On the road

TimJuhl

Member
Just thought I would check in and share my experiences so far on my trip from Michigan to Colorado Springs in my Cargo van converted to a camper / travel van. My wife and I along with our dogs are visiting my daughter to help her thru the first couple of weeks after her husband deployed to Iraq. This was the first really long trip for the Sprinter and it has performed flawlessly. We've got mileages varying from 24 to 20 and I was surprised that even after extensive freeway speeds and a few loops thru the rockies I was still getting at least 20. Travel and camping has been a comfortable experience and for the most part our choices as far as interior design have proved to have been good ones. We insulated the sides of our camper with foam and the roof with an aluminized bubble wrap material. Evening temps were in the 40's and a little space heater did a good job of keeping us warm. We had some state park campgrounds practically to ourselves so we had our pick of campsites.

What really surprised me was that even climbing up thru altitudes around 9500 feet the van had plenty of power... performing not much different than what I'm used to at Michigan's low elevations. It also handles the curves and grades very well. I really enjoy the view of the country thru the big front window, and the fall color has been spectacular. Interestingly the cheapest diesel prices have been in the mountains.... at my last fillup I paid $3.599 / gallon.

Monday we head back to Michigan so hopefully the rest of the trip will go as smoothly.

Tim

Pix - In the Pike National Forest near Woodland park, CO.
 

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Schooner

Member
Great to see the photo and the van conversion/use report. We did a short trip downeast to ME about 2 weeks ago to check out what we need in our conversion. Finishing the insulation and a small electric heater made our list. We also had our choice of campsites. :cheers:
With the '05, we got 24.9 mpg despite being stuck in a Boston traffic jam for an hour.

IMG_2834 Morning View.JPG
Morning in Boothbay
 

sikwan

06 Tin Can
Good to hear that you didn't have any problems. :clapping: Seems like every post contain some type of problem or breakdown.
 

TimJuhl

Member
I'm safely back home in Michigan after a trip of 3781 miles. As in my first post, I am pleased to report that I experienced no problems with the Sprinter whatsoever. As far as mileage - on the trip out we stuck to secondary roads (55 mph) and averaged 23-24 mpg. In the city and mountains it was in the 20-22 range. Coming back we stuck to expressways and averaged 20 when traveling at 75 mph all day and 22 when running 65-70. Traveling I 80 in Nebraska and Iowa we'd hit patches where the road texture made our Continental tires "sing" which got to be annoying....it would be nice when it's time to replace them if we could find some that run quieter.

I may have to reconsider the need for something like the Koni shocks that some of you have had success with. The rear end of the vehicle tends to bounce around a bit on uneven road surfaces which can make it hard for the non-driving spouse to nap on while on the go. I don't suppose the cargo minded much but people are a different matter :)

Other than one nite spent in a county park in Escanaba, MI, we did all our camping in state parks. We usually had the campgrounds almost all to ourselves which meant we could let the dogs off the leash a bit to stretch their legs. We almost never managed to arrive before dark but fortunately the Sprinter required little setup. Basically I just had to plug into the power service and put on the window covers. A little space heater did a great job of keeping us warm.

In conclusion, I would have to say that traveling by Sprinter has much to recommend it. It is certainly a comfortable way to go and the great visibility helps you to see the country as you travel thru it. The somewhat larger size of the vehicle seemed to command more respect from other drivers which made the driving less stressful. We saved quite a bit by camping and actually slept on a better bed than I've ever encountered in a motel.

Tim

Pix. Camping on the banks of the St. Croix on the WI/MN border.
 

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sikwan

06 Tin Can
Traveling I 80 in Nebraska and Iowa we'd hit patches where the road texture made our Continental tires "sing" which got to be annoying....it would be nice when it's time to replace them if we could find some that run quieter.
Some parts of I80, going east, seem to be under construction. Lucky the single lanes do not pose any problems with traffic.

Good to know you had an awesome trip. :rad:
 

rlent

New member
I may have to reconsider the need for something like the Koni shocks that some of you have had success with. The rear end of the vehicle tends to bounce around a bit on uneven road surfaces which can make it hard for the non-driving spouse to nap on while on the go.
I dunno about the 3500's as they have dual wheels (and a somewhat heavier rear sway bar I think than the 2500's) but my '06 2500 benefited immensely from an upgraded heavy-duty sway bar (available from John Bendit at Upscale Auto and elsewhere)- in terms of reducing body roll ..... if that's the problem you are experiencing, otherwise the Koni's seem like a great idea - one that I still need to do myself.
 

cedarsanctum

re: Member
I may have to reconsider the need for something like the Koni shocks that some of you have had success with. The rear end of the vehicle tends to bounce around a bit on uneven road surfaces which can make it hard for the non-driving spouse to nap on while on the go. I don't suppose the cargo minded much but people are a different matter :)


Pix. Camping on the banks of the St. Croix on the WI/MN border.
Great Pics, thanks.

The Koni's were a great addition to an otherwise great van. The sway bar would be nice, but the shocks by themselves did a great job controlling just what you're describing. The spouse, or anyone else, can ride in the bed in back and not notice any bouncing or jostling. Very cozy now. We did a lot of gravel roads this summer and it always handled the rough stuff very well, and the smooth roads are very smooth.
Jef
 

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