Advanced RV's 4 Cyl vs 6 Cyl Tests

Davydd · 11-26-2013, 04:25 PM

Here is a Vimeo video of Advanced RV's 2014 Sprinter 4 cylinder vs 6 cylinder testing. This was a hill climb test that showed the 4 cylinder was just a half second slower getting up to 30 mph but 14.5 seconds slower getting to 60 mph. The testing was done with raw cargo vans not finished Bs. They'll be doing updates when available. They also said Mercedes expects 22% better fuel mileage and they will test that with finished Bs.

Performance Test: Mercedes-Benz 2014 Sprinter 4-Cylinder/7-Speed vs. 6-Cylinder/5-Speed

[vimeo:2fffit39]80270887[/vimeo:2fffit39]

bobojay · 11-26-2013, 06:54 PM

I saw this last night. That's a BIG difference in 0-60. Those last 2 gears on that 7spd are overdrive so they will give absolutely no acceleration at all. Not very reassuring for highway usage

booster · 11-26-2013, 09:18 PM

The 60mph time for the 4 cylinder is kind of a bogus number, as they said it only reached a top speed of 60. 60.1mph would have been infinity in this case, who knows about 58mph.

Hard to tell from the video how steep the grade was, but only getting to 60 or 67 mph top speed with an unloaded van just doesn't seem very good. How much slower will it be with another 4000# of stuff in it?

mlts22 · 11-26-2013, 09:26 PM

60mph tops? That is definitely a deal killer no matter how much MPG the four-banger puts out. Roads here have speed limits of 85, and most interstates are at least 65-70. For a Sprinter van that is a runabout in town, I can see this small engine being useful, but not for long distance highway travel.

Davydd · 11-26-2013, 09:44 PM

It was the top speed within the confines of the test area uphill length. It was a comparative test between the two Sprinters. I suppose once the test area hill was crested it could have picked up speed but then would have been meaningless or it could have picked up more speed if the test was longer. I think the Sprinters are governed at 82 mph max. This had to be somewhere around Willoughby, OH east of Cleveland. There is not a lot of topography there.

The V6 is more than adequate on the highway. Even the old I5 Sprinter outperformed most of the 4 cylinder small cars on the highway. Since I had an I5 Sprinter B and I found it was satisfactory and passed gasoline powered Bs in the Rocky Mountain passes easily. For the record, if you have ever driven I-70 in Colorado with its super long steep uphills I could maintain 70 mph with both my Pleasure-way (I5) and Great West (V6).

I would like to know more of where the new 4 cylinder compares with the old I5. If as good or better then I'd settle for one considering the mileage then might go back up to about 23 mpg if the 22% increase is correct. Guys with just cargo vans are reporting up to 28 mpg in the Sprinter Forums.

Mike · 02-17-2014, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by booster

The 60mph time for the 4 cylinder is kind of a bogus number, as they said it only reached a top speed of 60. 60.1mph would have been infinity in this case, who knows about 58mph.

Hard to tell from the video how steep the grade was, but only getting to 60 or 67 mph top speed with an unloaded van just doesn't seem very good. How much slower will it be with another 4000# of stuff in it?

Probably a lot slower than the V6 with the same added weight, but you have to sell that aspect of the 4 cylinder engine/transmission choice to the consumer along with better the fuel economy. Will it lose top end or will it still be able to reach 60mph uphill given enough time? I wonder how many people are concerned about the ability to handle steeper hills, if they're getting closer to 25 mpg on the flats in an RV? Agree about how steep the grade was from the camera angle. Hard to tell. I wonder why they didn't just say, "the grade was rated/measured to be 7%" or whatever it was. It may have been too gentle to have been rated.
Sometimes, you just put on the 4-way flashers, keep right, and pray, on some hill climbs of more than a 7% grade (in our case). Big rigs with heavy loads do the same, and most drivers in the really hilly and mountainous areas are aware that there will always be slow moving traffic on uphill grades, like the signs say. Still, the price tag on an RV these days on a Sprinter chassis may be another reason to consider the alternative chassis options now available. An estimated 17mpg on a Ducato/Promaster chassis, running lower priced gas, and the much lower initial outlay, might seem more attractive to some. You can probably buy a lot of gasoline with the difference in price between the 2 build chassis.
Or, opt for the Sprinter V6 engine at a premium.

booster · 02-17-2014, 03:29 PM

I wonder when Advanced is going to get some more tests out? It will be very interesting to see how they turn out. First impressions look like the power is going to be pretty low in the 4 cylinder's, but time will tell if it is low enough to be an issue with most folks. The "adequate power" threshhold seems to be very different among folks, but passed history seems to indicate rigs on the lowest end tend to not be around really long. Winnie Lesharo and Toyota Dolphin come to mind, and even the smaller V8 Roadtrek.

It is interesting to look at similar discussions in the past, presumably when gas was cheaper, or maybe there were other influences. Power was more of an influence then, at least in this discussion.

http://classbforum.com/phpBB2/viewto...1953&hilit=454

Mike · 02-17-2014, 04:35 PM

Still thinking about the engine HP/torque upgrade, if the upsizing for snow birding project starts to look like it's not going to happen for any reason. If I could punch the 2002 drive train up a few notches, we might be able to get what we want in a full bathroom from a small towable, like a Casita or Scamp. Was trying to think outside the box, and it was one of the more interesting ones I came up with. There are some fairly lightweight micro-trailers out there that might have what we want.

booster · 02-17-2014, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

Still thinking about the engine HP/torque upgrade, if the upsizing for snow birding project starts to look like it's not going to happen for any reason. If I could punch the 2002 drive train up a few notches, we might be able to get what we want in a full bathroom from a small towable, like a Casita or Scamp. Was trying to think outside the box, and it was one of the more interesting ones I came up with. There are some fairly lightweight micro-trailers out there that might have what we want.

As mentioned before, the small trailer is also our current plan for if we go for longer times in one place. Thought we had it done with a Safari Condo, but the price got us. We will be going to Scamp in the near future, as they are only a 100+ miles away from us, to see what they can offer.

Mike · 02-17-2014, 05:10 PM

I'd be interested in knowing more about lightweight towables from them, and whether they could make a custom bathroom/kitchen model, with simple umbilical connections for water, propane, and power. Or, if it would be easier, to build it into the trailer as a standalone option, to run off a couple of batteries with some solar, or perhaps a drive train (on the trailer) mounted generator, for charging? Or, perhaps a small, quiet, standalone gas generator to run for short periods while the bathroom functions are in use? The latter might be the easiest/best choice for power to run a water pump, lighting, etc., along with propane for a DSI on demand water heater, and a maybe small furnace or other heat source for cold weather usage.
I'm still convinced the easiest way to get that setup, is to buy an RV that has it, but you have to keep an open mind?

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