You sold her to buy a Sprinter?

(Is it Friday?)

Thanks,
Chris

---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003 22:28:08 -0800
>From: Ty Graham <tyg@OZ.NET>
>Subject: Re: Drove a Sprinter and liked it ...
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>Oh, and this link has a nice pdf file brochure for the
James Cook.  4
>level living, etc.  Sold my wife.
>
>TyG
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ty Graham [mailto:tyg@oz.net]
>Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 10:23 PM
>To: 'Jeff Palmer'; 'vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM'
>Subject: RE: Drove a Sprinter and liked it ...
>
>
>
>I found this link today.
>http://www.mobycampers.ch/English/prod04e.htm
>
>I'm thinking about giving these guys a try this summer.
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Vanagon Mailing List
[mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
>Of Jeff Palmer
>Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 9:22 PM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: Drove a Sprinter and liked it ...
>
>Those are so cool!  I wonder if you can rent them in Europe?
>
>Jeff
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "S.E. Booth" <lonesomedog@EARTHLINK.NET>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 12:08 PM
>Subject: Re: Drove a Sprinter and liked it ...
>
>
>> I have been looking at the James Cook Sprinter for about
4 years now,
>> thinking it might be a worthy replacement for my Synchro
Westy. The
>> European version has a hightop with an interior by
Westfalia that
>looks
>> awesome. It has a lower bed and a cab-over type bed (or
storage area),
>a
>> good size refrigerator and somehow has room for a toilet
and shower. I
>> saw a couple of these when I was in France and was really
impressed.
>You
>> have a number of engine options available from gasoline
to turbo
>diesel.
>> The problem is bringing them into the US. I found an RV
dealer in
>> Florida that is possibly the only US importer, but they
want about
>> $100,000 for one, which is way out of my league. I have
not seen the
>US
>> camper conversion, so I don' know how it compares to the
Westy
>version.
>>
>> Check out the link below or if it doesn't work (it is
sometimes buggy
>> and slow), go to the MB website and look at
Products/Camper Vans.
>>
>>
>> http://www.mercedes-
benz.com/com/e/home/products/campervans/index.html
>>
>> http://www.mercedes-benz.com/com/e/home/index.html
>>
>>
>> Susan Booth
>> 90 Synchro Westy "Sea Bus"
>>
>>
>> Ty Graham wrote:
>>
>> >Am I going to hell?  I feel so dirty.
>> >
>> >I went down to Freightliner in Portland a couple of
weeks ago and
>looked
>> >at Sprinters.  They had more than 20 on the lot
including a camper
>> >conversion.  I spent 3 hours over two days asking
questions and
>crawling
>> >around.  I test drove the camper conversion for ~5 miles.
>> >
>> >Overall, I am very impressed.  It is a very nice modern
van, though
>has
>> >much more in common with a bread truck than with our
Vanagons.
>> >
>> >140" wheelbase plus a hiroof feels super spacious for
three.  It
>would
>> >be wild to do some sort of conversion on a ten(!)
passenger rig that
>> >allowed for future birthday parties or soccer team
hauling.  I'm 6'3"
>> >and could around walk easily.  It felt like only a
slightly lower
>> >ceiling than the AWs I've been in.
>> >
>> >Ergonomics seemed pretty good with a four way adjustable
seat and
>> >adequate legroom.  All the modern conveniences were
there, though not
>as
>> >nicely implemented as in my MINI or Volvo.  Typical of
any new car
>pitch
>> >I've had, the presence of cupholders was prominently
featured.
>> >
>> >For such a long, spacious rig, it drove great.  I made a
bunch of
>> >parking passes and donuts and was blown away with the
turning radius.
>> >My wife kept saying I was making tighter turns than her
new MINI -
>not
>> >true, but it felt like it.
>> >
>> >Power felt good, but not great.  It certainly pulled as
well if not
>> >better than our 2.1l Vanagons.  I didn't measure fuel
economy, but
>folks
>> >swear that they get 22mpg all the time and can get 27mpg
or more on
>the
>> >highway.  500 miles between fill ups would be sweet.
Diesel clatter
>was
>> >there, but well damped.  The noise seemed lower than in
the Ford
>Transit
>> >I drove in France this year.  It was a chilly day so I
didn't try the
>> >Windows down test.
>> >
>> >The camper conversion I drove was too much of that tacky
sort of
>> >American overstuffed, Sportsmobileish interior.  Nothing
seemed very
>> >engineered and was just not my style.  The rear bed sure
was huge,
>> >though.   The salesguy thought one his customers had put
a Westfalia
>> >poptop from Europe on one, though I have yet to find a
picture or any
>> >info on the web.  I haven't asked Steve Lashley yet.
>> >
>> >Net net:  I am very tempted to get a 140" hi roof and
build my own
>> >camper conversion.  I will probably rent a Sprinter
camper in Europe
>> >first to get some real test time.
>> >
>> >For folks that are interested.
>> >Here's some info and pics of the camper I test drove.
($55k, I
>think)
>> >http://www.sprinterus.com/
>> >
>> >The Sprintervan group on Yahoo is pretty active, though
not up to
>> >Vanagon snuff.
>> >
>> >These are the folks we rented an RV from in the
Netherlands.
>> >http://www.arrantea.com/
>> >
>> >TyG
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>