Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 09-23-2014, 07:46 PM   #1
klp
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 7
Sportsmobile vs Nissan/Roadtrek NV6

I need the help of the collective here. I have been looking at all manner of Sportsmobiles, home builds and others. I first planned to build my own but don't really have the time with two young kids. I really like the looks of the Roadtrek mid size class B's. Popular 19 and such. They even make some in 4wd.

I have never owned a camper van but these are my wants - 4 buckets so everyone has a seat. A pop up roof so the kids can sleep there, heat/micro/house battery/shower of some sort - simple RV stuff. I need a modern rig that will be reliable and not too awful to drive as I may use it as a daily sometimes.

My latest find is the NV6. It's got four buckets plus a couch that folds down. The roof is hinged in the back and extends. It lacks a proper fan for ventilation but has a sink/micro/furnace/inverter/shower off the back. OK well maybe no furnace - I'm not sure now. No house A/C - dunno what to do about that one, it's a deal breaker for my wife.

Wondering if anyone has any experience with these vans or maybe another rig that I should be looking at.

Thanks.

klp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2014, 08:53 PM   #2
Site Team
 
daveb's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,407
Garage
Re: Sportsmobile vs Nissan/Roadtrek NV6

A few questions.
Is a Sprinter out of the question?

Off road travel part of your plan or winter snow and ice driving in the mix?

Are you planning to camp where power and water (full shore hookups) are available as a rule?

Do you need a standalone air conditioner?

If you need a dedicated bathroom/shower, the smaller vehicles (smaller than the Sprinters) make for some cramped conditions if you want one in the van. Water and gray water tanks takes up space and requiring showers usually means quite a bit of water unless you have full hookups that many campgrounds don't have. There isn't a problem with small sized tanks if you can dump on a regular basis but designed correctly you can put in larger ones than what I have. I've yet to camp anywhere that had hookups but its not my style. I have a lot of other off road equipment that takes up space.

Having good traction in poor weather is something that's nice if you want or have to drive on snowy or ice covered roads.

I feel as a standard camper Sprinters are more suited than what I have. But where you park it at home might make a difference.

Adding air conditioning can be a huge factor. Forget a roof mount on a pop top.

Here is a good trip report that might help you on the Nissan:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=11427

This member posted some good stuff on the Nissan's and you can search his posts.

Good Luck
__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer

Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures..........On and off road adventures
daveb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2014, 12:58 PM   #3
klp
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 7
Re: Sportsmobile vs Nissan/Roadtrek NV6

Thanks for the thoughtful reply Dave.

I have considered the Sprinter based campers but I am not crazy about most of the layouts I have seen. I also am not a fan of the looks - aside from the dual rear models they all look a bit ungainly to me. I want something more stealthy and I am willing to sacrifice some form for function.

I have a vision of long days at the beach that would require 4wd but I can likely live without it. I am considering maybe a lift or locker to make the rig more off road worthy. Regarding snow I am certain to encounter it locally - for longer trips we may be able to plan and work around nasty weather. I would not be averse to fitting a set of modern snow tires.

I would like to avoid shore hookups for the most part. I would use them here and there but my idea of camping is not being surrounded by huge RV's all night listening to generators. I would rather boondock or camp in tent sites.

The bathroom for me is not really needed. The NV has an outdoor shower setup which would be fine, I would bring along some sort of small potty for the kids and emergencies.

I read though that trip report and plan to read his others as well. Thanks for passing it on. I was surprised he logged decent x way mpg - 16+.

I know a roof AC is out, I am not a fan of the window mounts for looks - my hope is that I can run a stand alone unit off a small generator. I need to do more research on this front. I also looked into evaporative coolers but they seem a little hokey.

Thanks! I am currently looking at a couple NV's and trying to get decent value for my current car.
klp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2014, 02:01 PM   #4
Site Team
 
daveb's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,407
Garage
Re: Sportsmobile vs Nissan/Roadtrek NV6

I understand the looks deal. I only like the Fords but it's my opinion only. Get what you want. My main suggestion is to make sure a small van based RV is going to be large enough for you and your family. Not that this covers most members views, but I see a lot of posts from people selling their vans because they've "out grown" them.

I don't use the shower much and if is a priority for you, I'd suggest doing some research If I were you. The water gets used up rather quickly. For a couple people an 18 gallon tank can supply a few outside type showers.

I think the ols saying was something like four wheel drive just gets you more stuck. It has some truth but I'd never be w/o it doing the kind of exploring I do. YMMV

I came from a backpacking background and I'm totally satisfied with my little get out of the weather 4x4. Kicking back in a nice warm vehicle is SO much better than a tent.

Good luck on your quest.
__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer

Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures..........On and off road adventures
daveb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2014, 01:52 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 598
Re: Sportsmobile vs Nissan/Roadtrek NV6

Sportsmobile's Nissan is hands down better than the Roadtrek but Roadtrek does have more seats. I saw both at the Pomona show. The Roadtrek is a novelty.There is a YouTube video of the Sportsmobile. Check it out. Niether are as good as a van.
stanw909 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2014, 05:34 AM   #6
klp
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 7
Re: Sportsmobile vs Nissan/Roadtrek NV6

Stan, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Would you care to tell me more? I am a newb here and trying to soak up all the info I can.

The Sportsmobile video was great - I wish they had one for the NV6. The Roadtrek certainly has less features than the SM. My plan was to add a small quiet generator to give me "shore power" to let me run the microwave, a portable heater, and a stand alone A/C. The water supply system is pretty crude but some models do have an outdoor shower. It's got house batteries and an inverter, some interior lights. No interior fan for venting - I am not sure what I would do there. Definitely less storage than the SM but I can live with that. My plan was to cook outside no matter what rig I end up with.

The SM's are big $ and I have not found any used, there are a few NV's around. I really like the layout of the NV - all the seats swivel and recline to allow a super flexible floor plan. I also like that it is a modern rig and likely goes down the road pretty nicely.

These seem pretty similar to vans - why do you say they are not as good?? The elimination of the doghouse seems like a good thing to me.

Thanks!
klp is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:58 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.