2008 Custom 4x4 Itasca Navion - $80000 (Denver, CO)
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The Toy Guy
Observer
Thanks - anyone have experience with the salem kroger conversion?
Looks like a good vehicle, I love my 2008 Sprinter and have been trying to figure out how to get a 4X4 with room enough for the wife and the three young kids.
Not sure on the Salem Kroger conversions, does anyone have any experience with these in general and specifically on a sprinter? Good enough to embrace or should I just quietly move along?
Thanks, I am relatively new to the Expedition Portal and appreciate the help.
Looks like a good vehicle, I love my 2008 Sprinter and have been trying to figure out how to get a 4X4 with room enough for the wife and the three young kids.
Not sure on the Salem Kroger conversions, does anyone have any experience with these in general and specifically on a sprinter? Good enough to embrace or should I just quietly move along?
Thanks, I am relatively new to the Expedition Portal and appreciate the help.
shortbus4x4
Expedition Leader
I used to live in N CA a few hours from Red Bluff and have seen a few of their Ford van 4x4 conversions for logging companies, seemed hold up pretty good to heavy abuse. Never have seen one of their Sprinter conversions. Are they still in business?
mhiscox
Exp. Leader Emeritus
They are fairly serious conversions. The Salem-Kroger conversion adds a fair amount of lift to the Sprinter and it substantially changes the handling. My humble opinion is that you wouldn't want the conversion just to get out of the occasional bit of snow to save you from chaining up, as you'd be giving up some of what makes the Sprinter chassis a better choice for many people than an E-Series or the Savanna/Express. However, if your itinerary includes a good amount of somewhat technical "wheeling," it's perhaps the way to go. In any event, you absolutely will want to drive it before plunking down any money, as the handling may not suit you for trucking across America with a family.
Of course, there's an inherent conflict involved in serious trail work conducted in a 24 foot long, 8 foot wide, 11 foot high truck . . . but you already knew that.
If you're serious about it, be sure to look up the values of the plentiful number of used Navions (and the near-exact twin Winnebago View) using the RV Trader website or similar. This will show you the premium that you're paying for the Salem-Kroger conversion and you can decide whether it's worth it.
Nope, but Whitefeather Conversions:
http://whitefeather4x4conversions.com/
is the followup company, also based in Red Bluff and using basically the same technology. Here's a useful link to read about their conversion:
http://www.sprinter-rv.com/2011/05/20/4x4-sprinters-here-at-last/
The Toy Guy
Observer
Thank you Mike for the insightful response re: this vehicle.
I notified the seller that I will take my search elsewhere which once again leaves me scratching my head trying to ID the best vehicle for two adults + 3 children ( + an occasional guest). During the intended life of the vehicle, we would like to travel through the PNW to Alaska, and then on a separate trip through central and South America. Self contained, at least 4X4 for snow and beach travel.
If anyone on this thread cares to offer suggestions or send links to resources, that would be great as well.
I notified the seller that I will take my search elsewhere which once again leaves me scratching my head trying to ID the best vehicle for two adults + 3 children ( + an occasional guest). During the intended life of the vehicle, we would like to travel through the PNW to Alaska, and then on a separate trip through central and South America. Self contained, at least 4X4 for snow and beach travel.
If anyone on this thread cares to offer suggestions or send links to resources, that would be great as well.
mhiscox
Exp. Leader Emeritus
We can talk about this more later, but the biggest problem with the vehicle you found wasn't, I don't think, that it was a Class C RV, but rather that it was on a Sprinter chassis. Nobody is more a fan of Sprinters than I, but the View/Navion setup has serious weight-carrying limitations even before adding the weight of a Salem-Kroger conversion. I probably would have been more supportive of a Class C that would hold you all made from something like a Ford E-450 and then converted to 4WD by U-Joint Off Road or someone similar. Here are pictures from their website that shows the sort of thing you might want to think about:
http://www.ujointoffroad.com/testimonials.html
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