How Fast Can It Go?

[ClassB4Me]

Is there a speed limit where the modern Sprinter chassis becomes unstable driving a straight line due to their relatively tall height?

A 144ft wheelbase Sprinter appears to be not much bigger than a large SUV but does the roof height and the AC on the roof dramatically impact the handling?

Is 75 MPH pushing the limits of the chassis / brakes?

RV speed limit is 80 MPH in Nevada.

[avanti]

Sprinters have speed governors at 82MPH. Our rig feels perfectly stable at that speed, barring severe cross-winds.

[BBQ]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbIevQ-RbbY

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by ClassB4Me

Is there a speed limit where the modern Sprinter chassis becomes unstable driving a straight line due to their relatively tall height?

A 144ft wheelbase Sprinter appears to be not much bigger than a large SUV but does the roof height and the AC on the roof dramatically impact the handling?

Is 75 MPH pushing the limits of the chassis / brakes?

RV speed limit is 80 MPH in Nevada.

For safety... and fuel economy...I would keep it between 60-65... although I did get my van up once to 80.... speed limit was actually 80 in Utah..

Look, the vehicle is almost 10 feet tall... and it's a cruiser.....yes. I've gone 70 -75 for a few hours ...its certainly not straining the engine.... but....are you that much in a hurry??

I like to have a little more control at the lower speed.. just me..

[Belzar]

I have high roof standard length 4x4. I don't do it often, but have driven at 80 on western highways. No problem at all, though I usually drop down to 70-75 simply because its more relaxing to cruise in the right lane. Also, anything over 55 and mpg noticeably decreases.

[Carolp495]

We have a 22'9" Roadtrek Sprinter. I have caught myself in the 85 MPH range passing and had no issues, but you can feel that it would be very easy to lose control.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Belzar

I have high roof standard length 4x4. I don't do it often, but have driven at 80 on western highways. No problem at all, though I usually drop down to 70-75 simply because its more relaxing to cruise in the right lane. Also, anything over 55 and mpg noticeably decreases.

55 MPH is a very relaxing speed.... what's your mileage at this speed.?

I imagine that the people reporting more than 20 MPG are cruising at this speed...

I AGREE with you.... when I go 70 to 75...MPG is around 18 or 17 plus....

Going 80 MPH is unnecessary and risky.... citations, and possibly lost control... worse... accident...tire blowout...the list goes on and on.....

It's an RV...the journey is the destination.... remember that... slow down and enjoy the cruise.

[tex4judy]

We have the long chassis, and extra tall roof (7' inside height.) We've hit 80 out west and found 70 to be comfortable. Most of our cruising is between 60 and 70, depending on the road, traffic, wx etc. Slower than that can create traffic issues on Western Interstates, especially where the speed limit is 80.

Have seen very strong cross winds, with tornadoes nearby. There were moments that were a little like wrestling, but never felt like we would lose control. Part of that may be because we put all the heavy stuff low and in the middle.

[Belzar]

To clarify: I have the 4x4 22 foot model Roadtrek CS. Fully loaded with water in tanks it weighs in at over 5 tons. At 55 mph I get about 18mpg. At 70 I get around 15-16 mpg.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by tex4judy

We have the long chassis, and extra tall roof (7' inside height.) We've hit 80 out west and found 70 to be comfortable. Most of our cruising is between 60 and 70, depending on the road, traffic, wx etc. Slower than that can create traffic issues on Western Interstates, especially where the speed limit is 80.

Have seen very strong cross winds, with tornadoes nearby. There were moments that were a little like wrestling, but never felt like we would lose control. Part of that may be because we put all the heavy stuff low and in the middle.

We have a 6 foot 3 inch ceiling inside....I think we have the ", high roof"....
With the air conditioning unit our van is 9 feet 7 inches....

You have an additional 7 inches inside??! What does that translate to on the exterior height?

What's your overall MPG...?? I would expect it to be lower than 18 MPG highway.??

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Belzar

To clarify: I have the 4x4 22 foot model Roadtrek CS. Fully loaded with water in tanks it weighs in at over 5 tons. At 55 mph I get about 18mpg. At 70 I get around 15-16 mpg.

I would expect that the mileage is slightly less with the FOUR WHEEL DRIVE.....

DO you take it off road a lot?? What's your ground clearance??

Did you have any suspension upgrades done BEFORE you took delivery??
If it's just the "stock suspension", I think you might want to take a look at this....

What year is your CS??

[Kim]

I have a road trek SS agile and did 135km (84 mile) / hour for several hours last Saturday. It’s not pleasant drivering, have to hold the wheel tight to fight for cross wind.
It can but not suggested.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Kim

I have a road trek SS agile and did 135km (84 mile) / hour for several hours last Saturday. It’s not pleasant drivering, have to hold the wheel tight to fight for cross wind.
It can but not suggested.

What year is your SS..?

Have you considered suspension upgrades for the high winds ????

I put KONI FSD shocks, anti-sway bar and trac bar..on my RS....made a significant difference.

Would you like more information?

I don't recommend 84 MPH.....

[Belzar]

Our Roadtrek CS is on a 2016 4x4 chassis with stock suspension. We've done plenty of long and rough stretches of washboarded and rutted USFS and BLM roads, some snowy conditions and sandy/dusty tracks in the prairie (in dry weather!). While the 4x4 is nice for the extra traction, and the extra few inches of clearance gives us some confidence, it is not an "off-road" vehicle. Too long, too tall and too much expensive infrastructure hanging underneath. It has proved, though, to be a heck of a rugged vehicle.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Belzar

Our Roadtrek CS is on a 2016 4x4 chassis with stock suspension. We've done plenty of long and rough stretches of washboarded and rutted USFS and BLM roads, some snowy conditions and sandy/dusty tracks in the prairie (in dry weather!). While the 4x4 is nice for the extra traction, and the extra few inches of clearance gives us some confidence, it is not an "off-road" vehicle. Too long, too tall and too much expensive infrastructure hanging underneath. It has proved, though, to be a heck of a rugged vehicle.

Maybe things changed between 2012 and 2016.???
When I asked Roadtrek about any suspension upgrades when they do the conversion... they said "NO"... just whatever Mercedes Benz does... which is apparently NOT ENOUGH....

I discovered that I needed to replace my original shocks with Koni FSD shocks, antisway bar and trac bar ...all at 39,000 miles.. probably needed it sooner.. I understand that a lot of people have this done BEFORE they take delivery.....

As for the 4 wheel drive... and raised suspension.... my Subaru Outback probably has a higher ground clearance.. and probably more agile than the Sprinter....

What way your intended use for the 4 wheel drive,??

[Belzar]

"What was your intended use for the 4 wheel drive,??"

The extra traction and control has been helpful in a couple of snowy and muddy situations. We camp year-round and I'm more confident camping down unpaved roads and not worrying about waking up to snow or rainy/muddy conditions. The extra clearance is probably the best reason to get the 4x4 option, though its still a long way between axles so need to be careful. So far, I haven't hard-scraped anything underneath though I've bounced around quite a bit.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Belzar

"What was your intended use for the 4 wheel drive,??"

The extra traction and control has been helpful in a couple of snowy and muddy situations. We camp year-round and I'm more confident camping down unpaved roads and not worrying about waking up to snow or rainy/muddy conditions. The extra clearance is probably the best reason to get the 4x4 option, though its still a long way between axles so need to be careful. So far, I haven't hard-scraped anything underneath though I've bounced around quite a bit.

How much bouncing are we talking about??
My bouncing around was like an earthquake shaking everything up..lot of noise..

Which is WHY..I got my suspension upgrades... new Koni FSD shocks..larger antisway bar and trac bar...

Got this installed from my local RV shop.. and they got the parts from Super Steer ..a division of Henderson's Line Up in Grants Pass Oregon.. .

The suspension upgrades made a huge difference...

Again... Roadtrek said..we convert vans..we don't change your base suspension.. whatever Mercedes Benz does we build on that...

Here's the thing... Mercedes Benz does not know what is planned for the vans...the constant weight.. extra equipment....tanks...

Be careful....

[comtechy]

My 2015 Era could not be driven over 55 mph ... it would"sway" everywhere, almost dangerous. Even when standing still it would sway as cars passed by.

Like the previous post, I had it upgraded with koni shocks all around, 1.5". sway bar, 4 wheel alignment. Now I can drive 80 mph with minimum sway. Almost like a car.

Your other problem is the noise ! .. The Winnebago is at 80 decibels. .. it'll be as loud as running a chainsaw without ear muffs.

My era insulation is the worst. almost none and the noise i worst. You can see if by take a drawer out, see the the metal floor. That tells you how bad they are....

my advice, stay away from Winnebago, you get what you pay for.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by comtechy

My 2015 Era could not be driven over 55 mph ... it would"sway" everywhere, almost dangerous. Even when standing still it would sway as cars passed by.

Like the previous post, I had it upgraded with koni shocks all around, 1.5". sway bar, 4 wheel alignment. Now I can drive 80 mph with minimum sway. Almost like a car.

Your other problem is the noise ! .. The Winnebago is at 80 decibels. .. it'll be as loud as running a chainsaw without ear muffs.

My era insulation is the worst. almost none and the noise i worst. You can see if by take a drawer out, see the the metal floor. That tells you how bad they are....

my advice, stay away from Winnebago, you get what you pay for.

Do you still have the 2015 Winnebago ERA... sounds like you are VERY DISAPPOINTED....
As far as noise levels...it's not something that really bothers me in my RS Adventurous....
It's NOT as quiet as my Subaru Outback......

It's pretty quiet for a diesel... but, it's still a diesel....

Glad to hear that your suspension upgrades went well...

[BBQ]

.

The ERA is on an extended length body.
Because of its size, it is more susceptible to wind buffeting.

Here's a "solution" some are using:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kB8P5Md8k4