Mercedes had a seminar to debunk some false info on social media concerning the Sprinter chassis used for their vans and RVs. Info on engine idling and the use of Biodiesel was very interesting.
Thanks Grandpa! Learned alot and we subscribed, soooo please keep them videos coming, so will be prepared when we get ours! Need more preventive maintenance information and maybe usage when staying extended boonD, thanks again!
I took my 2015 Coachman prism 2150le out after sitting 4 months and decided this past weekend to take a short trip and was wondering why it had a vibration on the driver's side going 67mph. Once I got to the RV site I examined more closely this was about a 2 1/2 hours drive. Come to find out my intake for my air filter was completely compacted with a bird nest, fortunately there were no birds or eggs in the nest but I could not believe how that engine performed with no air. I took out half of a Walmart bag of packed grass and leaves out the intake tube. Short story, just check for birds nests before taking a trip.
I'm considering a purchase of an 2016 MB sprinter RV and I'm concerned about going up mountain grades. with only 188HP and 325 torque that much less than my Acura SUV. However I've heard they are beasts going uphill (how can that be)???? Im new and very confused.
Thank you, sir, for this video. I used to own a sprinter for deliveries. I'm looking to purchase a sprinter RV, so this is great information. A refresher course for me.
It's unfortunate about Sprinters and the OM642 engine. MB maintenance and service intervals that they tell you to follow are simply untrue. MB suggest 20,000 km before an Oil change, and if you do this you will most certainly be in trouble around 160-200K. I have had 3 Sprinters now and a few friends from the road have them too . I have had 2 engine fully rebuilt, Transmission rebuilt, countless problems with front end suspension components. Severe rusting issues and I live in a mountain climate, not a lot of humidity and no salt on the roads. Even MB have stated the OM642 is the last diesel they are making. The T1N's were the more solid Van and engine due to the lack of emissions controls and systems that (albeit work well to clean the exhaust) unfortunately are the undoing of your engine. If you're considering buying a Sprinter, get the Gas engine they now offer in 2019 + Vans. it will be supported much longer. What you save in diesel fuel while driving will just go back into the high maintenance bills in the future. Read the Sprinter forums, it's pretty staggering. Ford Transit 3.5 na or the + 2018 3.5 ecoboost.
Going up hill I let the transmission shift normally. On steep downhills I use the rule of 10. Meaning the tranny gear plus the grade % = 10. So on a 6% grade I use 4th gear. For a 7% i will slow down at the top and use 3rd gear. I keep my speed around 70mph and use the brakes if the rpm gets close to 4000 or curves or speed limits require it. The rv handles fine even up to 80 mph. Cheers
Ron just subscribed..im a class "A" full timer..wish we had more like you on the "BIG" side..keep the shinny side up n the greasy side down ! edit..oh..why am i watching your channel? i have owned the Mercedes 115,123 and 126 diesels..calgon take me back to the 80's :)
Hi good morning, i have question regarding sprinter van 2500 2018 i was driving fine the all of a sudden my rpm high my engine slow down . If you know something about please reply thanks
Very informative. Thank you. I found your idling information very interesting. I live in Canada and it is not unusual here for people to let their diesel engines idle for hours. When asked why, they usually reply "It's much better for the diesel engine to keep running than to be turned off and on."
What is your driving impressions? How does it do going up a grade? Great videos by the way, just found you and watched a few videos so far, ver enjoyable.
On the Road with Ron Thanks for the reply. I had a travel trailer for years and between the truck and trailer, I was over 50ft long. Wife would always ask to stop at various roadside stands on our travels and I just couldn’t do it. We’ve been looking at these just so we can stop at random places like those and enjoy more of the state and national parks that are around. Thanks again and keep up the great work.
I got back in town from a 2 1/2 hour trip and noticed that my driver's rear tail light was on like the brake pedal was being pushed. The lights off and engine turned off but the left rear light could not be turned off. I had to take the black access cover off in the rear storage compartment to access the wiring and disconnect a plug. Do you happen to know why this would happen? Your the go to guy for Sprinter rv questions man. Thanks for your informative videos brother.
Well, Ron is talking about the later model Sprinter Diesels using that specific oil. If you have the older 5 cylinder model stay with the 15W40 or 5W40 in the Shell Rotella.
Yes, did an oil change last year. Will be doing the sch B one soon. Got fuel filter already, waiting to find oil on sale. Will make a new video of course.
Hey I might be buying a 2008 dodge sprinter with the Mercedes engine. Any advice ? I pulled car fax no big red flags. Seller says all but one glow plug has been replaced. Fuel filter was replaced according to car fax recently. He also said turbo was replace 6 years ago.
Ted Henry There are advantages and this is vantages either way. The newer ones may have def but it hasn’t been a problem for me and I like have any extra room inside and larger tanks.
Saw you at the rally this year and have to say, you are genuine. Helpful and informative./ We just did 5,000 miles on my wife's 14J, (I prefer my sailboat but she gets sea sick). Reading awful things about "Blue TEC" ending in our year. Wondering if she should expect expensive break downs or inordinate maintenance? It's the convenience of driving it that sold her. Approaching 60k on the odometer.
I have similar mileage. My rig has been very reliable. Emissions are complicated but have a long warranty period. Other than that, these chassis’s have a history of long life.
What's the best way to store house batteries in the winter months when not in use? Also how to troubleshoot a electrical issue or dead house battery? My 2014 prism sprinter the outlets and tv work, but not the bump out or canopy. Ty
Easiest way is to fully charge the batteries and when disconnect them from the coach. The battery disconnect switch works for this. No need to remove them from coach. Fully charged battery will not freeze. For electrical issues check the fuses first and then check voltages with a volt meter. I’d start at the battery and then fuse panel and finally the specific outlet. The slide uses 12volts but has 2 interrupts for engine running and emergency brake on. Canopy just uses 12volts but could be a broken wire by the motor.
Hey mate, people have been telling me how the TPS & 02 sensor plays up in Sprinters and after replacing you still need to go to the mechanics to clear codes, Thoughts?
i have a 2015 sprinter with the 4 cylinder and have idled the engine for 8 hours many many times while i slept in it, i have 465K miles on the clock and no major breaks, dpf broke at 420k miles but thats great considering the milage, also changed the oil every 15-20k miles (not too often) and shes still purring pretty, did an engine inspection and the technicians are amazed at the state of the engine saying it runs like it has 100k miles great engine, would recommend
@@utubeadelecox I have been to just about every corner of the US at just about every time of the year, believe me blankets are not enough and also when you’re in Florida with insane humidity and heat you’re gonna want and love that AC
Glad to see MB is continuing to update their platform. We are still disappointed that the Transit chassis has such a low GCWR rating as we like to take our jeep with us. We camp hosted in a Lance truck camper & explored the local forest service roads on weekends with our jeep. I could easily see camp hosting from a View or a Fuse as it has double the FP space, but the Fuse has not enough GCWR and the View is a bit light also (although we see many folks doing it anyway). I know many motorhome manufacturers love to put on 5,000 pound rated tow hitches, but it takes a consumer that can read to determine how overloaded the motorhome would be towing their favorite dinghy down the road when their GVWR is already a bit on the skinny side of a long list of things needed for a trip to Alaska or a long summer of full-timing. Obviously, it is best to leave the dinghy home, but in ten years we've lived more dipping a gold pan on a friend's remote claim that the RV couldn't get to, jeeped a few technical trails, and seen some backcountry that 95% of the people never see. Running a campground for 4 years has taught me I do not want a DP or anything resembling a monster bus that can't navigate in all of the fun backcountry places we like to visit ... especially if we all do not have Jay Leno's garage with an RV to choose from that fits the wide range of occasions possible. In aerospace, we called that owning a fleet. Thanks again for your practical tips. ;-)
Nice video, what are your thoughts on adding diesel additives every fill up to assist with "unknown bad diesel " at remote gas stations, or to just use it in general??
With regard to biodiesel it is more prone to gelling in cold weather and newer diesel trucks have a special fuel heater to counteract this. If the RV is going to be in storage for a month or longer then it is important to add a fuel stabilizer for diesel but even more so for biodiesel.
I'm wondering what they will spec for the new MB chassis? My 08 Chevy was B5 and it ran fine with B20 as that was all that was available most of the time. We are looking for our next coach in the full-timer class small enough to visit more NP's yet large enough to FT in sensibly. We traveled in a large truck camper FT for 5 years 2011-2015 until we became RV park managers, but noticed there isn't a lot of diesel choices in the affordable 26-32' length class with enough GCWR to bring our jeep along. After 4 years of watching DP's get stuck in the FL sand at our RV park, I am sticking with something manageable in size for my skillset. Maybe we will see you at the GNR down the road if we pull the trigger on a Winnie. ;-)
The new chassis will be out in the spring. I didn't get many details, but the chassis will be similiar. A 7 speed tranny is the only major change. Most new features are the electronics and cab layout. Good luck with your search.
Hi Ron, really enjoy your videos. Just bought a 2017 View. Plan to store in it Las Vegas for about 3 months before we start driving it around. Will the solar panel charge the house batteries while it is idle or should we disconnect the batteries? It will be in public storage so don't really have the option to remove the batteries. Any thoughts? Thanks again.
My first winter in San Diego with the 100 watt solar panel didn’t keep batteries charges. We had a week of cloudy and rain and they were completely discharged. Since I added the extra 175watt panel, no problem. Doesn’t hurt to disconnect the batteries. Even the engine battery.
MC oil that I keep on the road at $8.00 a pint. Once again learning lots! What cab chassis batteries do you recommend for Navion ? My battery not holding a charged. Goes to 12"3 fast at camp. Thanks again!
Well, if you are referring to the battery under the cab floor that starts the engine, this is a maintenance free AGM type. I have not had to replace mine as they usually last 6-7 years unless there is a problem, or something is using power while parked. Just get the same type of battery from a good manufacturer. What year is your RV?
On the Road with Ron It is a 15 Navion. Thanks. I should set the battery disconnect at the gas pedal area. I Just gizmo a box light weight fun that hangs below my sky light that open . Draws wonderful breezes in.
Great video Ron but would you know if the Sprinter RV would be able to tow a car that's about 3000lbs without difficulty, for example, the 2019 Honda Fit?
I have a 2010 that I had power tuner put on. I tow a aluminum trailer with a rzr 1000 about #2000lbs total no problem except for long hills when I first bought it and drove up Grants Pass 40mph was the best it would do not towing anything. Not great for power but I also drive a 500hp diesel pick up so I’m a little jaded
Tks for the added information. I am a new subscriber. I am new and want to buy one down the road. Can you or anyone provide a website or user group so that I can learn about the different manufacturers that use the Mercedes diesel as a platform. When I first started looking at them, each mfg would poo poo the others. I’d really like to get first hand input on the pro's and con's of specific companies. Many tks.
We just purchased a View 24D last year. I had levelers put on. After watching another video of yours where you say you had sway bars installed, I was wondering. Can you put on sway bars with levelers?
We enjoy your videos, Ron, your perspective on things is refreshing and we enjoy sharing our RV experiences with PT & FT RVers all over NA. Keep up the good work & enjoy those grandchildren, we should have had them first!
Question for you . My 2019 sprinter has 50 000km and is going in for a 3rd egr replacement. Should I selling it. I don't think I can affect one's the warranty is up
Thanks Ron, I was wondering how far the batteries draw down while using say a coffee pot or the microwave? I have a 2000 watt inverter with 2 deep cycle batteries when I run the coffee pot is shows 11.6 volts then when the pot is done it pops back up to 12.4 ish is that normal?
Yes, the deep cycle batteries have a higher internal resistance than starting batteries so with a high current draw, the voltage will dip down until the coffee is done. Not a problem unless the inverter shuts down due to low voltage. I did add a timer to my boost solenoid to allow the chassis battery to be connected for microwave operation. It splits the current up between the 3 batteries and keeps the voltage higher to the inverter.
Dario Milardovic I was tempted to go with the Ford chassis. It is cheaper and lower maintenance costs. However the Sprinter has higher load capacity and the RV layout was more suitable for my requirements. Cheers
And from experience owning a ecoboost ford - if you lay into the turbo it’ll drink more gas than a big v8. And in an RV you’ll need the turbo for sure.