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Old 12-10-2010, 11:16 PM   #1
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How Many Sportsmobile Owners Are There?

Today I was looking at the number of members on this Forum (3,270) and wondering how many of those members actually own a Sportmobile. I also wondered how many Sportsmobiles there are out on the road. I figured the best person to answer that would be Jage (Jeremiah), so I asked him. Here is his response:

"Well I can tell you that 1098 of those members have posted at least one time, but it drops really fast if you go to 4 or more posts there are only 617 people. I do know we have a lot of hard-core lurkers, people who read but never post. I don't have any numbers, but say take some of the people with 3 or less and the ones that never post and our true number of members is probably right around 1000. Of course people come and go, and the reason there are around 2000 extra is lookyloos.

"How many of the 1000 "active members" estimate are actually owners? Well there are 301 galleries, and generally those are used to show off vans -- of course again people have come and gone, but if there are half as many owners who never used a gallery, it could be 450 owners, so I'd say the site might reach 500 people who have a van for camping (not all of which are Sportsmobiles).

"Now for number on the road -- well, that's a lot tougher since I have nothing to base it on. Are you counting Sprinters? 2wd? Pre 1990? VWs? SMB has been making the full sized vans since (I think) the late 60s. The production numbers have gone up, probably largely due to the Fresno franchise, which probably makes as many as Indiana and Austin combined. How many is that? I have no idea. If the three franchises make an average of 15 vans a month together, that's 200 a year (we're guessing wildly, why not fudge the math?) say they've been averaging that since 1995, that's 3000 vehicles.

"Using the same math (e.g. bogus) I could claim to have 20% of the world's Sportsmobile owners actively on my site. Who could refute me?

"Let me know if you find numbers from any other sources. I'd be curious myself."


So, what's your best guess of the total number of Sportsmobiles on the road today? And what percentage of members on this Forum do you think actually own a Sportsmobile?

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Old 12-10-2010, 11:40 PM   #2
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Re: How many Sportsmobile Owners Are There?

I know a couple of guys locally who do not know of the forum and own sportsmobiles. I lurked for awhile to educate myself on the van and the specifics before I bought. I ended up finding my van and buying from this forum. Also we have had a local meet and greet from the forum of all sportsmobile owners. Some don't post much if at all yet they own sportsmobiles and they found the meet and greet through the forum.

10 or 11 vans below locally for the meet and greet with a couple more vans who couldn't make it.

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Old 12-11-2010, 07:07 AM   #3
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Re: How many Sportsmobile Owners Are There?

We live in Michigan and we have only seen one Sportmobile in the two years we have been aware of them. The one we saw in the fall of 2008 while camping made my wife require that we add a penthouse top. The one we saw was a custom home brew. He designed it and did about half the work and SMB-I did the other half.
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Old 12-11-2010, 10:49 AM   #4
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Re: How Many Sportsmobile Owners Are There?

There are probably more SMBs than Jeremiah guessed.

When I bought my van from Indiana in 2004, they told me they build about 35 vans a year, SMB west builds about that many each month. I'd guess Texas is somewhere inbetween, maybe 50-100/year - say 75. That adds upto ~500 SMBs each year, more or less, since 2004. When did SMB West and 4wd get popular? 2000? 2002? The last 7 years would add up to 3500 vans and the lifetime total 4-6000 vans. As far a guesses go, that is fairly close to Jeremiah's guess, just a little higher.

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Old 12-11-2010, 11:07 AM   #5
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Re: How Many Sportsmobile Owners Are There?

I have only seen 1 other SMB in Wis where we live. On our 10 week fall trip saw 2 other SMB while traveling. 1 in South Dakato and 1 in Arizonia. Put on over 6,000 miles and only saw 2......huumm where are they all hiding.
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Old 12-11-2010, 12:50 PM   #6
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Re: How Many Sportsmobile Owners Are There?

I'm in the SF Bay Area and I see SMB's all the time. This area is crawling with them!
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Old 12-12-2010, 08:39 AM   #7
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How Many Sportsmobile Owners Are There?

I see lots of SMBs here in SoCal, especially in the OC (Orange County). I usually have a printed brouchure card that I would leave in their windshield (when I had my SMB) directing them to the forum. Now that I'm in SMB limbo, I haven't put a card on the once I've seen. Don't want anyone to think some creepy guy with a passenger van is leaving junk on my windshield.
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Old 12-13-2010, 12:05 PM   #8
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Re: How many Sportsmobile Owners Are There?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Roonie
Also we have had a local meet and greet from the forum of all sportsmobile owners. Some don't post much if at all yet they own sportsmobiles and they found the meet and greet through the forum.

10 or 11 vans below locally for the meet and greet with a couple more vans who couldn't make it.
Roonie, was this "meet and greet" at Marymore Park in Redmond? I seem to remember a note on the forum about it, but was off camping that weekend. Do you know if this is going to become a regular thing with Puget Sound SMB owners?

Tom
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Old 12-13-2010, 12:25 PM   #9
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Re: How many Sportsmobile Owners Are There?

Quote:
Originally Posted by flyfisher
Roonie, was this "meet and greet" at Marymore Park in Redmond? I seem to remember a note on the forum about it, but was off camping that weekend. Do you know if this is going to become a regular thing with Puget Sound SMB owners?

Tom
No, it was at the Lake Sammamish park in Issaquah just of 90. It can become a regular thing if someone is up to organize it. It was great meeting everyone and swapping stories. We did a B-B-Q and beer and sat around checking out each others rigs for ideas. We had even talked about a local camping trip close by but that fell through with school starting and busy schedules.
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Old 12-13-2010, 01:44 PM   #10
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Re: How many Sportsmobile Owners Are There?

Quote:
Originally Posted by flyfisher
Roonie, was this "meet and greet" at Marymore Park in Redmond?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roonie
No, it was at the Lake Sammamish park in Issaquah just of 90.
Either end of the same lake, no? I've been to Marymoor, great dog park.

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