So this happened today

My cargo trailer to rv conversion project fell by the wayside. I just lost interest on it due to several factors. The biggest factor is that my wife is not able to drive the rig.

Then I learned about the possible engine failure on the 3rd gen.

So I basically hit the reset button, sold the trailer and traded in the tundra for a sprinter 2500 144wb awd. This was the vehicle I wanted before I got the tundra and the trailer. What I didn’t like about the sprinter (then) is it can only sleep a few people. But anyway, we’re finding out that it’s just going to be mostly myself, the wife and the dog when we’re camping since our kids are grown up and in their mid 20s.

Between the three vans, the sprinter, the transit in the promaster, I gravitated to the sprinter, even though the engine could be more complicated than the others. I did buy the Mercedes extended warranty for half of MSRP cost. So there’s piece of mind for at least five years.

Hopefully this vehicle is easier For us to drive for thousands of miles as we explore and work remotely from anywhere.

 

Yea that’s a bad ass van.

 

Pics of the inside ??

 

Nice can! I’m in the market for a 6x12 or 7x12 enclosed trailer. I’m consider CarMate, any advice?

 

Your Doggo seems happy with the purchase, so I say Congrats.

 

Badass. Old lady wants me to build us one lol

 

I have a transit 350 and a promaster ,

avoid the promaster , we have had several problems with it and my lord does it chew rotors

hope it all works out for ya!

 

I drive for a living and see a lot of those on the road as campers.
As @TILLY stated, your pup seems to be fine with it.
Congrats on getting something that fits your needs...

 

Van makes a Tundra look like a 97 S10

 

Nice. One advantage of vans like the sprinter is when you arrive you just turn around and immediately find yourself in your sleeping and living area. If you don’t need or want whatever capabilities the truck has that van doesn’t, a Sprinter is an excellent choice.

 

I’m not familiar with the brand. I think a vnose adds more space, and seems like it could be more aerodynamic.

Lots of other factors, like adding more framing on the floor, walls, and ceiling. Also, a roof height of 6.5 vs 7 ft. Ramp vs dual doors. Axle type and rating.

It would really depend on what you’ll use the trailer for. Based on your avatar, I think you might be looking for some sort of a toy hauler.

For motorcycle trackdays, I was able to fit 2 sportbikes (R6 and cbr600rr) ina 6x10 vnose but it was tight. A 7x12 would have been more ideal. With just 1 bike, there was so much room in the 6x10 for tire warmers, generator, canopy, swamp cooler, and my riding gear.

Goodluck on the search.

 

NP. I’ll post some tomorrow.

 

What’s the advantage/appeal of a sprinter over a truck and trailer?

 

A buddy of mine sold his Tundra last year and got a sprinter van.

 

We had a few VW vans (one of them being a Westfalia) and the all in one package is a great one to just drive in a start camping with minimal setup. In some cases, you can have more than one driver, my wife can't drive the truck with the trailer connected. It is too much for her to deal with but she could drive the all in one van.

So there are some clear advantages over a truck and trailer if that suits your situation.

I like the trailer as it offers more space and once it is setup, I can just leave it parked and go for day trips with the truck and I don't have to pack down anything. Just a better match for our needs at the moment but that could always change down the road.

 

Here are pics of the inside of my crew van

 

I thought you meant this:

https://www.exoticcartrader.com/lis...MI-aHpirelhwMVtltHAR1M2AX1EAQYASABEgIwH_D_BwE

 

Yeah, that van is really well-equipped.

if I can get another row of seats, and still have room for a bed on a lift, I ‘d be happy.

somehing like a party bus /weekend cabin, instead of a dedicated rv.

 

Thanks for the scoop. Yeah it seems some trailer brands are more popular in certain regions, probably due to shipping costs.

I would be using it for dirt bike races mostly. Sometimes camping and riding don’t over a weekend, etc.

I was able to rent a 6x12 V nose as a test run and truthfully wish I had a bit more room, but I don’t want a dual axle bc of the weight. We had three dirt bikes in there plus a ton of camping stuff. I think a 7x12” V nose with trailer brakes is the route I will take. Ramp + some additional height.

I have never been to a track day on a street bike, I bet it’s so much fun. Enjoy the new setup! Thanks again.

 

I’m so glad I kept the aftermarket GoRhino RB30 steps I that I had on my Tundra.

I did have to buy sprinter-specific brackets but saved on the cost of the steps.

 

One of those stops by my house damn near every day

 

Here they mostly use dodge promasters. I almost bought one of those after talking with a number of Amazon drivers. But I wanted the AWD since I won’t have that heavy of a load in the rear of the vehicle.

 

I had to cut the driver-side step. Whew. I made a safe and simple cut. It could have easily been a disaster if I didn’t have enough backing to support the loose material.

 

Nice van.

But before we go further with the congrats and atta boys.................you simply must tell the collective WHEN YOU WILL CHANGE THE ENGINE OIL FOR THE FIRST TIME.

 

That’s a good question. Oil changes are between 12-15k miles and Re $299- (service A) at the dealership.

As far as changing the oil myself before the scheduled service, I’ll have to read up on sprinter-source.com to get the general consensus.

 

Congrats. I sold my 144" 4x4 to get into the Tundra. We are a two car family and the Sprinter is, imo, a better third car. But you will love it. And plenty of room for two people and a dog. Good luck with the build out.

 

Thx. I’ll give it 1-2 years before I decide to add a small car like the Z4. I hope I can wait because funds are depleted at the moment

 

This thing might be pretty snappy:

 

Just start slow. A lot of people rush into the build outs. I would strongly recommend you drive it for a few months before cutting out more windows. The fishbowl factor is real.

 

REALLY investigate what you want before you put in a build out. I was looking to do that a couple years ago (before I ended up just buying the motorhome). There are different floor plans and things you can do (shower/toilet/kitchen/sliders/skylights/etc). I was in a special situation because I wanted 2 twin beds (my buddy goes with me a lot but we are NOT a couple) and couldn't find what I wanted. (Could find the floor plan but not the towing capacity, etc.)