Hi Mark:
Congrats on your upcoming retirement and fleeing those brutal Chicago winters! I left Chicago last Fall to start full-timing in my Sprinter-based Winnebago View and have been pretty satisfied with the smaller rig so far. But one thing I constantly battle (have not fully solved it yet) is staying below my rig's GVWR. I dearly love the Sprinter chassis, but you will be amazed (after actually weighing it on a truck stop CAT scale) at just how little, if any, weight capacity you have left after stuffing it with your belongings, food, water, and filling the tanks.

For that reason, I decided to go with the lighter weight thin "bendable" solar panels on the roof of my View. I was able to fit (3) 100 watt panels up there, and carry 1 extra 100 watt panel as a portable (if I ever need extra oomph such as winter days in northern latitudes).

The standard rule of thumb is 100 watts of solar per 100 amp hours of battery, but in the winter, you'll likely want that closer to 200 watts per 100 amp hours depending on usage and location, especially if you won't be parked in one spot for weeks on end and tilting your panels religiously. Due to limited roof space on our smaller rigs, you might want to think about supplementing your rooftop panels with a portable array of the thin bendable panels (similar to what Technomadia did but on a smaller scale). Also think about the power consumption side as well. Will you really need a big 3000 watt inverter? Or will running the generator for the short time to power the microwave, hair dryer, etc be sufficient? Can you replace your "power hog" appliances and tech gear with 12 volt or more energy efficient versions?

If you can get past the title (!), my blog series "A Girl's Guide to RVing" has a few posts on solar (and also some pros/cons of the various Sprinter floorplans I've had) that you might find of interest.

Happy travels!
Lynne

Terry and Jo wrote:

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Just out of curiosity, what is the configuration of the tanks in that model?  Are they on the same level where one could have a connecting line between the two, thus expanding your space for the gray water?

Terry

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 I'm pretty sure that they are, but I plan on using a knife valve like the Wynn's did on their new rig to balance both tanks.

May I suggest you contact “Roger” at AM Solar – www.amsolar.com and discuss with him your options? AM Solar seems to be as interested in getting you what you need as they are in taking an order. That’s been my multiple experiences.  They are now providing Lithium batteries and they may be an option to save space albeit expensive. Small, Honda type generator(s) are probably a must to supplement solar.  Overall weight of the equipment must also be a prime consideration in the smaller vehicle.

 

Check out these two resources and be prepared to spend some quality time reading to give you a good background.

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 Thanks:

I've already sent them an email.

What I really hope for, is that Mercedes starts selling their 3500 cut-away chassis to RV manufacturers in the 4x4 configuration. (I think that the 4x4 is only available in the 2500 series)

Now THAT would be an awesome boondocking rig!

biggaRView wrote:

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We are exploring solar options also... Have you considered a solar array that might take the place of the awning?  I've seen a few such examples online.... weight could be an issue but the area of the awning is prime solar real estate...   There are creative ways to double your solar "footprint" also, panels that slide over top of panels while stowed etc. When deployed, they effectively increase the area available without taking up roof real estate. Everything adds weight, so balancing your other needs will be a challenge.

FWIW, Brian

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I'm open to just about anything that will get me between 400 to 500 watts on a fixed install. An Lynne mentioned, there are also lightweight portable options available to supplement the stationary panels. 

I'll also be looking at various heating options, but unfortunately, with a rig that small, a Kimberly wood stove is pretty much out of the question. Still ... there are some really well made, and inexpensive 6,000 to 8,000 BTU Catalytic Propane Heaters out there that are much more efficient than the house furnace that would normally be relied upon, and use a fraction of the fuel, converting almost 99% of it to heat, (and yes, I know that they must be properly vented). The new models don't produce carbon dioxide in any measurable amounts either. Electric mattress warmers are another way to minimize the use of propane, so you can keep warm for a couple of hundred watts, allowing you to lower the thermostat. 

Yes Lynne, this will be my first RV, and although I know that depreciation is a huge hit on a new vehicle, I think that in order to get the one that I really want I might have to bite that bullet. The upside is that this particular class and model holds it's value extremely well, and the LTV's are in great demand, and short supply. They are so backlogged at their factory, that they have already stopped taking orders for this model year, and the current wait time for a 2016, (which they won't start building until they've fulfilled the 2015 orders currently on the books) is close to a year.

I've narrowed down my main objectives to size and mobility, and the ease with which I can pull up anchor and scoot. The ability to go anywhere, and park anywhere is important to me, as is the comparative ease of handling and navigating a 24' or 25' rig, as opposed to piloting and parking a 60' long, 35,000 lb. train.  I was originally attracted to large fifth wheels due to my initial desire to have space, along with all the comforts of home. But as I came to understand the work and logistics involved with moving this type of rig from place to place, I began to scale back my parameters. I know that I could buy quite the monster for what I'll be paying for a new LTV Unity, so at least it isn't the cost that is driving my decision. 

After looking at virtually every size rig on the planet, in every class, and every imaginable floor plan configuration, I'm fairly confident the the Unity 24' Island Bed will perfectly suit my needs. I like the privacy of a separate bed and bath, and I like having night stands and a walk around queen size bed. The galley is big enough with plenty of storage, and they've finally gone to a three way, two door fridge that runs on LPG, 12 volt or 120 AC. The new tank-less hot water heater is a big plus too. There's also no need for an additional outside entertainment system, as the bedroom TV can be snapped off and relocated to a jack on the exterior of the unit.

I also figured out that no matter what I bought, the driving force in the engine compartment was going to be a diesel. Initially, I don't plan on pulling a toad, and will probably put my bicycle on a hitch rack for local transportation. I figure that If I do stay somewhere for any length of time, it will be cheaper to rent a car if I need one for a few days or weeks. But I'm confident that for the most part, the RV will serve quite well as my primary daily transportation. The funny thing is that the Mercedes Sprinter gets better gas mileage than any HD Dually pick-up truck used to haul a Fiver or TT.  I'm also hoping that by the time I get ready to place an order, there will be a 4x4 option available. 

Mark V wrote:

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Something else that I've been thinking about for quite a while:

The Sprinter is small, but the new ones have 5,000 lb tow hitches. Now, let's say that you wanted to stay out in the sticks for an extended period of time (maybe a month or so). My idea would be to rent a small U-Haul cargo trailer, and load it up with extra food, water, fuel, LPG and anything else that you might run out of were you to rely on your RV's basic storage capacity. When you're done, just return the trailer, or you could even drop it off in the next city that has a U-Haul franchise. 

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 Mark,

With the thought of the U-Haul trailer in mind, check with them to see what their rental costs would be.  We drove by one of their lots today and my youngest son noted that for what one used to be able to rent for $19.95 per day had downsized from a box truck to a 3/4-ton cargo van.  Keeping a trailer for a couple of weeks to a month might be cost prohibitive.

Terry

Mark, Uhaul and others regularly sell off their equipment... you might be able to get a decent deal on a used trailer. Another low cost source would be equipment auction houses. I have seen some really good suitable trailers going for a song.  My neighor just bought a used ambulance, that he was going to gut for his business, $5,000 dollars for a 8 year old vehicle in great shape. He said there was a 4x8 tandem trailer (ex Uhaul) there that he almost bought for 500 dollars. He said it was virtually spotless.  At your  quoted 15/day that trailer would pay for itself in a little over a month. Just sayin' the deals are out there if that is a route you are thinking of taking.

FWIW, Brian

From the sound it, then it's probably not a solution for your needs, unless you had a place to park it when you're not using it.  Still, a large enough trailer (2200lbs) say one big enough (7x14) to carry a Smart car (1600lbs), spare water (30gal = 250lbs),battery bank(500lbs), tools and equipment(200lbs), and the roof  covered with over 90 sq ft. of solar panels(250lbs) might still be towable by modest rig.  Just a wild "guessimate".  Smart car or the trailer might not be rugged enough for a serious boondocking adventure though. Hmmm, hate going off topic but... this is giving me an idea for my trains if we go the MH route for our rig..... ok back to the subject at hand, anyway good luck with your research, as we have time before we go, I'd be interested in whatever setup you come up with. I'll bet Chip (Sushidog) is following your plan with interest also.

Brian

I agree with the less stuff = more freedom... some things are hard to let go of. We'll see if 3 or 4 years will change that view.