Interstate vs Roadtrek ???

[MOS]

May make the switch from AS trailer to class B MoHo .
We like the Roadtrek CS Adventurous.
Need some input on comparing it with the AS Interstate please
Thanks

[xrvr]

Put road trek in the search function at the top of the page. Several links.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by MOS

May make the switch from AS trailer to class B MoHo .
We like the Roadtrek CS Adventurous.
Need some input on comparing it with the AS Interstate please
Thanks

I test-drove a Roadtrek RS Adventurous before I ever saw an Interstate. The CS Adventurous hadn't come out yet, but from what I understand, the CS Adventurous isn't much different except for the wet bath.

As far as driving goes, the Roadtrek had more road noise (not as much floor insulation), plus more creaks and rattles inside. Back then (late 2011), Airstream didn't buy Sprinters with all of the options, and neither did Roadtrek. So the basic Sprinter vans were more-or-less identical, except that Roadtrek was already using the EXT model and Airstream wasn't.

As far as layout goes, Roadtrek had something unique; the four front swivel seats could be converted to two twin beds. The aisle was wider because the wet bath was even narrower— BUT the wet bath had double doors, that opened out to turn the aisle into part of the bathroom to effectively double the size of it, as long as you didn't mind trapping someone in the back end until you were done. As I understand it, the CS Adventurous still has double doors on the wet bath, but they come together at an angle to give more interior volume even when closed, so the shower pan can be larger.

Fit and finish weren't as good on the Roadtrek as on the Interstate. The difference was obvious to even a casual glance. But it was still WAY better than the el-cheapo Winnebago ERA that used vinyl-clad particle board for the cabinetry!

Also, there was more overhead clearance above the driver and front-seat passenger, but at the cost of less storage space above the driver and front-seat passenger.

That's about all I remember about my road-test of the RS Adventurous. Once I saw the Interstate, and took it on a 20-mile test drive, my mind was made up and there was no way I'd have settled for a Roadtrek.

[Wingeezer]

You might also want to take a look at this other Canadian make.

https://leisurevans.com/?_vsrefdom=a...X1cxoCCtrw_wcB


There is also another make called Pleasure way.


I spent quite a lot of time looking at details of Airstream / Roadtrek / Leisure vans / Pleasure way, and thought that if I opted for a class B my first choice would probably be the Leisure Van.

They really look nice - lots of youtube videos on line.

A Roadtrek would be good for us though since we live only an hour from the factory. Also, many of them they are short enough to fit into our driveway without blocking the sidewalk - most of the others are not.



In the end though, I have never been able to convince my wife that we should make the switch from our Classic 30 so i guess it ain't made to be! On the plus side, look at the $$ I'll save! Still would have liked one though!

[Denis4x4]

Retired our Airstream to a riverside guest house and bought a Leisure van for travel. It is the first and only RV we've owned that has had zero defects and quality components. It is built by Mennonites in Canada to very high standards. Interestingly enough, when the popularity of the Leisure van started to soar, the factory refused to as increase production and the wait time to be a factory order can be as much 10 months. Well worth the wait in my estimation after using our for four years.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Wingeezer

A Roadtrek would be good for us though since we live only an hour from the factory. Also, many of them they are short enough to fit into our driveway without blocking the sidewalk - most of the others are not.

I think you're talking about the Agile, built on the 144" wheelbase Sprinter instead of the 170" wheelbase Sprinter. It had one unique feature that its bigger cousins could copy, a slide-out that slid out the rear doors! The rear sofa couldn't be made into a bed until you opened the doors at least 90°, and slid the extension out the back. But when the slide-out was slid in for sofa mode, the van really was agile compared to the 170" wheelbase models.

[GM Airstream]

We did some research on them and found the roadtrek is a little better layout and has a bathroom you CAN use... but, some have reported that the roadtrek... made in canada is not as good in the warnt'e dept. The owner is not smiling towards the US... and getting service on the RV part is hard find in the states... least as they report a good one that takes care of business... Otherwise dodge or MB seems to take care of the vehicle part... except some have found that the height becomes a problem in the service bays... Oh and one other thing... most have had problems with their on board alternator.... which is nothing more than a large car alternator that they run into a sine inverter... the problem is not with the inverter.. but rather overheating the alternator on the engine... Others seem to think the 600 amp hr ion bats are not worth it... fearing fire as well as the vehicle engine starting on its own without anyone around... Most suggest leaving that defective option (that the manufacture seems to know about ... but keeps putting it out their anyway....) and go with the standard onan gen set mounted under the frame... or use a external one like the honda or yamaha 3KW ...
cheaper as well as easier to service...
Other than they are overpriced... they seem to be a pretty good rig... by themselves... and don't expect to tow anything... or carry a large load.. as the little tires they put on them are just about max'd out... they should have put duals on the rear... but went cheap in that dept also...

As to the AS one... nope ..nope.. and nope... we have heard nothing but bad reports on them... seems AS still hasn't learned how to make a MH... even after all their experance from years before... just too cheap in the materials section... least that is the way others are finding out too...

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by GM Airstream

Oh and one other thing... most have had problems with their on board alternator.... which is nothing more than a large car alternator that they run into a sine inverter... the problem is not with the inverter.. but rather overheating the alternator on the engine... Others seem to think the 600 amp hr ion bats are not worth it... fearing fire as well as the vehicle engine starting on its own without anyone around...

The E-Trek is a completely different critter

as the little tires they put on them are just about max'd out... they should have put duals on the rear... but went cheap in that dept also...

Are you talking about the same Roadtreks? The one I test-drove back in 2011 had duals! And the RS and CS Adventurous models still have duals!

As to the AS one... nope ..nope.. and nope... we have heard nothing but bad reports on them... seems AS still hasn't learned how to make a MH... even after all their experance from years before... just too cheap in the materials section... least that is the way others are finding out too...

I've had my Airstream Interstate for 5½ years now, and have no particular complaints about fit finish, durability, layout… Otherwise I would have traded it in on something else long ago.

Far from being cheap in the materials department, the Airstream Interstate uses many of the exact same components as other Sprinter-based B-vans, such as the appliances. The only truly unique-to-Airstream bits are the interior furnishings, i.e. the cabinetry, floor, walls, etc. And there, Airstream is very much the best, with their solid wood laminates, Corian countertops, etc.

Fact of life, this is the Airstream Forums. People come here to discuss problems with their Airstreams, including their Airstream Interstates. They don't come here to discuss their problems with Roadtreks, or Winnebago ERAs, or Pleasureways, etc. So you may get a skewed perspective.

And the number of people who come here to compain about their Airstream Interstates are a very tiny fraction of all Interstate owners. And the ones who do complain are the perfectionists who won't settle for second best. Even the best B-van on the market— no matter which one you think is best— is not perfect. There is always room for improvement on any brand and any model, and we all have different ideas of exactly how to improve our beloved B-vans.

[AlinCal]

Just returned from our local AS dealer Sky River and they had a Roadtrek, Pleasure way and an Interstate next to each other open for viewing. Never setting foot in any one of them before but we were first struck by the compact feel of them with the AI being the slightly more roomy. They all were of high quality fit and finish but liked the AI better than the other two, can't say what models we were looking at but all we based on the same Mercedes platform from outside appearance. They also had a Tommy Bahama open with a tag of $181,900.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by MOS

May make the switch from AS trailer to class B MoHo .

We like the Roadtrek CS Adventurous.

Need some input on comparing it with the AS Interstate please

Thanks

I think you will find the forum a bit biased toward the Interstates. I've had mine for over four years and 90,000 miles. It has been a good choice for me, but I do all my own repair and maintenance on the Airstream installed systems. The style and finish of the interior structures are some of the best I saw when buying in 2012. I think the materials used by Airstream are top quality, but their workmanship isn't top quality. The electrics are not up to their competitors, which is why I modified mine with more solar and more batteries plus a 2000 watt inverter.

I recommend you drive both and draw some of your own views on each. Also go over to the Class B forum and read some unfiltered comments about Roadtreks and other B-vans.
http://www.classbforum.com/forums

Don't rely on the major Roadtreking Facebook and web pages run by Mike Wendland. Those sites are heavily biased and don't allow people to complain much about their Roadtreks. Mike is compensated by Roadtrek for his positive blog and posts.

It was suggested in this thread to also look at Leisure Travel Vans (LTV) - they have good quality but no longer make B-vans. For last few years they have only made Class-C motorhomes. A good choice if you want more space, but then it's a larger vehicle that has some limitations compared to a B-van.

[TayaraTravel]

Here is another source of cross-brand Sprinter van information:
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=57

[EarlM]

Well I looked sat the Interstate and the Road Trek and bought a Winnebago View. I like real beds and a dry bath room

I do like the 33FB Classic

Choices we all have them

Earl

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by EarlM

Well I looked sat the Interstate and the Road Trek and bought a Winnebago View. I like real beds and a dry bath room

Being an apartment-dweller and not wanting to rent a separate place to store my motorhome, a B-van was essential. If I was a homeowner and had a place on my own property to store a motorhome, I might have made the same choice you did, to go with a small class C instead.

From day one I took full advantage of the Interstate's "stealth" characteristics. When I showed my landlady the brochure for the Interstate, she said, "Oh, it's a Mercedes! That's fine. I thought you wanted to park one of those ugly motorhomes here. Go right ahead!"

[EarlM]

My View is a Mercedes also

enjoy

Glad to see you back posting

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by EarlM

My View is a Mercedes also

I know. But from the point of view of my non-RVing landlady, my Interstate looks like a big Mercedes limo. Yours still looks like a motorhome and it never would have been allowed to be parked where I live.

It doesn't hurt that in Louisiana they don't issue license plates for motorhomes. The license plate says "Private Bus" for the type of vehicle. Which adds to the limousine resemblance.

[Pahaska]

I keep my AI in a storage facility, mainly to shield it from the sun. Although our covenants specify no RVs, I have had no kickback from having it at home for varying periods. Surprisingly, it is licensed here in Texas as a passenger car.

[TayaraTravel]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

... When I showed my landlady the brochure for the Interstate, she said, "Oh, it's a Mercedes! ..."

And no swoopy stripes!

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by TayaraTravel

And no swoopy stripes!

Which is why the Winnebago ERA was out of the competition from the get-go. Though I did test-drive one for comparison's sake. Road noise was incredible, partly because every single piece of particle board cabinetry rattled like out-of-tune bamboo wind chimes in a hurricane (pause for reflection; yes, that is exactly the right mental image). Which would have taken the Winnebago out of the competition even if the ugly vinyl graphics on the sides didn't.

[Kdselly]

I am a year old airstream interstate owner and new to posting ( I have learned A lot the past year) . I learned something super interesting today while dealing with a Mercedes repair in my 2013 with a flooded scr catalityic converter due to nox sensor. The Mercedes sprinter guy (since it is a Mercedes warranty issue) told me he had a couple stuck for over a month with the Winnebago version after hitting a rock here in portland Maine- why? Because road trek and the Winnie redo the exhaust systems to go around tanks and then don't easily support fixes. And Mercedes can't because it is after market changes. Airstream is the only one that works to keep it exhaust in a straight line just as Mercedes has done . For what it's worth. Mercedes sprinter exhaust system. He said they can't even really work well onthe rt and Winnie's . And that the gross weight of the road treks

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by Kdselly

I am a year old airstream interstate owner and new to posting ( I have learned A lot the past year) . I learned something super interesting today while dealing with a Mercedes repair in my 2013 with a flooded scr catalityic converter due to nox sensor... ...Airstream is the only one that works to keep it exhaust in a straight line just as Mercedes has done . For what it's worth. Mercedes sprinter exhaust system. He said they can't even really work well onthe rt and Winnie's . And that the gross weight of the road treks

What? The Interstates have an exhaust pipe modified by Airstream to make a 90 bend so it exits on the RH side in front of rear tires. The Winnebago ERA and Roadtrek Class-Bs are about the same weight as an Airstream Interstate.