Category: RV engine and mechanics

This article is going to be talking about Mercedes Sprinter RVs. And about the good, the bad, and the ugly associated with them.

Of course, one of the hottest selling segments of the RV industry is the Class B and Class B plus RV. And many of those are based on the Sprinter chassis.

So I made some videos on these kind of RVs in the past. For instance, there’s a video I made a while back on class B RVs.

And it discusses the pros and the cons of them. And you can view that video here.

Then there’s another video I made on Class B plus RVs. And in that video I tried to help define what a Class B+ RV actually is.

Then I also provided the pros and the cons of that category of RVs as well. And you can view that video here.

Now the purpose of those videos is to help you decide what kind of RV works best for you.

So if you’re thinking about looking into a smaller kind of motorhome, these videos will be helpful for you.

They will help you make a decision about whether something like this will even fit for you or not.

Of course, a lot of people really like these smaller and more nimble motorhomes.

Mercedes Sprinter RVs Are Popular

And the most popular chassis out there for this part of the RV industry is the Mercedes Sprinter chassis.

Now Mercedes updated their chassis in 2019 to the VS30. And it’s being used currently on a lot of Class B and B plus RVs.

There are some people that love this chassis. And some people really don’t.

So let’s discuss it and talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of the Sprinter chassis.

And first of all, let’s start with the good. The Sprinter chassis pros or advantages.

Mercedes Sprinter Pro #1

And the biggest pro for this chassis is the diesel engine. Yes, the diesel engine is going to give you very good fuel mileage.

In fact, a lot of Sprinter owners say that they average between 15 to 17 miles per gallon between around town and on the highway.

And for an RV, that’s fantastic! It’s a lot of savings on fuel for RV owners.

But the other thing that’s great about this engine is its longevity. In fact, there’s several of these engines that have gone over 500,000 miles.

And it’s not uncommon at all to see them get 300,000 to 400,000 miles on the engine before any major work has to be done. So that’s a big pro!

Mercedes Sprinter RVs Pro #2

Now the second pro is safety. So if you’re really safety conscious, well you’re going to love this chassis.

That’s because Mercedes really loaded it up with safety features. Things like lane keeping assist, and blind spot warning. Also braking assist and on and on.

It’s really a great RV for safety features. And that’s good because honestly in the RV industry that’s something that’s often lacking. So this particular chassis takes care of that.

Sprinter Pro #3

Now the next pro is that it’s so easy to drive and maneuver. In fact, a lot of Sprinter owners talk about how easy it is to drive and get around in it.

They also mention the high quality feel that this chassis gives you. And how it fits well into a lot of parking spaces around town.

So you may not even need to take a second vehicle with you on your RV travels. And that’s a big pro or advantage!

A Pro For Taller People – Pro #4

The next pro is that this chassis, especially in the Class B, provides a lot of headroom.

So for you taller people, you can still manage to walk down the middle of the RV.

Especially without doing that big stoop over thing that some taller folks have to do in class B RVs.

Plus, the chassis can come in lengths of up to 25 feet. So you can get plenty of living space in this chassis too.

Another Advantage To Consider – Pro #5

Now the next pro of the Sprinter chassis is great resale value. And by that I mean that there’s a general perception out there that this chassis is high quality.

That it has a lot of great technology in it. And people are therefore willing to pay more for it on the used market.

Of course, in the mind of the buying public, that’s better than other comparable chassis. So it’s a big advantage of the Sprinter chassis.

OK, now those are the pros I wanted to cover so far. Now let’s talk about the cons as well.

Mercedes Sprinter RVs Con #1

And the main con that you really want to consider is that this chassis is expensive to buy in the first place.

Also, it’s expensive to maintain and to repair too. Now remember that I said it has a great resale value.

Well, the flip side is that you’re going to pay more for it up front too. So in many ways it’s kind of a tradeoff.

But with this particular chassis I highly recommend that you do the maintenance it requires.

That is, if you want it to last and try to avoid very high repair expenses in the meantime.

And this is something that a lot of Mercedes chassis owners talk about too.

They say that you better keep up with the maintenance that the factory suggests. Stay right on schedule with it.

And that way you can avoid a lot of really expensive repairs down the line. Because if you don’t, you’re going to face those repairs sooner or later.

Of course, the maintenance itself is also not going to be cheap on this chassis.

But it’s much better than the high repairs that you’ll face without maintaining it.

And really, any repair can be expensive on this chassis. So it’s good to know that going in.

Also, another thing to know is that sometimes parts are also hard to get for the Sprinter chassis.

In fact, many Sprinter owners complain about having to wait a long time for repairs to be made in some situations.

Mainly because parts can be a challenge to get at times. So that is a con that you need to consider before buying.

Sprinter Con #2

Now the second con or disadvantage I’m going to talk about relates to that.

And that is that you may want to manage your repair costs on this particular kind of RV as much as you can.

So a good way to do that is to get an extended warranty on your Sprinter based RV.

It’s a great way to keep repair costs under control. Or at least manage them.

But keep in mind that that’s going to cost you as well. So that can be a con too.

But if this is something you feel could be a big help here’s my recommendation.

The most trusted name in extended warranties for RV owners is Wholesale Warranties. Just follow this link and talk to them about it.

They will do their best to get you a warranty for your RV that fits your budget.

And that way you can set your mind at ease about higher repair costs on this chassis.

Sprinter Chassis Con #3

OK, the next con is that it can really be difficult at times to even find repair facilities for this chassis.

Especially depending on the area that you’re in. In fact, there are some states where owners say that it’s almost impossible to find a repair facility in the entire state.

And certainly, they’re not very easy easy to come across in those more rural areas.

So that’s something to consider if you like to travel all across the country.

Because you may find yourself in an area that doesn’t have a lot of repair facilities for Mercedes Sprinter RVs.

Now here’s another point that is closely related to that. And that is that if you do find a repair facility that’s local to you, very often you’re going to have to wait a while to get in and get your RV chassis repaired.

That’s because again, there’s so many of these chassis out there. And so few repair facilities to service them.

So very often, owners talk about having weeks of having to wait just for an appointment to get repairs done.

And that can lead to a lot of frustration for the RV owner. But it depends on where you are when the chassis service is needed too.

Mercedes Sprinter RVs Con #4

Now the last con we want to talk about today is that these chassis are very often prone to having low cargo carrying capacity in them.

In fact, it seems that many RV manufacturers just load the Sprinter chassis up with all kinds of extras and technology. With amenities and things like that.

Of course, that’s because that’s what people want. But the is a problem with that.

And that is that they very often load them up so much that there’s very little room left for cargo. And that’s a real issue for many RVers.

Now some of the Sprinter RV manufacturers are better at this than others.

So it depends on the builder of the RV. But one thing we can say for sure.

And that is, you’ve got to be a little frugal about what you’re taking with you if you have one of these Sprinter chassis RVs.

And you also need to closely monitor your weight. More often and more regularly than you do with other RVs. And that can be considered a con.

OK, so those are the pros and the cons that I wanted to share with you in this article.

Which RV Brands Make Better Quality Products?

Now I have created a guidebook that will help you determine what are the better quality RV brands that make class B RVs and Class B plus RVs.

And I feel that it could be very helpful for you. Because it will help you to focus on those manufacturers that are building these smaller RVs with higher quality. Just click on the image below to learn more about it.

And I recommend that you use that guidebook along with my new or used RV buying and inspection guide too.

Together these two guidebooks will help you find a quality RV. One that works like it should from the very first day of your ownership.

Conclusion

Now let me say this in conclusion. In this article there were lots of challenges that we covered related to Mercedes Sprinter RVs.

But the truth is that there are plenty of Sprinter chassis owners out there right now. Both new and used.

And most of them really love the RV they have on this chassis. They love the way it handles and the way it performs. And they love the feel too.

Also, they love the technology that often comes with it. So don’t let the disadvantages of the Sprinter chassis entirely scare you away from it.

What I recommend is to use the pros and the cons that I gave you as a guide.

In fact, it’s good to write them out first. And then go down the list and determine which of those points are a higher priority for you.

In other words, what is more important to you than the others on both the pros and the cons.

And that way you can determine if a Mercedes Sprinter chassis RV really is a good fit for you or not.

Have safe and happy travels my friends!

In this article, we’re going to be talking about buying a used RV. And the top five things that you need to be looking for in the buying process.

Of course, buying a used RV can be very scary for a lot of people. That’s because nobody wants to buy an RV that is somebody else’s problem.

You know what I mean, an RV money pit with hidden problems in it. That’s every used RV buyer’s nightmare.

But if you follow a few simple guidelines, you can put the odds on your side that you’re going to get a great RV. And at a much better price than buying new.

So let’s go ahead and get started. And the first thing we want to talk about is that when you’re going to get any RV there’s a few things you need to do first.

For instance, you need to make sure you get the right length RV for your needs. Also, you need to make sure that it’s the floor plan that you really like.

And of course, make sure that you get it to fit your budget too. But we’re not going to cover those things in this article.

Instead, we’re going to go from there and talk about the top five things that need to be done to make sure you get a good RV. One that you can count on.

Buying A Used RV – Tip #1

And number one on the list is to buy a good RV brand. Now why do you need to do that?

Well if you do, the odds get much better that you’re actually going to get a quality RV. And that’s because it was originally built with good quality and good quality materials.

So you need to be able to identify the manufacturers out there that build good quality RVs. Especially in the segment of the industry that you’re buying in.

And then make sure that you look for those brands while you’re searching for a used RV.

Click here to view my guidebooks on the best RV brands

Tip #2 For Buying A Used RV

Now for the second point on our list. You need to look for maintenance and repair records on the RVs you’re considering.

This is really important. But a lot of the time, folks never even ask for these kind of records at all.

However, it’s good to get maintenance and repair records that you can go over and review.

Why is that important? Well, it’s a good sign that the owners have been recognizing that an RV needs to be repaired and maintained.

And if they can show you those records, it indicates that they cared about that RV. That they have been caring for it well. And that’s a good thing!

But service records also lets you know what has been done on the RV so far in its life. And that can be useful to know in many ways.

So try to get an RV that has maintenance and service records.

Buying Used RVs – Tip #3

Now number three is really critical. And that is to check all of the joints and the seals on that RV.

And I’m not talking about just the side joints or the ones that’s easy to find.

No, you need to get up on that RV’s roof too. And if you can’t do it, then get someone you know that you can trust who will go up on the roof for you.

Either you or they will need to examine the joints and seals on the roof as well.

Because what happens if the roof joint sealant has begun to crack and get holes in it?

Or maybe something scraped it off as the RV went under a tree. Or a tree branch could have punctured the rubber roof.

These are places where water can get into your RV. And that means that you could have a serious water intrusion problem developing.

Remember that water intrusion is the number one enemy of RVs. It can break down your RV before you know it, requiring costly repairs to fix.

So get up there and look at all those roof joints and seams. You want to see everything covered with sealant. And you want that sealant to be in really good shape.

Other Places To Inspect

But of course, don’t just do it on the roof. Come down and examine the side joints of the RV too.

Especially where the front cap and the rear cap attaches to the RV. Most of the time, there’s a big joint there and you need to check that sealant too.

And don’t forget about the RV windows either. Because that’s another place that a lot of water intrusion can take place.

So look very carefully at the sealant around those areas as well.

Buying A Used RV – Tip #4

Now let’s move on to tip number four. And that is to try to figure out how well the owner has really cared for this RV.

You can do that by inspecting certain areas of the RV. Because there’s certain things to look for that gives you some insight into whether that owner has really been looking after the RV or not.

And one of those areas is the battery compartment. You might see batteries that are filthy dirty like nobody has been cleaning them.

Maybe they have corrosion on the connections and battery cables. Well, that’s an indication somebody is not looking after that electrical system in the RV.

Next take a look in the RV’s water bay. I often look in there and find it’s dirty, filthy, and not organized in any way. Well, what does that say?

It says that this is an owner that’s not really looking after things on their RV.

Next look at the exterior walls of the RV. Are they faded and cracked? Does it look like they haven’t been washed in a while?

Once again, that’s an indication of the level of care that RV has been given.

And if you see problems in these areas, my recommendation is to proceed carefully. Because what else has that RV owner not been maintaining that you can’t see?

Of course, maybe they have taken care of the more important things on the RV.

But my experience is that if they’re not caring for the smaller things, they usually don’t care for the bigger things on their RV.

RV Buying Tip #5

Now number five is about tires, and the age of RV tires. I mention this because I see a lot of used RV buyers lose money in this area.

Now if you’re buying a car, you look at the tire tread, right? And if the tread looks good, that’s about as far as you go.

But that’s not the case on RVs. That’s because RV tires age out before they wear out.

So be sure to look at the date that each tire was manufactured. And the tire’s manufacture date is right on the sidewall of the tire. It’s a four digit code usually in an oval.

The two first digits tell you the number of the week that the tire was manufactured. And the last two digits is the last two digits of the year that it was manufactured.

So if you see a tire date that has 3520 on it, that means it was manufactured in the 35th week of 2020. Now why is this important?

It’s because most RV tire manufacturers recommend replacing tires every five or six years.

So let’s say that you find that those tires are four years old. Well, that means you’ve got a big expense coming up to replace all those tires at one time.

And you need to know about that! You don’t want to buy the RV and then suddenly realize you have to replace all those tires.

It costs thousands of dollars in many cases. And you may not appreciate that until after you have bought the RV.

So check the tire dates before you buy any used RV.

More Tips For Used RV Buying

Okay, those are my five top things to look for when buying a used RV. Now is that everything you need to inspect before buying?

No way, not even close! So if you really want to know more about how to buy a used RV, I’ve created a guidebook for that.

It’s all about buying used RVs. And it will list not only the things we covered here in this article but much more as well.

It reveals many of the more expensive items that you need to be checking.

That way you can make sure that the RV you’re looking at is even worthy of consideration.

Then the guidebook will help you learn how to narrow your search for RVs. From several to the very few that will really be the best to choose from.

Now once you’ve done all of that, I highly recommend getting an NRVIA certified RV inspector to go through that RV thoroughly.

Do this before you buy any used RV out there. And make sure that it is an NRVIA certified inspector that looks at the coach.

Don’t just hire somebody who’s going to charge you a couple hundred dollars and go through some quick checklist.

Instead, you want an inspector that’s going to go from top to bottom of that RV.

And their going to make sure everything in that RV is in the condition it should be in. That way you’ll know what you’re buying!

What About Older Motorhomes?

Now what if it’s a 10 year old or older motorhome? Then I also recommend that you do a fluid analysis as well.

An analysis of the engine, the radiator coolant, and on the transmission fluid too.

But don’t forget the RV’s generator if it’s a diesel powered unit. Analyze it’s radiator coolant and oil as well.

You need to check those fluids because it will tell you a lot about what’s going on with the mechanical components of that RV.

And the older the RV is, the more important it is to get a thorough fluid analysis performed.

Conclusion

Now if you follow the guidelines that I’ve provided here in this article, here’s the good news.

You really can expect to get an RV that you will not only love, but also won’t be an RV money pit.

And you can avoid the pain of regret that so many used RV buyers experience.