Is Advanced-RV now offering the shorter 2500 Sprinter 144" wheelbase?

David,

You mentioned.."I have a detailed spreadsheet list of everything they install with actual or estimated weights".. Without giving away too much detail, are there any items that account for over 25 percent of mass? Are the filled fresh water and the waste tanks the big culprits? I sometimes think that it would be helpful to have access to the early design memos for the lunar lander to get a feel for how a start from the beginning with weight minimization in mind for a "class B space van". Maybe there is something that the van manufacturers might be able to not install or replace with different version on the assembly line if an upfitter or group of upfitters could figure out that it would result in a lower total and be significant to the point that all upfitters would want that option.

Pat
 

Davydd

Well-known member
Curb weight is the turned over weight built by the upfitter. The van a 144 2WD 2500 Cargo Van as delivered from Mercedes Benz is 5,016 lbs. Assumed in that is a full tank of diesel. The upfitter improvements are 2,351 lbs. or a delivered weight of 7,367 lbs. which is 33 lbs. under the allowable curb weight of 7,400 lbs. The van's GWVR rating is 9,050 lbs. leaving me 1,683 lbs. to be able to add. Water is one and I think I will end up with a 36 gallon freshwater tank so the added weight will be about 288 lbs. Grey and black will be a trade off with use with the freshwater for the most part so doesn't add to the total. I will have about 26 gallons of grey and 12-15 gallons of black. We can only carry the two of us. So I will say that will not go over 350 lbs. In our last trip I think we had less than 300 lbs. of clothes, food, blankets, containers and equipment, etc. That leaves me 745 lbs. under the GWVR weight. After delivery I could safely add such things as VB Air Suspension, EP levelers and front bull bars. I could have built with a 2018 Sprinter with less GWVR but wouldn't have the luxury of adding those goodies if I wanted.

It is not a matter of eliminating anything and I got everything I designed into it. The van is what it is and nothing can be done to deliver less than 5,016 lbs. especially in a bare bones cargo van and the curb weight is 7,400 lbs. whether it is a heavier 4x4 or a SuperSingle which would boost the GWVR to 9,900 lbs. I have ordered the heavier reinforced front axle which boost the front axle weight carrying capacity but doesn't boost the total GWVR. That's the way I understand it.

This is interesting. The total 828ah Lithium battery assembly is 425 lbs. I couldn't get 1/3 the ah capacity of lithiums in AGM batteries and stay under the curb weight.
 

Davydd

Well-known member
Advanced RV informed me the color I chose is no longer available. I went online and saw they had reduced their color choices in the build your own. So I changed to the premium color Iridium Silver which my wife liked better and was my second choice. Stubbornly, I had a silver van already (GWVan Legend) and didn't want to repeat a color choice. I learned two things -- delivery will be in October and to the end of the year production will be 2019 model year by MB.
 

Boxster1971

2023 Sprinter 2500 144wb AWD
Glad you have finally received a delivery date. Other threads on this forum have indicated colors are now limited to white, black and silver.
 

Davydd

Well-known member
Glad you have finally received a delivery date. Other threads on this forum have indicated colors are now limited to white, black and silver.
They are probably right if they want to get a van now. My original choice was still listed and made the cut in colors. Since it was my wife's preferred choice I guess it is a win-win. :D
 

sassyinpink

New member
Glad you have finally received a delivery date. Other threads on this forum have indicated colors are now limited to white, black and silver.
cool! i am thinking really hard to order a black one heehee. the only thing is, for those used to black, does it heat up really warm interior in the sunny days?
i have been driving a white car and not sure if a black one does get hot?
 
I have a black one. Very handsome but a bear to wash. Shows dust and water streaks. Next one will not be black! Hand drying is not a lot of fun. Ladder moving a drag.
 

Davydd

Well-known member
October is coming and going and I have heard nothing of delivery. :( In seeing other reports here it seems others are disappointed in MB too.

I definitely would not consider black which I guess is an available color nor white. I have the graphite grey metallic now which I think is a good color for hiding dust and dirt. When I chose that color 5 years ago there was only one other Class B that I was aware of that had that color and it was another ARV. No other company offered it as a choice. Now everyone has it and it is very popular. I've had the Iridium Silver before in my GWVan so was reluctant to repeat because of the been there, done that factor, but in hindsight it might be the best hiding color of all.
 

Davydd

Well-known member
I haven't heard. Very discouraging. My next door neighbor is retiring and they are going on a world sailboat cruise full time starting this spring. I may have to look at other options. River boat cruising is sounding more intriguing than RVing right now. We skipped our usual fall RV trip for a European river boat cruise.
 

Boxster1971

2023 Sprinter 2500 144wb AWD
This maybe one of the best ARV videos yet explaining the thoroughness of the client services, design and build. This “Last Resort” 144 WB Sprinter will be for full-timers. . .
Thanks for this video info. I just watched it - great details on their design and build process. Do you have any word on when they will build your new van on a 144 2500 - assuming you still plan to have it built?
 

Davydd

Well-known member
Not a word. Having gone this long i might have to change the design to a hearse to get any use out of it. ;)
 

Davydd

Well-known member
GeorgeRa,

ARV has done several 144 WB Sprinters now and no two are remotely alike. They probably are still seeing what they want to settle on with of course custom modifications. This van and Sue Valentine’s Bucky for instance are diagrammatically opposite of each other from windows all around to no windows yet both a designed for full-time use.

I designed yet a totally different 144 Sprinter that is nothing like they’ve produced. It could be full-time as it has tank capacities, big refrig/freezer and the biggest bathroom yet. We won’t be full-timing but I don’t want to sacrifice the comforts of our 5 foot longer extended van, thus dubbed Mies - Less is more. New destinations, mostly urban.

We are still using our current van. There is nothing wrong with it other than the length for our changing goals and a personal design challenge. We are currently down in South Padre Island. This past month we went to the Winter Freezeout in Michigan’s UP to here.
 

GeorgeRa

2013 Sprinter DIY 144WB, Portland OR
GeorgeRa,

ARV has done several 144 WB Sprinters now and no two are remotely alike. They probably are still seeing what they want to settle on with of course custom modifications. This van and Sue Valentine’s Bucky for instance are diagrammatically opposite of each other from windows all around to no windows yet both a designed for full-time use.

I designed yet a totally different 144 Sprinter that is nothing like they’ve produced. It could be full-time as it has tank capacities, big refrig/freezer and the biggest bathroom yet. We won’t be full-timing but I don’t want to sacrifice the comforts of our 5 foot longer extended van, thus dubbed Mies - Less is more. New destinations, mostly urban.

We are still using our current van. There is nothing wrong with it other than the length for our changing goals and a personal design challenge. We are currently down in South Padre Island. This past month we went to the Winter Freezeout in Michigan’s UP to here.
I bet that “a personal design challenge” is high on your list, it is fun. Good luck!
 

Davydd

Well-known member
I bet that “a personal design challenge” is high on your list, it is fun. Good luck!
ARV is kind of an open slate. Though that Last Resort video made a great deal about cabinets and their own shop which is top notch, they have gone to a Milwaukee custom cabinet maker for a couple of customers to make real wood cabinets (see Gustav). Customers have brung their own materials such as that marine skylight escape hatch. Several customers brought in their own finish materials though they have a room full of catalogs to browse and order from. Their expertise and systems offerings of lithium ion battery systems is unmatched. Everything put in their vans is the best you can have at the time and they are not constrained with what dealers think they can sell. There is no model year. If something comes along better it get implemented and in some cases they’ve upgraded current owners under warranty (3 years, absolutely everything) if a current item proves to be a problem. Example: They changed my skylight bubble material before I had a problem. When I say warranty covers everything that means everything including refrigerators, etc. even though manufacturing warranties are in force as well. The warranty includes making arrangements wherever you are with any RV shop. They will send the part overnight, make arrangements for the repair and send detailed instructions or their own person to help. I had a Nations alternator replaced by a Scottsdale Mercedes dealer and a VP Air Suspension air bladder replaced by a Shreveport Mercedes dealer. The only delay was the overnight delivery and I was in and out of both dealers under 3 hours. I have no idea what they do to insure that prompt service but I’m not complaining.

The ARV owners, Mike and Marcia Neundorfer, walk the talk so to speak, in that they take long range RV trips and test everything out always looking for improvements. Their penchant is to camp off-grid, thus the high amp hour lithium battery packs. They also implement customer requested improvements and suggestions. My electric articulating beds for instance. I bet you see that marine escape hatch skylight again. I’m considering it now.

As I mentioned the 144 Sprinters have not even settled on a design template and that slate is very open. My design is unlike any of the previous 144s including the chassis and I have a team of experts to execute my design. Yes, that kind of service, quality and design does cost. I’m an architect and very few homes are architect designed but I know how much it can make a difference so I am attuned to that way. Besides, I can afford it. ;)
 

Davydd

Well-known member
Another new video by advanced RV explaining chassis options, more clarity about their 144 wb Sprinter builds, and touch upon other manufacturer's especially the Ford Transit they are willing to build on but haven't yet to my knowledge. They seem to be lukewarm about building on the Promaster chassis but have modified them for customers bringing in existing vans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqto7fX98zk
 

Top Bottom