Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 22:07:29 -0800
Reply-To: Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Subject: Re: Drove a Sprinter and liked it ... NVC
In-Reply-To: <001101c3b886$9d8c1e40$024b4418@compaq5420ca>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Tell me that it's only $9,995 and I'll think about it.
Right now I'm just drooling.
Thanks,
Mike
On 12/1/03 7:44 PM, "Mike Pedersen" <mikeped@SHAW.CA> wrote:
> Check this one out...
>
> http://www.colonialairstream.com/2003models/b_van/interior.html
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ty Graham" <tyg@OZ.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 11:42 AM
> Subject: Drove a Sprinter and liked it ...
>
>
>> Am I going to hell? I feel so dirty.
>>
>> I went down to Freightliner in Portland a couple of weeks ago and looked
>> at Sprinters. They had more than 20 on the lot including a camper
>> conversion. I spent 3 hours over two days asking questions and crawling
>> around. I test drove the camper conversion for ~5 miles.
>>
>> Overall, I am very impressed. It is a very nice modern van, though has
>> much more in common with a bread truck than with our Vanagons.
>>
>> 140" wheelbase plus a hiroof feels super spacious for three. It would
>> be wild to do some sort of conversion on a ten(!) passenger rig that
>> allowed for future birthday parties or soccer team hauling. I'm 6'3"
>> and could around walk easily. It felt like only a slightly lower
>> ceiling than the AWs I've been in.
>>
>> Ergonomics seemed pretty good with a four way adjustable seat and
>> adequate legroom. All the modern conveniences were there, though not as
>> nicely implemented as in my MINI or Volvo. Typical of any new car pitch
>> I've had, the presence of cupholders was prominently featured.
>>
>> For such a long, spacious rig, it drove great. I made a bunch of
>> parking passes and donuts and was blown away with the turning radius.
>> My wife kept saying I was making tighter turns than her new MINI - not
>> true, but it felt like it.
>>
>> Power felt good, but not great. It certainly pulled as well if not
>> better than our 2.1l Vanagons. I didn't measure fuel economy, but folks
>> swear that they get 22mpg all the time and can get 27mpg or more on the
>> highway. 500 miles between fill ups would be sweet. Diesel clatter was
>> there, but well damped. The noise seemed lower than in the Ford Transit
>> I drove in France this year. It was a chilly day so I didn't try the
>> Windows down test.
>>
>> The camper conversion I drove was too much of that tacky sort of
>> American overstuffed, Sportsmobileish interior. Nothing seemed very
>> engineered and was just not my style. The rear bed sure was huge,
>> though. The salesguy thought one his customers had put a Westfalia
>> poptop from Europe on one, though I have yet to find a picture or any
>> info on the web. I haven't asked Steve Lashley yet.
>>
>> Net net: I am very tempted to get a 140" hi roof and build my own
>> camper conversion. I will probably rent a Sprinter camper in Europe
>> first to get some real test time.
>>
>> For folks that are interested.
>> Here's some info and pics of the camper I test drove. ($55k, I think)
>> http://www.sprinterus.com/
>>
>> The Sprintervan group on Yahoo is pretty active, though not up to
>> Vanagon snuff.
>>
>> These are the folks we rented an RV from in the Netherlands.
>> http://www.arrantea.com/
>>
>> TyG
>
>
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