Fiver to Sprinter type
My wife and I have been using our various fivers primarily for boon docking. We have decided to go to a Sprinter type motor home, and start looking over this great country. We are looking at the View...
Forum Discussion
Unless you're carrying lead it's pretty hard to get far above the CCC. Storage space keeps CCC in line. I downsized to one from a Class A with 50 storage compartments/drawers, a couple of which were larger than the entire storage in my View. It's been a major challenge, but we've made it work for two years.
The Sprinter is a relatively narrow van, as is the wheelbase. Rock and Roll crossing curb cuts can't be eliminated; only mitigated by doing it slowly.
Through 08 (Sprinter 07's)they were limited to 3500# tow capacity by the gauge of the extension rails. There may be exceptions, but all I've seen the "house" year has been on a one year older Sprinter. The mod required to raise that would be expensive.
The 5 cylinders were on a shorter wheelbase; I don't know if that has any negatives. The 5 cylinders actually have better performance than the 6 (before DEF was initiated) due to fewer emission controls. The turbo resonators were problematic on them, but all have probably failed and been replaced with a reliable one by now. The DEF equipped models have performance equal to, or above the 5 cylinders, and the best fuel economy of Sprinters.
Sprinters are over-engineered to protect the engine. MB does not make the codes available, and non-MB code readers are not capable of resetting even those they can read. Relatively minor events can initiate the "Limp Home Mode - LHM" which restricts the vehicle to reverse and 2nd gear. Not a big deal for Sprinters used as local utility vehicles. A really big deal if you are in the middle of Hwy 150 - loneliest highway in the world; or the north end of Icefields highway. MB at one time owned Chrysler and Freightliner and SOME of their shops have diagnostic equipment but not all, nor do all MB dealers service Sprinters.
The above notwithstanding, 99.9% of the owners of Sprinter based Class C's are happy with them from a maintenance viewpoint. Most trade due to other reasons - space, tow capability, etc.
For a small, narrow, Class C that really doesn't require a Toad there really isn't any other option than Sprinter based at this time.
The Sprinter is a relatively narrow van, as is the wheelbase. Rock and Roll crossing curb cuts can't be eliminated; only mitigated by doing it slowly.
Through 08 (Sprinter 07's)they were limited to 3500# tow capacity by the gauge of the extension rails. There may be exceptions, but all I've seen the "house" year has been on a one year older Sprinter. The mod required to raise that would be expensive.
The 5 cylinders were on a shorter wheelbase; I don't know if that has any negatives. The 5 cylinders actually have better performance than the 6 (before DEF was initiated) due to fewer emission controls. The turbo resonators were problematic on them, but all have probably failed and been replaced with a reliable one by now. The DEF equipped models have performance equal to, or above the 5 cylinders, and the best fuel economy of Sprinters.
Sprinters are over-engineered to protect the engine. MB does not make the codes available, and non-MB code readers are not capable of resetting even those they can read. Relatively minor events can initiate the "Limp Home Mode - LHM" which restricts the vehicle to reverse and 2nd gear. Not a big deal for Sprinters used as local utility vehicles. A really big deal if you are in the middle of Hwy 150 - loneliest highway in the world; or the north end of Icefields highway. MB at one time owned Chrysler and Freightliner and SOME of their shops have diagnostic equipment but not all, nor do all MB dealers service Sprinters.
The above notwithstanding, 99.9% of the owners of Sprinter based Class C's are happy with them from a maintenance viewpoint. Most trade due to other reasons - space, tow capability, etc.
For a small, narrow, Class C that really doesn't require a Toad there really isn't any other option than Sprinter based at this time.
