Forum Discussion

chris_UP's avatar
chris_UP
Explorer
Apr 23, 2017

mercedes/sprinter RV pulling a car? Is this good ?

i have inquired on a private owner ad for a used RV that looks great. However, the owner mentioned gas mileage, both with and without towing a car? I wasn't aware that The Sprinter vans pulled cars, I thought that was the point? Should I be concerned about a RV this size that has towed a car?
  • Our Class C Sprinter-based RV with the 6-cyl 3.0L engine pulls our ROCKY with no problems whatsoever.

    I drive at 55 MPH, which is the legal limit while towing. Not necessarily true for the vast majority out there. I get 15 MPG. For those times I'm not towing, I run at 65 MPH and I still get 15 MPG.

    I read on this forum that the 5-cyl engine is very good, too.
  • Our 6 cylinder pulls a Chev Aveo on a dolly and it has a very small effect on diesel fuel consumption and it is almost impossible to tell it is there without looking in the rear camera.
  • chris.UP wrote:
    I thought that was the point? Should I be concerned about a RV this size that has towed a car?
    You are correct, no need to pull a car is one of the pluses of a Class B.

    However to your point, how many miles is on the RV? I would not be worried if it is low mileage since the Sprinter certainly is capable of pulling a small auto. If this owner was pulling a car with his Class B he may not have had put very many miles on it since to me there is not much point to having a Class B if you are pulling a car along.
  • If I remember correctly, the 2500 engine T1N Sprinter could tow up to 5,000 lbs., according to Mercedes and the van converters, and I've seen some towing small cars or trailers for sports gear like kayaks. So I don't think that's a negative.

    To me, towing detracts from the car-like qualities of a Class B, but it does provide the flexibility of the option, should you need to tow sometime. So that's a positive.
  • What about a smaller RV, like pleasureway plateau or Great WEst Legend. Is it negative, positive, or irrelevant that previous owners towed a car?
  • ours a 2007 sprinter very small C with the 5cyc diesel engine ,pulls my 1700# boat to arizona and back no problem ,and my daughter pulls a 12ft box trailer with golf cart and dog supplies all around the states with no problem. I would not be afraid of buying one. ours is the 3500 series chassis. oh!! and we get 17mpg towing.