Sportsmobile options, split from E-Trek topic

[Mike]

Admin edit: I moved these posts from the E-trek topic: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...art=286#p16404 to this new topic.

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Sounds like Sportsmobile's business model. Ala carte equipment in custom camper vans, built to order and priced accordingly.
Too bad they're relatively small in terms of physical locations to actually meet the builders, and discuss what you'd like to see in your perfect RV, with the guys with the assembly ideas and knowledge.

There is one near me, though. May have to do a day trip down there sometime, and see what they can come up with, new or used.

[mlts22]

Originally Posted by Mike

Sounds like Sportsmobile's business model. Ala carte equipment in custom camper vans, built to order and priced accordingly.
Too bad they're relatively small in terms of physical locations to actually meet the builders, and discuss what you'd like to see in your perfect RV, with the guys with the assembly ideas and knowledge.

There is one near me, though. May have to do a day trip down there sometime, and see what they can come up with, new or used.

I live about four miles away from a Sportsmobile factory, and after taking a tour, I was pretty impressed in what they can do. If there were a company which can get close to what an European "B" has, for fit/finish, it would be SMB. Their laminates are not the highly polished ones of an Airstream, but they can do some very cool stuff, such as a vehicle similar to a Roadtrek E-Trek (no propane whatsoever), except where the stove (which exhausts all combustion gases to the outside of the vehicle), water heater, furnace, and generator are all diesel fueled.

Plus, there are some cool custom things such as a pipe to recirculate water between the water heater and the fresh water tank, running alongside the other plumbing to keep it warm.

[Mike]

I like the Sportsmobile marine shower/toilet combo. If I understand it correctly, you get a porta-potty style toilet which sits in a shower stall while you're in motion. When you want to shower, it can then be removed and placed in the aisle, and then there's more usable square footage in the shower stall. Clever and simple. Not sure whether it disconnects from fixed plumbing, or whether it's truly a hand dump potty, but I like the way you can declutter the shower floor area, by moving the toilet. Nice, as a feature.

Speaking of custom Sportsmobile Sprinter conversions, I saw this while looking for Sprinter based RVs and it sounds like a really well equipped (for off grid camping) custom class B camper.
I found it last night on RVTrader,
http://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2011-Sp ... -110897643
but I also found it for sale here
http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f53 ... 32943.html
with links to the E-Bay auction site.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2011-Spo ... v4exp=true

I'm wondering if it's legit, as it does sound too good to be true.

[mlts22]

Originally Posted by Mike

I like the Sportsmobile marine shower/toilet combo. If I understand it correctly, you get a porta-potty style toilet which sits in a shower stall while you're in motion. When you want to shower, it can then be removed and placed in the aisle, and then there's more usable square footage in the shower stall. Clever and simple. Not sure whether it disconnects from fixed plumbing, or whether it's truly a hand dump potty, but I like the way you can declutter the shower floor area, by moving the toilet. Nice, as a feature.

Speaking of custom Sportsmobile Sprinter conversions, I saw this while looking for Sprinter based RVs and it sounds like a really well equipped (for off grid camping) custom class B camper.
I found it last night on RVTrader,
http://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2011-Sp ... -110897643
but I also found it for sale here
http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f53 ... 32943.html
with links to the E-Bay auction site.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2011-Spo ... v4exp=true

I'm wondering if it's legit, as it does sound too good to be true.

I liked the shower stall option for maximizing space, but they do have the standard bathroom/sink/shower/toilet that is fiberglass (make sure to add in the window and vent options) which would be what I'd go with.

A good Sportsmobile layout takes some thought because there are a lot of options and compromises. They don't have the pull-out sink of the Roadtrek SS Agile, so if you get a 20' Sprinter, you will need to go with a transverse bed layout, so a 22' Sprinter is probably the ideal length for a "B" unless one wants the two extra feet for storage.

[Davydd]

I have gone through the design your own with Sportsmobile but found it lacking in that it seems a kit of parts that they have that you can put together any way you like. But if they don't have a part you want, are you SOL? Sounds that way when you say they don't have a pull out sink for instance. Or let's say, just for an instance, they have a 24" wide wardrobe unit but I want a 21" wide unit they don't show. Could they accommodate that?

[mlts22]

I've checked the Sportsmobile forums, they can do custom work, so if one wants a wider wardrobe, it can be done.

I am guessing the fiberglass bathroom is one assembly from a mold that can be expensive to remake, so a sink modification to make it slide in is probably doable, but might take some expense. That is why I'm trying to stick with a stock plan for the most part if I go that route, except with a few custom additions.

[markopolo]

Originally Posted by Mike

.................................. Speaking of custom Sportsmobile Sprinter conversions, I saw this while looking for Sprinter based RVs and it sounds like a really well equipped (for off grid camping) custom class B camper.
I found it last night on RVTrader,
http://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2011-Sp ... -110897643
but I also found it for sale here
http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f53 ... 32943.html
with links to the E-Bay auction site.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2011-Spo ... v4exp=true

I'm wondering if it's legit, as it does sound too good to be true.

I think it is legit. Is the current price around $65,000?

It looks ideal for long term travel by a single person. The lack of windows will cause some potential buyers to skip it.

It may be fine for two people. I mentioned a single person above because I'm not sure how much of the aisle gets blocked by the gaucho bed when fully opened. The test would be to see how easy it is for the inner person to get out of the gaucho bed for middle-of-the-night bathroom visits.

The owner would be able to explain how it works and provide photos if needed. It has a diesel genset, massive battery bank & solar..........

[mlts22]

I just looked at that. $65k is pretty good, especially a 2011. A basic Sprinter with decent options costs $40 or so, and you add things like the $7000 diesel generator, the expensive Webasto furnace, and so on, and the upfit can get into the $40k range, although there is no toilet in the rig (it appears to use a shower and portable toilet.)

I was looking at something not as well insulated, but with a complete diesel upfit, solar panel, and other gewgaws, I was flirting with $120k or so for prices.

As for the gaucho, for one person it would be decent, since it is in the front of the rig, it is further away from the Powertech generator which is mounted just up from the rear hitch, so one would feel/hear the vibrations less, especially with that much insulation.

[Sailordive]

I would say they are fairly flexible. I have one on order. We opted for a combination diesel stove/heater which is not a standard option. We needed a 3rd seat and we did not have room for all the equipment so the shower was reduced from 36" to 33". We had them add two more batteries for a total of 400 AMP.

[mlts22]

I'm curious what diesel stove/heater you bought. The Webasto one?

One wrench that may get thrown in the works for Sportsmobile is the fact the 2014 Sprinters have a lower ground clearance than previous models. This might cause problems with things mounted underneath like tanks. The ProMasters also have that problem because Fiat only is selling the FWD models here. However, since the gasoline generator is shorter, it might still fit on the Dodge gasser models. Similar with the Transits.

Other than generators (due to Texas heat), there are some nice custom things Sportsmobile can do which are hard to find elsewhere. I like having custom cabinet latches (was debating between Southco M1 latches that lock, although they all use the same key, versus latches like in Airstreams that deadlock when pressed in, so if if the button is in, I know they are locked and not going to spring open on the road.) Another thing I am looking to get installed is a macerator pump (so I can use a "clean-out" which is slightly uphill of where I park.)

What will be interesting will be the ProMaster upfits. The van is small as it is, although a few inches wider than the Sprinter. However, SMB states to expect furniture to be 10% smaller. This pretty much means one either goes with a transverse bed (which isn't good for two people, as one person has to climb over the other to use the bathroom), or has a shower in the back.

So far, the strangest SMB upfit I've seen was one that didn't have a bathroom unit, but it had a shower in the back by the doors, and a toilet mounted back and center. For one person, it would be fine, but for two people, there would be much, if any privacy if using the toilet.

[stanw909]

Most SMB 's have no restroom but a cabinet that houses a porta potti. The most popular plan is the 50 which copies the old Westfalias. Not much privacy there. One nice thing they do is not force you to buy what you don 't want. If you want solar but would rather not pay their prices then they will pre wire for solar.,for example.

[mlts22]

What is ironic is that one of the official Sportsmobile YouTube vids, the 154S orientation (one of two posted), is something that is almost on par with an E-Trek. I think the classic SMB had the porta-potti cabinet or perhaps a stand-up shower in the back, but I'm pretty sure more people are wanting a more conventional "B" plan, especially from the models I saw being worked on.

[stanw909]

Not really ironic. SMB has been making E- Treks for years now. They just never marketed them that way.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by markopolo

I think it is legit. Is the current price around $65,000?

It looks ideal for long term travel by a single person. The lack of windows will cause some potential buyers to skip it.

It may be fine for two people. I mentioned a single person above because I'm not sure how much of the aisle gets blocked by the gaucho bed when fully opened. The test would be to see how easy it is for the inner person to get out of the gaucho bed for middle-of-the-night bathroom visits.

The owner would be able to explain how it works and provide photos if needed. It has a diesel genset, massive battery bank & solar..........

Current price is around $65,000 depending on which ad you look at.
I was impressed with the off grid equipment of which you speak. and I think the seller says he's got around $80,000 invested in it, so it's being discounted around 16%. On a diesel the mileage isn't too high at all. I wish it was closer to take a look at it. Alas, it'll be gone before I ever get to see it.
My reason for questioning the legitimacy of the ad was, it was listed as being located for sale in Goodyear, AZ, but the phone number is local to Easton, PA.

[gerrym51]

Originally Posted by Mike

Current price is around $65,000 depending on which ad you look at.
I was impressed with the off grid equipment of which you speak. and I think the seller says he's got around $80,000 invested in it, so it's being discounted around 16%. On a diesel the mileage isn't too high at all. I wish it was closer to take a look at it. Alas, it'll be gone before I ever get to see it.
My reason for questioning the legitimacy of the ad was, it was listed as being located for sale in Goodyear, AZ, but the phone number is local to Easton, PA.

could be cell phone with an original penn phone number

[Davydd]

Cell phones have pretty much made area codes obsolete as far as determining location. Still valid for land lines.

[Mike]

This website says it's a VOIP number in Allentown, PA.....
http://www.whitepages.com/phone/1-610-972-7171
This suggests the seller is also selling the generator out of the van. Perhaps that explains the price reduction?
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/for/4034984432.html

In any case, it's a bit too far away to look at a now genny-less Sprinter/Sportsmobile. Bit far with the genset still in it, actually......
The guy may be from NJ, his name may be Graydon Lutes, he may have had done some military service, and in the last 5 years has also sold a small Japanese motorcycle, a Subaru Impreza, and a VW GTI or some such car I'm not familiar with.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Davydd

Cell phones have pretty much made area codes obsolete as far as determining location. Still valid for land lines.

Actually, I'm not 100% sure, but I think some VOIP applications may invalidate some area codes for computer based landlines as well. You can be calling from what looks like a Minnesota area code for example, and be sitting beside a computer in Florida, if I understand Magic Jack and similar. Many of them suggest they are unreliable for things like 911 locator services when you sign up with them.
The old fashioned dial phones like we use here in Canada can still be located by area code, or by asking Doris or Ermaline, the the local operators, where us folks live. They're only available 9-5, though......

[markopolo]

Google returns too much info sometimes........ we could probably find out what the guy had for lunch

I wonder why he is selling it. That build took a lot of planning, effort, money etc. and he seemed to know exactly what he wanted.

[booster]

Originally Posted by markopolo

Google returns too much info sometimes........ we could probably find out what the guy had for lunch

I wonder why he is selling it. That build took a lot of planning, effort, money etc. and he seemed to know exactly what he wanted.

He also drove it a lot in a short time.