Loads of space for bikes and support equipment. The walls and floor have a tough coating -- just hose it out. A high-end sound system was also installed.
The living area was designed for function and comfort. Sleep up to four. A refrigerator, 12 &110V system, fresh water supply are some of the standard equipment items included. Plus an optional 2000W inverter and Porta Potti. Many other options are available. The above plan is similar to Brian’s.
“I’ve owned many different types of vehicles, always in search for that perfect one — that does it all. With the help of Sportsmobile, the search is over. This is hands-down the ultimate vehicle for everything from one-day trips to week-long adventures. A separate garage to hide all your toys, two separate sleeping areas,
enough room to stand up in and a van that is easier to drive and park than any 
full-size pick-up truck. All this plus about 20 miles per gallon. THIS IS THE ONE!!! The LOPES 55 model Sprinter.”
The van is a Dodge Sprinter powered by a Mercedes-Benz diesel with a high torque transmission. The Sprinter handles well with a tight turning radius. Plus it’s economical to operate and fuel efficient. Ford 2- and 4-wheel drives and Chevy vans also available. Gas and diesel.
The Lopes 55 Special has proven to be quite popular since it's introduction.
This one was ordered by Jill Kintner, World Champion mountain cross/BMX rider, of Seattle.
After capturing the 2008 USA Cycling BMX National Championship title, Jill Kintner went on to win the bronze medal in BMX racing in Olympic debut in Beijing. Kintner started racing BMX locally in Seattle at age 8, and by 16 was competing professionally around the world. As a BMX racer, Kintner has an estimated 70-plus career wins, including the 2002 National Bicycle League Women's pro title American Bicycle Association World Championship. After accomplishing most of her goals with BMX racing, owning nearly every major title, Kintner decided to change course and switched to the larger wheeled sport of mountain bike racing, mainly competing in the gravity event of "mountaincross" also known as "4X," in which she is now the three-time U.S. national champion, two-time UCI World Cup Overall Champion, and three-time UCI World Champion, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
One of the many nice things about the Sprinter are the Big Doors. They will swing all the way around out of the way. And the doors can be fitted for different needs. The one above has a helmet shelf, clothes bar and lower storage compartment.
The ultimate vehicle for hauling, stowing, and touring with your motorcycles. Living and travel area up front with a garage in the rear. Sportsmobile offers lots of options.
Malcolm Smith included on-board air compressors, high-pressure washers and awnings.
For more examples see the "Commercial & Other" Gallery page.
Examples - Sprinters with Toy Hauling Space
"We have everything we need for our lifestyle."
—Ed and Joy Minter
Upfront Captain seats are reupholstered to complement the interior conversion. Windshield curtains are standard. The cab divider curtain (O) provides quick privacy and faster cooling/heating of cab.
The "garage" floor and sides are covered in Loncoin rubberized material (O). An accordian door or wood door can partition the front living area. The garage measures 69"W x 80"D x 75"H.
A comfortable and nicely furnished living area provides plenty of room for two outdoor recreationists.
The Porta Shower is quick to put up for a refreshing shower at day's end. The recessed shower pan has space for the shower curtain.
— Steve and Janice Prokop
The space in the rear will be used for two motorcycles and other cargo. The tall cabinet is also removable. The floor covering is tough marine vinyl.
There's a 7 CF refrigerator and combo bath on the driver's side. The galley includes a 3-burner stove and oven.
—Customized for Rose, Morgan, and Mark Hason
The forward compartment includes a gaucho/bed, galley and refrigerator. The rear has a seat/bed, sink and Porta Potti cabinet. As you can see, there's lots of cargo space.
—Troy and Jill Humphrey
. . . saying goodbye to their second Sportsmobile
and hello to their third one.
Troy included a heavy-duty 1,000 pound 48" x 68" slide-out shelf for heavy cargo. Other sizes are available. The Humphrey's will supply their own mattress for the upper bed platform. A 7 CF refrigerator, bath module and galley are up front.
You can design the rear compartment to meet your particular requirements.
Stow Your Bikes & Motorcycles Wherever You Like
There are lots of various inside tie-downs and exterior racks available. Be aware of your van's gross vehicle weight rating. For your safety do not overload your Sportsmobile.
Jason designed his own interior, using our cutouts, with space for two bikes. We also have a number of standard plans with open areas in the van's rear.
"Saturday we did a couple hours of bike riding around the area we were camped. There is a large network of jeep trails in the area, so we just rode around them between mesas, sand dunes, and big open slabs of sandstone. We found a way to climb up to a ledge about half-way up the nearest Mesa and enjoyed the view before heading back to the van for some lunch and for me to sign into work and get some stuff done."
—The Badger
"We have been traveling the U.S. and Canada exploring for one year now. Everything has worked out very nicely. Our saga continues."
— Mike and Susan
Testing the Sportsmobile Lopes 55by John L. Stein, Truck Trend Magazine — March/April 2008
What Is That Thing?
The Sportsmobile Lopes 55 is the brainchild of mountain-bike racer (and motorcycle rider) Brian Lopes and Sportsmobile, a conversion company that's been modifying vans for outdoorsy types since 1961. Lopes returned from Europe a few years ago brimming with enthusiasm for the Mercedes-built Sprinter conversions he'd seen there. Already the owner of a Ford E-Series-based Sportsmobile, he got together with company president Alan Feld, himself a dirt-bike rider, and together they concocted a van just for bicyclists and motorcyclists. Based on the longest 170-inch-wheelbase Sprinter, the Lopes 55 seats five and features and enclosed 8.5-foot toy box and sleeping berths for two, plus a sink, microwave, refrigerator, and a whole lot of soul. — J.S.
My bros and I are dirt-bike-hauling freaks always on the lookout for the best way to take motorcycles on an adventure. We've tried pickups large and small, vans, trailers, and even — when good sense was more scarce than money — a 1964 Olds with racks on the trunk. It's no surprise then, after three decades of trying to find the perfect bike hauler, we all uttered "Whauhhh!" in our best Scooby-Doo voice when we first saw the Sportsmobile Lopes 55, a long-wheelbase Dodge Sprinter customized just for bikers.
We needed the Lopes 55 badly, too. Summer's dreaded triple-digit heat parade demanded an exodus to the high mountains of southern Utah where, we reasoned, the self-contained van, pinging along thriftily on diesel and equipped with aggressive off-road Goodyears, could take us to the promised land of dirt-bike enchantment — and then would let us stay awhile. Never mind that at $65,572, this fully outfitted Sportsmobile costs more than a new F-250 Crew Cab Power Stroke 4x4 and three brand-new 450 motorcycles — it provides a wandering dirt biker's three essentials: spaciousness, sleepability, and security.
We targeted lonesome Torrey, Utah, as our first riding locale — at its 6,830-foot elevation, it's pleasantly cooler than the rest of the hellish Southwest during summer — and offers plenty of scenic dual-sport loops.
We met at Willow Springs Raceway in searing SoCal and immediately conducted the first litmus test: fitting three guys, three bikes and a week's worth of gear inside. The Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki dual sports all fit — just. We stacked boots, tools and camping gear around the bikes and then jumped inside and stowed our helmets and duffel bags on the rear bed. A/C and premium sound system cranking, we pointed the Sprinter east and lit the turbo.
With no trailer swinging in its wake, the Lopes 55 was free to flow with the traffic racing toward Las Vegas, then north into Utah. Its sweet spot is somewhere around 70 mph — any faster and all that sheetmetal becomes a target for capricious side winds and truck blast, and a fair amount of wind and drive line noise intrudes. But the good news is that we found it'll cruise at this speed all day. Our Sprinter came equipped with a 154-horsepower, 2.7-lliter inline-five turbodiesel with 243-pound-feet of torque. More cheers for the sky-high seating position, plentiful cabinet space, and the ready availability of chilled refreshments from the convenient minifridge.
We targeted lonesome Torrey, Utah, as our first riding locale — at its 6,830-foot elevation, it's pleasantly cooler than the rest of the hellish Southwest during summer — and offers plenty of scenic dual-sport loops. We rolled the bikes out the next morning and rode a 170-miler to Lake Powell, thought admittedly the lakeside was equally hot as California. But it seemed fate had brought us there, for 50 miles down the dirt road we met a lady and her three young grandsons limping along in a rusty Jeep CJ, the remnants of a one year tire flopping uselessly on a battered rim. After resuscitating her ancient hydraulic jack and supporting it under the Jeep with rocks and an iron skillet, we installed the spare and she was underway again. "You're a godsend!" she cried.
Finally, Buckboard Flats, high above the town on Monticello on Utah's southeastern flank, offered the coolness and scenery we craved. Surrounded by shimmering aspens, the deserted campsite proved a springboard for one of the most challenging single-track trails we'd ever tried. Rocky, narrow, and garnished with wildflowers in addition to mud, logs, and slippery tree roots, it snaked around and then over the backside of 11,019-foot Abajo Peak. Struggling in the thin air and fading light, we were ultimately forced back. But the beauty, coolness, and solitude of camp — and the cozy accommodations of the Sprinter — made up for it. Cleverly outfitted with ventilation fans to extract warm air, the Lopes 55's interior proved inviting and the fold-out twin bunks comfortable. Just remember to put short people in the cozy upper loft.
You can't off-road in Utah without hitting Moab. So we did. The town itself is no aesthetic prize, but the surrounding red-rock scenery sure is, and you could probably ride for weeks without seeing it all. We first hit the rollercoaster-esque Slickrock Bike Trail, then set off to find high ground again — finally climbing 12,331-foot Mt. Waas in Manti-La Sal National Forest. Perched above a 1,000-foot dropoff, the entire Colorado Plateau seemed within our reach. "This, right here, is why I came, " someone murmured in the stillness. "Yeah," answered another. "This and a long ride in a damn good truck."
The Lopes 55
Sportsmobile looks at the Sprinter van as a clean sheet of paper and lets you design the interior and pick the options that fit your needs. Designing your own Sportsmobile can be overwhelming, and thanks to Brian Lopes mountain bikers really don't have to go the pick-and-choose route.
Brian designed a Sportsmobile Sprinter for mountain bikers called the Lopes 55. Brian wanted his Sportsmoible to be business in the back and kicked-back in the front. His design seemed to fit our needs perfectly, so rather than go the design-it-ourselves route, we took delivery of the Lopes 55 model.
The Lopes 55 has made our day-to-day product and bike testing more productive. We are always well-stocked on spare parts and we've got enough tools in the workshop to assemble a bike from scratch. Best of all, we no longer have to plan road trips. Since we are always packed and ready to go, we can just take off.
Do we have any complaints about our Sportsmobile Lopes 55. Yes. After the first six months of ownership, we regret that we didn't get one years earlier.
The back: We have fit 10 bikes in the workshop area (or two motorcyles and three mountain bikes) plus a Boogie Board, generator, tools and more. Electrical outlets, a ceiling fan and ample lighting make this a better workshop than our garage.
The front: This spacious interior offers tons of storage space and plenty of creature comforts, including cold drinks from the fridge and a sink faucet that pulls out to hose off after the ride.
After sunset: Fold out the bed, flip down the flat-screen and watch your favorite mountain bike video after a long day of riding. You'll find that you sleep way better in your Sportsmobile than in a hotel, tent or friends guest room.
Dear Paul and Staff,
My husband and I bought our Sportsmobile from you in 2004. Seeing the recent article in Trailer Life magazine prompted me to finally write the letter I have intended to send for several months.
By procrastinating I can tell you even more about how pleased we were with our rig while on our 2 1/2-month caravan tour to, around, and from Alaska. Our RV was the smallest of the 21 in the group, but we were the most able to stop anywhere and the most able to take rough narrow roads to trailheads and waterfalls without concern.
We previously had a 32-foot Class A Safari and towed our 1980 Toyota pickup. We sold both as we found that all we needed was our Sportsmobile! Now that we rent a studio apartment as home base for about six months of the year, our van suits us wonderfully well. Having the storage area for our two bikes in the back and our tandem kayak on top makes it a wonderful "toy box." And, we are always proud to show off the quality workmanship and materials when folks ask to see our van.
Thanks again for your expertise and dedication to building a top quality product.
Sincerely,
Carol and Ivan Foyt
