Just ordered 2015 N2500 SL HR V6 with TP, Side/Read Glass in Arctic Blue

[mahu]

Hi everyone,

been lurking for a while but wanted to say hello now that we (my wife and I) factory ordered a NV2500. We were surprised we were able to get $4800 off MSRP and got it for just over $32k out the door. Should receive it in late August and then we'll be converting it to a camper van. Using this NV2500 as a template for conversion. Won't do a flip sofa/bed but instead a bed with a 20 inch pull out at the foot end. 200W Solar, stovetop/oven, 12V marine fridge, 225aH battery and a few other goodies. 

We are in the process of setting up a conversion and road trip blog as we'll be on the road the next 2-3 years at least. Leaving the career world in Washington DC behind taking a early/mid career retirement and returning to nature. We'll be based out of a small condo in Tahoe/Squaw Valley but will be on the road 90% of the year at least. I'll update once we picked up the NV.

Mahu

Edited June 9, 2015 by mahu

[ASD Dad]

Welcome and congrats on the new road trip vehicle.  Post up photos when you are doing the conversion!

[radin2son]

If you didn't find the "Magic" video buried in this forum, it is worth the search. Also, check out the Outside Van NV conversion. Over the top!

 

2-3 years, 90% of the time will really test my theory that that interior starts shrinking after 30 days.

 

You will like the chassis. Enjoy your build and feel free to ask questions and ignore my answers...

[Daydreamin520]

sounds wonderful... definitely keep us updated!  congrats.

[KMG]

I tried to view the hidden video and was linked to a site asking me to select a type of sex room to enter.  Unique room options!  I'm just saying I wouldn't want to enter some of those rooms.  (Photos for some you bet!)

[radin2son]

It isn't easy to find past posts. Try this search:

 

Magic on Vimeo

or

Nissan NV magic video

or

DEA Media (He and his wife are climbers and converted their high top NV. Other videos are worth watching as well.)

[mahu]

I tried to view the hidden video and was linked to a site asking me to select a type of sex room to enter.  Unique room options!  I'm just saying I wouldn't want to enter some of those rooms.  (Photos for some you bet!)

Oh my, here is the link to the video: vimeo.com/79569858

I must have forgotten to copy the v, so if you enter imeo.com/79569858 you indeed get to some a dubious sex site. The difference one letter can make. Sorry about that.

[radin2son]

Every time we watch this video, we want to get back on the road.

 

mahu, David is accessible through his web site, so if they aren't climbing somewhere, he will get back to you.

 

KMG, now you have something to keep you occupied and make time pass quicker. Then again, maybe the magic doors...

 

Didn't realize you are in MO. We were at Arrow Rock a couple of weeks ago when we cancelled plans, due to flooding and weather, to follow the Big Muddy to SD. Last year we followed it west to east from its source but tuned back in SD and headed home. We plan to return.

Edited June 11, 2015 by radin2son

[radin2son]

Manu and anyone else interested in hitting the road in an NV,

 

Go to www. dave-anderson.com and check out his video Patagonia Worn Wear Movie. You don't need to be a climber to enjoy this site.

 

Simplicity=multifunctional

Edited June 11, 2015 by radin2son

[mahu]

Thanks!! I have been in touch with David in the past and got some nice tips and input. Will definitely reach out to him again when the building process starts.

[mahu]

Btw, does anyone have experiences of feedback to share with regard to factory ordering an NV? Everything work out smoothly? We are waiting on confirmation that the order has been placed which the dealer will do as soon as the manufacturer/Nissan opens up for taking orders which according to dealer is once or twice per month. Thanks!

[mahu]

Received order confirmation from the dealer today. Everything on track and should be delivered by mid-late August. 

[radin2son]

Does a factory build offer any options not typically found on NVs on a dealer's lot? A good factory option for a camper conversion would be some AC vents in the back. Another would be the brackets for additional seats recessed under the sub-flooring when not needed.

 

One good thing about a camper van; there is no wrong way to do it, just improvements after the fact.

 

Keep us posted on the process; you may be the only one on the forum who has tried it.

[mahu]

We would have been happy to pick one off the lot, but none of the dealers in our areas carried what we wanted or could get it for us in a dealer swap. The challenge were the side and rear glass package as well as the color. We would have been fine with a white one, but even in white we couldn't get one with the glass package and the SL trim with the TP was challenging too. So in the end it made sense to do a factory order to get it exactly the way we wanted and in Arctic Blue, especially when we found a dealer (Priority Nissan in Chantilly, VA) that matched our asking price. They also offer free oil changes for life, not sure if that is common, but definitely nice to have that option. 

 

The factory order is going to count towards their August sales target (if I understand correctly) and August is a big month for them, especially since they are #2 in VA and obviously want to become #1 in the state. So I think those factors helped in getting a pretty good deal paying 30k while sticker price was almost 35k. None of the other dealers we went to budged on the price since it was a factory order and the lowest quote we got was around 32.5k and they let us walk out when we came back with 31k.

 

So if you are looking for a Nissan check out Priority and talk to Nick, he'll hook you up. :-) We came in, told them 30k or no deal and 5min they came back and we had a deal. They also took on the risk of the Manufacturers rebate being lower in August (June is $1500) since those discounts will be applied in August since that is technically when the sale will go through. (Only left a deposit at this point). If the rebate is lower they'll eat the difference, if it's high we'll get the savings on top.

[radin2son]

Free oil changes are fairly common but definitely not when you travel. We have found that NV dealer oil changes range from $30+ to $50 depending on where you are. Canada was the most expensive; same for gas. We stick to NV dealers primarily because they know the vehicle, can check and fix most issues right away. Since no one carries much of a parts inventory, you may have to wait a day or two for part. Even though our warranty expired at 36k, we plan to continue getting service at NV dealers. So far the only negative experience was at the Nissan dealership in Whitehorse, YT. They were not a NV dealership and told me they were too busy (not so busy since they came out to check the camperized NV) and to come back the next day to check the code/check engine light. I tried to bargain with them; SMB tour for checking the code. No go. They were a very small dealership.

 

I'm curious about why you chose a V6. We had a choice, V6 or V8 when we picked up our SMB in Fresno. We went with the V8 because of the weight of the conversion and the gear it would carry, approximate total of 2000#. It also had the options we wanted. We met a couple who bought one of 2 SMB demos; theirs was a low top V6. They really liked the V6. We have the tow package and are tossing around the possibility of towing a small travel trailer to use as a base camp or a Uhaul with basic items for a apartment rental. Based on the posts related to towing, we are not sure how much we could tow. Right now the hitch is useful for bike racks and maybe later a box/platform. Personally I don't like anything on the back.

[mahu]

So the warranty wasn't extended for the 2012 models then right? Because I read that 2013 models got bumped up to the 5 years/100k miles after the fact.

 

Based on some other NV owners I spoke with, including David Anderson, the V6 seems sufficient. He says he is getting around 17MPG so I'd be happy with that. Sure, it's good to have the extra power when you need it but the decrease in mileage adds up in addition to the higher purchase price. We are not planning to pull anything, maybe have bikes on the back, so I really didn't see the point for the V8. I don't think we'll be able to add 2000lbs to the van with the conversion. I did quick math based on the weight of batteries, panels, inverter, fridge, oven, water, propane, insulation, wood paneling, flooring, wood frame and shelving, mattresses, safe and personal effects and I am at around 1000 lbs. We borrowed a friend's commercial HR V6 and test drove it with tools and racks inside and it was handling just fine. 

No chrome mirrors though with the V6 as I just found out looking through the brochure. ;-)

[radin2son]

No, the warranty wasn't extended for 2012 models.

 

The conversion was 1000#. Gear includes 30 gallons (240#) of water, 2 humans (300# total), 2 medium size dogs (total 100#), food and initially lots of things we thought we needed but could have left at home. We have this down to what we know we need but recently added a stove for outside cooking, a screen room and light weight table when there is none where we camp. # add up quickly. Our moto seems to be if it doesn't fit in a duffle bag it doesn't go in the van. Sort of like go to sea with your sea bag...

 

Spring and fall travel along with altitude make clothing a challenge. Ice breaker shirts, the lightest weight down jacket and vest of your choice, hiking gear and some civilization clothes fill up storage quickly as well. If you have backpacked or van camped before you know what you like and that you wear the same things over and over.

 

Food is another issue, so we start out with as much as we can carry, plus a cooler for fresh food storage. Finding grocery stores is sometimes an issue. We buy drinking water and fill our 20 gallon tank with whatever potable water we can find. We have been as low as 2 gallons in the tank before we found water. If there is no hose connection, you have to fill the tank gallon by gallon with a bottle.

 

When we went to Canada, entry requirements seemed to suggest you better know what you were carrying. So we made an itemized list, very long list, and while we're at it we weighed what we were taking. This is how we came up with the 1000#... As it turned out Canadian Customs only wanted to know if we had $10,000 cash, guns, drugs, liquor and how long we intended to stay. On our return, U.S. Customs only wanted to know if we had produce. An apple sent us to the agriculture lane.

 

We still use this list as a check list for every trip.

Edited June 23, 2015 by radin2son

[radin2son]

How did your factory order work out? Did you get a firm delivery date? Boy or girl?

[mahu]

Should be any day now. I called last week at which point the first units from the order that our van is part of had started to arrive. Was told by our sales person that it'll get here most likely this week or next and second week of September at the very latest. They already had a bunch of Arctic blues ones come in but they were low roofs, so at least we know Canton produced some blue ones this month. :-) Second week September puts as at right around 12 weeks so towards the end of the 8-12 weeks we were told when we ordered it June 6.

 

The van will be called Charley, and our travel blog will be www.travelswithcharley.us, based on the Steinbeck novel Travels with Charley. 

 

Ahhhh...getting so impatient. The apartment is packed up and we are ready to hit the road as soon as he gets here. Keep your fingers crossed!

[radin2son]

It has been a long time since we read Travels with Charlie. You probably read Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon. Although not a travel book, we like Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. I often take it to re-read.

 

Inaddition to packing, were you able to put together what you will initially use when you hit the road? Post a photo of the start...

[mahu]

We'll be using Charley as a moving truck to drive from DC to the Bay Area mostly along I-40. In the Bay Area we will store our belongings with family. Then we'll spend 6-8 weeks building out Charley. I'll have a detailed build thread on the blog and will update here as well.

It'll be similar to David Anderson's High Roof build. A bit of a different bed/sofa construction but other than that the general layout will be similar. Kitchen will include 122L Nova Kool fridge and Atwood RV-2135 oven. 200W on roof and 225Ah. Also Propex heater.

[radin2son]

If you take I-40 all the way to I-15 and go slightly north to Barstow, you have all sorts of options to get to the Bay area. Not all of them that scenic. And if you cut over toward Bakersfied and I-5, you could take CA 99 to Fresno and SMB West for a tour if it is a weekday. I would be surprised if they had any NVs in production.

 

More importantly, if you spend much time in the Bay area, do you have a NV dealer in mind? You may want to check out Dublin Nissan just east of I-680 on I-580 (exit 45). Our SMB came from there, and they are still listed as being a NV SMB dealer (1 of 6 in the western states.) Gail Meadows, the commercial manager, is still listed as the contact person. He may not be there, as he has a sail boat and was mostly retired. He really liked NVs for conversions.

[mahu]

Cheers! Thanks for the recommendations. My wife and I are both from CA so we look forward to returning home. We'll be stopping at the Grand Canyon for a week or two to get our annual Rim to Rim hiking in and then we'll drive up US 395 (love the Owens Valley) to say hi to a couple of folks in Lone Pine and get some hiking in at Mt Whitney (mid September is a great time for summit bids especially with the low snow pack) and then stop at friend's at Lake Tahoe for a few days before taking US 50 to drop down into the Bay Area.

 

Probably going with Jim Bone Nissan in Santa Rosa (had good experience with them in the past) if we ever need service while in the Bay area. We'll be doing a few shorter drives Nov-March in the West and South West before departing for Alaska in late April.

[radin2son]

Not a bad itinerary for a moving van...

[mahu]

Hi everyone,

 

so turn out unfortunately it's still not "picking up the van" time...

 

After our sales person kept giving us the same answer (it'll be here next week or the week after) we went to the dealership yesterday in person and spoke to the New sales manager (Ben). The manager we had done our original deal with is no longer there unfortunately.

 

Turns out that whatever NVs our dealership had in the order pipeline could not be modified to fit what we wanted so they went all the way to regional/district manager to figure it out and place our order.

 

When we were there yesterday he couldn't see our order in the computer but promised to call us back as soon as he spoke to regional.

 

He called today and informed us that when they placed the order (we were there in early June and our sales person confirmed by late June that they had ordered) the "blue" color run for 2015 models was no longer open. (Something Chris had mentioned in an email to me as a potential obstacle.)

 

So, instead we are getting a 2016 model. Looks like they'll be shipping soon to answer someone's question in the forum about 2016.

 

We are promised a VIN number by Sep 23rd and delivery between mid-end of October.

 

Since we only have a handwritten note from the old manager with the terms of our agreement, I am now insisting on something official and Ben said he'll email us a copy of the "order bill" (?).

 

There was a bit more confusion since Ben suggested we had wanted the "all around glass" package even though the note and email confirmation from back in June clearly states rear and sliding door glass only.

 

Also if I am not mistaken, there is no all around glass package for High roof commercial, no? At least according to the "build and price" feature that is not an option. Can anyone speak to this? I have seen all around High roofs with glass but those are probably aftermarket and not factory, right?

 

Since NV2500 High Roofs with SL trim level in Blue with TP and glass don't fall out of the sky and I can't find one anywhere else, especially for $32k out the door it looks like we'll have to stick with the dealer and hope they'll follow through.

 

What I find very annoying and bad customer service is about not keeping us informed. If they knew the 2015 cycle was closed for Arctic blue, why wait until we walk into the door to tell us so. I would suspect they knew or at least could have found out, before yesterday. So now we gotta do all kinds of rescheduling and figure out alternative accommodation and then hope for delivery by the end of October.

 

So an 8-12 weeks delivery promise likely turns into a 20-22 week wait. Not happy, but not much we can do.

 

Please keep your fingers crossed! :-)