Repairs vs. maintenance... does it even matter???

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

When I first got my RV...I thought...OK... there's going to be a few repairs, it's a 2012 model that I purchased in 2017.... however, it's extremely low mileage and was in immaculate condition......

What I didn't realize was how cyclical these things are.. batteries, tires, macerator pump, shocks, propane sensor.. I don't know.. maybe the cracked sewer hose that's a plastic part permanently attached to the rig??

Regardless of what you want to call it...it's all money ...and you can't ignore it...

Now I realize that some of you on the forum have the skills to do all of these repairs yourself.... but, you still have to purchase the replacement parts.....so, while it's certainly costing me more...it's still an expense to you as well....

I'm probably going to sell my RV in three years... just to get a little more time from all the things I already did... which were very extensive....and IF things settle down maybe I'll consider keeping it longer.... we'll see...

In the meantime...I'm keeping a close eye on the repairs and maintenance...it adds up very quickly.... don't know how anyone can live in a place requiring this much work.... thankfully I don't have to do that.

I wonder how many people out there with a 2012 model have as many issues as what I've experienced... maybe it's just because it's a Roadtrek and Mercedes Benz..?? It's not just the RV repairs... although they seem to be the larger part of the expenses....it's the vehicle as well.... maintenance on the diesel is very expensive even with my independent mechanic...at 20,000 miles service, it cost me over $800 ...... Takes a lot of money to properly maintain these engines...

Hope your experience is better than mine..... we're still having fun..but the cost is a lot....
I think I could have stayed in some really nice hotels and just taken my car.......

[Adriana]

Interesting. So other than the 20,000 mile service what other expenses have you had over the past year?

[<<B-Guy>>]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

we're still having fun..but the cost is a lot....
I think I could have stayed in some really nice hotels and just taken my car.......

That's what it boils down to I believe.

I tried to do an exercise a few times to compare total costs and it seemed to me to come out awash.

So when people ask me, I tell them it probably is not worth getting into RV'ing as a money saving venture - it really comes down more to a lifestyle choice.

I suppose many years ago when our daughters were children and we just camped with a tent we were saving what little $$ I had for vacations compared to staying in hotels and eating all our meals in restaurants - but that has not been our style of RVing for many years ! Still enjoy it though!

Brian

[InterBlog]

Roughly, the maintenance and repairs on our 2006 Sprinter have averaged out to about $500 per year over the past 4 years.

And 50% of that cost consisted of replacements that I elected to do because of the vehicle's age, not because something broke (turbo hoses, new water pump, coolant hoses, gaskets all replaced preemptively). So, without my conservative spending, then about $250 per year for the Sprinter itself (not the upfit components). The only major 'required' maintenance that I've had done in 4 years was a transmission flush (about $500 at MB). We DIY our own oil changes which are less than $100 each. Two new tires came to about $400, but every vehicle needs tires.

Of course, we spent many thousands on a DIY off-grid electrical system, but that wasn't because we were compelled to - it was a lifestyle decision. We also DIY'd repairs to our plumbing system that would have cost several thousand bucks if we had contracted it out. DIY cost was perhaps a hundred bucks.

And I paid to replace the entire propane system including the tank itself, again because I was being conservative due to the vehicle's age. That was about $2,000 for tank, all flex lines, and labor.

Newer Sprinters are more expensive to own and operate, it seems. Especially when the emissions systems go belly up.

But yes - all RVs do come with expenses. Same as houses.

[Mfturner]

I totally agree that it's a lifestyle choice. You've gotta ask yourself: What do I like to do? Do you like to travel or relax at home? Do you like to where yourself in nature or do you like big city shows or more exotic traveling overseas? The answers to those sorts of questions may help. You can spend money on any of those, even relaxing at home lol.

I personally really don't like hotels unless I spend a lot of money on them, the and the RV allows a lot more flexibility. Some people want more structure, for their vacations to be more planned or catered, I get that. It's really your decision.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Roughly, the maintenance and repairs on our 2006 Sprinter have averaged out to about $500 per year over the past 4 years.

And 50% of that cost consisted of replacements that I elected to do because of the vehicle's age, not because something broke (turbo hoses, new water pump, coolant hoses, gaskets all replaced preemptively). So, without my conservative spending, then about $250 per year for the Sprinter itself (not the upfit components). The only major 'required' maintenance that I've had done in 4 years was a ansmission flush (about $500 at MB). We DIY our own oil changes which are less than $100 each. Two new tires came to about $400, but every vehicle needs tires.

Of course, we spent many thousands on a DIY off-grid electrical system, but that wasn't because we were compelled to - it was a lifestyle decision. We also DIY'd repairs to our plumbing system that would have cost several thousand bucks if we had contracted it out. DIY cost was perhaps a hundred bucks.

And I paid to replace the entire propane system including the tank itself, again because I was being conservative due to the vehicle's age. That was about $2,000 for tank, all flex lines, and labor.

Newer Sprinters are more expensive to own and operate, it seems. Especially when the emissions systems go belly up.

But yes - all RVs do come with expenses. Same as houses.

I don't know.. maybe it's because there were some neglected items hidden on my RV?

We did drive 15,000 miles the first year..but, here's some numbers...

OK, so, the broken sewer line was $1,000; new tires, $2,000, batteries $1,500, Shocks, track bar and anti-sway bar ..$3,200.. Glow plugs, $800 , Broken macerator pump and gate valve replacement $1,100 and other smaller items like the propane sensor.... Maintenance.at dealershp and independent garage. $3,000 or more...

Sure, I elected to put a new navigation and sound system in, rear backup proximity sensors ( for safety and convenience) and solar panels system. ( Best upgrade so far) Next to the Koni FSD shocks, the larger anti-sway bar and track bar....

The suspension upgrade was a really tremendous improvement......

BUT, these extras now have a lower magnitude than the repairs and maintenance....

I was extremely lucky... when the emissions system had problems around 39,000 miles the Mercedes Benz dealership replaced the entire system under warranty.. would have cost over $4,000... so, I'm glad to have a new emissions system...

Like I said...the Sprinter is a beautiful drive... and with everything done now...I'd be delighted if it all settled down.

I've been thinking that maybe I should go 40,000 miles between transmission changes next time..I'm going to look at the owners manual... but, my mechanic and Mercedes said don't skimp on the service of these....a few hundred dollars... isn't worth losing the transmission... it's a really heavy vehicle....

If it has wheels..it has problems....

[booster]

What we are hearing are a lot of stuff about costs and trouble and how a car and hotel might be cheaper and less trouble, and thus more pleasant a journey.


What we aren't hearing is about fun had camping or the camping lifestyle, with the exception of oft repeated miles traveled (driving normally isn't considered fun for most of us).


I have mentioned this before, and it applies to all of us, I think. The big question is why did you get an RV? Was it to travel and have fun, save money, to get attention, whatever? The second big question is did you get what you expected, and if not, what did you get or not get?


For most of us that totally enjoy the RV travel and camping I think the answers are obvious. We got the RV to travel and have fun, first and foremost and way above all else. We know that it will cost money, but it is a HOBBY, not an investment so that is fine. Certainly, most of us are proud of our vans, especially those who have built their own or heavily modified a stock one, but if nobody ever knew or noticed the van, that would be just fine also, for most, so not critical or even important.


Just my opinion, but if you spend more time worrying about costs, maintenance, inconveniences when traveling, and comparing your van and miles driven to others, than you do actually camping and having fun, then it may be time to find to find a new hobby (or investment if you need it to be)


By comparison, has anyone calculated what the fish you catch and eat cost per pound after figuring in the boat, truck, electronics, etc? That would make an RV look like a bargain, I think!

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by booster

What we are hearing are a lot of stuff about costs and trouble and how a car and hotel might be cheaper and less trouble, and thus more pleasant a journey.


What we aren't hearing is about fun had camping or the camping lifestyle, with the exception of oft repeated miles traveled (driving normally isn't considered fun for most of us).


I have mentioned this before, and it applies to all of us, I think. The big question is why did you get an RV? Was it to travel and have fun, save money, to get attention, whatever? The second big question is did you get what you expected, and if not, what did you get or not get?


For most of us that totally enjoy the RV travel and camping I think the answers are obvious. We got the RV to travel and have fun, first and foremost and way above all else. We know that it will cost money, but it is a HOBBY, not an investment so that is fine. Certainly, most of us are proud of our vans, especially those who have built their own or heavily modified a stock one, but if nobody ever knew or noticed the van, that would be just fine also, for most, so not critical or even important.


Just my opinion, but if you spend more time worrying about costs, maintenance, inconveniences when traveling, and comparing your van and miles driven to others, than you do actually camping and having fun, then it may be time to find to find a new hobby (or investment if you need it to be)


By comparison, has anyone calculated what the fish you catch and eat cost per pound after figuring in the boat, truck, electronics, etc? That would make an RV look like a bargain, I think!

I purchased the RV...to travel and have the experience of being able to go almost anywhere, anytime at the drop of a hat... that has been wonderful...

And, the Sprinter took us places we could have not imagined and enabled us to stay out in areas where there were no hotels nearby... That was great.....

What hasn't been great??? Getting run over by costs with no end in sight...?

I understand it's not an investment.... but, that doesn't mean I want it to be a significant issue.... maybe for some of you it's not a problem?

I didn't purchase the van

[booster]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

I purchased the RV...to travel and have the experience of being able to go almost anywhere, anytime at the drop of a hat... that has been wonderful...

And, the Sprinter took us places we could have not imagined and enabled us to stay out in areas where there were no hotels nearby... That was great.....

What hasn't been great??? Getting run over by costs with no end in sight...?

I understand it's not an investment.... but, that doesn't mean I want it to be a significant issue.... maybe for some of you it's not a problem?

I didn't purchase the van

As have many others, we have run the cost comparisons to driving a nice regular vehicle and staying in "decent" hotels, and you have to be on the road a lot to break even, and that would only include the actual traveling costs and depreciation and normal maintenance. Beyond that, tolerance level for the unexpected and expensive takes over and everyone has to evaluate how much the hobby is worth to them. It is quite obvious from what you have posted that you don't appear to think the costs are worth the benefit, while the rest of us have no, or minor, problems with the cost vs benefit.


This is why I think you may need to re-evaluate you choices and perhaps do something different than owning an RV. It is obvious that you have more complaints than than pleasures, and at that point it all gets to be not worth it.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by booster

As have many others, we have run the cost comparisons to driving a nice regular vehicle and staying in "decent" hotels, and you have to be on the road a lot to break even, and that would only include the actual traveling costs and depreciation and normal maintenance. Beyond that, tolerance level for the unexpected and expensive takes over and everyone has to evaluate how much the hobby is worth to them. It is quite obvious from what you have posted that you don't appear to think the costs are worth the benefit, while the rest of us have no, or minor, problems with the cost vs benefit.


This is why I think you may need to re-evaluate you choices and perhaps do something different than owning an RV. It is obvious that you have more complaints than than pleasures, and at that point it all gets to be not worth it.

YES, you might be correct... For me it's a vehicle that we can have fun in touring...

Look, in the first 16 months of ownership this has cost me well over $12,000 ..... that's a lot of money in anyone's estimation... Now, I don't think I'll have to spend money on tires, batteries, shocks, plumbing or propane sensors anytime soon... but, I'm sure you would agree it's large number bound to get anyone's attention... round numbers....

Sewer line; $1,200
Suspension $3,200
Batteries all three.AGM , one vehicle battery and two 6 volt AGM . $1,750
Macerator pump and valves $1,100
Tires and monitoring system $2,000
Maintenance services, $2,750. including glow plugs failure, oil changes etc.
Propane sensor $ 175
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total-------------------------$12,175

I'm not even counting the upgrades... that's clearly not required...

Not counting anything else including fuel, registration that's $1.23 per mile so far....
As I stated above, a lot of these big ticket items won't have to be dealt with again for a long time so the cost per mile relative to the miles driven should make the price per mile to go down over the next few years.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

maintenance on the diesel is very expensive even with my independent mechanic...at 20,000 miles service, it cost me over $800 ...... Takes a lot of money to properly maintain these engines...

"There is nothing so plain boring as the constant repetition of assertions that are not true."
-J. L. Austin
_____________

It is always sad to encounter RVers who have discovered that they have gotten in over their heads. I also agree that those who lack the inclination or skills to do DIY repairs sometimes have a tough row to hoe.

That said, your constant repetition of the untrue claim that the Sprinter chassis is unusually expensive to maintain does a real disservice to future readers who come to this list looking for reliable information. The Sprinter was engineered for what was once considered "extended" service intervals. As such, they have large oil capacities, call for specific premium oils and filters, and contain sophisticated monitors for unusual driving conditions. You paid for these features and they work. The OEM maintenance regimen reflects this. If you choose to ignore these requirements in instead listen to the self-serving advice of your "trusted mechanic" or random opinions of some dealer service guy, that is up to you, but the needless cost is on you. Your MY2012 Sprinter requires far less service than you have been reporting. Your self-reporting suggests that you have been spending twice what you need to maintaining your Sprinter. You are all but literally flushing money down the drain, and this is not to mention the needless environmental impact. Moreover, current production Sprinters have doubled many service intervals as compared to yours.

The cost per service on Sprinters is higher than on some other vehicles, but cost per mile simply is not.

Out of warranty repair costs are another matter -- For various reasons, Sprinters may well be outliers in this regard. This is hard to say. But that is a different matter than maintenance costs.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by avanti

It is always sad to encounter RVers who have discovered that they have gotten in over their heads. I also agree that those who lack the inclination or skills to do DIY repairs sometimes have a tough row to hoe.

That said, your constant repetition of the untrue claim that the Sprinter chassis is unusually expensive to maintain does a real disservice to future readers who come to this list looking for reliable information. The Sprinter was engineered for what was once considered "extended" service intervals. As such, they have large oil capacities, call for specific premium oils and filters, and contain sophisticated monitors for unusual driving conditions. You paid for these features and they work. The OEM maintenance regimen reflects this. If you choose to ignore these requirements in instead listen to the self-serving advice of your "trusted mechanic" or random opinions of some dealer service guy, that is up to you, but the needless cost is on you. Your MY2012 Sprinter requires far less service than you have been reporting. Your self-reporting suggests that you have been spending twice what you need to maintaining your Sprinter. You are all but literally flushing money down the drain, and this is not to mention the needless environmental impact. Moreover, current production Sprinters have doubled many service intervals as compared to yours.

The cost per service on Sprinters is higher than on some other vehicles, but cost per mile simply is not.

Out of warranty repair costs are another matter -- For various reasons, Sprinters may well be outliers in this regard. This is hard to say. But that is a different matter than maintenance costs.

Avanti, no offense, but, I think you just glossed over what I reported...all the maintenance was done at a dealership or my independent mechanic for the services...oil changes, filters, glow plugs, some emissions issue that wasn't covered back pressure exhaust sensor..in case you didn't know... the Mercedes Benz dealership is very expensive... yeah, this all happened ... I would have rather skipped it.. I couldn't... for you to say that it wasn't necessary is plainly ridiculous...

Take a look at the other non Mercedes Benz expenses... sewer line, macerator, tires, shocks.... see list.

Geez.. .. I don't know how you can judge what I'm doing. You really think I would do that just for laughs...???

[booster]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

YES, you might be correct... For me it's a vehicle that we can have fun in touring...

Look, in the first 16 months of ownership this has cost me well over $12,000 ..... that's a lot of money in anyone's estimation... Now, I don't think I'll have to spend money on tires, batteries, shocks, plumbing or propane sensors anytime soon... but, I'm sure you would agree it's large number bound to get anyone's attention... round numbers....

Sewer line; $1,200
Suspension $3,200
Batteries all three.AGM , one vehicle battery and two 6 volt AGM . $1,750
Macerator pump and valves $1,100
Tires and monitoring system $2,000
Maintenance services, $2,750. including glow plugs failure, oil changes etc.
Propane sensor $ 175
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total-------------------------$12,175

I'm not even counting the upgrades... that's clearly not required...

Not counting anything else including fuel, registration that's $1.23 per mile so far....
As I stated above, a lot of these big ticket items won't have to be dealt with again for a long time so the cost per mile relative to the miles driven should make the price per mile to go down over the next few years.

I wouldn't call that much too far out of line at all. Remember that you bought a used vehicle to save the depreciation of new, but it is still a used vehicle and will have the cost of getting it up to date.



As Avanti said, those that don't do their own work have it tougher, which is true. But what also is true is that if you can't do the work yourself, perhaps you should not be buying used to save money, because maybe you won't save any or even go backwards.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by booster

I wouldn't call that much too far out of line at all. Remember that you bought a used vehicle to save the depreciation of new, but it is still a used vehicle and will have the cost of getting it up to date.



As Avanti said, those that don't do their own work have it tougher, which is true. But what also is true is that if you can't do the work yourself, perhaps you should not be buying used to save money, because maybe you won't save any or even go backwards.

OK... the first thing you said about this that makes sense...I did save money vs. a new vehicle...

Yeah, maybe with all the things I did to bring this current, maybe costs will plateau...

I suppose maybe you are right about the costs.. every vehicle needs tires, batteries and good shocks... The other stuff was a little bit of a surprise.

As for not doing the work myself..I know my limitations. I could easily make the situation worse.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

Avanti, no offense, but, I think you just glossed over what I reported...all the maintenance was done at a dealership or my independent mechanic for the services...oil changes, filters, glow plugs, some emissions issue that wasn't covered back pressure exhaust sensor..in case you didn't know... the Mercedes Benz dealership is very expensive... yeah, this all happened ... I would have rather skipped it.. I couldn't... for you to say that it wasn't necessary is plainly ridiculous...

Take a look at the other non Mercedes Benz expenses... sewer line, macerator, tires, shocks.... see list.

Geez.. .. I don't know how you can judge what I'm doing. You really think I would do that just for laughs...???

1) I have read what you posted carefully, and have responded only the the facts that you provided.

2) I did not question whether the service was done. What I said was that your reduced service intervals are unnecessary. We have been through this before. For example, you chose to replace your transmission fluid at half the mileage recommended by MB. You said you did this because "Mercedes" recommended it. "Mercedes" turned out to be some random service advisor. If you read your maintenance manual, you will see that this guy was wrong. I have my service done at a Mercedes dealer as well. I pay $300 for an A service, and a bit over $400 for a B service. I have the service done when the book or the vehicle says to. No more often. My costs are much less than yours, and they are comparable to those of other makes. It is just not true the Sprinters are unusually expensive to service.

3) I acknowledged that repairs (your glow plug, etc) may be more expensive. Perhaps you "glossed over" that part of my post? My comments were limited to your claim that Sprinter maintenance was unusually high.

4) I did not address your coach repairs, except to acknowledge that they can be a challenge for those who don't do their own repairs. I am sympathetic on this point. It is tough. A $100 DIY repair can easily turn into a $1000 service call. I do understand that many folks have no choice.

5) I am not judging what you are doing. I am judging what you are claiming about Sprinter maintenance costs.

[GeorgeRa]

I am struggling to understand the point of this thread, is it to gather agreements for how bad was your decision of getting into a used B-class van on a Mercedes chassis or to dispute folks who don’t agree with your disliking.

I have one-year younger Sprinter and spent way less than you on maintenance, all in local Mercedes dealers.

With your RV life experience being less than 2 years, you tend to argue with folks with many years of experience. Perhaps…..just perhaps…..your best…..call….is to……get… a new….RV….or…..bite the………………………….bullet….and….be…free from………frustration (just couldn’t resist these dots).
Good luck.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

I am struggling to understand the point of this thread, is it to gather agreements for how bad was your decision of getting into a used B-class van on a Mercedes chassis or to dispute folks who don’t agree with your disliking.

I have one-year younger Sprinter and spent way less than you on maintenance, all in local Mercedes dealers.

With your RV life experience being less than 2 years, you tend to argue with folks with many years of experience. Perhaps…..just perhaps…..your best…..call….is to……get… a new….RV….or…..bite the………………………….bullet….and….be…free from………frustration (just couldn’t resist these dots).
Good luck.

Listen, I appreciate what you're both saying.... however, you have to understand that I live in Los Angeles...and the price for all of this service is really expensive....the local Mercedes Benz dealership charges $200 per hour and my independent mechanic charges $100 per hour...

As for things like the transmission service it says every second service....I have had it changed twice...once when I purchased the vehicle and a second time after I got back from the USA trip... even my independent mechanic said it was a prudent thing to do.... yeah, maybe I could have skipped it...I don't know...that was not a really big part of my costs.... other than that..I got all the parts from Mercedes and my independent mechanic did the last 20,000 miles service.... probably would have cost more at the dealership.....

If I were to ever purchase another RV.... maybe I would consider a gasoline engine, new coach, or insist on new tires, batteries and shocks??

Again, the oil changes are variable in price....it was only $250 to $300 in Michigan... yes, I had one service there since I was unable to make the mileage interval back in California....

I'm just grateful that I didn't have to pay for the entire emissions system replacement and software update...they replaced everything including the catalytic converter, Nox sensors .... everything..... thousands of dollars saved..

Finally, the shocks are lifetime, so is the anti-sway and track bar.... batteries good for 4 to 5 years and the tires are Michelin Defenders, good for at least another five years 50,000 miles...tire guys said, you're never going to reach the mileage before the time... he's probably right about that.....

Maybe in your location services are less expensive..??

One thing I'll never have to worry about is "rust"... Southern California vehicles can last forever here if you just service them....

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

Listen, I appreciate what you're both saying.... however, you have to understand that I live in Los Angeles...and the price for all of this service is really expensive....the local Mercedes Benz dealership charges $200 per hour and my independent mechanic charges $100 per hour...

Your living in Los Angeles is irrelevant. Yes, costs are higher, but that doesn't make Sprinters more expensive than other vehicles. EVERYTHING is more expensive.

As for things like the transmission service it says every second service....I have had it changed twice...once when I purchased the vehicle and a second time after I got back from the USA trip... even my independent mechanic said it was a prudent thing to do.... yeah, maybe I could have skipped it...I don't know...that was not a really big part of my costs

It does NOT say that. It says "every second MAINTENANCE service". If you read the book, you will see that "Maintenance Service" is another name for "B service", so you vehicle's first fluid change is scheduled at 40,000 miles. You have done two already. Utterly pointless.

I have explained all of this before, but you continue to repeatedly post inaccurate information about what Mercedes recommends. I would be ignoring these posts, except that it is important to correct the record.

Again: Spend your money any way you or your "trusted mechanic" see fit. Just don't blame Mercedes if you choose to do totally unnecessary service.

And what do you mean that the transmission service "was not a really big part of my costs"? You have reported that you pay $1-200 for an "A" service, but $825 for a "B" service + transmission flush. That is a big difference, and if the bulk of it isn't the transmission service, I don't know what is. Fuel filter?

I'm just grateful that I didn't have to pay for the entire emissions system replacement and software update...they replaced everything including the catalytic converter, Nox sensors .... everything..... thousands of dollars saved..

Yet again: That is NOT maintenance, that is repair.

You keep telling us that you believe things like "You can't 'over service' your vehicle". That statement is absurd, IMO. But, if you choose to believe stuff like that, then I suggest you come to terms with the financial consequences of such a belief.

[Lennie]

I bought my RV because I wanted to be able to travel with my dog, I liked the idea of being able to pull over, make lunch, wander around and not have to worry about finding a motel that will allow my dog and charge me more for him (although a lot of RV parks charge for dogs in California) or leave him in a car at restaurants, etc.

My Sprinter is much older than yours, first thing I learned is my local Mercedes dealer is a rip off and the service they recommended wouldn't have fixed the problem I was having. One of the recommended Sprinter mechanics for this area, I won't use based on previous experience with another vehicle. I kept searching and found a mechanic that I feel much more confident in his service recommendations.

I paid for RV service once, it was expensive and they didn't fix the problem. That's when I went to YouTube, you can find just about everything on YouTube. I replace or repair the most pressing items and hold off on others. It has taken me 1 1/2 years to fix some stuff because they were a lower priority. I'm not terribly strong, I'm impatient and I work full time but I treat it like it's my new hobby. I keep a running list of repairs and when I look back at all the stuff I've done, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. It also helps me understand the RV components better.

Yes, some of it has been expensive. I decided to replace my house battery and had to jump start the vehicle to get it to the store, so I ended up buying 2 new batteries. All vehicles need batteries at some point so I figured it's part of basic maintenance. By the way, my Sprinter is a California vehicle and I've had plenty of rust (not uncommon for a T1N).

All RVs require maintenance and it's a lot more systems than a car, so more maintenance and more things that can go wrong. But cars and houses require plenty of maintenance too. I prefer to look at the positive attributes of a RV than the negative and I have been frustrated before because there's always something but I enjoy the journey much more in the RV than I do in a car.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Lennie

I bought my RV because I wanted to be able to travel with my dog, I liked the idea of being able to pull over, make lunch, wander around and not have to worry about finding a motel that will allow my dog and charge me more for him (although a lot of RV parks charge for dogs in California) or leave him in a car at restaurants, etc.

My Sprinter is much older than yours, first thing I learned is my local Mercedes dealer is a rip off and the service they recommended wouldn't have fixed the problem I was having. One of the recommended Sprinter mechanics for this area, I won't use based on previous experience with another vehicle. I kept searching and found a mechanic that I feel much more confident in his service recommendations.

I paid for RV service once, it was expensive and they didn't fix the problem. That's when I went to YouTube, you can find just about everything on YouTube. I replace or repair the most pressing items and hold off on others. It has taken me 1 1/2 years to fix some stuff because they were a lower priority. I'm not terribly strong, I'm impatient and I work full time but I treat it like it's my new hobby. I keep a running list of repairs and when I look back at all the stuff I've done, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. It also helps me understand the RV components better.

Yes, some of it has been expensive. I decided to replace my house battery and had to jump start the vehicle to get it to the store, so I ended up buying 2 new batteries. All vehicles need batteries at some point so I figured it's part of basic maintenance. By the way, my Sprinter is a California vehicle and I've had plenty of rust (not uncommon for a T1N).

All RVs require maintenance and it's a lot more systems than a car, so more maintenance and more things that can go wrong. But cars and houses require plenty of maintenance too. I prefer to look at the positive attributes of a RV than the negative and I have been frustrated before because there's always something but I enjoy the journey much more in the RV than I do in a car.

You mentioned "rust", are you in Southern California? The only place where there's possible rust in Socal is near the ocean? Other Northern California locations near the ocean like the Bay Area or anywhere near the coast is susceptible.

How long have you had your RV? If you've had it a long time, you might notice cyclical patterns to repairs/maintenance?

You have a total of two batteries or three?

How many miles on your 2005? I've been told the engine is good for over 200,000 miles. Would not surprise me if you had well over 150,000 based on the age of the vehicle.

Is your model the TD or the TS. ?

I understand that you fix your own RV house systems? Is that correct?
I imagine that you don't work on the vehicle itself like changing a water pump, other stuff?

Like you, I love the freedom of the RV .. we went 11,000 miles across the USA last year... fun trip.

The first year's expenses really added up... when I purchased it I should have realized it needed new tires, and batteries.. lots of other stuff failed as you can see above. I certainly don't expect all of that to go anytime soon..

Can you describe what the Mercedes Benz dealer recommended that did not fix your issue? I hope you didn't pay them for something they couldn't fix, that doesn't sound right to me..

Also, you mentioned "deferred maintenance"..? What exactly did you postpone? Some trim item or other thing as part of the RV, and not the vehicle? You can rarely postpone something on your vehicle unless you're talking about fixing a seat, paint or other trim item. It's not usually possible to postpone something that is making the vehicle run.

What was the most expensive thing you had to do? I imagine that you had to put shocks on your vehicle unless it was done by the prior owners? Was it done?

Yeah, leaving your dog or any animal in the RV is only possible if the weather is cool enough... I would not want to leave any pets in the summer in the Southern California heat; it's just too hot.

Yes, the journey in the RV is quite different from the car... I agree.
Are you getting around 18 to 20 MPG... you have the 2.7 FIVE cylinder, correct?

One thing I've heard about the T1N coaches is that they're pretty noisy, is this true?

Do you actually take showers in your RV? We haven't done that yet... I know, I know, hard to believe? We find ourselves staying in places with showers and love the extra water.

We purchased our RV five years old to save money and honestly we've put a lot more into it for convenience, safety, and necessity with the upgrades I made.

Contrary to what some of the people on this forum have said.... I still like my RV a lot.... it's just that I want to see the end of the tunnel on the constant expenses. It's entirely possible that I've put more money into my 2012 in upgrades, repairs and maintenance than you paid for your vehicle? Or close to it... I'm not kidding.

Anyway, glad to hear that you're enjoying your Pleasure Way, I've seen them on the road and think they're really nice vehicles. We looked on an off for years before we just stumbled across the RV we currently own.

Good luck in the future.