Quote:
Originally Posted by citfta
I am curious about some comments made in this thread. Several people have commented that diesels cost more to maintain. Where did that idea come from? Is there any factual evidence to back that up?
I have owned several diesel vehicles. From Puegeots to Dodge Ram pickups. I have not seen any reason to believe that diesels cost more to maintain. They need oil changes just like gasoline engines. They hold more oil but need changes less often. They need air filters changed and fuel filters changed just like gasoline engines so that is a wash. They DON"T need spark plugs changed or spark plug wires replaced or ignition coils or coil packs replaced. If you make sure and use good quality fuel the injectors and injection pump will probably go for a few hundred thousand miles before any problems are encountered.
Another thing I have seen posted is that it is hard to find a Mercedes dealer for repairs. My own search has shown that many Dodge dealers are certified to work on the Sprinter based chassis. I found my local dealer was not, but there is another dealer only 30 miles away that is certified to work on them.
Another comment I have seen several times is that the Sprinter chassis is loaded too heavily and some have even said it is overloaded. What is interesting to me is that those comments seem to be coming from people that don't own one. I am 72 years old and drove fire trucks for over 20 years as a volunteer firefighter. I also drove a school buss for 3 years. I have driven almost anything you can drive except for semis.
I recently drove our Navion for a 1200 mile round trip and saw and felt no signs that it was overloaded. It went up and down hills and around sharp curves very nicely. Of course it is not going to handle like a sports car but it handles very well for what it is. So I really don't see those comments about it being overloaded as valid arguments.
I do have a question. Has anyone experienced any kind of failure that they believe was caused by the Sprinter chassis being overloaded? If it is overloaded I would expect to see drive train and suspension problems to be a common occurrence.
Respectfully.
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First point, agreed, the maintenance requires "more" of some things, but the longer maintenance intervals usually make that one a push. On newer non-FCA built Sprinters, the "fragile" warranties may be a consideration when choosing parts and fluids for general maintenance. Better specs sometimes means higher prices if you want trouble free performance, and some of the newer Sprinters seem pickier about what they want in their diet.
I haven't seen any FCA dealers listed on the latest Mercedes-Benz dealer/service center document, so I can't comment on that one. The list I have does not mention Chrysler or Dodge locations as being among the Sprinter service locations. I'm sure there are some Dodge/Chrysler dealerships that may still do legacy service on the older models that were badged as Ram Sprinters (like yours?), but I doubt they would work on the newer ones. Liability insurance for messing them up would be the most likely reason, since not all Sprinters are created equal (in terms of their hardware and software). Especially the newer ones.
That said, I'm pretty sure that there are a lot more Ford dealers in North America, than MB/Freightliner locations. If there are Chrysler dealers that work on all years of Sprinters, than that's a bonus for those of us who own, or are about to own one.
Overloaded, refers to the math involved in comparing the maximum allowable GVWR/GCWR as defined by the chassis manufacturer (usually MB, except as mentioned previously about older Ram badged chassis), minus the weight of the added coach and RV related structure, furniture, tanks, wiring, and any other related systems that sit on the chassis. In many cases, the added weight of the "RV" part of the vehicle, added to the weight of the chassis itself, gets very close to the GVWR, as defined. Add some OCCC to those numbers, and you could be driving an overloaded vehicle, whether it feels overloaded or not. Most comments on here and other websites about being overloaded aren't based on feel, they're based on actual measurable data.
I don't have handy any anecdotal instances of accidents or other problems being directly caused by being overweight, but I'm sure there have been some, both consciously by people who think or know they are at or over the GVWR or GCWR, and inadvertently by those who don't check their weights on a scale after loading up and heading out on the road.
Your point about added stress related chassis problems being more common from running overloaded is valid, but I think most folks try to stay under the GVWR/GCWR for personal safety, and certainly for insurance coverage reasons. Perhaps that's why there aren't a lot more problems reported attributable to being overweight? Most likely it's a reasonable fear of being involved in an accident, and determined to be running overweight, and the negative effects it would have on your legal liability and insurance coverage, I would expect.
I'm also guessing that most manufacturers add an extra cushion between their stated weight ratings and the actual amount of weight their products can handle, if pushed to the limit and beyond. Erring on the side of caution, and knowing human nature. That is purely my opinion, however.