I suppose I ought to throw in my two cents...
I absolutely love the concept of the Sportsmobile. It has enabled us to live a lifestyle over the last couple years that I didn't even imagine when we first started considering our vagabondish ways 6 or 7 years ago.
From a size perspective we find it about ideal for being small enough to get into very tight places, maneuver in town, and generally take any 4x4 trail we have had the desire to try to date. Conversly it is large enough for us to carry quite a few toys, not feel cramped when the weather is inclement and we are stuck inside, and with the top up it is absolutely roomy.
On the construction side I do have my fair share of beefs, which are pretty well documented on our web-site, and I won't reiterate here. My feeling is that the quality of execution on those great ideas suffers some on both the engineering side and the actual construction. I cannot say how many of the issues we have encountered are unique to our van, and which ones are more universal. I do know that we use the van much more than their average customer, and are thus bound to run into issues more often and sooner. We also take full advantage of the 4x4 system while many owners I believe just have it as an insurance policy for snowy roads or whatever.
I have heard back from a few folks who purchased Sportsmobiles after reading our site, and made requests to the company based on our information. They were happy with what they got in the end, so experiences may have changed.
Also, please note that there are 3 Sportsmobile facilities, and I gather they are somewhat independent, though with a common name and some interaction. Our van was constructed at the California facility.
For what its worth,
-Erik
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