Manufactured RV or Converted Van?

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by proeddie

…………………………I can troubleshoot and fix anything in the van - still room for mods and additions. And no RV dealer labor charges!
……

Very valid point, DIY folks are likely best experts in what they have built. In my case I have full plumbing, electrical, and mechanical documentation including all latest changes.

[JPMcG]

I was a newbie 40K and 2 years ago. Bought a 2012 slightly used Sprinter 3500 Winnebago ERA. 4K miles on it. No warrantees or guarantees in effect took my chances but bought Good Sam extended vehicle coverage. It has covered a few items but the deductible at $1000 leaves me with lots of minor projects. I am very handy as a DIY and can tackle most if not all coach issues. It takes some help from my friends here but answers are usually available and good advice.
If you are not able to change a light bulb or if your capable of changing out the generator --makes a big difference on how much risk you can stand with older units.
I have been very pleased with my purchase, have enjoyed our National Parks and BLM boondocking trips. COVID was only a minor interference when you are 100% self sufficient. I have had some serious problems --macerator pump failure, fuel pump failure, generator failure. Sounds horrible but only the MB Fuel pump was out of my ability level. So your personal DIY ability is major consideration. New is under warrantee but you will wait and wait for service. Used YOU do it right away.

[Hatteras Jim]

Price, permanent bed and storage space is why I did the DIY route. Has rooftop ac/heat pump, thetford curve toilet, 7 gallon water tank, 4 gallon hot water, TV, sink, microwave and 2 burner cook top. All electric. The bed is a short queen on top of an 80/20 aluminum frame about 20 inches above the deck. Plenty of storage. Also soundproofed it and insulated it as well.



Cost: About 120k for factory on a MB sprinter chassis in 2013. Less than 60k for the basic sprinter high roof, ext body and all my conversion materials. Has passenger swivel seat, stereo and large garmin gps as well.


Easy to insure with my agent as a "conversion van".


MB honored the 22 repairs in 10 different states for warranty claims with no questions asked! And I am not a master builder.


When it was finished, my wife and I had quite a sense of accomplishment. She contributed to over 50% of the conversion as well.



It does not have all the bells and whistles, nor is it a show room masterpiece; but it doesn't look ugly either. It is exactly what we wanted and we have been to all 48 states with it.


If you are on a tight budget; have some electrical, mechanical and woodworking skills - I would diy it.



My only regret is that I went with MB and a diesel; but in 2013, it seemed like a good option. Now I know better.

[Road Toad]

Originally Posted by Hatteras Jim

My only regret is that I went with MB and a diesel; but in 2013, it seemed like a good option. Now I know better.

Would you elaborate a bit please. I have had my eye on a 2013 MB Sprinter Diesel. What should I be looking into?

[ks@yvr]

We have recently decided to tackle our own conversion as we want a number of things the manufacturers in North America don’t put in their conversions and we also don’t want some things they force upon you (generator, rooftop air, propane, black tank). We are very experienced and know what we want plus I have the skills and the time (retired) to professionally convert the van to the way we want.

We have a brand new 4x4 van that once you get over the fear of taking a brand new expensive vehicle and cutting a bunch of big holes in it for your windows the rest is easy. Never seemed to have a problem in the past putting sunroofs, roof vents, solar panels, roof racks, exterior electrical connections, engines, clutches, brakes etc. in preowned vehicles but it does feel counter intuitive to take a shiny new van off the dealer lot and cut holes in it. Measure three times cut once is my new QA motto! There are a number of professional up-fitters and private individuals that have shared their build ideas and challenges on Youtube U and various forums that I am eternally grateful to. There are a few mass produced vans I could live with but I get what I want from many years of personal experience by building my own vehicle out.

Buy what works for you and you will be happy in the long run. I am sure you will already have some wants and don’t wants. I really like James’ (FitRV) point system he and his wife devised on their most recent selection process for the Winnebago Ekko

[wny-pat]

Originally Posted by RoadToad@live.com

Would you elaborate a bit please. I have had my eye on a 2013 MB Sprinter Diesel. What should I be looking into?

Don't know about Hatteras Jim's experience, but think you'll quickly find out that commercial Sprinters get in the shops while you wait outside, and quickly find out that you will pay a higher rate that you you would on a gas engine. Plus check and see how many shops will work on the Sprinter, especially one that has been modded into a RV, and do they have a lift to lift it!

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by RoadToad@live.com

Would you elaborate a bit please. I have had my eye on a 2013 MB Sprinter Diesel. What should I be looking into?

2013 is likely past California and some other states emission 7/70 warranty so check:
1. Were NOx sensors replaced?, by whom?, when?, which generation is installed? ($2K)
2. Was there any work done on emission system especially DEF like heater ($2K)
3. How many miles – is DPF filter towards the end of life ($2K)
4. Was there black death or EGR issues?
Sprinter common repairs

[avanti]

Originally Posted by RoadToad@live.com

Would you elaborate a bit please. I have had my eye on a 2013 MB Sprinter Diesel. What should I be looking into?

Don't get me started on Sprinter diesels. Biggest automotive mistake I ever made. I am preparing to upgrade a van that we truly love, and the Diesel engine is the ONLY reason.

Yes, they are expensive to repair, but that has little to do with my attitude.
Rather:

The DEF-based BlueTec emissions systems are hopelessly unreliable, and when they fail, you are presented with a cheerful message that says "n-starts remaining", where "n" varies from 8 to 12. N goes down by one every time you start your van, and if it goes to zero, you call for a tow to a Dealer. Depending on where you are, that tow can be VERY long (picture this happening on the AlCan highway). There are not that many Mercedes dealers, and by no means do all of them work on Sprinters. Some people believe that these problems have been worked out. I do not.

And then there are the wheel speed sensors that fail (in pairs, usually) so often that there is an open NHTSA complaint on the topic. These don't give you the countdown, they give you a limp mode, which means an immediate tow, unless you happen to be close enough to the correct flavor of MB dealer such that you can drive there in second gear. The good news is that the dealer will likely have the parts in stock--they use a LOT of them. This has happened to me so often that I now carry spare sensors and bought a Chinese clone MB Star diagnostics system so I can learn them in next time one fails. Sadly, not even that will let the owner clear a no-start condition. That takes a dealer or an impossibly well-equipped specialty garage.

I will not go on. A search of this list or of Sprinter-Source will reveal the ugly details. Suffice it to say that I will never, EVER buy another diesel-powered vehicle, and I am unlikely to ever purchase ANY MB van (despite the fact that they are a dream when they are working). Way too many precious vacations spoiled.

[GaryBIS]

Hi,
After having four commercially made RV's over the last 40 years we decided to go the DIY route. We put $30K into a new 2014 ProMaster mid length and a bit over $5K into the conversion itself (plus my labor). In the end, we got exactly what we wanted for well under half the price of a commercial class B, and we are very happy. The van is very simple, but has the basics and because it does not have all the nonsense features that commercial makers feel are necessary, and because it is not crammed with all kinds of unnecessary stuff, it has a very nice wide open feel with lots of windows. Details here: https://www.buildagreenrv.com/our-conversion/

We have 100K miles on it now and its been everywhere from the gulf of Mexico to the Yukon (twice) -- it meets our needs really well. It also gets 20 MPG because we kept the conversion simple and low in weight and used the low gross weight version of the ProMaster. Could not really be happier.
We had no problem with getting it insured as an RV.

The downside is that it takes some time - 6 months in our case, and it takes some skills. It is also probably not worth a ton of money just because of the uncertainties of buying a DIY van, but that's an advantage if you want to buy a DIY van done by someone else. But, for us, we are never going to sell it, so not really a problem.

I think that buying a van done by a DIYer could be a great deal, but it also has some risk. Most of the DIY vans I've seen are done well, but there are certainly some that are garbage. You need to know enough about the details of how a van conversion should be done to be able to do a good evaluation. Maybe spend some time on some of the forums and websites (of which there are many) that detail what goes into a van conversion.

Buying a commercial class B RV is also not without risk -- there is some real junk out there.

There are some companies that will do simple custom conversions and stick to what you want, and I'd guess these can be a pretty good way to go.

Gary

[JPMcG]

WOW. Very interesting write up of your project. I bookmarked this one for sure

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by GaryBIS

Hi,
After having four commercially made RV's over the last 40 years we decided to go the DIY route. We put $30K into a new 2014 ProMaster mid length and a bit over $5K into the conversion itself (plus my labor). In the end, we got exactly what we wanted for well under half the price of a commercial class B, and we are very happy. The van is very simple, but has the basics and because it does not have all the nonsense features that commercial makers feel are necessary, and because it is not crammed with all kinds of unnecessary stuff, it has a very nice wide open feel with lots of windows. Details here: https://www.buildagreenrv.com/our-conversion/

We have 100K miles on it now and its been everywhere from the gulf of Mexico to the Yukon (twice) -- it meets our needs really well. It also gets 20 MPG because we kept the conversion simple and low in weight and used the low gross weight version of the ProMaster. Could not really be happier.
We had no problem with getting it insured as an RV.

The downside is that it takes some time - 6 months in our case, and it takes some skills. It is also probably not worth a ton of money just because of the uncertainties of buying a DIY van, but that's an advantage if you want to buy a DIY van done by someone else. But, for us, we are never going to sell it, so not really a problem.

I think that buying a van done by a DIYer could be a great deal, but it also has some risk. Most of the DIY vans I've seen are done well, but there are certainly some that are garbage. You need to know enough about the details of how a van conversion should be done to be able to do a good evaluation. Maybe spend some time on some of the forums and websites (of which there are many) that detail what goes into a van conversion.

Buying a commercial class B RV is also not without risk -- there is some real junk out there.

There are some companies that will do simple custom conversions and stick to what you want, and I'd guess these can be a pretty good way to go.

Gary

Very nice conversion, many DIY folks like you and I get good appreciation for actual costs even thou we use reasonably simple mom and pop, garage hobby tools. For us the critical objective was fulfilled, 360-degree windows without obstruction at desired quality.

[GaryBIS]

Thanks guys -- glad to answer any questions on the conversion.

Gary