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Old 01-07-2008, 10:07 AM   #41
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Sportsmobile West also told me this previously:

"The XL compartment and generator are not compatible. The normal underfloor storage compartment can have a generator in front of it (but the spare tire would need to be moved to the back door)."

Mike

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Old 01-07-2008, 10:09 AM   #42
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I'd say the XL probably certainly negates the ablity to add an underfloor generator. I don't know about the regular underfloor storage.

Another option is to leave the rear area stock and plan to have a generator and/or custom underfloor storage added later when your needs are more clear.

It should be easier to have someone build a custom underfloor storage then to possibly move something SMB did. And you might find that one or the other or both are unnecesary or can be better acommidated through something like the future addition of an Aluminess rear bumper and box.
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Old 01-07-2008, 11:52 AM   #43
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You have a great point. I think a wait and see (and wait to spend) approach is a good one. I have been planning to add a stowaway or thule wheeless trailor at a later date. I can wait and see how that serves my storage needs. Thanks.
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Old 01-07-2008, 12:16 PM   #44
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I just bought one of those hitch-mount carriers (Lund brand). It will be perfect for our needs. You can get 4 big Rubbermaid tubs side-by-side on it. We also bought the Lund PVC-waterproof storage bag that goes with the Lund carrier, and all 4 tubs fit inside the bag. We also got the bicycle attachment because my wife wants to take her bicycle to Florida next month and she has a girls bike, which doesn't fit well on those dangling bike carriers.

Amazon.com had a real nice price on the Lund carrier and shipping was free. The carrier is very sturdy and made to hold 500 pounds of stuff.

The Lund storage carrier we got from 4wd.com (the cheapest price we could find including shipping). $100 but well worth it.

Mike
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Old 01-12-2008, 07:39 PM   #45
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Well, I just got back from my visit to Sportsmobile Huntington this past Friday and my conversion order is in! I’ll put my full order below for what it’s worth. I thank everyone who has posted on this site for the helpful information you gave me directly and the tons of info I got by reading other threads as well. Plus thanks to those of you who spoke to me by phone and Joey Nick for showing me your rig in person to help me research my own SMB.

I thought I would spend hours checking the place out but, I only actually spent 2 hours there. Considering it was a 12-hour drive there you might think that wasn’t worth it. But, it was worth its weight in gold. (I’m not the first one to mention on this site that it just changes everything when you’re face to face and can see things, touch things, and ask multiple questions and all the follow up questions you want.)

There were 3 units inside being worked on and maybe 4 outside. Outside was a Pueblo Gold FORD EB with Penthouse top, which helped us see exactly how our color unit will look. More importantly, outside was a FORD RB 50 4x4 previously owned unit with Sportsmobile 4WD that was close to our EB 50 floorplan. (you can see it on the website as well.) We just had to visualize ours being a little longer and a couple inches lower since we’re using Quigley 4x4 and stock wheels (at least initially.) We were kinda surprised just how high it was when we saw it in person.

Then we checked out a 2WD EB inside with an aisle floorplan, wood grain cabs, & a full bathroom. Those full bathrooms sure take up an awful lot of space! Also saw the new style of cabinet pulls/latches that they are using. And a chance to try out the oscillating fan. (Might seem like a minor point but we wanted to check out operation of the fan cause we’re getting 2 put in to help keep our 4 Japanese Chin dogs from panting all the time. And Starcool, of course.)

We also briefly saw a Sprinter and a Chevy Quigley 4x4 (surprised how LOW that was.)

Jim and Nancy were just great and very helpful. Other folks we only spoke to briefly were nice and friendly as well. But after years of researching SMB you that was no surprise. But there were some things that were surprising, at least to me. Like:

*Didn’t realize the 110v hot water heater could be run off inverter for short periods. (Dropped plans for propane hw heater in favor of that when I heard.)
*Didn’t realize you COULD get the larger fresh water tank with EB 50 plan.
(Previously had been told I could not.)
*Didn’t realize the gray water tank in an EB 50 was INSIDE the van, as opposed to under the floor. (Good for freezing weather in upstate NY but negated my chances of getting an interesting mod that JOEYNICK has where his porta-shower actually drains through a hole in the floor into gray water tank.)
*Didn’t realize they had new cabinet pulls. (Metal in silver or gold, you press like a button, it pops out and you can turn like handle. The silver is kinda nice & it keeps from having those multiple “black holes” appearance of the other ‘new’ pulls that Fresno uses.)
*Didn’t realize you cannot add underfloor storage at a later date (or at least not at Huntington.)
*Didn’t realize a whole new set of materials for countertops, new ‘cherry’ cabinets and many new colors for upholstery & leather were just added. (Still sticking to my prior choices except I might use the new darker solid surface counter tops if the older light color I want is no longer avail.)
*Hadn’t thought about the fact that since I’m ‘paying’ for the stock wheels & tires from Ford, it made more sense for me to use them till I need my first replacement set of tires before adding upgraded wheels & tires.
*Didn’t know you can’t get the hanging shelf over galley if you have a microwave, which raises stove too high. (However, we settled on that they would try to do a shortened version of that shelf, even if just over the sink and part of counter.)
*Also learned Starcool IV “might” be available by the time my build happens. Details are still not known even by Huntington as to exactly how it will measure up to prior versions but it is “110volt only” apparently.
*Lastly, I had my suspicions confirmed that there just ain’t much leg room for a man my size in a Ford van. (6’1) I will survive but I had to do many adjustments before I could even climb in behind the wheel.


So, after 7 years since I first learned about Sportsmobile in a NY Times article - my order is finally in. Details on the Ford Van & Quigley 4x4 options were on an earlier post I believe but here are details on the conversion:

EB 50 floorplan, lt gray cabinets w/silver pulls, ‘antelope’ color leather seating, dark long coin flooring, swivel driver & pass w/ lumbar support, standard fridge, propane stove, microwave, 110v water htr, porta shower, porta power, starcool III (IV if avail), 2 osc. Fans, solid surface counters in lighter color, 17 gal. fresh water, penthouse top w/bed, triplite inverter, extra 110 & 12 v outlets in storage closet, day/night shades side & rear doors, black powder coat ladder rear, privacy curtain (but with snaps as learned from JOEYNICK)

Never meant for this thread to go so many pages but thanks again for everyone’s help. Now I’ll start using the forum to research places to take this rig when it finally arrives.
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Old 01-12-2008, 09:00 PM   #46
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Congrats on taking the plunge Mike. A few people have told me they've spent more time deciding on their SMB and options, than they did before buying their house.

Hopefully you won't drive yourself crazy second guessing your decisions, but no matter what options you end up with, you'll love your rig and the options it gives you.


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Old 01-13-2008, 07:12 AM   #47
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Herb, our house doesn't have four wheel drive and cost less than our Sportsmobile!

We took 24 hours to buy our latest house in 1991, when we stumbled into a bidding war on a place that had been on the market for nine months with no offers.

We took two years to decide on an SMB doing tons of research, including reading every single post on the SMB Owners Group blog on Yahoo. After picking up the SMB in September 06, the first thing I thought was why did we wait so long to get one of these things!
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Old 01-13-2008, 09:18 AM   #48
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You know, I think we spent a month tops on the house decision, really probably just a week on the house we landed on. And, as you see from my post last night, many years on this decision. Maybe it's cause we need a house but we WANT a SMB? (though I often made the argument that we REALLY REALLY need this!)
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Old 01-16-2008, 04:02 PM   #49
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Per Mike ordering his SMB I'm locking the thread. Post your questions about his SMB to a new thread!
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