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Ideal campervan for windsurfing & traveling

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Created by regal1 > 9 months ago, 16 Apr 2019
regal1
NSW, 417 posts
16 Apr 2019 7:52PM
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I want to get a campervan for travelling and windsurfing. I'm looking at a Sprinter/Crafter sized van.

The ideal solution would be to have a windsurfer trailer towed behind the van. However I can't store a trailer so that doesn't work. I don't want to do a custom fit like www.vandoit.com Given the height of a Sprinter/Crafter, I think putting gear on and getting gear safely off the roof looks problematic. I've got a wagon for local windsurfing. This is for trips.

Does any seabreezer know, tried or seen a campervan format, brand or model that would suit a travelling windsurfer?

windsurftom
NSW, 332 posts
16 Apr 2019 8:14PM
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The long wheel base sprinter/crafter seem to be the go, with a shed at the back with the bed above, and the living area to the front half

FormulaNova
WA, 14033 posts
16 Apr 2019 6:52PM
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Sprinters are huge. Surely you could just put a shelf in it, keep the boards and sails down below, and a sleeping platform above?

Are you after something already setup? If so, I doubt you would find it as campervans are usually setup to take advantage of all the space they have and its unlikely they have 2.7m of free space at the back.

My dream 'camper' for windsurfing is now a mini bus with the back half devoted to storing boards and sails. Something like a Mitsubishi Rosa bus with all the seats chucked out and complete with camper section at the front. Also a turbo as they seem to be a bit underpowered.

kato
VIC, 3332 posts
16 Apr 2019 9:12PM
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Thinking about an electric Kombi. Free travel costs ??

JonesySail
QLD, 1057 posts
16 Apr 2019 9:47PM
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google or FB 'van life' insane endless ideas....
you want:

'walk in' so that's min 19000 internal height...taller the better (not an abundance of vans at that height) a lot are the 'mid height'
ideal internal length around 3500mm, if you can extra long 4000+ even better!

That gives you room for a 'garage at the back' bed on top...this is popular option in the states where they store mountain bikes or even Mx bikes under on slide out's for easy access...normally an external shower or hose/wash system bed on top with ceiling corner cupboards.

The section behind the Cabin effectively becomes your kitchen / lounge area, 'pull out kitchens/cook areas' are gold ...check out 'Drifta.com.au' for pull out kitchens.

With the bigger vans they normally have a bigger payload of close to 2T also...the mid size vans are normally limited to low to mid k's

Mid size - Ducato good option 2T
Large - Iveco (almost truck like!) - Merc

there's a few ideas on my Pintrest site www.pinterest.com.au/mjonescfsp/campervan/

happy van life!



regal1
NSW, 417 posts
16 Apr 2019 10:16PM
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Much appreciated! Thank you for the comments. Love the Pinterest site, particularly the USA Winnebago Revel bed that drops down. One further query. Is a van 4x4 (say sprinter or iveco 4x4) necessary or helpful to access windsurfing spots in WA?

ratz
WA, 469 posts
16 Apr 2019 8:31PM
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regal1 said..
Much appreciated! Thank you for the comments. Love the Pinterest site, particularly the USA Winnebago Revel bed that drops down. One further query. Is a van 4x4 (say sprinter or iveco 4x4) necessary or helpful to access windsurfing spots in WA?


nope
most spots can be got to without four wheel drive.

segler
WA, 1595 posts
17 Apr 2019 1:23AM
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Sprinter all the way. I have a 2003 3500 T1N set up as a RV. The sofa bed is in front, just behind the driver's seat. (Most converters put the beds in the back. ) With mine in the front I can put windsurfing gear in the back and stop to camp or sleep without having to empty out the back of the van. Since it is a standard 3500 (no camper box on the chassis) I can park it anywhere a big pickup would fit.

Even at 8,000 lb empty weight, I can eke 22 mpg out of it. No, it's not a Porsche, but the acceleration and power is plenty.

regal1
NSW, 417 posts
7 May 2019 3:23PM
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Sprinter doesn't work. Beds don't work east west as its quite narrow. Ducato suits better as wider but slightly shorter. Any negative experiences out there?

FormulaNova
WA, 14033 posts
7 May 2019 5:08PM
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Why do you need the beds east-west? with a Sprinter wouldn't you have heaps of room to run the beds length ways and still be able to boards underneath?

Wide vans are a pain. Parking is difficult, but I guess if you are talking of Sprinters, then parking is not your main concern.

regal1
NSW, 417 posts
8 May 2019 7:33AM
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What I'm looking at is a 2nd hand winnebago/avida escape. The double bed is electric and stays in the ceiling when not in use. The area below will be have windsurfing gear. The area in front of the bed/storage (looking forward) has cooking on the left, shower & toilet on the right. This format works best when the bed is east/west rather than north south. The xlwb sprinter is longer but not by much.

mathew
QLD, 2015 posts
8 May 2019 12:14PM
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regal1 said..
What I'm looking at is a 2nd hand winnebago/avida escape. The double bed is electric and stays in the ceiling when not in use. The area below will be have windsurfing gear. The area in front of the bed/storage (looking forward) has cooking on the left, shower & toilet on the right. This format works best when the bed is east/west rather than north south. The xlwb sprinter is longer but not by much.


I think you are mistaken about the Sprinter - my fit-out holds 9 boards, 12 sails, etc. There is room for a king-size bed, a full kitchen and a couch which folds out as a 7ft single bed.




You could - with effort - even add an internal wet-area for a shower/toilet.

regal1
NSW, 417 posts
8 May 2019 2:40PM
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Respect.

tbwonder
NSW, 635 posts
10 May 2019 10:32AM
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When I was looking for a touring vehicle I had a similar problem. It is really hard to combine all the requirements into a single practical vehicle. I was looking for a comfortable motorhome with full kitchen, table, lounge, toilet, shower etc suitable for long trips away. I needed enough space to carry a reasonable pile of windsurfing gear, a SUP and a couple of mountain bikes as well. I also wanted 4WD as this vehicle also had to be suitable for outback travel. No manufacturer in Australia makes anything even close to this, unless you go down the custom path. There is an interesting range of caravans www.jayco.com.au/promo/toy-haulers if you are prepared to tow.
I ended up with a secondhand home made truck conversion. It is a FUSO FG84 4*4 dual cab. I had to do a small amount of rework to install racks for bikes and sail boards. At 6 tonne when fully loaded it is a bit of beast. It is not cheap to run, it is slow and uncomfortable to drive. But I have no regrets I have spent more than 200 days in it in the last three years.
Here it is at LG in Feb 2019


regal1
NSW, 417 posts
11 May 2019 12:17PM
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hi tbwonder,
what's your estimate of the replacement cost and how many l/100km do you get?

tbwonder
NSW, 635 posts
11 May 2019 10:03PM
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It does 19 litres per 100k. Most people seem to be surprised by this. Some that it is high, others that it is low. We looked at loads of similar 4WD truck based vehicles. They typically ranged in price from $60,000 to $100,000. You can obviously spend a lot more, but if you want a truck less than 10 years old with something on the back it is hard to spend much less.



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"Ideal campervan for windsurfing & traveling" started by regal1