Costs of used Bs

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by gklugie

I don't know BBQ. You are pretty quick to question Mr. Sullivan's figures. He has a fleet of 28 units and keeps detailed records. Heck.... even his remark about an oil change is eye-opening..... Surely you don't challenge his assertion that a gasser oil change is $30-$40 while a Diesel oil change is $170-400 ? How about the $600 Nox sensors?.... Do you think Sullivan is misrepresenting or lying or stretching the truth? I lnow from experience that all Mercedes Benz vehicles are expensive to upkeep.

That source's title is (caps emphasis mine) "Fatal Flaw of LATE model Mercedes Sprinter". Late means NCV3. The older T1Ns (model years before 2007) do not have those emissions systems. Those are the ones that are widely regarded as reliable. We've owned ours for close to 3 years and have had no issues, and it's now 11 years old.

As for oil change prices, even a non-technical person could DIY that job, and using really good Mobil turbo-diesel synthetic oil to boot, for less than $100 (blog instructions with pictures here). Yes, MB dealers can charge up to $400 for the same job. Those who have three hundred extra bucks to waste on something like that, power to them. But I'm a middle-aged woman, not very large or strong, and if I can do it myself, then pretty much any non-disabled person could.

Engine oils are recycled - it's the law in Texas. Not a big environmental issue there.

[BBQ]

.

The internet is full of alternative truths.

What MB charges was not just an oil change.
MB has Service "A" and Service "B" periodic maintenance schedules.

You can get the detail from their manual.

[mojoman]

I take my all my vehicles, two of which which are still under warrantee to the respective dealer for oil changes. They all; Ford, Honda, Dodge, do a pretty complete inspection of the vehicle, fluids, tire, brakes, lights, etc... and document it on a service record sheet for the price of an oil change. Years ago I would have had to pay much more for this type of service. Competition is great.

[Davydd]

I take it with a grain of salt those who post about commercial fleets. They are not Class B RVs and have not been operated as such. They have excessive wear and tear mostly city driving by a variety of driver's who may abuse them.

I haven't heard many stories, if at all, of a Sprinter diesel giving up the ghost on the RV forums and I have to believe diesels inherently have to last longer than gas engines.

[skiMore]

I'm trying to understand what I should pay for a used Class B. People are asking much more than NADA. Are they in fantasy land or is NADA wrong? Is there a better guide than NADA? I looked on ebay motors and it looked like people were paying 10-20% more than NADA (avg retail).

What can I expect to get for $25K?

[mojoman]

At 20' and 23mpg, $4500:
https://humboldt.craigslist.org/rvs/6214737604.html

[Phoebe3]

I did a quick search on RVT.com for class b, $10,000-$25,000. Nationwide, there were 12 with less than 100K miles, all were from 1990-1999.

Similar searches can be run through RVTrader.

The best time to look will be fall/winter, I expect. It seemed to me that when i started looking in March, there were more available. I checked these sites as well as Craigslist in all the major cities in CA, AZ and NV every day.

If you are patient, something good will turn up.

[gklugie]

Davydd makes a great point that got me to thinking. He stated that class B-s are not driven like fleet vehicles/city delivery vehicles. Excellent observation sir.

[skiMore]

Originally Posted by mojoman

At 20' and 23mpg, $4500:
https://humboldt.craigslist.org/rvs/6214737604.html

Thanks for the link. I saw something like that once where the roof tilted up with the passenger side higher than the driver side.

Originally Posted by Phoebe3

I did a quick search on RVT.com for class b, $10,000-$25,000. Nationwide, there were 12 with less than 100K miles, all were from 1990-1999.
....

I didn't know about RVT.com. It looks like a really good site. I like that search feature that links you historical prices and the NADA price.

I guess my question revolves around knowing a fare price to pay for a used RV. Many of the ones I've looked at online are much higher than NADA; I saw a local listing for a low mileage pleasureway that was nearly twice the NADA price.

[mojoman]

A pretty good deal for one:
https://humboldt.craigslist.org/rvs/6210860697.html

[crvph]

I was looking for something older and with less computers or something i can fix. I found a 2000 great west van for $23k. It's far from perfect but just the right size (19') for getting around. I also think the b's are holding their values. I did allot of research across the country and they all seemed 20% higher than they should be.
It's old like me and needing some tlc. It seems to be in ok shape for it's age (no so with me). Storage compartment drawers are made of plywood and need attention (rotten), paint never has been waxed and fiberglass is dull white. Window glazing shrunk and needs replacing on forward fixed glass. All i think i can repair. But the RV came with no user Guide Manual. Does someone know where i can find a pdf copy or does great west have this information in their archives. They don't answer their phone. Not getting anywhere on the web. Any help from folks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike

[wincrasher]

Fleet experience is a lot more demanding - basically they beat on their vans every day and put a ton of miles on them. It's not unusually to see 2-3 year old vans offered for sale with 300k on the clock. Drawing comparisons to light duty in RV service is not all that relevant. $400 for an only change I question as well, as I usually pay ~$100 for my Silverado HD which is a much larger engine (more oil)

[Phoebe3]

Mike, Last I heard, GVW as defunct so, unfortunately, you can't call them for a manual. (Others can correct me if I'm wrong.)

The best option is to gather the manuals for the components. I believe your unit is on a Dodge 3500, so you should be able to get a manual for that.

Then, you can collect the manuals for the refrigerator, A/C, etc.

You will still be missing wiring diagrams and other coach-specific items, but you might find another owner who has them and is willing to share. I suggest starting a new post with the year and name of your van in the title so it will trigger the responses you are looking for.

Congratulations on your new rig!

[Ron J. Moore]

Check out For Sale Section, member(Canoe 22) has a 2001 for sale. Ron

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

Fleet experience is a lot more demanding - basically they beat on their vans every day and put a ton of miles on them. It's not unusually to see 2-3 year old vans offered for sale with 300k on the clock. Drawing comparisons to light duty in RV service is not all that relevant. $400 for an only change I question as well, as I usually pay ~$100 for my Silverado HD which is a much larger engine (more oil)

If the internet is telling me the truth, that pickup should take about 6 quarts.

The T1N Sprinter takes 9.5 quarts, or most of 3 x 1 gallon jugs (with some left over). The best price out there on Mobil 1 turbodiesel oil (a synthetic) is about $25 per gallon (Walmart). The MB oil filter is about $21 (I just bought one last week; the aftermarkets are about five bucks cheaper, but according to my husband's research, it's not worth saving that five bucks because in this case the OEM does actually perform better).

So, accounting for the oil held in reserve, it costs about $80 to DIY an oil change in a T1N Sprinter, if it's done right. Accounting for labor and overhead, a commercial outfit would need to be charging significantly north of that to make the transaction viable, even if they got a bit of a wholesale cut on the prices for the materials. Maybe they wouldn't need to be up around $400 - that's been quoted as an MB price by some users on Air Forums who made the inquiry (and it wasn't for a "service" of any kind - it was for one of their glorified oil changes where they include some kind of visual kick-the-tires "inspection" of no particular value... I recently had to sign an acknowledgement of such an "inspection" performed on my vehicle when the only reason I went to the dealer was to get a spare key programmed, nothing whatsoever to do with the vehicle other than turning the key in the ignition to verify it was programmed correctly). Of course everyone knows that there are cheaper servicers than Mercedes Benz. But finding on that is trustworthy is a challenge for some people, hence the MB inquiries.

Personally I wouldn't be so quick to discount a fleet comparison entirely, where the engine is concerned. Most fleet vehicles are not loaded with thousands of pounds of upfit materials, to the point of bumping up against GVWR. We've got users on Air Forums who have been driving T1N Sprinters basically right at GVWR through the Rockies and Alaska and other demanding environments for close to 200,000 miles (pretty destinations usually have mountains and bad roads and such). A FEDEX Sprinter in Houston might put 200,000 miles on itself very quickly, but it does so mostly on freeways and arterials that are as flat as a pancake and as smooth as a baby's butt, and it does so while presumably spending at least half its life well below GVWR (my guess is that a bunch of Amazon cardboard boxes delivering consumer widgets don't weigh nearly as much as cabinetry and appliances).

[Boxster1971]

A fancy Mercedes dealers can certainly cost $400 for "A" Service oil and filter change. Been there done that. But now I get my Sprinter serviced at a Freightliner Sprinter and Bus dealer in Annaplois, MD. Recent A service was $225.


- - Mike
2012 Sprinter 3500 Extended converted B-Van by Airstream

[1986firenza]

I found pleasure way, 190000mile, this goes to auction. No dent. Frame rust probably?

"1994 Dodge Ram Van - $2,995 Iron Mountain, MI "


I am interested in
"1994 Dodge Ra m Van - $3,495 Leesburg, FL "
This is roadtrek 170000mile, looks very good. I am wondering flooded?

Both from cargurus. Please search By "Dodge ram van"

For DIY mechanic, those are fair priced.

[Marley]

The $400 'oil change' price that gets floated around includes a fuel filter change also amoungst other things. And it is probably more like $340 plus tax and then gets rounded up to a "$400 oil change". Grain of salt, anyone?

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Marley

The $400 'oil change' price that gets floated around includes a fuel filter change also amoungst other things. And it is probably more like $340 plus tax and then gets rounded up to a "$400 oil change". Grain of salt, anyone?

Dealer charged me $300 for an A service. But there are folks on the Sprinter list reporting more than twice that. Seems to vary widely dealer-to-dealer.

[Ron J. Moore]

Loving my gasser! Ron