ujointclothing said:
Not really, I know they put allot of work into those vans, and I know how hard it is being in the aftermarket when everyone & their brother thinks they can do everything cheaper or better. I just want to know the material because I'd like something similar for my rig.
When we started looking at an RV setup several years ago, we wanted something that could travel off road to the places we like to go, but it also had to function as a 2nd vehicle (I usually ride my GS Adventure) when either the weather, or circumstances, warranted a change of vehicle. We found a nice pop-up style cabover and a Tundra (we started off with a Tacoma) which allowed us to tow the GS & have our mountain bikes available. This whole set-up was about $45K. As time went on I found the stock off-road capability was limited (as I knew from the beginning) due to a number of factors. Now, I'm not highly technical, but I know the people to go to, and I try to do research on what's out there, and the upgrades I needed to do would be costly. And don't even get me started on the gas mileage.
I grew up with the VW camper vans, and we used to travel the Alcan, all around Alaska, and in the upper portion of B.C. and the Yukon. I had a few VW vans in my adult life, and I always liked the set-up, but it couldn't get me to some of the other places I wanted to go. I had seen the Sportsmobile before, but I only recently looked into it as a serious venture.
I'll agree there is some sticker shock when you start out, but I went to the factory, and Alan Feld showed me the whole process. I was impressed not only with the quality of work, but the attention they give each of the vehicles in the build process. Needless to say I was hooked, but I also started doing research and found a lot of information from current owners and tech people. Even the bad stuff was reported to not be a very big issue, and I didn't find anyone who was sorry for the purchase.
Now, when I began looking at a 4X4 RV (some Class B, and Class C), the prices were the same, or considerably higher, and a 4X4 with a camper was also in the same ballpark, but with the drawback of not really being a vehicle you'd want to drive around town. I'd agree the Sportsmobile is big, but nowhere near a lifted 4X4 dually with a cabover camper. Comfort is a relative thing. I still tent camp (motorcycle,bicycle, or backpack), but I'll tell you when you get into the two week range a little bit of comfort goes a long way (not to mention not having to pay the $200 a night for a motel).
Well, hopefully I'll have a few more pics soon.