NJ, another new guy...

[al415]

Hello all,
Brand new here and brand new to Sportsmobile. I've a long history of RTT's on Land Rovers and Toyotas and as I approached retirement (mil / law enf) started thinking I'd like to travel with more creature comforts moving forward. So I'm here to educate myself and ultimately purchase.

AJ from NJ.

[Twoxentrix]

Welcome. Good to see more enthusiasts from the East Coast join the group.

Lot of talent and knowledge showcased throughout the Forum thread's - just browsing these topics will net you answers & ideas. More than likely will also fuel your enthusiasm for the "van life".
Member TLG has been instrumental in arranging an East Coast rally - If you have interest follow the link below (Could also be an opportunity for you to get acquainted with some of the different rigs out there):

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...8-a-20373.html

[86Scotty]

Welcome AJ, another easterner here, relatively speaking.

[gahamby]

Welcome, kinda NFG myself. Glad to have another East coaster in the mix.

[marret]

Welcome. Great place for information and education.

[Stillvanin]

Welcome! Where are you located in NJ? I’m probably not too far from you and I’m willing to meet up to see my SMB in person if you’d like. Not sure what your searching for though.

[al415]

Hi folks,
A belated thanks for the warm welcome. Since that initial post I put my retirement plans on hold after accepting a promotion at work.

I ended up buying a bone stock Sprinter 4x4 and doing my own version of a "build" on it. This basically means that I stuck a fridge, rollover sofa and some insulation into it and called it a day. In any case, I got to drive it back and forth cross country a few times before COVID hit. I sold it to a nice guy from VT at the beginning of lockdown after getting smitten with the idea of a slide-in camper on a pickup truck. Being the logical sort that I am, I bought a 2019 Raptor and ground tent and proceeded to take a few cross country trips in that.

Which brings me back to this forum. The high roof sprinter was just too van-like to be driven every day, at least for me. An honest self examination of how I like to travel tells me that the truck camper idea just isn't stealthy enough. So I've come back to the idea of a low roof Sportsmobile. For real this time(!). I'll be lurking a few more months and hopefully, if the market doesn't continue in its current upward trajectory, buying a truck by the end of this summer.

A few random pictures from the past couple of years:

[BrianW]

I have a 2011 SMB EB E250 van 2WD in the Philly area if you ever want to check it out. Maybe @Stilvanin and I can figure out a time to meet you someplace if you are interested, as he's not too far from me. Where in NJ?

[al415]

Thank you @BrianW, I'm all the way east, in Long Branch. I work around Asbury Park... so if you guys are ever heading this way to catch some waves or rays, please let me know.