed. And the rubix cube of getting things out from under the bed. I’d have to upgrade the sprinter tires and suspension Good news is flat bed !!

Or

The other alternative is either based on a fuso or a dodge 5500. This isn’t a class b any more. These both have fully capable true 4x4. Lockers. Low range etc. they would be running 37s or 42s respectively and have far better beach performance than the thin sprinter tires. They would be super singles so no duallies. There would be a 14-16 foot insulated box on the back which would have a gear garage under the bed. Think earth cruiser or gxv turtle as starting points. The upside is the box is wider and way better insulated. Far better living space for longer trips. True 4 season. The downside is twice the cost and worse gas mileage. I also looked at a flat bed camper on the back of a 5500. No gear garage but could built it into the flat deck storage.

Interested if anyone else has thoughts on this.

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by camerondsturgess

I am in the process of figuring that out. So far safari condo is making the most sense if I go down the sprinter AWD (it’s not really a 4x4) their flex model lifts the bed up so we can get all the gear out. The challenge is the gear is under the bed. Read. Wet gear under bed. And the rubix cube of getting things out from under the bed. I’d have to upgrade the sprinter tires and suspension Good news is flat bed !!

Or

The other alternative is either based on a fuso or a dodge 5500. This isn’t a class b any more. These both have fully capable true 4x4. Lockers. Low range etc. they would be running 37s or 42s respectively and have far better beach performance than the thin sprinter tires. They would be super singles so no duallies. There would be a 14-16 foot insulated box on the back which would have a gear garage under the bed. Think earth cruiser or gxv turtle as starting points. The upside is the box is wider and way better insulated. Far better living space for longer trips. True 4 season. The downside is twice the cost and worse gas mileage. I also looked at a flat bed camper on the back of a 5500. No gear garage but could built it into the flat deck storage.

Interested if anyone else has thoughts on this.

XP Camper and 4 Wheel Camper and the several EarthCruiser campers on pickup chassis, some using the standard pickup box and some on a flatbed and some frame mounted. Then there is the Tiger Bengal option too.

GXV has the Adventure Truck option too.

[dougbaty]

Welcome FindSunshine: Sunday April 7th 2019

After crawling under many class Bs, I find that manufacturers hang all sorts of stuff under the frame, especially batteries, holding tanks, and generator. That leaves more space inside but limits you to good quality roads.

Ford just announce new features for the 2020 Transit that excited me, especially AWD and a dashboard with a screen in place of 30 confusing buttons. To maintain ground clearance, I am considering mounting all batteries and tanks inside. This makes it much easier to build and maintain. It is also a giant step toward all season capability. Lastly, you get to keep the factory spare tire in its underneath location instead of having to stick it on the back door.

To have adequate storage space after you fill the lowest level with tanks and electronic gear, you can opt for the Transit high roof version. It is a bit of a monster in size and appearance, but still fits in a standard (20 foot) parking space. AWD will be available in your choice of two V6 gasoline motors. The 2020 version will also be available with twin alternators factory installed!

I presume Sportsmobile would be willing to build to suit such preferences. While the AWD version would not have the clearance to get deep into the boonies, with nothing hanging low it should manage dirt roads easily. Note that AAA will only tow if you are very close to a road, so if you go off the beaten trail you are on your own.

Drop by your local FORD dealer and look under a Transit. It may have enough clearance to suit you. The AWD version will have the same ride height as current versions.
DB

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by camerondsturgess

I am in the process of figuring that out. So far safari condo is making the most sense if I go down the sprinter AWD (it’s not really a 4x4) their flex model lifts the bed up so we can get all the gear out. The challenge is the gear is under the bed. Read. Wet gear under bed. And the rubix cube of getting things out from under the bed. I’d have to upgrade the sprinter tires and suspension Good news is flat bed !!

Or

The other alternative is either based on a fuso or a dodge 5500. This isn’t a class b any more. These both have fully capable true 4x4. Lockers. Low range etc. they would be running 37s or 42s respectively and have far better beach performance than the thin sprinter tires. They would be super singles so no duallies. There would be a 14-16 foot insulated box on the back which would have a gear garage under the bed. Think earth cruiser or gxv turtle as starting points. The upside is the box is wider and way better insulated. Far better living space for longer trips. True 4 season. The downside is twice the cost and worse gas mileage. I also looked at a flat bed camper on the back of a 5500. No gear garage but could built it into the flat deck storage.

Interested if anyone else has thoughts on this.

Also this company in Red Deer AB

https://overlandex.com

[camerondsturgess]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

Also this company in Red Deer AB

https://overlandex.com

Seems we have done similar research . I didn’t know about the transit coming with AWD and two alternators. That will give mb some competition.

The challenge I found with most of the truck campers are that unless I put them on a 4500-5500 chassis they tend to be over weight by the time you add your gear and worse fill them with water. To goal is to find a vehicle that isn’t overweight.

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by camerondsturgess

Seems we have done similar research . I didn’t know about the transit coming with AWD and two alternators. That will give mb some competition.

The challenge I found with most of the truck campers are that unless I put them on a 4500-5500 chassis they tend to be over weight by the time you add your gear and worse fill them with water. To goal is to find a vehicle that isn’t overweight.

Yes, many are going to be running at close to GVWR unless you are careful. We full time in a GXV Patagonia on a Kenworth K370 which is over 28,000 lb fully loaded but it has a 33,000 lb GVWR.

[MrMyagi]

Originally Posted by hepcat

That sounds like quite the setup! I'm a fan of expedition rig engineering... and I'd love to see what you've done. Got photos?

Sorry for a late reply. We have been out and about in our Roadtrek and have been out of cell service most of the time. I really try to get away from it all. I will try to upload some photos of our dirty van soon. Let’s just say we use the heck out of this thing. I will also locate some photos of the van with our kayaks carried vertically. We don’t have them with us on this particular trip but I already have wished I had.

I determined that carrying kayaks on the roof is not the best system for us so we carry them vertically. Since our current trip was initiated in the deep southwest I left them with our big motor home. True to fashion, we took a big ole random left turn and now find ourselves in the mountains. Van life is nirvana for a rolling stone like me. Random turns are my specialty and the wife just hangs on for dear life!

We will be ditching our big motor home in Wyoming this summer. We will leave it on some RV sites we own there. Then we will be FULL full time in the van. I can’t tell you how excited I am to not have to go through the production of moving 25 tons of steel down the road. Been doing that for 15 years and I am over it. Living in the van MAKES US live a happier healthier life than sitting in the big rig. It is an adjustment though.

[hepcat]

Originally Posted by MrMyagi

We will be ditching our big motor home in Wyoming this summer. We will leave it on some RV sites we own there. Then we will be FULL full time in the van. I can’t tell you how excited I am to not have to go through the production of moving 25 tons of steel down the road. Been doing that for 15 years and I am over it. Living in the van MAKES US live a happier healthier life than sitting in the big rig. It is an adjustment though.

I always thought I wanted a Prevost until I went to a Bigfoot rally in the Black Hills in '06. The founder of the Bigfoot Owner's Club sold his Bigfoot moho and bought one. It was furnished lavishly in the style of what I tend to think of as "Early French Whorehouse." He attended a two-week seminar on operation of the coach and it's electronics. It was 45' long and he complained regularly that he didn't think he was going to get it to the rally because it was SO big on the roads in the Black Hills. The routine maintenance expenses were exhorbitant. He had it less than a year before he sold it. I realized that just wasn't what I wanted to get into.

Having had an '85 Airstream 325 for several years, and then towed a 34' tri-axle Airstream for several more (total length about 53') I realized that a 32' moho with about 25' of living space iis perfect. Enough living space to be comfortable long-term but short enough to be easy to get around in. My Born Free is furnished comfortably and practically without being lavish. No slides to leak and add weight and complexity. KISS.

A 32' Super-C is best as it's got all the NHTSC mandated safety features, and can be serviced by any competent mechanic at any garage it can fit into. It's only 8 tons rather than 25. I've never found it to be length-limited, and I've taken it into places I'd go in a van and never thought twice about it. While not 4WD, OR an expedition motorhome with a separate cab/box for frame articulation, I have some aggressive, traction drive tires on it that are pretty amazing in their performance. Of course it won't fit in a regular parking stall, but the B-Van doesn't have an island queen with a Sleep Number mattress to sleep in either. I regularly use both motorhomes and for very different purposes. Each has its limitations, but both serve me well.

Here's the Born Free on Tattooine.

[MrMyagi]

I have some previous photos on Imgur. They show the motorcycle on both the front and rear, the kayaks and some other stuff. The interior can be seen on any walk through video on YouTube of a Roadtrek 190 Popular. Our interior has every optional cabinet available so our storage capacity is quite large. . Any year of Roadtrek 190P from 2007 (maybe a little earlier) to 2018 are virtually identical on the inside but optional cabinets have to be considered. Random note: we are staying at a campground today that has electrical hookups. It has been a long time since we have had electric hookups and it felt very weird plugging in the RT.

https://imgur.com/gallery/bUeC8iO

https://imgur.com/gallery/7Mt9jTa

https://imgur.com/gallery/GPa3JPe