2006 Sportsmobile on Boulder, Co CL

spurious · 11-07-2009, 10:13 PM

http://denver.craigslist.org/rvs/1454539850.html

No affiliation.

jage · 11-07-2009, 11:51 PM

Think he'd be mad if I showed up in my SMB to test drive his?

Ford_6L_E350 · 11-08-2009, 09:34 AM

I think he should list some more details if he hopes to attract a buyer who doesn't already know SMBs.

Mike

bettyford · 11-08-2009, 04:39 PM

He might be jealous but not mad.

Ron

Zaskoda · 11-08-2009, 08:38 PM

I went and looked at his rig earlier today. It's the first sportsmobile I've viewed first hand.

The truck looks to be in pretty good shape. There's a small dent in the body and he damaged the cover for the storage box in the front bumper, which he says he plans on replacing.

The rig has solar panels on top and the inverter system so you can run the microwave on battery power. There's also a sat dish on top tho he says he never used it himself.

The inside has a lot of storage space and a full bathroom/shower. I know it's a little thing, but actually squeezing a shower in there amazed me. The black/gray water tanks are electric flush. I'd never seen this, all the RVs I know of just use gravity to flush.

Tires are brand new BFG ATs, but he said he bought class D. I thought I read on this forum that these vehicles required class E tires. This made me sad, as I'm sure he just laid down a fortune on these tires.

The 4x4 system is not the quigley but whatever it is SMB switched to. I didn't realize SMB had done this, but the owner says the new systems are much stronger/sturdier.

He said he had the rig "winterized"... I'm not sure what he meant exactly.

The inside looked well kept. No stains or damage of any significance.

I only glanced underneath. I noticed some "wet" spots but, sadly, can't recall where. I think it was the bottom of the transfer case and rear diff. Regardless, what I saw was so amazingly minor that it may have very well have not been from the truck. I saw nothing that looked like dripping... and no puddled on the ground under the rig.

His reason for selling is a move to Europe.

He purchased this rig in Austin. He's used it in the mountains around Vail, Beavercreek, and Keystone.

This is a LOT like what I want. Even tho the hard top is warming, I'm still sorta leaning towards a pop top. I was also leaning towards a regular body. The solar panels and dish were things I thought I'd have to "wait until later" for. On the surface, $65 seems like a reasonable price to me. What do you guys think?

~Scott

Aldercrest · 11-08-2009, 09:26 PM

I bought my used '02 this summer. It has a voyager top and Quigley 4wd. From the CL photo, the top on this rig looks a bit larger than the voyager. Here are my thoughts:

Quigley 4wd: I haven't driven a van with the SMB 4wd (leaf springs, etc.), but I have driven my brother's Quadvan 4wd E-350 (coil springs and basically stock Ford F-350 front end). The Quigley 4wd on my van is very jumpy. Quadvan is much steadier on the road. If you got a chance to drive the van and were happy with the handling, great. Don't think you need to hold out for Quigley 4wd - you don't.

Voyager top:

Positive: It's always up so it's easier to get up and move around when you stop. More storage. Warmer and dryer in the rain/wind/snow.

Negative: Warmer and sweatier on those warm summer nights. Maybe there is room for a kid to leep up top (although maybe not an issue on that van). It's a lot of weight up high, making the rig more top-heavy. It's a long way up there if you want to store anything on top. But with satellite TV and solar panels up there, you might not be doing much storage up there.

Tires: You can see all the forum comments I can. Based on those, E-rated tires seem like the way to go. I'm happy with mine.

If I ever do it again, I'll go with a pop-top and a modified EB70 layout. And I'll keep it simple - more gizmos means more to break (and fix). But you have to figure out what will work best for you. Good luck with the search!

jage · 11-08-2009, 09:59 PM

Scott, I'd be glad to let you poke your head in my SMB if you'd like to see another. Winterized basically means making the water system not freeze and cause leaks... you can add water system antifreeze or vodka, or empty the system. PM me.

Ford_6L_E350 · 11-09-2009, 09:41 AM

Jeremiah,

This is your chance. Go 'Test Drive' it for your friend Scott! And you can even show up in your SMB without making him mad.

Mike

Zaskoda · 11-09-2009, 11:40 AM

@jack - thanks for the feedback... I'm still leaning toward the pop-up, even though I wanna use the rig in the cold.. I'm also feel'n ya on the "more gizmos means more to break" thing... I want a minimum amount of maintenance.

jage - actually, yes, I'd love to look at your SMB.. I'll PM you, thanks =)

REF · 11-12-2009, 06:38 AM

Oh man it's early, can't sleep so figured I would brouse...
Anyway, Zaskoda, if you are interested, my friend in boulder owns a red rb for sale, it is listed on sportsmobile west for sale, there is also a white eb on there in Denver.
Also if you want another rig to check out, I'm around.