Travels in a NV SMB

[Local Apparent Friday]

Neat thread!  Thanks for bumping this.  Be safe out there.

[radin2son]

Thanks. 

 

Keeping track of fires on InciWeb is critical.

 

Then, there is carrying enough water. 30+ gallons in our case. 

 

 

[Local Apparent Friday]

@radin2son Still out there dodging fires?

[radin2son]

No. Fires, however, aren’t the reason as major roads have reopened in AZ and NM. 

 

We still have a trip in the works for southwestern Colorado. 

[Local Apparent Friday]

Sweet, it's a beautiful area.  Stoked to follow your pics.

[radin2son]

Came across this after LAF's comment about must have tools and NV storage.

 

So what is a NV Sportsmobile? In 2012-13(?), Sportsmobile West (Fresno) built 30 and a few one-offs. Austin facility built a few as well. Plan was to sell them through Nissan commercial dealerships. Not a good Plan! We have only seen one, the V6 prototype, in Teton National Park. Email contact with 2 others. The Austin facility has a used high roof for sale for $45000. 51115 miles. 

 

We chose the pop top with RB50 floor plan because it was just like our '83 VW. It also sleeps 4 unlike the high "roof "and high top in general. Paid $65,700 at the Fresno facility, where we picked it up before it was shipped to the dealership. The dealer sold the naked van at a discount. Some dealer markups pushed the price to $73000. 

 

These weren't special order vans so we paid more to double the size of the water tank and add a hot water system. 

 

We have enjoyed this van for almost 10 years. Continues to meet all our expectations. We initially used the microwave but haven't in awhile.Trying to figure out how we would use the space if we remove it. Wish we could fit a taller/larger fridge in hat space. We use a Coleman stove outdoors and a backpacking stove indoors to make coffee or tea. Handheld outdoor shower works well enough, but eventually you need to find a real shower.  

 

Essentially, this is a well built, basic van. Sportsmobile West is now in Phoenix and builds Transits. The Fresno facility is now Field and builds high end 4x4 vans. 

 

[Local Apparent Friday]

There is at least one high roof NV cruising around with a pop top from CO Camper vans.  Haven't ruled that out when/if our family gets bigger.  Post the dims of your fridge space and I'll see if I can help find something larger.  Dometic has a pretty wide range of offerings.

 

- laf

Edited June 27, 2022 by Local Apparent Friday

[radin2son]

We did do a quick measurement and check out available fridges. Most were too wide, but that doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist. I will remeasure the space and pm you a photo. Thanks. 

[Local Apparent Friday]

No worries, send me the model of your existing fridge too.  Ty

[radin2son]

Back in May, 2017 we drove the Water Pocket Fold road to get to Capital Reef. (Earlier post here if interested.)

 

Adventure_journal.com has an article and YouTube link to a June 23, 2022 flash flood in Capital Canyon. 

 

Here  are a few additional photos of our time in the area. Some weather was rolling in but our thought was no worries. We weren't worried about heavy rain or flash floods. But should we have been? 

Edited July 22, 2022 by radin2son

[Local Apparent Friday]

Neat pics!  Beautiful country out that way.

 

- laf

[radin2son]

Check out Youtube, Capital Gorge Flash Flood Rescue June 23rd, 2022

 

It’s all about a decision to drive into a flash flood to escape, underestimating the force of the flood and overestimating his truck’s capabilities. He drove through a safe area of high ground, where an NV would have had to stop.

 

Going in on the paved section, the road climbs. When the pavement ends, the road follows the wash down to the parking lot and trail head. Our concern at the time was to get there early to get a parking space and beat the heat. Even though you have to cross a “small” normally dry wash to get to the parking lot, there was no reason to think the parking lot would flood.  When we finished our hike the lot was full and cars were parked on the road. Doubt anyone was concerned about flooding. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by radin2son

[Local Apparent Friday]

Pretty wild series of poor choices there.  Glad the bush didn't catch on fire and burn the truck down.  Educational for someone solidly from the East, where we have flash floods but they aren't as complicated and trappy as that.  Breathtaking to see those waterfalls rolling over the top like that, but yah...after watching how long the drive out was, I would have made a detour well before he did to high ground on my own terms.  Glad they all made it out.  I wonder how those that just stayed at the trailhead faired.

 

- laf

[radin2son]

The current park brochure shows the road as fwd which would have kept us out unless it said fwd and high clearance vehicles recommended. 

 

Wonder if NPS will close Capital Gorge road during Monsoons?  There is a gate that was closed several days earlier per some hikers. 

 

 

 

[OpenRoad]

I think sometimes just having the rear wheel drive on my Nissan is a good thing in that it keeps me out of trouble.  Though I have been impressed with just how far I can go with the good clearance and the tires I have on my NV.  The thing the people at Capital Reef had going for them was this is a very popular destination so they and others were rescued in fairly short order.  I prefer to go to remote areas and try to have what I need to be self reliant.  One thing that I carry in case things go to heck and walking out is not really an option is a Garmin InReach.  Now matter where you are the satellite communication allows you to contact your friends alerting them to your situation or, if things are really bad, the authorities for emergency rescue.  Garmin provides a subscription service that you can turn on and off at a very reasonable cost.  Even with the hordes of travelers and campers that are out there now the Southwest is a really big place with plenty of fantastic empty destinations.  We are really lucky to be able to travel there.

[Local Apparent Friday]

I second the thought of being impressed...we were off on the outer banks where we shouldnt have been a couple weeks ago but with the BFGs and the electronic locking diff or whatever they call it, we were out and back without issue.  

 

Garmin InReach is a great product, we carry that too, as well 10/11m radios, but that's more for hobby than emergency.

[radin2son]

Per after-the-fact news reports, a flash flood warning had been issued. With no cell service and next to no local area radio stations, there was no way to know except to look up at the clouds. 60 people were rescued and 8 vehicles destroyed. In one place, the water was 7’ deep. 

 

It’s ironic that the Salt Lake Tribune recommended looking at the park website for the current weather or checking at the visitor center. Per CR’s website, limited WiFi is only available just outside the visitor center’s front door. 

 

 

 

 

[Local Apparent Friday]

We're carrying starlink.  I reckon if the clouds are thick enough to shut down the wifi, that's warning enough. 

[radin2son]

Woods Lake CG, forest service, is lightly used, first come first served campground. While we were there, the max number of campers was 16 out of 31, not counting the horse sites. 8+ miles west of Telluride, CO and a 9+ mile 1/2 pavement and dirt drive up to just shy of 10,000’. Stock NVs can handle it just fine. All but #30 are van friendly. We were in site 13, no RVs section. Camper vans are fine. 

 

Serious thunderstorms can be an issue, but we got lucky and had great weather. Photos show that. 

 

Took on a day trip to the north rim of Black Canyon on the Gunnison River National Park. (Years ago, we camped on the south side in snow.) We had planned to stay at the 13 site (fcfs) but opted to remain at Woods Lake. Much cooler, plus dogs have few options in National Parks. Sites are in shade and we checked out vacant site 3. Flat enough with fantastic view. 

 

Never encountered a sign like below. Uranium mining in the 4 corners area. 

 

For those interested. Per the 2012 NV mpg calculation, mpg was 16.1. This is high about 1 mile. Much lower octane in mountains and NVs do fine at 10,000’+. They also do fine at 80 mph on interstates. 

 

Edited August 9, 2022 by radin2son

[Local Apparent Friday]

Beautiful pics!  Hope you're having fun out there.  We use freecampsites.net to find chill spots as well.  Fair winds,

 

-laf

[radin2son]

Yup, the mpg instrument panel display was off by 1 mile. Paper and pencil calculation came up with 15.1 mpg. Even this is questionable given the vagaries of pump shut offs. 

 

I believe the mpg instrument display disappeared in 2013. Not sure if it reappeared. 

[Local Apparent Friday]

We have one in our '14, but as we are on 285's, it isn't accurate.  I used a GPS to track distance and figure out that it's recording roughly .90075% of the actual covered mileage, so when applying that mathematically to our odometer over the course of our trip, we averaged about 13.631mpg, which includes a lot of flat land driving, as well as a trip through the white mountains and across VT to Albany, then down the lake to Erie and round to Pittsburgh before heading for the WV mountains and across back to the coast.  Good to see you all again!  

 

- laf

[radin2son]

Inevitable question: “How’s the gas mileage?”

 

Other than giving a general response, mpg and gas prices are mostly out of our control. You take what you can get. The exception is fill up anywhere before you cross into California. 

 

One thing we have noticed is we get better mpg in the west vs trips east to the Everglades and DC. 

[Local Apparent Friday]

Perhaps the humidity is to blame.  That's the first thing that comes to mind.  I'm also wondering if our bike cover on our hitch rack creates a bit of drag.  For the pump problem, I normally let it auto shutoff and then keep going until squeezing almost immediately results in it shutting back off.  I figure that's about as close as I can get to doing it the same way every time, and any difference would be negligible in the grand scheme.  All in all, loving this thing.  Safe travels!

[radin2son]

10 years, 91,000 miles and 46 adventures in a Sportsmobile NV 2500.

 

Just back from a trip from our home in the Sonora Desert, through the Mojave Desert to the Big Sur and to the Grand Canyon and back. 2500’ to sea level to 7000’. 

 

Normally, we don’t take winter trips or return that often to previous sites, but the weather forecast was favorable. Never got below 30* and no rain/snow. 

 

Only negative was “mandatory” reservations via Recreation.gov. 

Poor CG maps and both times we used it, campgrounds had only 1-2 sites available. Not true when we got there. Also, in order to pay online you need google chrome. Safari lets you reserve but you have to get on the phone and call. Apple Pay may work. 

 

Plaskett Creek CG and Sand Dollar Beach, Big Sur

Hole-in-the-Wall CG, Mojave National Preserve 

Mather CG, Pine Loop, Grand Canyon.