Best choice for Class B+ diesel engine.

[michbout]

Hi
We stopped our choice on a approx. 25' mothorhome with a diesel engine, for fuel economie, wanting to travel a lot. Only 2 adults. Driving into cities is also a factor why the smaller size.

1) The Mercedes 3.0l on a Sprinter 3500 seems to be the choice. I want to buy a 2012 or 2011 at the latest. Certain Chrysler dealers were at one point doing the service on them, but I wounder if MB is the only service point as of now.
I heard that UPS is dropping this type of vehicule from their fleet, I would like to know what kind of repairs are to be expected and if cost of repair is higher with MB. than it would with Chrysler, other than the hourly fee.

Is there anything out there that is similar ?? to the MB 3.0l 188hp

2) What would the best choice concerning the House: a lot of them( Thor, Fleetwood, Forest River, Winnebago) Witch one would you suggest for quality, I heard that Fleetwood could have issues. Bed in the back is a must.
Being a first time buyer, I want to make the right choice.

Thanks for your help.

[PeaceOwl]

Sorry this post was missed!
We had an Itasca (winnebago) Navion and loved it. We chose to move on to a larger rig because of some long vacations and more room for family. but i loved that diesel! 16mpg, easy to drive, easy to park, and fit in all the state parks on the calif. Coastline. Really modern decor and it was a 2012. Had it two years, no problems. We even dry camped for 4 days at a time.
You will have a blast.

[User1011]

Take a look at the Leisure Travel Van line - several models available on the MB Sprinter chassis: Serenity, Unity, Libero. LTV is made in Canada.
Superb quality compared to the US lines that are mass produced - Winnie, Thor, Forest River.
JMHO --

[jackfish]

Originally Posted by 2LT

Take a look at the Leisure Travel Van line - several models available on the MB Sprinter chassis: Serenity, Unity, Libero. LTV is made in Canada.
Superb quality compared to the US lines that are mass produced - Winnie, Thor, Forest River.
JMHO --

+1 works for me!

[RodK]

Originally Posted by 2LT

Take a look at the Leisure Travel Van line - several models available on the MB Sprinter chassis: Serenity, Unity, Libero. LTV is made in Canada.
Superb quality compared to the US lines that are mass produced - Winnie, Thor, Forest River.
JMHO --

We just toured their plant today. I am very impressed with their techniques and quality control. We have a Triple E Commander A class. It is the same company.

[rtdavew]

We put 30k miles on our LTV Unity 24MB in 10 months. Have since moved up to a 36' class A so we can stay out longer. The Unity was super 15+ MPG flat towing a Smartfortwo can go anywhere handles like a dream and found MB service to be reasonably priced and excellent service. Very few issues with LTV.

[Pastor1]

In Oct 2014 we bought a new Mercedes Class B Siesta made by Thor. Mercedes is great. Thor not so. Everything inside and out is falling apart. Waiting for a go ahead to fix warranty work. Could be months just to get approved.

[smiller]

The OM642 (3.0L diesel) engines and NAG1 transmissions in the 2007- Sprinters has been pretty bulletproof in terms of core engine reliability, usually good to to multiple 6-digit mileages with many fleet vehicles reaching the 300-500k mark without major repairs, but there have been some problems with the 'bolted on' stuff such as emissions systems. Do the usual due diligence and make sure there are no codes present, might be worth paying a dealer to do a scan. The only other serious gotcha with this engine is a leaking oil cooler, not in itself a big problem but it requires significant tear-down of the engine to get to it and thus a large bill if you are unlucky, so check carefully for any oil leaks. Other than those things to look for (all drivetrains have one potential issue or another) it is a sweet vehicle, drives like a car and should show you 15-16 mpg (which sure beats 8 mpg in a Ford 350/450 chassis that also drives like a truck.) There is a reason Sprinter-based RVs have been so popular for so many years.

[cjscotty]

Take a look also at the Coachman Prism and the Forest River Solera. The Prism also has the outside TV. Both much less expensive than the Winnebago/Itasca View/Navion or the Thor models. RV Direct sells the Solera at a very good price.

[SissyBoyBob]

If you haven't, I would suggest anyone look at the Dynamax REV on the new Dodge Promaster chassis and V6 engine. Can buy one in the $60ks with 5yr/100k warranty on engine/trans, and 2 yr on the whole coach. Gets close to what the diesel engine gets in mpg but at $30k less to buy. They have 4 floor plans, and some added features hard to find as standard like outside TV, dual stainless steel sinks, great big double door fridge, etc. They even have a model that sleeps 6 adults, unreal for such a small Class B+ 24' coach.

They will be offering in a year or so an upgraded Elite version with new slam latch compartment doors, 1000W inverter, 2 batteries, nicer furniture, padded ceilings, side cameras, and convection microwave. No one knows this yet. I got the skinny straight from the horses mouth (National sales manager) at Forest River. I feel this is the best deal out there for a class B/C, especially with warranty and all the extras.

I hope to have my home and all my and my ancestor's life collections of stuff sold about the time they come out with the newer one, early next year I suspect. I like to wait a year or two anyway after a new product comes out. They always make changes and upgrades based on customer input after that first version. A new 2017 REV may be my last 'home' I buy. May even be buried in it since I have no relatives to leave it too.

After a lifetime of living, all I plan to have to show for it is my REV and a couple dollars left in my pocket that I haven't spent before I croak. I feel if you die with money in the bank, you missed out on a lot more fun you could have had. What a waste that would be.

[cjscotty]

SissyBoyBob, we like those too. One of the reasons we didn't get one is the furniture was uncomfortable/hard to sit on, so nice to see the upgrades coming.