Thinking of a Mercedes Class C

I owned a 2017 MBS Sprinter for two years, so I can speak to it with knowledge. Good things, driver and passenger seat comfort, visibility when driving, maneuverable in tight spaces, decent MPG on diesel fuel and it towed our 2 Dr Jeep JKS well. Thins we did not like about it: hated the split bed design a real PITA to make up the bed, very low CCC rating so you really have to watch how you pack and be weight conscious, not very much storage space inside or out, very small F/W tank and holding tanks capacities, tiny frig, no real space to relax or lounge in the cabin after traveling, not always able to find ULSD fuel as a lot of places have moved over to Bio-Diesel now, and the cost of maintenance and repairs. Another big factor is if something happened on the road, disabling the vehicle, you can only get service at "authorized MB dealers". This is great if you are on the coast, around a big city, but when you are in Podunk, Wyoming, you are pretty much SOL! You better have a roadside assistance plan that will haul you the 500 miles to the nearest approved facility at the policies expense. We moved up to a Class A MH with the V10, and never looked back.

No personal experience with diesel but front-engined diesel rigs have annoying engine noise. Smell of diesel exhaust is not pleasant in crowded camp spots. IMHO, most RV's don't get driven enough miles per year to justify "cons" of diesel power.

Good luck getting ANY repair on that MB in most any place..rural or city. My brother has the Sprinter/MB and says he will never purchase one again. He was stuck in Nebraska for a week waiting for a fuel pressure unit and then had to find someone to install it. No warranty. With a Ford you have a problem in the US, Canada, or Mexico and you can get it repaired quickly and easily.

I lusted for a class B for years while in my pop-up.
Found an interior that was perfect for us.
So much different than anything else.
It is a class C but only 22 foot long.
No slides and a queen size Murphy bed.
A bathroom that rivals many class A's
Happened to be on a MB Sprinter.
If it was on a Ford I would have bought it.
Very happy with the MB Sprinter.
20,000 carefree miles so far.

We get an average of 16.5 mpg.
Drives very easily.
Very comfortable seats and legroom.
Very easy to get from driver passenger seat to the back.
Been to mountains out east and west and it charges up the mountains.
So far with our limited experience (two years/20,000 miles) I would buy another MB Sprinter RV.

IMHO select the interior that fits you.

I have to agree with ron.dittmer. And #7 for us was the major reason.

The sprinter is an 11K chassis rating the e450 is 14.5k and the F550 that I have is 19.5. I get 10-11 not towing and 9-10 towing. I can change the oil and service is the same as many of the thousands ford pickups on the road. I can tow 12k too. I stayed away from the sprinter after seeing most were overloaded. I love having a diesel generator too.

Having owned and still own both gas and diesel engines I can say with certainty the gas engines are less costly to maintain.
Since the diesel engines now require DEF fluid, keep that cost in mind. Also, diesel fuel now has less sulphur which reduces the "lubricity" of the fuel. I add fuel stabilizer to my GMC Duramax to counteract that. Injector replacement runs 3K. 10 Quarts of oil and fuel filters. Check regularly as diesel has a lot of water in it.
As far as getting them serviced on the road, you will find more gas mechanics than mercedes diesel mechanics, that's for sure.

We wanted a class c gas, but after sitting in the Mercedes Sprinter (diesel) we bought the C with a Sprinter chassis - for me, no comparison as far as comfort of the Mercedes v ford.

Hi Steve,

This is the way I see it.

Attractions of the Mercedes Sprinter.
1) better fuel economy with the diesel engine
2) nicer ride and driving experience along with better ergonomics
3) taller cab area for easier entry to and from the house
4) it's a Mercedes

Attractions of the Ford E350.
1) significantly lower purchase price
2) lower maintenance & gas prices combined, balances the lower fuel economy
3) more capable chassis carries much more weight and tows better
4) the V10 gasoline engine with 50% more power & torque performs better
5) the engine can endless-idle for alternative heat, a/c, & battery charging
6) over-head bunk is lower offering more bunk headroom and easier access
7) many more places to find service, especially important in remote areas

I feel getting a Sprinter is favorable if you are putting on piles-of-miles per year. One example would be if you chase ball teams all year long.

We own a 2007 E350-V10 motor home, bought brand new. I tracked fuel consumption for many years. From home near Chicago to destinations out west, I consistently averaged 9.2 - 9.5 towing a Jeep Liberty all the time, and 10.5 on the one trip out west towing nothing. Calculations was for the entire trip average without consideration to the fuel we burned running the generator. So the "true" mpg would be better.

Keep in-mind that most Sprinters are equipped with a propane generator because it is much cheaper and weighs less than a diesel generator.

When shopping for a "used" motor home, the E350 and Sprinter seem to be priced the same. The extra cost for a Sprinter seems to greatly diminish in the "used" market. That is great news when buying a used Sprinter, but bad news if you are selling the Sprinter you bought new.

Ron Dittmer

midnightsadie wrote:
guess so,theres just the two of us. pounds do make a difference.

They do. :E