Anyone have any experience buying a Mercedes Sprinter chassis motorhome from any of the several manufacturers that make these units? I am looking at the Winnebago/Itasca & Forest River Solera models. There are others however and would take comments on any of them. How about diesel mileage, size (for two retired folks), comfort in driving and sleeping, etc. My big issue is that I am 6"4" tall and need at least a queen bed, a decent shower and height in the unit. Also any reccomendations as to where to buy at the best price.
Ron Prater
Nashville, TN
-- Edited by rkprater on Thursday 16th of August 2012 04:56:50 PM
GENECOP said
12:33 AM Aug 17, 2012
Ron welcome to RVDreams.....check out Liesure travel vans they have a few real nice models one in particular has a full time Queen bed setup and a nice full bath. If you can't find it let me know I will shoot you a link. Regarding the Sprinter I think it's a real good diesel way to go, the only thing I have heard is about service being a little less available while on the road.
bjoyce said
01:28 AM Aug 17, 2012
Many are happy with Sprinter based motorhomes but do check the carrying capacity since some models don't let you carry much weight. Full-timers normally need 1,000 to 1,500 lbs each of "stuff" so for a couple that means you need 2,000 to 3,000lbs of carrying capacity after accounting for fuel, people, propane and at a few days of water.
rkprater said
01:47 AM Aug 17, 2012
Thanks for the comments. We won't be full timing so a lot of weight shouldn't be a real problem. Not sure about towing a vehicle since 3500 lbs seems to be the max.
The Bear II said
04:57 PM Aug 17, 2012
Ron,
I realize people have their own reasons for selecting different type or sizes of RVs.
What I run across most often though are folks who chose a small RV and then after spending time in it find it is too small and decide to go bigger.
Most of the people chose the smaller RV because they weren't sure they could drive a bigger RV. Those that changed from a smaller to bigger RV indicate that once they got used to the bigger RV it was no different in most cases from driving the smaller one. Same with towing a small travel trailer vs a longer TT.
The price of the sprinter based Class B RVs is in the range of most Class Cs and a lot of Class A motorhomes. I would rather get more space and comfort for my money. In fact after having RVs from a 10ft camper to a 23 ft TT to a 25 ft motorhome and now a 37 ft 5th wheel I would go with the biggest RV we could afford. Our next will be at least a 40 footer.
Think about how small the Class B will get if you get caught in a week long storm and have to spend hours or days inside. You'll be a lot more comfortable in a 30 - 35 foot Class A.
rkprater said
07:23 PM Aug 17, 2012
I agree with all the comments by The Bear II above, but we have no intention of full timing and will most likely only spend a week or so at a time in the motorhome. I have given a lot of thought to size and have talked to others who told me the same thing. Another issue is that I have to pay to store the unit since we can not park it at home. We have not made a decision yet and are still giving it a lot of thought. Thanks for all the comments and opinions.
Anyone have any experience buying a Mercedes Sprinter chassis motorhome from any of the several manufacturers that make these units? I am looking at the Winnebago/Itasca & Forest River Solera models. There are others however and would take comments on any of them. How about diesel mileage, size (for two retired folks), comfort in driving and sleeping, etc. My big issue is that I am 6"4" tall and need at least a queen bed, a decent shower and height in the unit. Also any reccomendations as to where to buy at the best price.
Ron Prater
Nashville, TN
-- Edited by rkprater on Thursday 16th of August 2012 04:56:50 PM
I realize people have their own reasons for selecting different type or sizes of RVs.
What I run across most often though are folks who chose a small RV and then after spending time in it find it is too small and decide to go bigger.
Most of the people chose the smaller RV because they weren't sure they could drive a bigger RV. Those that changed from a smaller to bigger RV indicate that once they got used to the bigger RV it was no different in most cases from driving the smaller one. Same with towing a small travel trailer vs a longer TT.
The price of the sprinter based Class B RVs is in the range of most Class Cs and a lot of Class A motorhomes. I would rather get more space and comfort for my money. In fact after having RVs from a 10ft camper to a 23 ft TT to a 25 ft motorhome and now a 37 ft 5th wheel I would go with the biggest RV we could afford. Our next will be at least a 40 footer.
Think about how small the Class B will get if you get caught in a week long storm and have to spend hours or days inside. You'll be a lot more comfortable in a 30 - 35 foot Class A.
Ron