What makes a Sportsmobile?

[Ultrasport12]

I hate to say this but some day someone with a Nissan, Sportsmobile or otherwise will be wanting to join the forum..
Like them or not Sportsmobile is converting them. Personally I love the current Econolines and I wish Ford would sell both the old and new vans for a few years, although the current model needs to be modernized at least for features, engines and such. A Sprinter would be on my short list if they could tow more and could have four wheel drive with German parts or from the factory. I just think the Nissan is just too unattractive to have to look at everyday in my driveway no matter how good they might be otherwise. I agree with Gnarvan its better with the low roof and the penthouse top but its still not for me.

[macmcintire]

Seems to me only vehicles made at Ford factories can be called Fords, and only vehicles made at the Rolls-Royce factory can be called a Rolls-Royce; therefore only a vehicle custom built at one of the three SMB locations can be called a Sportsmobile. All others are look-alikes, copies, wanna-be, or something else.

Now the question remains, "How much custom work has to be done at a SMB shop for a vehicle to be called a Sportsmobile?" Obviously there are SMB's without a penthouse top and they are still a Sportsmobile. If one has a custom shelve put into their van at a SMB shop, does that now make the van a SMB?

I believe this is a question that will have to be left up to the Supreme Court to decide at what point life begins for a Sportsmobile.

As for me, I like the Sportsmobile Forum idea of including anyone who wants to be included, regardless of what rig they drive.

[86Scotty]

A sprinter would be on my short list if they cost about 20k less.
I like to think of my home build, which will be a Colorado Camper Van pop top in about a week, as a Sportsmobile, but I do agree that I'm only using the term loosely, not to make my van something it's not. The long and short of it is that we need a good name for these strange camper vans we build or have built. Sportsmobile fits, and sounds a lot better than the hokey term 'camper van' IMO. Kind of like saying Coke to cover all soft drinks, as we do here in the South.