Used 2WD Sportsmobile - good value?

rstl99

Adventurer
Hi all,
A local older couple have a Sportsmobile for sale (first time I've set eyes on one). Have only seen the outside. Regular body (17.5 feet), 2001, Ford E350 with 5.4L Triton V8, 61,000 miles. Asking $20,000. Does that represent a good value?
 

Herbie

Rendezvous Conspirator
You don't list which other options it includes, but the Sportsmobile website has a "build sheet" where you can see the tag price for most of the major options. This might help you decide what it would cost to reproduce such a van...
 

Ford Prefect

Expedition Leader
Sadly, when it comes to an SM, or any other type of camper, the value is what you place on it. You the buyer gets to determine if you payed the right price for it, whereas they, the sellers, get to determine if they got too little for it. Such is life I guess. IF the vehicle is in good condition, really healthy and what not, then it comes down to what you consider "worth it" when it comes to all the rest. KBB says that the vehicle itself is worth about $5.5K SO are the upgrades inside worth 15K to you, or would you rather do it yourself?

By the way, IF you are willing to do the work yourself, you typically can pick up an older camper or motorhome for about 2K; then it is a matter of making your plans and swaping over the stuff you want to pull out of the doaner camper. (Mind you I did not say it is a "simple" matter of doing the swap)

IF You should choose to just pick up a van and go from there, you should check out vandwellers.com, that guy has a ton of stuff on how to build your own SM out of a basic van. (including how to put on one of those toppers that allow you to stand in the thing, really cool.)

OH and check out the SM web sites, there are three places that have used SM's on the lots, and they are all online so you can comparison shop.
Cheers.
 

rstl99

Adventurer
Hi all, thanks for the thoughts.
No, I don't know what options come with it. I only saw it from the outside, parked in a shopping mall, and left a note in the window for the owner to call me if he should happen to think of selling. He called me a couple of hours later and told me a bit about it, but I haven't gone to see it.
I'm actually looking at a different traveling/camping vehicle solution, a slide-in truck camper on a 3/4 ton diesel pickup (have the camper, haven't bought the truck yet). But I have read about SM's here and there and was intrigued because this is the first I've seen with my eyes (they are quite rare in Eastern Canada where I live).
I had considered a camping-van earlier this year, but ended up deciding to go truck camper route.
But I may go have a look at this one, and see if the interior "sings out to me", as something I could see myself travelling solo in, or accompanied with my GF. I'm sure the SM build must be quite nice, quality components, but there's also the Ford drivetrain and chassis to contend with I suppose. I'm not too keen on newer Ford products.
As someone said, a travel/camping van can also be built on the cheap using a used commercial van body.
I suppose the SM's that had interested me more when reading about them, were the 4x4 variety, which allowed going off the beaten path a bit. Whereas this one is a 2x4 looks more like a smaller version of a Roadtrek camper-van, with the difference that it has the pop up roof. I like the stealth aspect of it though, this one's white and could easily pass for a service van to the untrained eye.
Cheers.
 
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Ford Prefect

Expedition Leader
I just checked, there is a 2wd regular length ford for 10K (US) in Texas, on the SM web page, as well a really long dodge for 16K in Colorado. Not saying that you should get one of these rather than what you are looking at, just offering comparables for you is all.

Cheers
 

2040JAVIER

New member
Sportsmobile van

FOUND THIS TWO LOCALLY ITS BEEN FOR SALE FOR A WHILE MAYBE YOU COULD GET CHEAPER IF YOU MAKE AN OFFER ,,,,,sale-jf3pb-2114107778@craigslist.org SAN DIEGO CRAIGSLIST.,,,,,,ORANGE COUNTY CRAIGSLIST ,,,,,,sale-2vgfe-2160261333@craigslist.org
 
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PoloTurbo

Observer
Hi to all

Sorry to bring this back up.

Pretty funny as I bought the same sportsmobile the OP was talking about.

Absolutely love the forum.

Just went a month out west and loved every minute of it. 14 700km in 27 days. No problems.
A great trip
Got stuck 2 times in the sand in Oceano Dunes, tourist ;)
Wanted so bad to go offroad in Moab...

The van will go often to the northeast for my surftrips and everywhere in Québec for Mtb.


Looking to convert to 4wd next year with u-joint. I still don't know if the 5.4 is enough for the added weight of the conversion.

Anyway take care. I'm still educating myself with your great posts.
 

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davebsmb

New member
Nice looking van. It will look great lifted. Most RB are lighter so you shouldn't have an issue with the engine.
 

ohio4runner

New member
All three Branches do 4x4 vans

I don’t think that’s true. Pretty sure only Fresno does them. The other locations likely send the van to Fresno if a customer wants it done.

If you mean 4x4 conversion, I believe only Fresno does it in house. North was using Quigley. I Meant building on a 4x4 platform all three do that, as well as the 4x4 Sprinter chassis.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

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