Sprinter vs Cargo van?

TRoss1776 · Dec 26, 2012

I love getting my maintenance done at Mercedes Benz dealerships, though I do feel very out of place. Whenever I go in I am treated with respect and they always get my van right in. The longest I have we had to wait to get maintenance done was in Savannah Georgia where I had to wait about 2 hours for it to be completed , and that was only because they were busy. When I first got into the spinner I tried taking it to a Freightliner dealership a couple of times, and every time I was told that they would get to it the next day or possibly the day after.

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purgoose10 · Dec 26, 2012

TRoss1776 said:
I love getting my maintenance done at Mercedes Benz dealerships, though I do feel very out of place. Whenever I go in I am treated with respect and they always get my van right in. The longest I have we had to wait to get maintenance done was in Savannah Georgia where I had to wait about 2 hours for it to be completed , and that was only because they were busy. When I first got into the spinner I tried taking it to a Freightliner dealership a couple of times, and every time I was told that they would get to it the next day or possibly the day after.

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Just curious what they charge for a service at Mercedes Benz??

xiggi · Dec 26, 2012

Some are reasonable some are high you need to check.

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blackpup · Dec 26, 2012

Hightech_Hobo said:
One might think...after reading these posts...that expeditors, have become expeditors because they are independent thinkers....

They also have a tendency to be a mite unruly

.

jimmy

cheri1122 · Dec 26, 2012

blackpup said:
They also have a tendency to be a mite unruly.

jimmy

And some have a very annoying habit of reading what you wrote instead of what you meant. I also thought that 'hydrolic' referred to a waterbed, & was gonna ask WTH?! but Moot beat me to it.
I'd still like to hear about the hydraulic bed, though - how does it work?

Ragman · Dec 26, 2012

Moot said:
A waterbed adds a lot of extra, unnecessary weight.

Moot · Dec 26, 2012

Turtle said:
One other huge benefit is, when you break down you will often find yourself at a Mercedes dealer for repairs, so you get to hang out in the lounge with rich folks where there is free bottled water in the mini fridge.

Do they provide snooty magazines like The Atlantic, Geist, Food & Whine, Lebemann, The New Yorker, Verrückt Magazin, GQ, Bunte, Der Spiegel and of course European Car?

purgoose10 · Dec 26, 2012

purgoose10 said:
Just curious what they charge for a service at Mercedes Benz??

I was just trying to compare Sprinter and GM servicing costs, nothing more. Real simple question.

mjmsprt40 · Dec 26, 2012

Ragman said:

Once you dump the silly notion of trying to expedite in these things, the waterbed goes from being unnecessarily heavy to being doggone comfortable. When SWMB* is with you, you can experience Victory At Sea, too--- what's not to like.

*She Who Must Be Obeyed.

Rocketman · Dec 28, 2012

purgoose10 said:
Just curious what they charge for a service at Mercedes Benz??

Since, nobody else seems to be able to answer your question, I'll give it a shot. Since you did specify "service at Mercedes Benz", I'll keep it in that context. Some do their own oil changes, but that's not what you asked...sooo...

It's my understanding that a normal service at Mercedes is along the lines of $200-$250 per. If anyone would like to dispute that, feel free to do so, just keep in mind that we're talking service at Mercedes Benz, not at Joe's Sprinter Shack.

I'll also show an excerpt from a comment made here on this board from a trusted member who owns a Sprinter. I've copied and pasted his comments about the "B" service that he made in a different discussion. I'll also include links to a couple of recent threads about DEF issues. Reading those short, but very informative threads will give you some very good insight into what the true cost of ownership can be for a Sprinter. The fuel mileage may be great, but it comes at a cost.

golfournut said:
........ For example a "B" service runs between $500 to $600 because on a "B" service the DEF system is flushed to get out any crap that could affect the system. Then they got a fill it. At $5 a liter vs $2.+ a gallon, the cost of that service gets up there. "B" is done every 20k miles. That sure drives up the operating costs per mile......

My guess is that golfournut is one of the few people who pony up the cash for that "B" service which likely explains some of the issues others experience.

http://www.expeditersonline.com/forum/truck-talk/56793-help-sprinter-def-system.html

http://www.expeditersonline.com/for...def-system-repair-solution-previous-post.html

Note: Please note that I am referring to newer model Sprinters (2007 or newer). I also like the sprinter and I think they have one of the best diesel engines ever built..UNTIL the EPA forced everyone to screw up their diesel engines. It doesn't matter where the blame lies though, when your van is being held hostage until you can come up with that wad of cash to pay the repair bill.

xiggi · Dec 29, 2012

GN did take great care of his van
I do not think that flushing the tank is part of a normal b service but his tech may have included it in what they felt necasary . One thing that makes a b expensive is the price of the fuel filter on the newer models but that still shouldn't reach the 500.00 mark so it does sound like he was getting some added service.

The way that stuff crystallizes I can understand why sensors or such can get messed up. Dpf fluid was first used in the 2010 models. I'm going to ask about the flush next time at the service center.

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nestor7 · Jan 7, 2013

My girlfriend has a 2011 Nissan with the high roof. There is room for two skids on the floor and she can do 3500 lbs max. The bad part is that with 2 skids there is not much living space. I hear they are coming out with an extended model, but I wouldn't expect it to haul 3500 lbs. If you want enough living space, you may have to sacrifice hauling capacity to stay under 10,000 lbs.

purgoose10 · Jan 7, 2013

Thanks Rocketman, that's what I was looking for. I'll stick with the old stand by.

LDB · Jan 7, 2013

Rumor has it the extended NV will be 20 inches longer than the current model. Most likely the capacity will drop 200-300 pounds compared to the standard length. It would be nice if the extended added about 20 inches in wheelbase and 30-36 inches floor length.

xiggi · Jan 7, 2013

I think that long hood might limit cargo length.

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guido4475 · Jan 7, 2013

LDB said:
Any time you are over 9600 you are illegal regardless of the chassis original rating. You may not be abusing the chassis like someone doing the same thing in a stock Sprinter 2500 but are no more legal.

No kidding! are you serious?....lol....I never said I was legal running some heavier local runs..I only did a few in the last 2 years, so it's not like it happens all the time....Just that I wouldn't do them on a long run....And I do have my weight limits, and I stick to them, and have been criticized for that as well by a few,but for the most part will not go over that on long runs..But on a short local run, I'll do them if the need arises. Sometimes loads get pregnant on our way to pick them up...

TRoss1776 · Jan 20, 2013

Right around $350. They normally get me in and out in about 2 hours compared to 6-8 hours at freightliner.

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TRoss1776 · Jan 20, 2013

I heard about it from tom meeks who i just found out is not to be trusted. I was told a company out of elkheart in can put a bed in on a hydrolic lift which raises the bed allowing for additional room for a skid. He told me the cost would be $1,100. This is all per tom meeks though.

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LDB · Jan 20, 2013

guido4475 said:
No kidding! are you serious?....lol....I never said I was legal running some heavier local runs..I only did a few in the last 2 years, so it's not like it happens all the time....Just that I wouldn't do them on a long run....And I do have my weight limits, and I stick to them, and have been criticized for that as well by a few,but for the most part will not go over that on long runs..But on a short local run, I'll do them if the need arises. Sometimes loads get pregnant on our way to pick them up...

Totally serious because some people don't know the answers or don't believe them. Someone sometime is going to read that and learn something.