Re: MotorHome Magazine review of ProMaster Travato
Do any of you think a van like the Travato at 7,440 lbs may be built too light? That is, not heavy duty enough to hold up under years of normal use?
I was thinking about how many Sportsmobile owners usually report the weight of their vans as being considerably higher on average (or so it seems), and most are probably built on smaller vans (granted Ford and Sprinter chassis weigh slightly more than RAM ProMaster).
In viewing used RVs over the years I've noticed those built light to save weight usually start to fall apart or get damaged easily. Even when they are expensive, the quest to save weight can lead to floors that sag under a person's weight, or deform permanently. Heavier units, although not necessarily the more expensive, seem to hold up better.
Sportsmobile interiors seem to hold up well when compared to many other van models. I like the idea of a custom SMB on a PM or Transit chassis, but with more stuff inside due to larger volume to work with, will cargo carrying capacity be too low?
The Winnebago Travato at under 7,500 lbs WET has generator, awning, propane system, water heater, 22 GAL fresh, 11 black, and 14 grey tanks, 13,500 BTU air, and so on. To me it seems like a lot of content at such a low weight. Light is obviously good, but not if it's too light to hold up.
How do you expect a similar SMB will compare? And if you know the weight of your SMB, will you share for comparison?
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