Mercedes or Ford

[RVNewbieG]

For a class B which is better Mercedes or Ford chassis/engine? As far as repairs i would think Ford would be cheaper and cheaper to maintain.

 

[Chef Duane]

Got a friend who has a Transit conversion. One of the reasons for the Transit is because if you break down on the road there's probably a Ford dealer in the next town. Maybe not the case with a Sprinter.

 

[RVNewbieG]

Got a friend who has a Transit conversion. One of the reasons for the Transit is because if you break down on the road there's probably a Ford dealer in the next town. Maybe not the case with a Sprinter.

Thank you Chef Duane. Was originally looking to buy a Mercedes Pleasure Way because it has a larger cockpit area (Tall Driver). But after reading I heard that the Mercedes is very expensive for regular maintenance and repairs. Good point you make about finding a dealer. Appreciate the reply.

 

[Kirk]

The Sprinter owners that I have known all liked them but they do cost more, burn diesel fuel that costs more, cost more to repair and to insure. Like so much in RVing, you need to match the luxury versus the budget.

 

[RVNewbieG]

We believe we have narrowed it down to 2. Both are Pleasure Ways. One is a Class B and the other a Class C. The B is the Ford gasoline and as Kirk said the insurance is cheaper on that one. The other larger unit is nice because of more room, but that comes with a cost - more for insurance and it is a Mercedes diesel. Kirk has it right - you need to match the luxury vs. budget.

 

[TheBar]

Mercedes are more expensive mostly because mechanics will charge more to work on them. If you go to a website like RockAuto.com you'll see normal maintenance parts are no more expensive than Ford or Chevy. That being said, some internal engine parts may only be available from Mercedes and are very expensive. But a Sprinter's average life expectancy is 350,000 miles.

The common misconception is a $500 oil change for a Mercedes that has to be done by a dealer. The Magnusson-Moss law protects consumers by allowing anyone, including yourself, to perform warranty work as long as you install the correct parts properly and you save the receipts.

 

[CharlesinGA]

What scares me about the new Mercedes VS30 series Sprinters (2019 and up) is that they have one huge electronic box which has everything integrated into it, the ECU, transmission control unit, the security system (which controls door locks, key interlock, etc) and the radio is even contained within it. If any one single thing fails it either is very expensive to replace and reprogram, or downtime while the box is repaired (I assume there are a few shops around the world that can actually repair these).

Older Sprinters, T1N and NCV3 models had multiple boxes for the various systems.

Charles

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

My SIL was shopping for a sporty convertible when she retired as a teacher. Her first choice was a sharp Mercedes, model I don't recall, and she was close to putting money down on one (used). At the last minute, she looked into maintenance costs vs. a BMW and a Lexus model she also liked. That's when she discovered that the Mercedes had to go to the dealer for oil changes because of a proprietary tool that Mercedes dealers used to do oil changes. She bought the BMW.

My guess is any well-maintained engine in any vehicle today from any Mfg. will last 250K-500K miles.

 

[TheBar]

That's when she discovered that the Mercedes had to go to the dealer for oil changes because of a proprietary tool that Mercedes dealers used to do oil changes. She bought the BMW.

Another Mercedes urban myth spread by competing brands. Just a $10 low profile oil filter cap wrench that also fits Dodge and Jeep. Easy to do your own oil changes.

 

[bigb56]

Easy to do your own oil changes.

As long as you don't make the $25,000 rookie mistake

Oil change gone awry

Steps I took: 1. Removed drain plug over a big bucket. 2. Removed oil filter with special to sprinter wrench, 3. Let oil drain overnight and replaced drain plug with new crush washer. 4. Replaced the tiny "O" ring and the large "O" ring on the filter housing. Inserted the new "MANN...

sprinter-source.com

 

[RayIN]

As long as you don't make the $25,000 rookie mistake

Oil change gone awry

Steps I took: 1. Removed drain plug over a big bucket. 2. Removed oil filter with special to sprinter wrench, 3. Let oil drain overnight and replaced drain plug with new crush washer. 4. Replaced the tiny "O" ring and the large "O" ring on the filter housing. Inserted the new "MANN...

sprinter-source.com

View attachment 1116817

Yea, a Sprinter or Mercedes chassis is not on my list.