Cost of Ownership

[TravelinDan]

Hi all,
New prospective used Class B buyer here, but I'm stretching the budget with this so curious the biggest factors on cost of ownership.

I've narrowed my search down to a Roadtrek SS-Agile or Popular 190 (2012-2014ish, $70Kish) and talked to a couple local RV mechanics about parts and repair costs of the diesel sprinters vs the Chevy-based Populars. I didn't get real definitive answers. Generally the Mercedes service is more expensive, but I "might" get better reliability. And scheduled maintenance is higher on the Mercedes. Both mechanics agreed that how well the previous owners maintained the unit is a bigger factor than the brand. I expect about 14-16mpg in the Populars and 19-21 in the Agile which heavily favors the Agile, but somewhat offset by the higher cost of diesel in most states (though not really here in California.) Convenience factors seem to favor the Popular which can get gas at any station and fit in any drive-thru. I'm assuming registration and insurance is based on market value so shouldn't be a factor between similarly priced models. I'm judging that depreciation will be worse in the Chevy.

What else should I be considering?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I think you've hit all the major points.

A friend of mine bought the Agile for a 4 month expedition and was very pleased with the Mercedes service accessibility (and he had to use it more often than he imagined). Owners of Chevy or Ford-based class B's talked of difficulty getting chassis service - apparently some Ford or Chevy dealers made excuses about taking in a motorhome (won't fit on their lift or in a service bay, etc). This is strictly hearsay, though.

And for what it's worth, my friend is looking for another Sprinter-based coach, but bigger than the Agile. One of the smaller Class C models. Says never again will they try extended travel in a class B. He's looking at a Renegade Villagio or Vienna.

 

[TravelinDan]

I think you've hit all the major points.

A friend of mine bought the Agile for a 4 month expedition and was very pleased with the Mercedes service accessibility (and he had to use it more often than he imagined). Owners of Chevy or Ford-based class B's talked of difficulty getting chassis service - apparently some Ford or Chevy dealers made excuses about taking in a motorhome (won't fit on their lift or in a service bay, etc). This is strictly hearsay, though.

And for what it's worth, my friend is looking for another Sprinter-based coach, but bigger than the Agile. One of the smaller Class C models. Says never again will they try extended travel in a class B. He's looking at a Renegade Villagio or Vienna.

Thank you for the feedback Gary. I have also heard Mercedes owners say they are content with service costs, but I've also heard claims of $500 oil changes.

I don't think my family would be up for camping or spending a lot of time cooped up in the class B, but it looks like a nice option for being comfortable during long drives to see family or distant parks. Hoping the kids will be happy sprawled out on the couch watching movies; and with an onboard bathroom and fridge/microwave our pit stops should be more discretionary than urgent. Also looking to rent it out from time to time, which I think would favor the Mercedes.

 

[Isaac-1]

From what I have heard and read there finding service centers for the Sprinter chassis coaches can be a big problem as most sprinters in the US are sold to fleet operations which tend to have their own in house service departments. This combined with the fact that many Mercedes dealers do not service Sprinters potentially leaves one hundreds of miles away from the nearest MB Sprinter service when one needs service. As of a couple of years ago there were entire states without an MB authorized service center. For example there are none in Wyoming, 1 in North Dakota, 1 in South Dakota, ...

 

[TravelinDan]

From what I have heard and read there finding service centers for the Sprinter chassis coaches can be a big problem as most sprinters in the US are sold to fleet operations which tend to have their own in house service departments. This combined with the fact that many Mercedes dealers do not service Sprinters potentially leaves one hundreds of miles away from the nearest MB Sprinter service when one needs service. As of a couple of years ago there were entire states without an MB authorized service center. For example there are none in Wyoming, 1 in North Dakota, 1 in South Dakota, ...

Thank you Isaac. I'm near a very large city, so finding a service shop shouldn't be an issue and I don't need it to be at a dealership for an older vehicle beyond warranty. Was just concerned about crazy high prices because of the brand. There's a highly reviewed local RV mechanic nearby who said repair costs were a bit unpredictable. I asked about prices for typical repairs, for example the water pump needs replaced. He was nice enough to spend a few minutes discussing hypotheticals with me. He looked up the part and the suggested manhours for a water pump replacement on a sprinter and on a Dodge Promaster (was considering a Simplicity then) and they were roughly the same, but he said the prices could be radically different next month depending on supplies. The same job happened to cost a lot more for a Ford chasis that day.

 

[Isaac-1]

Living near a big city with service options is great if you don't plan to travel far from home in your motor home, that is just not the way many / most people with motorhomes travel. For example in our case even though my wife still works full time, so generally can't take off for more than 2 weeks at a time, yet still we have traveled through parts of 16 states ranging from Utah to Florida in the last 5 years in our coach, though with my wife flying one or both ways some of the time.

 

[TravelinDan]

Living near a big city with service options is great if you don't plan to travel far from home in your motor home, that is just not the way many / most people with motorhomes travel. For example in our case even though my wife still works full time, so generally can't take off for more than 2 weeks at a time, yet still we have traveled through parts of 16 states ranging from Utah to Florida in the last 5 years in our coach, though with my wife flying one or both ways some of the time.

Ahh, good point. There's a lotta desert and prairie between home and the places we'll go. Could be places with a mechanic qualified to work on a Mercedes diesel aren't quite as commonplace as shops that can fix a Chevy.

I just found this for MPG. Seems like a helpful site: Fuelly - Track and Compare your MPG

 

[Lou Schneider]

Diesel engines have lost much of their cost and reliability advantages vs. gas engines as in recent years (2007) they've been saddled with more and more pollution controls. Particulate filters, DEF, etc. It's the main reason automakers are designing large, high torque gasoline engines for the truck market. Ford's new 7.3L gas V-8 is one example.

 

[TheBar]

He looked up the part and the suggested manhours for a water pump replacement on a sprinter and on a Dodge Promaster (was considering a Simplicity then) and they were roughly the same

Manhours yes, but the Dodge water pump would be $75 vs $300 for the Mercedes. Then realize most mechanics mark up the price of the part from 25-50% and your Mercedes pump could cost you $450. And maybe with a long wait to ship the part.

 

[Skookum]

The upside to the Roadtrek 190 is that there's only about a billion GM van cutaway chassis on the road and the basic architecture is basically unchanged since 1995. You can find parts virtually everywhere, with tons of overlap and cross-reference to other models throughout the years. It's also hard to go wrong with GM small-block power. That might have a 6.0 V8? In terms of reliability, a naturally aspirated pushrod engine is about as simple as it gets -- and they have gobs of power.

High resale is great....only if you're not buying used, because that means you're paying more up front. The more important number to consider is how long you actually plan to own it, and what the residual value difference between the two might be when you intend to sell it down the road. Remember, it's hard to get a conventional loan on an older RV, so, be sure to consider your likely audience when you go to sell it.

Gas versus diesel - you won't have problems finding fuel at stations. I have a diesel RV and have never had a problem. Your Mercedes will require DEF...probably somewhere around a gallon every 1k miles? At $10-$20 for 2.5 gallons in a box, it's a minor annoyance. Cheaper if you fill up from a DEF pump (can usually find them at truck stops).

I'm a little biased because I've had stellar luck with GM products and have found the cost of ownership to be quite low.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

but I've also heard claims of $500 oil changes.

I think the story behind those is that it was $500 for a 10,000 mile service, where the most obvious piece of that was an oil change. Mercedes Service A also includes a cabin air filter, engine air filter, fluids check/fill, brake inspection, DPF/DEF, and some odds and ends. If the tech actually does all that, it's probably 1.5-2.0 hours of shop labor time ($200-$250?) and the filter costs as well as oil change costs. So yeah, it could go to $500 in some areas, and probably $300+ elsewhere. More than a typical American vehicle brand, but preventive maintenance is the Mercedes way.

 

[TravelinDan]

Thanks for all the feedback. I do appreciate the viewpoints of current owners.

I hit a couple of the bigger RV repair shops today and the people that do coach work really want to talk me out of a class B in general, as apparently they are harder to work on as things are in tighter spaces and coach parts have been particularly difficult to get yesterday. But I want something that could be driven around town on occasion and fits in my driveway, so class B it is.

One front desk lady advised they charge the same labor rate whether it's gas or diesel or Chevy or Mercedes. But another mechanic was adamant that I should stay away from the Sprinter. He says there are so much proprietary components in the electrical system that you are almost forced to have some work done at a dealership (and the dealerships don't like dealing with RVs). Many of their systems are such that you can't open them up and just replace a faulty part, but rather you have to replace the larger components. He strongly advised to get a Chevy based unit. Parts are easier to get and cheaper.

So of a handful of mechanics, one was definitive to go Chevy over Mercedes, others acknowledged that Mercedes repairs and maintenance will likely be more expensive, but most did not think it would be an excessive difference. They all agreed the most important thing was how well the previous owner took care of it. One guy said he thought the Chevy's were easier to drive.

So I guess I'm leaning Popular 190 but still kind like the Sprinters if I find a good deal. Although I just read you can't tow a Sprinter. They have to go on a flatbed. I'll check that with AAA, but that could be another hassle if that's true.