getting van camper serviced

Jiffy Lube can service Sprinters. They stock all the filters. Their best Synthetic multi-weight Shell oil, MB Air filter, Best Quality oil filter and lube $235.00. (2005/6 chassis)
Standard filters, less about forty dollars.
Our Jiffy lube has cameras so you can see what they are adding an doing to your vehicle. In some areas their reputation was not that stellar.
You can usually go line and get a 15% discount coupon.

My Mercedes dealer in Nanaimo, BC has a separate high bay for servicing Sprinters and high vehicles. They do mine plus a lot of commercial Sprinters. No problems here but I know some MB dealers don't have such a high roof entrance bay.
AL

Our first Roadtrek 190V was always serviced by our local Dodge dealer, with no problems of doors, lift capacity or height. The problem was diagnosing and fixing troubles. When we were on the other side of the continent (east) the Dodge dealer there had just one hoist large enough with the clearance needed.

Our present Roadtrek 190V Chev gets serviced by Budget Brakes & Muffler (a franchised chain in Canada) and the local Budget place can take a 33 foot long Class A. I questioned him on servicing Sprinter vans and his reply was just another import that had to be learned, though he felt getting parts was more difficult than it should be. Budget has done everything, including installing extra switches, oil changes, leaking seals, rear air shocks, alignment, lube oil & filter, rotate tires, new batteries install, etc., etc.

The Budget franchisee is a real hands on type, and has his 2 i/c run the office. The 2 i/c is no slouch either, he is a transmission expert.

There is no substitute for a good mechanical, electronic technician and they don't seem to be working for the dealers.

When we had the Pleasureway, I took it to the Dodge dealer since it was on a Dodge chassis. They did a good job and no problem with the lift in their shop. Liked using them just in case there was any chassis related parts that were ever needed. Now that we have a Ford based Class C, I take it to the same place if in town, psrtly because they are dependable, and there is no Ford dealer within twenty miles. When we're on the road and I want an oil change or lube, we go to Camping World since they see a lot of Ford based Class C's and do a good job too.

Hi gerrym! YES - we have had to shop around to find a service center capable of handling the size or weight of our Roadtrek. No issue at our home base - I use a local Chevy dealer - they put it on the alignment rack to lift it - you need to be careful regarding the TYPE of lift a repair center may have - bars that swing in from the side could crush the skirting before they even touch the frame. Our issues have been while on the road. Chevy dealer in Anchorage, AK couldn't handle the weight, but the Midas dealer was great. Chevy dealer in Park City, UT, didn't have the height to lift it. So you just need to check around. For oil changes on the road we use Jiffy - Lube - type places, since no lift is required - they are designed with drive-on bays and the service is performed from below. Never had an issue due to the fact it had propane on board - really no more dangerous than the 30 gallons of gasoline it carries! ST

so it comes down to communication- whatever service your think you need, tell them you have a 9 foot tall, 22 ft long 8000 pound motorhome.

Tell them the year and model of the chassis ( which may be different that the model year of the motorhome).

There may a be a slight increase in difficulty for added electrical- but the chassis is about the same as they are used to looking at.

The dna is shared, there is just extra junk surrounding the van.

and they can tell you on the phone if they are or are not equipped to deal.

Mike


*** comment on the chain oil change shops as referenced below ***

some of these shops may not use recommended oils- check your manual
some of these shops may not swap your filter- mark yours with a sharpie and let them know
some of these shops may simply suction oil out through the dipstick tube- watch and make sure the drain and work is being done below the van.

I can change oil and filter on my chev laying on a mat in the driveway...no lift required- easy to reach in from driver's side. I spin on the new brand name filter and add the mobil 1.
old oil gets recycled.

syn oil is good for 5000 miles in most cases, avoid "planning" services while traveling- do PM at home before you leave

I have mine (Dodge) serviced at a truck repair and tire dealer. They have BIG lifts and high ceilings. They have always charged me a fair price for the work and have had no issue with the on board propane tank.

I have found that I don't take anything back to the dealer because I worked too hard for my money to give it away. I find a good mechanic who can work on things and go there. I don't know how a propane tank could be too heavy for anyone to work on.

Not all Mercedes Benz dealers service Sprinters. We have two Mercedes Benz dealers within 12 miles of our house but have to go 100 miles to a Rochester MB dealer or 40 miles to a Freightliner dealer. We once stopped (2006) at a claimed Dodge Sprinter dealer in Fairfax, VA. They had the doors OK but the ceiling clearance with the lifts was what constrained them they said. I think it was the lift capacity because all they had to do was raise a few inches to service tires. That was 2006. I hope things had improved for them. Mercedes Benz said last May they were adding 6-8 Sprinter service centers per month. I believe I read for a Mercedes Benz dealer to add Sprinter service that it would cost about a million dollars in investment.

The only limit I can see is if the RV is a Sprinter with AC as it is taller than 9'. Very few shops have doors that low however.