Cool! Winnebago Sprinter 144 4x4 Adventure Concept Introduction

Interesting news from Winnebago! They made an adventure camper based on the Sprinter 144 4x4 chassis. IMO I think it's great a main stream RV manufacturer is looking at entering this segment. Some of the highlights in addition to the short 4x4 chassis:

- European style layout with rear platform bed (adjustable and able to level) with front dinette seating with cab swivel seats
- Light interior with cabinet and floor finishes designed for ease of cleaning
- No generator
- No AC but has two fans and pre-wired for optional AC that could be used when plugged in or with external generator (I would like an underhood generator but that could be more cost)
- No microwave
- No TV - instead there are RAM mounts located throughout the interior with USB power ports in close location to the mount so ipads, iphones, etc. can be mounted
- Cassette swivel toilet so there is more space for the onboard shower
- Under bed storage area with room for two bikes
- Wash down external hose located at the sliding door to wash down before entry
- Truma Combi propane heat and hotwater system
- Induction cook top (personally with the propane onboard I think a simple propane would be better)
- Two solar panels expandable to add another roof panel and there is a van side connection for a portable panel
- 30 gallon water tank. Haven't heard the specs for grey but with no black tank they wanted to expand the grey and fresh for more offgrid capacity
- Roof rack with solar panels
- Rear ladder that is easily removable for use at the rear and sides of the van
- Rear bike rack for two additional bikes

The MSRP has been quoted at $100-$110K. Assuming you can get the typical Winnie dealer discount of 15-25% that seems really reasonable compared to other options. Also, I like the ability to have a Winnebago dealer network for service, etc.

Article on the van with pretty good details and photos:

http://newatlas.com/winnebago-concept-adventure-vehicle/44797/


They are gauging interest so if you are interested there is a survey. Link to survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/winnebagoadventurevehicle

It would be interesting to see a side by side comparison with the Sportsmobile offerings. Personally I think the cabinetry and layout options SMB offers are a bit dated, so a new entry in the mass produced adventure van is a welcome thing. Outside vans offerings tend toward the multipurpose van instead of dedicated camper, so their may be a decent market for the permanent mass produced rig like this. The larger Winnebago dealer network is probably a plus for many.

Now, if the big players would start offering competitively designed electrical/off grid systems, you might have something seriously good for the money.

I agree for sure on the dealer front. I have two WGO dealers within 45 mins. here on the East coast and if these are mass produced it would be great to go down and buy one instead of dealing with the complications of a custom build from SMB (N, S, W), Van Specialists, or Outside van on the West coast. WGO only offers a 1 year warranty but I hear for the most part that is enough time to get the initial quality issues resolved. Not being on the West coast, real or perceived it is riskier to buy something over here on the East and try to get things fixed after ownership.

Also the mass production could reduce the actual drive home cost below $100K with some IMO nice features.

One of the better things about WGO is that they have in house engineering, and they tend to stock their own parts for years (decades sometimes). Supposedly you can still get WGO custom parts for older rigs. The price may not be the best, but at least you aren't left out in the cold. Lots of smaller companies don't have the manpower or volume to do this. Plus many of the smaller conversion outfits are supplying a rolling prototype, and they improve the design as they go, which often means the older models have limited support.

There are few things worse than your rig being unusable because of a custom made $30 widget that no one makes anymore!

Damn, this looks pretty good for a turnkey vehicle.

Build it Winnebago and I will come!


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lactic said:

Damn, this looks pretty good for a turnkey vehicle.

Build it Winnebago and I will come!


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Agreed! Make sure you fill out the survey and let them know!

I like it.

REALLY nice to see a Euro-style layout that accommodates more than two people. I know a lot of small rigs are used by retired couples, etc., but some of us have small families and need that intermediate step between cozy-rig-for-two and full-on-diesel-pusher.

The 3rd forward-facing seat that makes a single bed would be fantastic for our family of 3.

Herbie said:

I like it.

REALLY nice to see a Euro-style layout that accommodates more than two people. I know a lot of small rigs are used by retired couples, etc., but some of us have small families and need that intermediate step between cozy-rig-for-two and full-on-diesel-pusher.

The 3rd forward-facing seat that makes a single bed would be fantastic for our family of 3.

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Agreed, That may be one of the biggest challenges with RV/Van usage in this country. Very few offer accommodations for a 3rd or 4th person without stepping up to a class A. Most don't need it to be comfortable, instead they just need it to work for a few days. Many mid sized RVs are used by retirees, so that tends to skew the market offerings a bit.

Plus, having extra seating means the vehicle can also do double duty as a daily driver, or general purpose vehicle in a pinch.

luthj said:

Agreed, That may be one of the biggest challenges with RV/Van usage in this country. Very few offer accommodations for a 3rd or 4th person without stepping up to a class A. Most don't need it to be comfortable, instead they just need it to work for a few days. Many mid sized RVs are used by retirees, so that tends to skew the market offerings a bit.

Plus, having extra seating means the vehicle can also do double duty as a daily driver, or general purpose vehicle in a pinch.

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I believe this is one of the contributing factors to the ongoing price inflation for Westy Vanagons and the like - There are not very many vehicles that can daily-drive 3,4,5 (even 7 with jump seats), and sleep 3-4+ in that size range.

In the USA the pickup truck seems to be considered the "universal" multipurpose vehicle. Why would I want all my storage space outside?

Honestly a mid-full sized van with removable seats and pop/high roof is the real deal. Makes sense when you consider the value of multipurpose vehicles like the Westy family and the various van conversions.

video

There is a video on this vehicle at the fit rv.com website. Just go to the rv review section. Don't know how to post the link.

Here is the FitRV video with the walk through.

http://www.thefitrv.com/rv-reviews/winnebagos-4x4-concept-adventure-vehicle/

I really dig the ladder idea at the end of the vid! Totally stealing that one for my build!

You should be able to finance this like an RV as well, am I right on thinking this? This would make a decent daily driver/weekend warrior mobile.

tdown4 said:

You should be able to finance this like an RV as well, am I right on thinking this? This would make a decent daily driver/weekend warrior mobile.

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Since it is from a major brand, and is sold by their dealer network, it would be eligible for normal RV financing. Now if only they would actually start making them!