Sprinter RV

It is built on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis that is powered by a 3.0 liter V6 turbo engine with BlueTEC diesel technology. This chassis provides fantastic fuel economy from one of the cleanest diesel engines on the market. You’ll also be impressed by its power as you’re driving your fully loaded RV up mountainous roads.

Fleetwood RV introduced the 2011 Jamboree DSL and 2011 Tioga DSL as their premium offering in the Class C diesel market, and the 2011 Jamboree Sport DSL and 2011 Tioga Ranger DSL as a value-priced option.

Exterior of Jamboree DSL Shown in Tungsten

2011 Fleetwood Jamboree DSL

This is a classy looking rig that has taken some cues from the Class A’s:

• pass-through storage
• aluminum luggage doors
• full-body paint
• 3 color schemes: Concord, Sandrift, and Tungsten

The cab-over area lines are smooth, and yet the shape is less of a bubble than many of the other Sprinter RVs. There were no windows in the cab-over of the unit pictured above, but the floorplan shows them on each side. Conversely, the same unit clearly has a large window at above the bed on the curbside, however the floorplan does not show one. Regardless, it seems like there are less windows overall than other Sprinter models and floorplans on the market. Be sure to check it out for yourself.

Interior

The only floorplan is the 24D:

2011 Fleetwood Jamboree DSL 24D Floorplan

Some notables inside include:

• full-time rear corner bed
• ‘ultraleather’ sofa booth dinette
• china bowl toilet
• whole coach water filtration system
• duel pane windows (talk to your dealer about how appropriate these are in your area)
• ceiling halogen lights (may want to determine if switching to LED is reasonable)
• curved shower rod gives more room in shower
• solid surface counter top
• slide-out long enough to include dinette, pantry, and refrigerator to open up isle space

(Click on images to enlarge)

Overall the fit and finish provide a quality feel to this small motorhome. There are three interior decors to choose from: Linen Oasis, Lustrous Gold, and Mystic Midnight. First though, I’d select the wood finish, either Satin Chestnut or Satin Spice, because wood is a predominate feature inside.

Things to Consider

Check out the 2011 Jamboree DSL at your dealer or RV Show and be sure to spend time as much time in it as possible to determine whether this model fits your travel style. Pay particular attention to whether the dinette booth is adequate for both dining and lounging around in the evenings. Look at whether the windows provide the views and openness that you’ll want while camping or exploring. Also remember to discuss the duel pane windows and if they’re a good idea in your area. Florida for example is so humid that many avoid duel panes because moisture historically gets trapped between panes and need to be replaced to fix them.

Exterior Features

Full body paints and exterior graphics are optional and may vary from dealer to dealer on what they order. The exterior storage compartments are reminiscent of a Class A motorhome with the door-like opening and solid mechanisms. These baggage doors are insulated aluminum with a single paddle latch for easy opening. The pictured 24SB also sports a TV on the outside, which is optional and also unusual to find on exterior of the the smaller RVs.

2011 Chateau Citation Sprinter Exterior

Two Floorplans

Both the Chateau Citation and the Four Winds Siesta come in two floorplans, the 24SA and the 24SB. Some highlights of both floorplans include:

• Glass shower door
• China bowl toilet
• Cab-over bed, or optional front entertainment center with 26″ LCD television
• Cinnamon maple cabinets, or optional cherry

Model 24SA

The main feature that the 24SA offers is a queen size bed in the rear curb-side corner. The advantage is that the bed is always ready and no need set it up at night when you may be tired from your daytime activities. The downside is that takes up valuable space, and with it being in the corner it is not as accessible to get in or out or to make the bed. Some people have a strong preference for a walk-around bed after they’ve experienced the lack of accessibility of a corner bed. It comes standard with a booth dinette, or optionally a hide-a-bed sofa or u-shaped dinette instead of the booth.

Model 24SB

The advantage of the 24SB is more open living space. By sacrificing the full-time corner bed, the bathroom relocates to the back wall and includes a larger closet. This frees up the driver’s sidewall to fit the booth dinette and the sofa, side-by-side into one large slide out. Of course a larger slide opens up even more space both visually and physically. On the curb-side of the coach, the kitchen expands down the wall and add a pantry.

One Disappointment

In both models, the kitchen makes up the a major portion of the view while sitting at the sofa and is fairly prevalent in the dinette too. Some won’t be bothered by this because experience tells them that they’re only sitting there when there’s nothing to see outside. However, if you like to hang out inside sometimes, or find yourself boxed in due to weather this might feel a little claustrophobic to you.

Overall

Click here to view the embedded video.

Overall, this is a solid offering from Thor built on the fuel efficient Sprinter chassis. Head out to your local dealer, or nearby RV show, to spend a little time getting to know this little RV and if it is the right fit for your life.

Lower Profile

Compared to its popular Winnebago View, the height is lower by four inches and stands at 10 feet 7 inches. Check out the pictures below to see how the bubble above the cab is removed.

2010 Winnebago View Profile

2010 Winnebago View

The fold down bed over the cab is sacrificed to design a low profile RV, but that won’t matter much to the many who would rather not scramble up and down the ladder to go to slept. There’s still plenty of headroom, which makes it easy to access the front seats, and a large skylight above that brightens up the space.

Rear Slide Houses a Queen Size Bed

New in Winnebago’s Sprinter RV line is the use of a rear slide-out instead of a sidewall slide-out. This creates a space just large enough to walk-around a queen size bed. The bed is not only larger than the corner bed in the View’s “J” model, but is much easier to access as well. The trade off is the loss of the sidewall slide that provides a much roomier feel and function.

Traffic Flow

To offset the loss of the side slide-out, and the resulting narrow isle, Winnebago designed a creative floorplan with attention to traffic flow. The entrance is set back a bit from the front to provide a seating area to the right as you enter. From the entrance, you can also walk straight into the bathroom, or turn left for the kitchen or bedroom.

What makes this so smart is that most of the time you can get where you want to go without disturbing your partner. The traffic flows better overall by not funneling all activities down the same path. This reduces the hug and spin move required in many small RVs…you know the move when you need to get by the other person so you both ‘hug’, and then shuffle spin together to switch sides. See the floorplan below that specifies the various areas of the interior.

2010 View Profile 24DL Floorplan

Worth a Closer Look

The Sprinter RV is an ideal small diesel motorhome that’s worth a closer look. Check to see if your local dealer has one in stock, and then spend a little time in it. Get a feel for the front living area and whether it’s comfortable for dining or relaxing and watching TV. Pay attention to the window locations and how they set your views up while parked. Whether you’re stopped at a nice lunch spot, or stuck inside due to poor weather at the campground…an open view will make it a much better experience.

If you tend to carry passengers, like the kids, then the small sofa, which is really a bench seat, that faces forward appears to be a good option. Many small RV models don’t provide an adequate option for passengers, and Winnebago appears to try to address this here. Check this out carefully to see if this meets your needs. This is a good chance to try the sofa configurations into beds to decide how it would work in your lifestyle. For example, some with dogs might like to drop down the forward facing sofa into a small bed with safety belts, while still providing a walkway to the front cab. Now’s the time to test whether that would work for you while traveling.

When testing out the bedroom area, in addition to seeing how comfortable the bed is, make sure that there is enough space to walk around because its a tight fit. If you won’t always have the opportunity to slide out, like perhaps when dry camping, make sure that the bed is still usable even with the slide in. And finally, when deciding if storage is adequate, keep in mind that having a full time bed area means not having to store bedding elsewhere and therefore frees up valuable storage space.

As a Medical Manufacturer’s Sales Representative in Central Florida, my territory covers the west coast of Florida through Orlando to Daytona Beach, along the Interstate 4 corridor. I am given a car allowance, but many of the perks have been cut out of the budget. Just like everyone else, I needed to find ways to cut expenses to make ends meet. After doing some online research for a small RV that gets good gas mileage, I went to several RV dealerships that carry the diesel Sprinter camper vans (a Class B RV) and the Class C RVs.

Class A RV

I determined early on that the Class A RVs were much too big to park at many of the hospitals and doctors’ offices I visit. Besides it is overkill for my “mobile office” needs, and the fuel economy is poor. One promising Class A though is the upcoming Sprinter based 2010 Via by Winnebago. It is a 25-foot motorhome that looks interesting, but might still be a bit too big for work travel. The available floor plans look less promising though as a set up for a “mobile office”.

Class B RV

The class B RV was too small and I think I would get cabin fever after a few days. The floor plan was not comfortable for a mobile office setting, and the shower was virtually unusable. The fuel economy was attractive, but not worth the sacrifice on space. Once filled with my products and equipment, this set up clearly would not work.

Class C RV

The Class C RVs were just right. Although the fuel economy is not as good as the Class B, they have the best floor plans, with adequate storage and a comfortable “mobile office” workspace. Several months ago I purchased the Winnebago View 24H that has a dinette, which works well as a desk, and a couch so it doesn’t have a bedroom feel. It is one of the best small RVs, in my opinion, and is the perfect “mobile office” for me.

I use my travel coffee maker and head to my first meeting of the day. By the time I arrive, I am able to go in the back of the RV to use the restroom. I check my e-mails on the computer, grab something from the refrigerator and heat it up in the microwave. Then when I meet my clients I’m refreshed and at my best.

When I need to stay overnight, just like any other of the small RVs that are self contained, I can watch a little TV, sleep, shower and shave, and I am ready for the next day. I have even stayed for free in the parking lots of some of the hospitals with the permission of the administrators.

My wife likes to go to a beach campground and then go to the local seafood restaurants on the weekends. She grew up with a small RV, visiting the Florida RV parks. I guess I need to give her all the credit for telling me to forget the Lexus, and get one of the Class C RVs. With the Sprinter model RV, I now have a fuel efficient ‘motoroffice’ during the week, and a fun ‘motorhome’ for the weekend. It’s the best of both worlds, 7 days a week!