by Bob Gummersall, Almost Retired from everything... (09/2009)
Our family with 3 small kids started camping in a 1956 Plymouth Barracuda hatch back, remember the large sloping rear window. We crammed the tent, Coleman Stove, Cooler, sleeping bags and clothes in all corners of that vehicle and off we would go to Yosemite or someplace similar and the kids would have a great time playing in the dirt and local streams. Then the Plymouth was replaced by a Ford 250 with a canopy towing a ski boat. Then our first real RV was a 1968 19’ Cortez (15,000 miles) which was kind of a Class B with a little extra room. My son raced limited hydroplane boats then and it was a great vehicle to tow the light boat trailer to the small lakes where his races were held. Then came a 1990 24’ Winnebago Chieftain (50000) with the kids grown and gone Sylvia and I were true weekend and long trip kind of campers. At this time I got interested in how Motorhomes were built and became a manufacturers representative so that I could justify a larger Motorhome which was a 1993 Georgie Boy Cruise Air 32’ Diesel Pusher (80,000 miles). In this coach we toured the country several times visiting all the RV manufacturers selling RV Electronic type products like Alarm Systems, High End Audio Alpine products, GPS system and antenna Systems. Next came a 37’ 1999 Monaco Dynasty (90,000 miles) and more touring attending lots of rallies to support the products that I sold along with enjoying the travel. I had always wanted to restore a GMC Greyhound Bus like a 4104, but Sylvia did not want a mess on the side of the garage while I was doing it, so we compromised when I bought a 26’ 1976 Classic GMC Motorhome (14,000 mile), but had it painted before I brought it home so it would look finished from the outside. After about 8 months the inside was finished enough to go camping and we made several nice trips in the Western States. In 2007 Sylvia’s health became an issue so we decided that we would not be able to tour very much, so we sold the GMC to a very nice Canadian couple so they could enjoy a remodeled to be better than new classic coach. After about one year without a motorhome, we missed it so much that we started to look for a nice Class B that would allow us to travel with all our stuff, our bed, our bathroom, etc. I found it on Ebay, a used 2003 Sprinter Class B that was converted by a Michigan company called Waldoch into a very nice motorhome pictured below. It had 25,000 miles on it.
Our 2003 Dodge Sprinter 3500 (4000 miles so far) is a little over 22’ long and weighs just under 8000 lbs. It is the long 163” wheel base high roof model of this Mercedes Benz designed Diesel powered delivery truck. The inside has a 6’ couch (folds down into a bed), cabinet and wet bathroom on the driver side. It has a Captains Chair and a long cabinet with microwave, sink and small refrigerator on the passenger side. On that side in the very rear I modified the cabinet to house a liquid oxygen tank and an oxygen concentrator because Sylvia needs oxygen 24/7. It holds 23 gallons of fresh water in a tank positioned upright in the back of the cabinet on the passenger side. It has a 15 gallon black water and 18 gallons grey water in tanks under the floor in the rear. It has a diesel fired water boiler that provides cabin heat and hot water. Underneath the couch is a heat exchanger for the cabin heater, a 2500 watt inverter/charger and 4 Optima Gell Cell batteries with a capacity of about 230 amp hours. The engine alternator has been upgraded to 150 amps and thus with the engine at idle it acts as the generator when we dry camp (which is rare). The Roof Air is DC powered and thus can be used while in motion with the requisite power coming from the alternator. There is no propane or gas on board, only diesel. Sylvia takes a long afternoon nap so the bed/couch is set up with a lap type seat belt. There is a TV over the driver compartment with a DVD player. A GPS unit provides route guidance and also shows the rear view tv camera when the unit is in reverse gear. There is a box awning for shade while parked. We have driven in snow to get to see our granddaughter college basketball game and camped in the cold weather. The heater was adequate and kept the unit cozy. We have camped in 103 temperatures in Southern Idaho and the A/C unit did OK. The dash air kept up just fine while traveling.
SPRINTER CHASSIS - 158” wheel base, 2.7 liter 5 cylinder, 5-speed, High Roof, Diesel.
The long wheel base translated into great highway stability. It is like driving on rails. The tracking is true and the correction even when buffeted by 18 wheels was minor. The 2.7 Liter Engine translated into a very surprising 154 hp and 243 ft lb torque that allowed keeping up with the trucks on I-84 in Oregon. The mountain passes were a breeze at 65 mph. They tachometer was at about 3000 at 65 and it shifted to 4th gear on some of the mountain west passes. I picked up the Sprinter in Dallas on Thursday in November 2008, and showed up to go to Church on Sunday in Seattle at 8am. I used the cruise control since I have two new knees and keeping constant pressure on the pedal was tiring. I just ran with the traffic flow. The high roof did not seem to bother the sail effect of passing trucks. I got about 20.5 mpg just driving with the trucks. This summer, on a trip to a family reunion in Utah, we got 20.1 mpg but it was close to 100 degrees for the whole trip.
The new Sprinters have a V6 3 Liter Diesel engine that makes 154 hp 280 ft lbs torque. I have not driven a new one so I can’t say what effect this upgrade had. I have read that the fuel economy is less and the weight capacities are higher.
SPRINTER CONVERSIONS – Road Trek, Pleasure Way, Leisure Time, Airstream, Winnebago and other motorhome manufacturers produce Class B and small Class C motorhomes on this new Chassis. Most are equipped with propane powered stove, furnace and water heater. A gas powered Generator provides 120vac while camped. Some are built on a cut-off chassis which allows a lot more space and a slide out or two.
THE CIRCLE – Thus we have traveled 254,000 miles enjoying this marvelous life style, where we had our bed, bathroom, kitchen and living room with us. We plan to get out and enjoy our Sprinter at every opportunity until we finally hang up the keys. Not quite Full Circle, since I doubt we will ever sleep on the ground in a tent again.