i know, i know... i'm new!

[ontheroad]

been lurking for awhile now... i'm a touring musician inexplicably drawn to sprinter conversions (i take that back... it's quite explicable). i've toured in much bigger rigs but they are a hassle in so many ways, as i'm sure many of you know.

i'm looking to buy a sprinter conversion with a pop-out, but the only ones i can find are the bigger conversions that look very much like RVs. since i'm trying to scale down size-wise, i'm wondering if there are any standard-width conversions with a pop-out.

any and all advice would be so appreciated... thanks!

[kendall69]

There are no "in betweens" Seems people want either all the bells and whistles or none of the bells and whistles.

You can buy a bare bones and have the pop up installed at :
http://www.sportsmobile.com/

At Sportmobile you cna select as much or as little as you want.

Good luck.

[Altered Sprinter]

Winnebago may have the van body slide out option for the USA I'm not sure but it's worth perusing Aus has them but far and few in between cab over chassis units are preferred but heavy and awkward to work with in tight parking situations dam things are up to thirty foot long.
Richard
12854

[ontheroad]

thanks... called sportmobile, but they won't install pop-outs... only 'penthouse' roofs that expand up, which isn't a bad idea...

i guess it's either go big, literally, or keep it small and make it work... i'm leaning towards the latter just for parking and incognito factors...

[miki]

Pop-ups have some downsides - if it rains on you while sleeping, it's apparently a bad thing to close the pop-up as the dampness will eventually cause the canvas surface to mildew. Additionally, it won't be so 'stealth' if you are sleeping with the pop-up opened.
They give you a more 'tent-like' experience, which will be nice in the summer but not in cold conditions. :2cents:

[ehallspqr]

Hello ontheroad and welcome to the forum. I know you are after more width but there is the largest Sprinter, the 170 in. wheelbase with extended body and high roof options. The cargo area is 16 feet and you look way up to a 7 ft ceiling. I was standing in one at the dealer and their absolutely cavernous. You could have someone like Sportmobile convert that Mega Sprinter into a touring coach and still stay within the standard vehicle envelope?

[ontheroad]

great point miki... nothing stealth about a tent sticking up out of the roof.

and thanks for the insight into the "big" version, ehallspqr... i'll look into that right now... no pun intended.

[OrioN]

Personally I'd stay away from the Mega roof. It has zero load bearing as it's plastic (and semi-transparent). Plus, no integrated roof rack rail too. Attaching a/c, racks, solar, etc creates an engineering mess in firguring out outer or inner support structures.

[ontheroad]

i'm short (5'8) so maybe that high roof (and not the mega) would be ok. i see that they make the LB which is another 15 inches of space... anybody have one of/like/dislike those?

[ehallspqr]

What OrioN said about the roof is true. It has no real load bearing and that means you could not put anything substantial up there. There are ways to add holes and equipment on the composite roof but it would definitely add costs to a conversion project. No way around that. You could always design a rig that didn't involve things like AC units or luggage racks up on the roof. I think you could certainly put a vent fan or a solar panel up there no problem. You would have to figure out how to support overhead bins without hanging them from the ceiling etc. But it sounds like you’re the same height as me, 5' 8" and for us a 6' 2" ceiling is plenty. Figure an inch thick floor and things like a ceiling fan or air conditioner bezel poking down from the ceiling a couple inches. You'd still have a few inches clearance to your noggin. A high roof would still workout just fine for you. I did love that tall ceiling. It made the interior not so closed in and very open. The long wheelbase-extended bed models are somewhat rare. You can go to Auto-Trader and search dealers in your area and perhaps find one to go look at.

[OrioN]

I have the LB (EXT) version. At first I wasn't considering it. But when I was shopping I ran into the elusive beast. After doing some calculations for my conversion while inside, I was quickly sold! I have a full queen bed in the back which is over what is now more than adequate storage for tools and satellite dishes and all sorts of stuff. My future bathroom imediately grew from 35" to 42", as did my closet over fridge dimensions, still leaving normal stove/sink/counter. On the other side I have a combo eating table/graphic workstation. The rear portion of the bed lifts on 'gas' props to become my couch by evening....

[ontheroad]

that sounds great... would love some photos if you have them. did you do the conversion yourself? i'll start looking around for the LB...

[Flarespace]

We hope you have many miles on your Sprinter by now and are loving it! Besides the options mentioned, another solution for maximizing space in a Sprinter and sleeping sideways: flares. We installed the first handful this summer and are finding a growing demand, especially for the 144 vans. Beginning of 2012, we will offer flares for the older body styles, too.
Flarespace.com

[Aqua Puttana]

...
Beginning of 2012, we will offer flares for the older body styles, too.
Flarespace.com
I don't see this as a good solution for all people. Many of us who have older Sprinters do not carry full replacement value fire insurance. :hmmm:

Any pictures you're willing to share here? vic

[larry8061]

:lol:

Larry