[Dave06]

Hi all, we are the proud owners of a new Promaster! After reading here for the last several weeks, we took the plunge.

In my quest for a great full timing vehicle, I've gone from strongly considering a Sprinter, then an F250 Diesel with an Alaskan Camper, to the Chevy Express 2500 Extended, and have now settled on the PM. The Sprinter ultimately scared me off with stories of complexity and cost of operation, in particular in the diesel format. The Pickup with slide in had one huge drawback-gotta get out of the vehicle to enter the camper. The Chevy Express was a near winner, but there were so many aspects of the PM that I liked that I kept coming back to it. In the end, it just seemed to me that the PM was a current millennium vehicle and the Chevy wasn't.

We are just back from our inaugural trip, a short overnight up the coast starting with the odometer at 57 miles and ending around 410. Over the next 6-12 months we'll make a camper out of our blank slate, I hope to retire in early 2019 or so and hit the road, we will of course have lots of weekend and some extended trips before then.

I'll post shortly about our experience, and will include a minor issue we are having in hopes of some feedback.
Thanks to all who contribute here, it's truly invaluable!

Dave06

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

Welcome. Is that a nonwhite van? Retirement will come faster with a project!

 

[Dave06]

Welcome. Is that a nonwhite van? Retirement will come faster with a project!

Indeed, a nonwhite van, and a color you may be familiar with!

 

[KeepMeMoving]

Welcome.

In the end, it just seemed to me that the PM was a current millennium vehicle and the Chevy wasn't.
Dave06

That is an understatement. As I recall the Chevy dashboard is straight out of the 1980's. I am surprised they still make the Chevy and that so many people buy it.

 

[Dave06]

Welcome. Is that a nonwhite van? Retirement will come faster with a project!

That is definitely a nonwhite vehicle, I'm sure the color looks familiar to you?

 

[Dave06]

Welcome.



That is an understatement. As I recall the Chevy dashboard is straight out of the 1980's. I am surprised they still make the Chevy and that so many people buy it.

No doubt about it. I will say that the Chevy may have a benefit from lower complexity and a far greater number of mechanics out there who know it in case of breakdown. I had planned to put a 24" high top on it, though that cost installed-$4500-5000 would take the Chevy price to or past that of the PM High Roof.

 

[Kip-on-truckin]

The venerable chevy has its place (durability), but mostly in a cutaway chassis. Van-for-van, the pm wins.

Case in point: this werkend I drove from Cleveland to Long Island and back in a 2006 Chevy. 13.6mpg, vs 20mpg in the pm. Not to mention vastly more space, comfort, viaibility, hvac, turning circle, brakes and on down the list. Oddly, they are about the same price when new.