Sportsmobile West Factory & Van Conversion Tour With Founder Alan Feld
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ค. 2018
- Camper vans and van life, as we know them today, would not exist without Sportsmobile. Since 1965, owner Alan Feld and crew have been outfitting thousands of Volkswagens, Fords, Dodges, Chevys, Sprinters and beyond. In this video, Alan takes us on a tour of Sportsmobile West along and gives us a history lesson on vans. While cruising around the factory Alan continuously feeds viewers helpful tips and tricks for how to best customize a van / overland vehicle. If you like vans, you won't want to miss this video!
Learn more at: www.Sportsmobile.com
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Professionalism and Passion at it’s Finest!
*This dude seems to be perfectly used to giving tours on camera... jeez.. professionalism at it's finest...*
Allen is a true pioneer. He's created an industry in North America. Sarting with backwoods van camping done in the 60's with his VW van conversions. And look at the employment he provides for his skilled labourers. And seems like such a chill boss. Glad God things happen for good people. Hat off to Allen.
What a genuine fella. You can see how much he loves what he does.
This is the most informative and entertaining video I've ever seen on this topic. What makes this video work so splendidly is that the owner was super articulate, super organized, and he was allowed to put several cogent points together successively WITHOUT being peppered with obnoxious comments and questions all along the way. A very well done video and so full of information you have to watch it over and over again while taking notes.
Thank you for your feedback!
I agree with Cecil . Well done indeed!
Sounds like the owner is still as in love with the job as he was on day one. Fantastic!!!!!!!!
agreed
Not exactly stealth like anymore
he's a Salesman, I would pick a small class c anyday, that thing is like camping in a tent
Yep he's into the money
@@tonyinfinity Never mentioned any kind of price range, like for just the tops, or anything else. I would have liked to see how people would sleep in the pop top
This video is what TH-cam is for! love this. Thank you to all who participated.
American ingenuity and craftsmanship at its finest, so beautiful to see Made in America is still going strong, well done sir.
This company should be a model for other businesses that are "made in the USA". Very impressed with the products and Alan. I am glad I took the time to watch the entire video. Now, I just need to win the Lotto so I can buy a couple.
I agree, wow, I've heard of Sportsmobile, as well as Quigley but I think Sportsmobile would get my business based on their conversions that take a van to a whole new...umm house on wheels. Excellent company, and I was amazed when Alan pointed out all his stuff is made in California (I'm sure with parts from overseas, but someone's gotta put that stuff together somewhere). I had no idea Sportsmobile was a 50+ year old company.
Such a sham that USA had to outsource its manufacturing to China. Even people like us living in South Asia are aware of and envy the famous "American Dream".
Uh,, made in USA?? Some of the mods are, but hate to tell ya, Mercedes is made in Germany. Refrigerator is made in China. Fabric is imported as well. Etc etc.
Yes, Alan has built a solid company and you can tell his team does solid work. More of our companies need to learn better work ethic.
The problem is made in USA inevitably gets unions like the UAW involved, ends up like GM where something like $4000 of the cost of each car goes to paying for the medical care and pensions of long retired workers. Its great to talk about living wages etc but if everyone is living the good life on a blue collar career youre going to have products priced out of reach. As it is none of the people working for this company can afford to buy what they produce unless they want to live in it full time.0
The man is a bundle of energy, with endless knowledge. It’s not hard to see why he is successful. He talked so much, Kiley had to take sips of drinks for him... a natural born salesman, for certain !
An enjoyable, eye opener of a video... thanks for sharing !
Alan Feld is amazing to me. He knows exactly what is going on within his business. You feel the excitement in his voice. I really enjoyed this video.
Great tour where I gained a new appreciation for Sportsmobile. Alan Feld is an amazing source of wisdom
Very impressed with Alan, he sure knows his business from top to bottom. The facility looks top notch as well.
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Nice shop. And the man knows everything. That shows he got his hands dirty in every step of building these things.
word
Very Cool to get an inside tour of the Sportmobile factory. looking forward to seeing your Van boom documentary.
Excellent video. Very informative. Alan Feld offered up a great deal of information and the walk around was very interesting. Great job!
Thanks for your feedback. I'm glad you liked what you saw!
I Planning to come down there and see your factory I like what I saw on this video and I very much would like to be able to buy one thank you much
One of the best, informative videos I have ever seen and I have seen a lot haha. OMG I am blown away by the dreams come true through the efforts and insight of this company and the people who work there. I wish my budget for this type of lifestyle matched my inspiration for the same. Keep on making videos and thanks for the epic tour !!!
This video makes me feel great. I thought I was weird for wanting a vehicle like this yet they are on back order for over a year and have so many layouts you are sure to find one you like. Thanks for the video. If they do tours for regular people I am going to put it on my bucket list and get sportsmobile right from the factory.
I watched your video 5 mins ago, very informative with some great ideas. Keep up the great work so we can keep watching , thank you.
I worked for Champion Home Builders for three years in sales and marketing. We had a great selection of Class A, Class C, 4WD conversions and the revolutionary TransVan. I wish we'd had this type of technology!
😯😯 Oh my gosh... I could spend all day in a place like this. This is awesome!
That was a quick 35 minuets and very interesting, informative & inspiring. Could have watched more.
So, for me most inspiring was that Alan know exactly how each van is configured during the tour. As he said there are at least 100 of them. So kudos of him and all crew.
The knowledge and history shared by Alan Feld was amazing. Building quality really does pay for itself. Thank you.
Quality video.... Quality van's...I've got a 2008 Chevy Duramax 4x4 Sportsmobile….Crazy that you don't see the Duramax more often....Love It...we travel from Seattle to Florida almost every year … 2-6 months..... Love our condo....Pure Quality
As someone working in a high-end manual assembly line - although in a completely different domain, I work for Totem Acoustic in audio - I just want to give a quick shout-out to the all the workers and also to explain the price on those things... a lot of people say that it's "unjustified" to price those around 100k. If it was unjustified, then they would've been out of business a long time ago! Yes, those are expensive. But, they're all hand-built, made in the USA by skilled craftsmen and craftswomen. Please take into account that 90%+ companies in just about all domains - especially in the automotive industry - have some sort of semi or fully automated production lines. And even when it says that they're products are "handmade", it usually means they hire employees to replace robots that cost too much upfront and automate everything else.
Those skills take years to build and as such, command respect and a good salary. There is a reason for why high-end, truly hand-assembled products command such a high price, and that reason is, unfortunately, real hand-assembling and building processes are a *luxury*. Those vehicles are for people who want and can afford, the very best. They are also houses on wheels that can go off-road, offer more space than just any other converted van because of the pop-up top, and are completely stealthy when wanted compared to RVs. So it's an investment for full-time van lifers/digital nomads whose business depends on the capacity to move with as little hassle as possible from one point to another, constantly, with perfect reliability. A DIY van will never give you the reliability of a vehicle converted by experienced craftmen in a great facility, period. And the investment is (still) much less than a house... you DO get what you pay for.
Agreed. And that type of 4wheel drive conversion is not cheap and not a DIY.
I want to disagree that this can't be done by a DIY individual. It would only take more time
That 4wd system is in fact possible to DIY. Ujoint Offroad is a company that makes kits for exactly that.
Having been in the military over two decades, then with the airline almost as much time, and travel around the world, I would like to say that there is nothing like American Craftsmanship. That is why anything american is in such demand in foreign countries.
There's nothing like true American Craftsmanship..-.-. It is tremendously appreciated by people from other countries. IE: in Siria, a family STATUS is measured by the brand of refrigerator the have. Usually it is not placed in the kitchen like we do in the USA, but in the living room so people that visit, can see i, and admire it. Whirlpool is one brand that is at the top of the list. Crazy right?
Such a great, informative video. Alan's love for his work is quite uplifting.
That was fascinating. Thank you so much for shooting this. Alan was an amazing tour guide.
Excellent interview and tour. Thank you!
I get a lot of my video traffic from this video's suggested video section. So I just wanted to say thanks for making great content! Looking forward to your film!
I'm not totally sure what you mean? So you're welcome? ;-)
BoutenkoFilms, hmmm, if he was using an iPad, there is a column on the right side titled “Recommend for you...”. had has a thumbprint and link to similar videos...
After watching this whole video I can't say enough how impressed I am in this man's business knowledge , product information , and vision for his products.
Super impressed.
Great great video!
That is hands down the best tour video of Sportsmobile ever . Mr. Feld has a genuine love for his product and the van lifestyle . My last van was a Sportsmobile poptop roof only van with the cabinets built by some cabinet maker and was a lot of fun . The penthouse (oddly not referenced in those terms here ) was a great place to sleep . Unfortunately my wife couldn't sleep there due to health issues so I bought a van motorhome and sold the van to two Australian kids who travelled North America in it for a year , put 25,000 miles on it and sold it before they left back to Australia .
That tour was Awesome.
Back in my days, living in a van down by the river was considered an insult, I'm glad times are changing.
@@pantologist2216 they shit in the streets still though
I worked with Alan and Liz. For there upholstery department, it was a pleasure as a supervisor . I still do upholstery but took over my dad's upholstery shop in sanger ca , Academy Upholstery. Once in a while Ill stop by and visit. .
Wow that's so awesome, I can't believe how amazing those vans are. What a great interview.
Santa Baby... Forget the Tiffany's crap, I want a Sportsmobile!!!
Wonderhussy funny to find you was here also..love your videos
If I win the big lottery I will buy you one so you can do even more of your great adventures.
My kind of gal.
Awesome tour! I could have watched even longer. Thank you!
Thank you!
Me too, I'v just started watching it for the second time!!!!
I met Alan at a Sprinter event in Colorado. He is humble and amazing. So impressed.
I have worked over 30 years for an employer with this work ethic. It's wonderful.
Alan oozes professionalism and his setup is top notch. As for Kiley, she has one helluva figure!
That professional grade quality makes me almost want one.
I really enjoyed the tour. Sportsmobile does so much more than I imagined.
I have now watched this 3 times since it was made...I found it very interesting and continue to get new ideas every time I watch it.
Great tour and some smoother filming. Thanks
It's cool to know that a man who can most likely afford the stay at a Hyatt or Hilton still stealth camps; that's badass!
Thank you for doing this tour!!!
I think i just became a customer! Thank you, how kind of them to show us what can be done.
Very impressive, so much of the RV industry produce pool quality products, its refreshing to see some pride and quality..
Awesome tour! Thanks :-)
Superb video you guys did an incredible job. I'm so happy to have seen this because it gives me a whole different perspective on choosing to DIY or have a professional take care of it
One of the best presented and most informative videos I have seen. Very human and friendly presenter.
Nice to know American craftsmanship is still alive and it can work in California, the land of regulation and unions. These babies have got to be pricey. Some units are rich man's toys but, as he says, many are working vehicles of some sort. There doesn't appear to be models, just custom designs. His final remarks cover the use of these as living units in the the otherwise unaffordable West Coast. As a far away Easterner, there looks to be a war going on for control of the streets. Nice tour and thanks to the girl for playing the customer.
Stephen Powdexter yeah it’s so expensive to live out here that even the rich people have to live in their vans! 150K vans!
Have watched over 100 on RV life, my favorite!!!!
"Really good product drives demand." Well said.
Love this video. And for the record, the shop sounds were perfect. So great to see and hear the stuff happening.
Wow vid, Alan really knows his stuff and seems to me he's the leader of the pack when it comes to the van conversions at least the ones everybody wants nowadays. Was very impressed with his whole operation.
Looking forward to your guy's film coming out thanks again
Wow u struck gold with that interview. Loved it. TYVM, Just sub'd
SO SO SO SO AWESOME!!!!! LIVE-LIFE-LOUD!!!!!
Wow! I’m floored. It makes so much sense to vanlife. Even highway patrol, doctors, nurses, technicians etc see how practical it is. Amazing. GREAT VIDEO. I loved it. I’m subscribing.
talk about campervan eye candy. everything looked so good.
so many choices for each. a 34 min vid that never got dull or slow.
Best tour video i`ve seen to date.....
Wahoo! Thank you!
Agreed
Great stuff!
AMAZING!!!! Best conversion company i've seen!!! I'm planning this. I would even take my van over to them from the uk to get mine built!!! Really grounded man and a MILLION % KNOWLEDGEABLE!!!
What a great video, Alan does a great job showing off his place!! Sportmobile is doing really cool stuff.
This is awesome and Informative on n many topics👍🏼 thanks each of you for putting this together it’s great to hear and see made in the USA 🗝🇺🇸
He seems like an interesting guy. Good stuff!
I envy you Alan! What a great fun thing to do for a living! I could outfit vans all day and never tire of the creative process. Thanks for showing us this tour and the wonderful Sportsmobiles. I know where I will be heading next to buy my van!
This was awesome. I want an adventure vehicle and after watching this I will be going with Sportsmobile.
It's clear that Alan's experience is second to none. And beyond that, his passion for camper vans/homes is comforting. I'm a fan of Sportsmobile now 🔥
I’m sold great video!
I toured their factory a few months ago....loved every second of it.
I saw 33+ minutes and planned to just take a peek.... well, it was excellent and I was glued from beginning to end, reviewing and loving the tons of info you covered. Thanks SO much for making this excellent video!
You feel the dedication! Thanx 4 the upload 👍👍🤩
Thanks for this factory tour. Really interesting, really informative.
Without PR bullshits ^^
Alan seems like such a cool dude. I dig the quality of his workmanship. I just can t justify 100k for a 4x4 van. I'd personally go with a 4wheel camper on a 3/4 ton. Obviously there is a market for his products when you have a 14 mo wait time. Kudos to Sportsmobile.
When you add up everything and the quality that’s going into one I could see 100k being a fair price.
I’d like to take my excursion there and have a pop top installed.
That would be an awesome conversion, probably not cheap, but the pop top will probably still be around after the poor excursion has died :(. When Ford released the Excursion I initially was like who on earth would drive a bus around town...many people apparently, and many more would do the same if Ford still sold them, they're not cheap, but Ford's version of the Chevy Suburban only slightly larger....I want to find one with the 7.3L Diesel someday when I'm rich LOL.
@@wildbill23c might sell mine. We love to camp and my wife wants to camp in the middle of nowhere. But my wife doesn't like the excursion. She said the D word to me once (divorce) and I went and bought my 01 excursion 7.3. So she resents it and complains it's too loud, rough ride. So I'm hoping she will change her mind. For now I just plan to put a lift on it. I put an S&B intake, toner, and 4" exhaust. That's all I'll do as far as performance besides a 6.0 trans radiator.
I’ve been looking at RVs now for a while. I started to really like these vans until I saw the price for one! I would rather have a 4X4 super duty with a slide in camper. I can put the camper on jacks and have the truck by itself or I can leave it on the truck and have a 4 wheel drive camper. The price for these vans is outrageous. There are either a ton of people with money to burn or a ton of people who think nothing of going into debt for a depreciating asset. With a slide in camper the vehicle can be replaced when it gets old. With a van you’re stuck with the same worn out vehicle after ten or 15 years.
This is my 1st video on ‘mobile life’. Love It! Thanks for being real & the reasoning behind different gadgets & gear.
Well done video, and an amazing company under one roof! Way to represent Cali, from a native Californian! 😎✌
Chillin with Dylan *native Lol!!!
keepitup2 Lol?
On my wish list.
Thanks for sharing. And thank you Alan Feld for taking the time for the interview. This is one of the best videos I’ve seen. It really has me thinking about the Ford Econoline.
This is an amazing insight into Sportsmobile. Thank you so much for sharing.
Nice vid thanks
smart man ~
Fascinating video. Impressive what they do in that factory. Very interesting descriptions by Alan, the owner. Thank you!
Absolutely GREAT CLIP!
Great video! I actually didn't know SMB did some of their 4x4 conversions in house. I always assumed Quigley or some other outfit did them all. The 4x4 system on that Econoline cutaway is the real deal! I would like to have heard more info about their systems, including battery/solar types and amounts offered, what types of heating and hot water systems they offer, fresh/grey/black tank capacities, etc. I'm seriously considering buying a SMB conversion in a few years for my retirement adventure vehicle. I appreciate the fact that they do fully customized builds, so you can have it exactly as you want it, and they're also not hugely overpriced, like most class B vans. I have read a few negative reviews of their build quality, but it seems to be a pretty solid operation.
I agree, the cut-away Econoline information could have gone on longer, I'd like to hear more about that setup as well...10 forward speeds...well OK, typical new Ford...cough....cough...but how's the RWD, FWD, 4WD setup work in that thing if you can chose which mode to run in, that sounds interesting and would love to see that in person.
@@wildbill23c rent one of them and you can see it in person. It is just how the transfercase is setup.
@@badgerpa9 Last I checked rental companies don't rent out Sportsmobile or Quigley 4x4's LOL. Would be great though.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!! I turned 55 last August and hope to buy in 6 to 10 years. Was first leaning towards a class C and AFTER YOUR VIDEO ( among others) HAVE DECIDED ON one of your vans. QUESTION? Please anyone comment, will there be a hybrid Sprinters by then??? Chrysler already has a minivan. 80 MPG sounds so much better than 25. And then add lots of solar, travel will be much cheaper.
Such an instructive tour, especially for people looking to buy their first van! Thank you.
Excellent Job... The best Factory tour I've seen... Alan Feld opened up and gave a lot of interesting info and history.
I've subbed, man -- cool channel
At 16:56 that guy yells "heck yea" for no reason... Lol
Wow, really great video, have been aware of Sportsmobile since pretty much forever, great to see an actual tour of their facility and hear Alan talk about the history and the product. It's rare that someone can say they are glad to go to their job every day but I think Alan and his employees are some of those. Here's hoping much success and happiness to all of them and their customers!
Thanks for the tour. Amazing
Great representation and very informative. Must say, I will take FORD & CHEVY over Mercedes any day. I have owed few Mercedes and had nothing but major problems.
What did you owe them?
I would too! I would NEVER buy a Mercedes anything! My brother bought a motor home based on a Mercedes sprinter and has had many problems with it.
Wow...what a first class operation! If money was no object, and you have the time to wait for delivery, this is definitely the place to go. 14 months backlog!...no wonder the used market for these are so tight. One question though...I was surprised they used denim insulation. I thought denim can absorb moisture which will lead to mold, mildew and rust behind the walls. Unless someone can tell me different, I would prefer some other type of insulation.
Right about the denim. Unless they’ve found a way to treat it to stop the mold, or a super air ventilation system.
Agreed. I would avoid denim insulation altogether. Given the custom nature of the SMB brand, I'm sure they'll use whatever insulating material you choose...for an additional cost, of course.
David Golembeski obviously you don't know how to make anything by yourself the other vehicle does look good you can do that yourself for fun that's the money I did it you can do it too
did i not hear him say the denim only
covered the actual insulation ?
I believe denim insulation is just what it sounds like...recycled cotton blue jeans...they might add some other materials to get it to bind together, (don't know for sure) but essentially it is cotton, so no, it isn't a layer of denim over some other type of insulation.
WOW!!! Alan has got it going on...This Is the place to go for all your needs... One stop shopping Love It...
Great video and the audio is perfect, very immersive and his voice was super clear.
Much better than the 💩 that comes out of Elkhart!
Kiley, I think her name was, has a smoking figure on her. That bum, and top shelf made 34 minutes seem like 3, or 4 minutes.
And Alan was very polite, but any straight man is going to check out the female form following up a stairway.
@@scottwright388 why did he say you first then jump in front of the camera guy?
@@badgerpa9 I didn't see him jump, the cameraman was tagging along the entire video
What an incredible conversion facility and end product. Thanks for the video and tour.
Great interview on a Sportsmobile camper van, I was looking at the vans, now I'm sold.
So 1” + 1” = 4”s? Hmmm 🤔
Captndarty I caught that too. I think they build the walls differently than factory Ford. Looks like there are far fewer (but probably stronger) vertical supports. So, they gain the extra 2" between those supports is my guess.
I think he meant 1" in all four directions
Captndarty that's Chinese math !
I think they may build the outside 1" more on both sides and make the pillars 1" narrower on the inside by making them stronger, that would give 4" more room on the inside.
No it’s because of the inner bracing. Extends it 1” on each side and the bracing is 1” thinner as well. 4”. He just didn’t go into details.