Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2016 01:45:21 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Friday nvc: Sprinters
In-Reply-To: <FFE25125-2E88-4668-B753-7F1C72C63A54@shaw.ca>
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Fun Bus will be turning 300,000 miles this weekend or coming home from work on Monday. Engine still original, heads never even removed. Wish the transmission was as robust. Many support parts such as fuel pump, radiator, coolant pipes, also still original. For most vehicles there are extremes of good luck and not so good luck. How they are used and maintained has a huge effect.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Alistair Bell
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2016 10:44 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Friday nvc: Sprinters
Getting actual experience with sprinters (Karl) or Roy's LT instead of anecdotes of failure is what matters.
And can you imagine a more precarious position of argument about reliability of automobiles than a vanagon owner dissing sprinters?
:-)
Alistair
> On Aug 26, 2016, at 7:16 PM, Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@NBNET.NB.CA> wrote:
>
> I hauled a cubic yard of sand in the LT recently (~1.5 ton) and averaged around 11litres per 100km (~21 - 22 miles per usg) … had I slowed down (truck has a 7’ high tarpaulin over the dump bed), I would have probably been closer to 10. Empty, I routinely get 8-9 l / 100km on the highway and 10 around town.
>
> That’s better than most North American pickups (1/2 or 3/4 ton) manage unladen.
>
> At 80kW (~109 hp), there’s not a heap of power in the LT (the newer MB 2.7/2.8 litre i4’s produce 130 - 156 hp) … but there is little notice in performance with a load.
>
> BTW: Fixed the parking heater this afternoon (though I won’t need it for four months) - the control unit was un-plugged … not sure how or why that happened.
>
>
>
>>> On 26-Aug-2016, at 22:05, Karl Mullendore <tdiguru@WESTYVENTURES.COM> wrote:
>>>
>>> Also, these European designs just don't have the reserve for use or
>>> abuse
>> that conventional American Iron has. In many ways these can become
>> the Vanagon of the future with the unforeseen breakdowns and expenses.
>>>
>>> Once you have a coach with the typical add on body you also have all
>>> the
>> poor construction that typically goes with this. Most of these are
>> not long term 25 year 300,000 mile vehicles.
>>
>> Again, I refer you to www.andeanroads.com This particular fleet of
>> Sprinters, FOUR-cylinder at that, are taking far more abuse in
>> Argentina than most USA-made (not American, btw) campers see, do very
>> well at it, all the while returning double the fuel mileage. I think
>> I'll stick with Mercedes, thanks.
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