[Francis Cebedo]

My wife said we should get one as our kids leave for school and she wants to roam without airplanes.

What are the options, trade-offs, costs, etc, etc.

Who's got one? What have you learned?

Where to buy one or look. I understand the demand is starting to skyrocket.

 

[5k bike 50cent legs]

Check out this site, lots of good info here: https://faroutride.com/

 

[Finch Platte]

https://www.torsus.eu/

 

[Francis Cebedo]

Check out this site, lots of good info here: https://faroutride.com/

Love it. You getting one btw.

 

[Boomchakabowwow]

before Covid, i was eating breakfast with a bunch of retired ex-coworkers. i mentioned me being jealous of their retirement and stated i wanted to buy a Sprinter to explore. two of the guys instantly groaned. they both had one and both had huge problems. they didnt go into details, but they said owning one was so cost prohibitive, since everything is so expensive to fix. on a fixed income. they both dumped them in quick sales.

i'd love to get a 2006 diesel truck and a Airstream when i retire. i changed my tune

 

[ohmygato]

You should either give all that money to poor people or light it on fire and then buy yourself a nice backpack and hiking boots with what remains.

 

[chuckha62]

Sprinters... We have 6 of them in our small fleet, so not adventure equipped by any means. Four of them have been trouble free, two of them have been a pain in the ass. YMMV.

 

[Boomchakabowwow]

Sprinters... We have 6 of them in our small fleet, so not adventure equipped by any means. Four of them have been trouble free, two of them have been a pain in the ass. YMMV.

i think a lot of the problems were the interior equipment related as well.

 

[Harryman]

Promaster.

Cheaper, it has a minivan motor so easy to find someone to work on it, they are wider so easier to sleep sideways, lower floor, slightly more square so easier to build out and front wheel drive. The only con is that you can't get it in 4wd, or convert it.

 

[jrm]

web site: expeditionportal.com some of the vehicles these folks adventure in are something else..like lifted chevy astro vans...

 

[jrm]

Ive always liked the idea of buying a ol' van conversion and just driving.....

 

[5k bike 50cent legs]

Love it. You getting one btw.

Not for awhile. For now, I'm going to keep renting as needed, easier than maintaining something I only use 2-3 weeks per year.

 

[5k bike 50cent legs]

My daughter wants a vintage VW van once she starts driving. Talking with my Dad on how to fabricate one so that it is safe, fuel efficient, and can cruise at highway speed. Maybe I will just buy her a Subaru!

 

[5k bike 50cent legs]

Ive always liked the idea of buying a ol' van conversion and just driving.....

One of my heroes. Google and read about Gunter, incredible life.

 

[ron m.]

If you can rent before deciding, then you should (like demoing a bike before purchasing).

We rented an RV a couple of weeks back (32 footer, E450 undercarriage, 2014 model with 30k miles). I "thought" it was going to be a great experience... it wasn't. I wasn't necessarily intimidated by the size, although it isn't the most practical thing to drive. But driving the thing on the freeway and passing/being overtaken by big rigs could be sketchy sometimes. And boy did everything rattle! I could not even have a decent conversation inside without needing to raise my voice. It really could just be the build, so rent other RVs/camper vans before deciding. I'm probably going to try a diesel pusher next time (rear-mounted engine).

 

[ron m.]

And since we're kinda talking about vans, I just got this as a gift from my cousin. First thing I did was install a hitch (priorities). LOL!

 

[rangeriderdave]

The is/was a tread here somewhere around 6 months ago. Also check out adventurevanexpo.com.

 

[villaphoto]

I'd go SportsMobile if anything. They've been proven to work great and they build them on a variety of platforms. The Sprinters can be a pain to fix as well. Another option you could look into is a 4wheel camper as well.

Just depends on budget to be honest. Just like all things.

 

[Boomchakabowwow]

This (slightly lifted) towing a bass boat would solve a lot of issues. Way cheaper than a Sprinter.

 

[NorCal_In_AZ]

View attachment 1344585 This (slightly lifted) towing a bass boat would solve a lot of issues. Way cheaper than a Sprinter.

My pops has a similar setup. Silverado with a camper and can tow a boat or his Samurai behind it. For two people for a week at a time it’s great. Park the truck and set camp, then drive the Samurai around.