Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2016 16:31:56 +0000
Reply-To: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Friday nvc: Sprinters
In-Reply-To: <5A9F6E17-303E-4312-950A-747447164824@NBNet.nb.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
That dump bed feature could be handy with a camper. think how easy it would
be to get everyone up in the morning.
Jim
On Fri, Aug 26, 2016 at 10:22 AM Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote:
> I have a 2001 VW LT 35 (pretty much the same vehicle as an MB Sprinter
> 312, though interior trim is a little downscale) with {only} 145,000 kms on
> the dial. Other than the parking heater is not working at present (control
> unit is not turning on) and the OEM tyre size is becoming difficult to find
> (nothing new here), I am happy with the vehicle. My LT is the Doka with a
> dump bed (kipper), but everything else is the same as the vans.
>
>
> > On 26-Aug-2016, at 12:02, Dave Bohannan <fjazzbass@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >
> > Since it’s Friday….
> >
> > I’ve got a friend that had a similar experience- but he DID trade his
> Sprinter in for a brand NEW one :-D
> >
> > I do think what it may translate into for some folks is that the “Total
> Cost of Ownership” is actually worth it for them. My buddy can afford to
> have everything done at the dealer and pretty much just deals with it… I
> honestly haven’t heard from him since he got the new one about a year ago…
> >
> > When he had traded the old one in it had a chronic roof leak around the
> air conditioner on top. He and his kids had just gotten used to it since
> nobody knew how to fix it…so after it had rained, the one kid that always
> sat in that position would get a bucket of water dropped on his head after
> they went through the first curve…ha!
> >
> > He had also been chasing after some electrical issues, blah, blah…it
> happens…
> >
> > In all seriousness- car ownership is about what you’re willing to live
> with… I’ve got a family member with a very expensive (house expensive)
> motorhome that he can’t keep out of the factory for repairs- seriously?!!?!
> But he just keeps heading from home up to Elkhart, or Tampa, or wherever
> they say they can fix it. He’s retired so he makes the best of it.
> >
> > I’ve got enough of a family to justify buying a Sprinter- and I’ve
> thought about it before- maybe if I were in a different stage of life
> (money/ time / chill ratio) I would…for now, I drive my bus and for times
> that I need to cart more people / stuff I drive the 23 year old ford van
> that I spent my time swapping another engine into last year….that’s what I
> could live with…
> >
> > From "collective knowledge" at least our friends on this list are going
> into it with eyes wide open…..
> >
> > Dave
> >
> >
> >> On Aug 26, 2016, at 10:21 AM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >>
> >> Just had two Sprinter people visiting, both with VERY negative
> experiences
> >> with their Sprinters...one less than a year old and one a few hrs old.
> The
> >> older one's owner was a Vanagon owner before the Sprinter, which he
> says he
> >> drives most of the time in "limp home mode" because the nearest dealer
> is
> >> over an hour each way and it costs over $300 to have them diagnose
> >> whatever its problems are each time...he hates it. The other family
> has
> >> one the recently retired Vetinarian bought for camping and mountain
> >> biking...They spent last winter in Arizona, where Sprinters are
> >> rampant...He, too, hates his...it is now in need of another
> >> computer...$3k...and of course that MUST be installed by the dealer. My
> >> brother in law also got one maybe 3 yrs ago...at least he has close
> >> dealers, him being in Orange county CA...His, according to him, his own
> >> Sprinter has spent more time at the dealership than on his street. He
> >> hates it, too.
> >> Ok, so I've been intrigued by those, but I got hints they are expensive
> >> to run and unreliable...But when we got talking...two real owners and
> one
> >> close relative to another owner... I got it from actual owners(except
> for
> >> the brother in law). They seem to be hated...and usually people can
> justify
> >> all kinds of faults in a vehicle they bought... but these folks went
> OFF!
> >> on how awful their Sprinters are... Jay even offered his diesel
> automatic
> >> straight across for my 84 tintop...
> >> So whoever was recently posting about changing to a Sprinter.... you
> may
> >> want to talk to some owners of them first. 3for3, that's pretty
> negative
> >> for a vehicle... I was surprised..
>
|