Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2016 12:22:24 -0300
Reply-To: Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@NBNET.NB.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@NBNET.NB.CA>
Subject: Re: Friday nvc: Sprinters
In-Reply-To: <60039F63-3BB5-45FA-A260-6359C13A934F@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
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..
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