MB Sprinter Improvement recommendations

[Dugan38]

Thanks for the info. I am now looking at installing sumo springs in the rear and. he'llwig sway bar. We have a Renegade Vienna 2019.
Hope that will solve the problem.

[Dugan38]

To luvlabs

We love labs also. Have a136 pound yellow Lab.
Dugan38

[ksrow]

Originally Posted by SteveNSue

We have a 2017 Jayco Melbourne 24L sprinter and currently are making our first long journey. We are on our 4th week and have another week to go.


After setting up and tearing down we've realized several issues that could use some inputs from other users on possible improvements.


1) The Sprinter rides high in the back. Consequently, when setting up for the night adding leveling pads under the front wheels is necessary to keep from rolling out of bed. Are there any rear airbag suspension upgrades, with adjustable pressure, available? In this case we need to be able to lower, not raise, the coach.



2) Cross winds are a royal pain, literally. We drove hundreds of miles with stiff crosswinds. At times, the steering wheel was turned 90 degrees. The amount of effort to hold the steering wheel became very taxing. Is there any front end alignment, or accessory, that would increase the power assist to reduce the effort?


3) The window washers sprays are mounted on the wiper arms. First time I used it the wiper sprayed off the left side. Has anybody mounted these sprayers on the hood cowling so they spray onto the window?


So far, we are enjoying the ride and will likely learn to live with these small issues but my urge to tinker will probably get the better of it.



Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Steve (currently in West Yellowstone)

I have installed the Helwig sway bar and the sumo springs and the combination makes all the difference in the world.. Like driving a different vehicle. That should be your first move. Merry Christmas!!!

[ctarmor]

This is my posting from March 2018:

just installed konis front and back, hellwig sway bar 1.5in, and full alignment. It is day and night handling.

The Mercedes-Benz tech said that Sprinters are designed for temporary loads with the stock suspension. He said once you upfit with permanent weight, the van should be re-aligned and replace stock shocks with he heavy duty ones.

Winnebago did not do that with my 2015 Era. So it drove like crap. I always check at shows, and yp u can see the stock shocks, so Winnebago still cheap and drive like crap. I had this complain since i bought mine new.

He was correct. Now with the new hardware, it drives like a car. No more excessive swaying while driving. Passing trucks swaying is almost not existent.

All my parts were $1,400. Dealer labor was $1,000. I had mine done at Mercedez of Morristown, NJ. Great service. You can talk to the tech, or sprinter advisor

[88keys]

Originally Posted by ctarmor

This is my posting from March 2018:

just installed konis front and back, hellwig sway bar 1.5in, and full alignment. It is day and night handling.

The Mercedes-Benz tech said that Sprinters are designed for temporary loads with the stock suspension. He said once you upfit with permanent weight, the van should be re-aligned and replace stock shocks with he heavy duty ones.

Winnebago did not do that with my 2015 Era. So it drove like crap. I always check at shows, and yp u can see the stock shocks, so Winnebago still cheap and drive like crap. I had this complain since i bought mine new.

He was correct. Now with the new hardware, it drives like a car. No more excessive swaying while driving. Passing trucks swaying is almost not existent.

All my parts were $1,400. Dealer labor was $1,000. I had mine done at Mercedez of Morristown, NJ. Great service. You can talk to the tech, or sprinter advisor

Very curious....those of you that have upgraded to Sumo or Koni shocks, how does the rear handle those deteriorating, perpendicular bridge & highway expansion joints ? Is it still jarring the coach or has it smoothed out that nasty impact ?

[ctarmor]

They are the same but the van does not bounce around anymore.

[Mr.Goodbar]

Yeah, me too. The one on the driver's side kept popping loose at the most inconvenient times, like in a heavy rain storm.

[Old Crows]

Here's my suggestion.... the problem is body roll in the long axis due to road camber, crossing uneven entrys or sharp cornering or wind deflection due to gusts or passing trucks.

Front: OEM struts (no change); Sumo Springs (AKA Solos) blue color

Rear: Sumo Spring bump stop replacement (black, standard replacements); Koni FSD rear shocks , #8805-1056 (they be Koni red color & for 3500 RV)

Skip the sway / anti-roll bar. The 3500 OEM is good enough. A large bar will exacerbate the long axis rolling.

Set tire pressures NO HIGHER than the recommendations on the PLACARD (driver's door sill). Probably it is 61 psi F & R, you may be able to sneak down a couple PSI. You need the flex in the sidewalls.

When properly set up the RV will momentarily deflect and quickly settle on course with no, or minimal, steering input. Don't constantly chase the deflections with steering corrections.

The cab over snout Class D's are problematic. They are not very "aero" and present a lot of opportunity for wind driven mischief.

In high winds and gusts....SLOW DOWN. 63 -65 -67ish is a good road speed except when windy. Reduce your speed in winds as much as it takes to avoid white knuckle driving. Or, park it. Wind loading are wicked high on high profile vehicles. (Winds in the 25-35 mph w/ gusts 40-50+ as we had in west Texas last week are treacherous and dangerous. Never take them lightly in an RV. My friends laggered down for 3 days here in town last week because of the conditions....and they have a Class A pusher grossing over 16 tons...)

[SteveNSue]

We twice had a dash warning light that the rear wheel slipped after a strong gust of wind. Had to pull over and shut down and restart to reset the warning light. Slower speeds help keep the wheels on the ground.

[Dynadave]

Helwig sway bar and Sumo springs in the rear. Handles great.

[Mooneypaul]

I installed Sumos front and rear. Also Agile Tuned Fox Shocks. No sway bar installed as Agile recommended not to. Greatly improved rocking off of uneven surfaces and pushing from passing trucks.

[SteveNSue]

Hi All,
Well, we did the long drive from Tennessee to Vegas last December. The winds pushed hard and made the drive a chore but we had dates to meet people and pushed on. Even had the rear wheel lift again in a gust, causing the wheel spin warning light on the dash.



Regarding improvements: How about memory setting for mirrors and seats? Our 2005 Ford has it and restores settings to a preset. We adjust the mirrors to see the ground when backing and it would be nice to have them return with a push of a button. Same with the seats when there are two drivers.


Just saying....

[MarkMaxPayne]

As others have posted I've really not experienced any crosswind issues as Tiffin installs the Sumo springs and huge anti sway bar in its base Wayfarer (24-25' in length depending on year).

What I'd like?


1) Seeing the extra 1K chassis capacity coming to fruition.
2) A real horn. My little Fiat 500 TOAD has a better and louder horn.
3) Easier to find bug shields (you can find them, but you have to search).
4) NAV installations that leverage the steering wheel controls in a way that doesn't change radio stations when you want to cycle through dash display info.
5) A chassis battery disconnect that is easier to undo and reattach. The one by the foot pedal isn't the easiest thing to work with due to the center console plastic.
6) USB charging ports in the dash storage trays.
7) Sun visors like are in most SUVs (if you swing it out to the side a slider extends it for the entire driver/passenger window; if you swing it out to the side there is a second drop down visor).


Best,
-Mark

[88keys]

Originally Posted by MarkMaxPayne

....What I'd like?


1) Seeing the extra 1K chassis capacity coming to fruition.
2) A real horn. My little Fiat 500 TOAD has a better and louder horn.
3) Easier to find bug shields (you can find them, but you have to search).
4) NAV installations that leverage the steering wheel controls in a way that doesn't change radio stations when you want to cycle through dash display info.
5) A chassis battery disconnect that is easier to undo and reattach. The one by the foot pedal isn't the easiest thing to work with due to the center console plastic.
6) USB charging ports in the dash storage trays.
7) Sun visors like are in most SUVs (if you swing it out to the side a slider extends it for the entire driver/passenger window; if you swing it out to the side there is a second drop down visor).

Best,
-Mark

Bang on !


I'll add : dually wheel well liners....protects the underside of the chassis from a blow out and adds an extra noise barrier....those duallies make a lot of noise ! There should be a rock group called "4 Wheels" In Concert !