Lynne Jayzee
Garden State Exit 0
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Joined: 04/01/2003
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I'm just curious as to whether anyone in this forum has made the transition from a pre-Sprinter Dodge, Chevy or Ford van conversion to a Sprinter (or vice versa) and, if, so, how they feel about one compared to the other in terms of usefulness, practicality and livability.
I know of some people in here who have gone from one "regular" van conversion to another, but tfrazie is the only one I'm aware of that's gone from a Chevy to a Sprinter. Both of his vehicles were atypical (the Chevy had 4WD, and his Sprinter is a Westfalia), though, so he would be comparing an pomegranate to a pumpkin.
I'm also curious as to whether the next purchase would be a Sprinter, Chevy or Ford conversion.
- LJZ
It's a B thing...you wouldn't understand.
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outdoorsman2007
In the Woods - Somewhere!
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Joined: 04/12/2007
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Expect Nothing 
Sorry couldn't resist 
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Traveling Pa
Ashford, CT
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Joined: 11/28/2005
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Yes, We sold a 1997 Coachman built on a 1996 Dodge 3500 with 100,000 miles. We bought a 2004 Sportsmobile built on a Dodge Sprinter 2500. The Sprinter gets almost twice the miles per gallon and turns in two thirds the space. In 3 years we put 58,000 miles on the Sprinter and, at age 70, we expect we may put another on 150,000 miles. Then we'd like to trade for a rocking chair.
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g1g
ohio
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Joined: 11/08/2005
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I have a 95 Coachman van and get 16 MPG. I drove a friends Sprinter for a while and only got 6 MPG more. Sure it had better maneuverability but it was all over the road in high wind and crowded inside. With all everyone builds them up to be I was not impressed and expected much better. Would I get one, It really depends on the deal and how a few details of the accessories are worked out. (mine had much more and not available the way I would want)
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Lynne Jayzee
Garden State Exit 0
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Joined: 04/01/2003
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Traveling Pa wrote:The Sprinter gets almost twice the miles per gallon and turns in two thirds the space. The superior gas mileage of the Sprinter is a given...I think we've all heard it once or twice before. The question is: How would you compare the livability of your Sportsmobile Sprinter to your Dodge Coachmen? How does the bathroom compare? How does the exterior storage compare? How does the usefulness of the galley compare?
- LJZ
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gimpygal
massachusetts
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Joined: 07/29/2007
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I just went from a Roadtrek to a LTV. The galley is wonderful--the refrigerator is up higher and has a lock on the door to insure it stays closed while driving. The tempered glass covers, on the sink and stove top are far more convenient. I don't have to find "somewhere" to put removable covers. I love the bathroom. I think fold up sink is the cleverest design--it gives the bahtroom more space, plus the small fold down shelf comes in very handy. All in all, I think the Sprinter (LTV) has a better layout and plenty of storage. Hope this answers some of your questions.
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Traveling Pa
Ashford, CT
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Lynne Jayzee wrote: The question is: How would you compare the livability of your Sportsmobile Sprinter to your Dodge Coachmen? How does the bathroom compare? How does the exterior storage compare? How does the usefulness of the galley compare?
With all due respect, it seems to me that I will wander off the thread if I try to answer this. We designed our Sportsmobile to fit the way we travel so we left off some things that we never used on the Coachman. Whether we bought a GM Ford or MB, chassis we would have designed the coach in a similar manner and expected similar results. IMHO the Sprinter allows me to drive many miles per day with more miles per gallon in greater comfort than I experienced in the Dodge.
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clayway
Florida
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Joined: 04/17/2006
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I went from a RT 190 Dodge to the RT Sprinter.
As for livability, that is why I chose the Sprinter over the 210. What I like better about the Sprinter is the many windows, it gives us a much more open and bigger feel. I also like the 4 captians up front and rear bench. The added height is also a plus.
Several on this site have mentioned the frig and micro both being to low to confortably use, we actually prefer this because it opens up the interior space.
As with any vehicle, comfort and livability greatly depends on individual preference and use.
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kl2be
Alaska
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Joined: 07/11/2007
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We just bought a LTV Sprinter (demo) with 7 thousand miles; just broken-in.
We are really getting a true 26 MPG at 55-65 MPH. No-one in any V-8 Class Cs or Bs are passing us going up the mountain passes.
Both this summer and last summer a whole lot of RVers stayed home when gas spiked over $3/gal (it's $4+ in Canada on the Alaska hyway as we speak). It's surely going to $4 nationwide, the only question is next summer or the following. And $5 is unquestionably within the next 5 years.
Ask yourself this (assume you have always wanted to go to Alaska for a summer trip and that gas prices stay where they are now ((good luck on that))); would the fuel bill of $3,000 in a Chevy versus $1,000 in a Sprinter affect whether you stayed home?
When gas goes to $5 what do you imagine the resale will be on any RV with a gas-gusseling V-8 (old enough to remember the late 70s?; really you don't have to be, just visit an RV lot now and look at the discounts on RVs with Chevy 454s. The diesel premium will pay itself back in a few years with fuel costs alone; if you factor in resale, you will get the premium back when you drive off the lot!
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Rodger
Tucson, AZ.
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