The James Cook Sprinter is very nice, but I don't think everyone will
want to pack away their wrenches just yet.  At our 1st Annual San Diego
Westy Event, we were lucky enough to get a tour of the unit from a
German Mercedes employee who was testing it in the U.S. According to
him, the conversion would be available in 2002 for about $60,000.
Here is some info I got from the tour.
1) diesel mileage 25 mpg highway
2) probably good for winter use--well insulated with a quiet
diesel-fueled heater for the camper taken from the fuel tank.
3) Very intelligent layout for up to 4 people.
4) Very good for stealth camping
However, some people may not like
1) The lack of a back window to see directly behind the vehicle.
2) The higher and wider profile.
3) It does not seem as easy to carry large sports equipment.
Our conclusion: as always, what's best depends on the uses you have in
mind. If we bought a James Cook, we would still keep our Westy. It would
be nice to be able to rent a James Cook before buying one. I wonder if
they can be rented in Europe?--anybody know.

Lee & Irasema Kouns
88 Westy
Los Angeles