trickydicky Posted August 16, 2008 Posted August 16, 2008 i'm thinking of buying a new motorhome on a mercedes sprinter cab and chassis, does anyone know of any problems i should be aware of.
Mr. Grumpy Posted August 16, 2008 Posted August 16, 2008 I drive a Sprinter bus conversion. It's on it's original gear box with just the cables replaced this week (250,000km), no other major mechanical problems but the electronics have been very poor with several cpu's replaced, they still don't last very long. I must say it is not as comfortable as my 04 Ducato to drive for long periods but otherwise it's OK. I would suggest that you also look at Iveco and Transit, especially as the Iveco comes with a cracking 2.3 engine.
Den Posted August 16, 2008 Posted August 16, 2008 Hi trickydicky We have a A class based on the 3ltr auto. Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok the suspension is on the soft side, but on m'ways you glide. Drove to the south of france 1 o\n stop. Arrived fresh and no aches and pains. Quality wise no probs at all. Previous mh's include a autotrail with the 2.7ltr. Also no problems mechanicaly. W've had fiat based mh's and found the suspension to hard. They could have changed recently, but look how many people have probs water ingress and reversing. They spent millions in design but!!!! Do'nt remember anyone knocking merc or renault masters. My van is a master 2.5 150hp quickshift6. Fitted out has a workshop and carrying stock still mannage 35mpg, but i have acheived 42..... anyway side tracking.. So the merc is a very fine vehicle.
Rayjsj Posted August 16, 2008 Posted August 16, 2008 I would look on commercial vehicle websites, there are hundreds if not thousands of them 'out there' nearly all of the main Courier companies use them. They don't waste money on expensive vehicles UNLESS it pays them in the long term. I think it would be a good but not a cheap (short term) choice. How many courier companies do you see using 'Sevel' vehicles ?? Good Luck ! :D :D
Den Posted August 16, 2008 Posted August 16, 2008 I did use a citroen van some years ago, Ah well we all make mistakes.
trickydicky Posted August 17, 2008 Author Posted August 17, 2008 thanks all for your messages.any more info much appreciated. hk
Guest Tracker Posted August 17, 2008 Posted August 17, 2008 Rayjsj - 2008-08-16 9:22 PM I would look on commercial vehicle websites, there are hundreds if not thousands of them 'out there' nearly all of the main Courier companies use them. They don't waste money on expensive vehicles UNLESS it pays them in the long term. I think it would be a good but not a cheap (short term) choice. How many courier companies do you see using 'Sevel' vehicles ?? Good Luck ! :D :D Fair comment - but how many motor homes do 100,000 miles a year to justify the higher cost? I hired a sprinter van recently and they certainly do what it says on the tin - sprint! My impressions were that I found it no more comfortable or better to drive or better built than any other van. Maybe consideration of the actual habitation conversion quality and getting the right layout could be far more important factors unless you intend doing very high mileage and/or keeping it for many years to come? Yer pays yer money and takes yer choice - and getting it right has never been harder.
Bill Ord Posted August 17, 2008 Posted August 17, 2008 Hi, I concurr with the post that describes the ride as soft, I found it "Rolly Polly" and turned the Merc down on those grounds as it was a bit of a handfull on roundabouts but then not everybody finds it a problem. Certainly in todays market I don't think I'd risk the Fiat with it's water ingress and reverse gear problems!. Bill Ord
libby Posted August 17, 2008 Posted August 17, 2008 We have a 2006 A class Merc Sprinter from new fitted with a cruise control, with a Rapido body, no problems so far. Regarding how 'it' drives one simply adjusts to a vehicle's characteristics regardless of what it is. LB
Derek Uzzell Posted August 18, 2008 Posted August 18, 2008 Mr Grumpy: Your comments about iffy Sprinter electronics reminded me of a conversation I had in France last year with the breakdown-services chap who attended my Transit-based motorhome after both its rear tyre-valves had suddenly failed. He told me he was retiring soon and was about to take delivery of a new Fiat-based Hymer B584. He had rejected all Ford-based motorhomes because Transits had a poor reputation in France (Quite true, earned via a spate of gearbox problems in the mid-1990s that also afflicted UK vehicles but seems to have been forgotten by most people). Motorhomes built on Renault, Iveco and VW chassis had also been excluded from his shopping-list as none met his requirements and, so he said, he 'feared' the electronics of Mercedes Sprinters. I told him that Fiat-based motorhomes weren't held in high regard in the UK, particularly when it came to after-sales service from Fiat. He said this was certainly well recognised in France regarding Fiat cars, but he believed that it didn't apply to Fiat commercial vehicles. He was operating from a garage selling Mazda cars and we both agreed that all motorhomes built on European commercial chassis were essentially 'merde' and, if suitable Japanese chassis were available, nobody in their right mind would choose a motorhome constructed on a European base.
Mr. Grumpy Posted August 18, 2008 Posted August 18, 2008 Derek; I'm sure that all vehicles have some problems but with Merc it's not that something fails but that it costs so much to replace it. In the case of the cpu we replaced, controlling the abs and traction control, it was £700 and it failed again after 6 months! No doubt some one will come along with similar stories about Ford, Fiat, etc, but probably not ERF!
Clive Posted August 18, 2008 Posted August 18, 2008 TOUCH WOOD We have had our Sprinter based MH for 11 years now and its been bleeding perfect! Smooth, reliable and the only bits replaced were the rubber injector spill off pipes and some brake pads. Plus no cam belt to go. C.
Derek Uzzell Posted August 19, 2008 Posted August 19, 2008 Yes, but in 1997 Mercedes commercial vehicles were being made by blacksmiths - so it's no wonder that they aren't prone to electronic problems.
MelvynT Posted August 19, 2008 Posted August 19, 2008 Does anyone think that, with motorhomes being long life vehicles, they suffer more from electrics/electronic problems? Everything is built to a price, but that doesn't mean the more you pay the more reliable they become. Electrical connection failures were sorted out on Japanese models after the rot boxes of the sixties/seventies, so maybe Japanese based MH's are more reliable, ask the people at Wellhouse, Montagues and others.
fred22 Posted August 19, 2008 Posted August 19, 2008 I agree with Clive. Our Autotrail Scout with 312D is a pleasure to drive and I have no problems on motorways, it just goes and goes. Transmission is smooth and no excess engine noise. Radio can be listened to without excess volume and, as Clive says, no worry about cam belts
hymer1942 Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 I have had 2 Hymers both with the Sprintshift auto, they certainly do what it says on the tin. AND THEY DONT JUDDER IN REVERSE
rupert123 Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 Curious as to which m/h you are thinking of with a Merc base. They are getting thin on the ground now, I read an article today that Auto Trail has now dropped them completely and is changeing to Fiat. The current Merc has been around some time and is a bit behind the Fiat and Transit base vehicles and build is certainly no better.
hymer1942 Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 You certainly have not read all the complaints about the new Fiat base
rupert123 Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 hymer1942 - 2008-10-04 3:55 PM You certainly have not read all the complaints about the new Fiat base If that refers to me Barrie then I suggest you look at the Fiat gearbox posts on here. I was in from the start but their comes a point when if you are going to buy a new van you have to make a decision on wether to take the chance. I did and have not had a single problem with the Fiat, it drives well for a van, is economical and cab is better than all the competition. It will reverse with no problem and does not leak water into the engine. I would suggest any van ordered now will not arrive for a couple of months and problem with reverse will have long been fixed. All the major manufacturers are slowly changeing to the Fiat base, it was 75% in 2007 and rising, so your choice if you do not buy Fiat is very limited. However question asked was for an opinion on the Merc, I gave my opinion and suggested an alternative.
Keithl Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 We bought our Autotrail second hand earlier this year as a near impulse purchase with it being the ideal layout for our needs with the added bonus of it being on a Merc chassis. Being new to the game (we had folding campers for 15 years before) we knew nothing about 'Juddergate' or the other Sevel problems. We are extremely pleased with the vehicle, the only problem being a leaking steering rack found 2 weeks after we had collected it and repaired at the dealers cost. This was a result of what I believe is called SMS (Sleepy Motorhome Syndrome) as it had covered only 12,000 miles in exactly 4 years. Knowing what I know now I am extremely glad we bought the Merc and would not touch a Sevel based vehicle for many years. Keith.
Puzzled Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 Have 3 litre merc and auto GB great combination
pneumatician Posted October 7, 2008 Posted October 7, 2008 We have a La Strada with the 316CDI and think its the dogs bannanas. Goes like the clappers when required, reasonably quiet and an unexpected benefit after our last Peugeot/Fiat actually keeps you warm in winter. Steve
Archiesgrandad Posted October 13, 2008 Posted October 13, 2008 We have a Rimor Sailor on the 313 chassis 2001 vintage, and can only say we wouldn't change it for anything else. One thing to keep in mind is payload, the Mercedes chassis seems to be a bit heavy, and the payload suffers. AGD
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