RV Show/SuperShow Recommendations

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Neals384

Went to the Pomona show last year and bought our PleasureWay there.

As others have mentioned, this show (and others) is less than 10% class B. However, all of the major class B players were there, and most had factory reps, not just dealers, so getting straight answers was easy. If you're looking to compare brands and models, you can do a pretty thorough job in a day or two.

I did find that using the show map to make a plan was essential, as the class B's will be scattered around the huge show. If walking is a challenge, they have golf carts that can take you from place to place.

This year's show (Oct 5 to 14) will include Airstream, Chinook, Hymer, Midwest, Pleasure Way, Rev, Sportsmobile, and Winnebago.

We met someone from Roadtrek there.... pointed out a lot of things.
If you're thinking of buying new... the show is a good place to go.

Again, they showed us a brand new E-Trek that was pretty loaded and offered to sell us the unit for $143,000... off the $166, 000 list.

Realize though that buying it for $143,000 is like getting it for the one year depreciation price.... it loses that much value in one year. And, it will continue to lose around $10 to 15,000 each year for about 3 or 4 years... pretty depressing.

The biggest benefit of buying new is the warranty.... in Roadtrek's case that's about as good as it gets... 6 year warranty on the coach.... I don't know of anyone else offering that.

Based upon my experience of buying used ( a five year old model) for $79,000.... has had mixed results..... here's why...

Yes, I think the price was fair.... only had 26,000 miles and for $79k... seemed like the way to go... what I didn't realize was immediately after purchase, I had to get new tires, batteries, new propane sensor, sewer hose failed, shocks and suspension .... most recently a macerator and valves, and generator issue.

Look..all of this adds up quickly.... not to mention the maintenance on the diesel....

I guess I have to weigh that against that we put 15,000 miles on the coach since I purchased it .....

With all of these repairs, upgrades and maintenance in the rear view mirror, I might as well keep it for another couple of years at least.... drive and enjoy it.

Vehicles depreciate very quickly and are expensive to maintain properly. And because I don't work on my own vehicles ... all of this is expensive.

I get the feeling that a lot of folks on this forum DO actually work on their own RV's...

Good luck with your search and purchase.

[ponti33602]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

We met someone from Roadtrek there.... pointed out a lot of things.
If you're thinking of buying new... the show is a good place to go.

Again, they showed us a brand new E-Trek that was pretty loaded and offered to sell us the unit for $143,000... off the $166, 000 list.

Realize though that buying it for $143,000 is like getting it for the one year depreciation price.... it loses that much value in one year. And, it will continue to lose around $10 to 15,000 each year for about 3 or 4 years... pretty depressing.

The biggest benefit of buying new is the warranty.... in Roadtrek's case that's about as good as it gets... 6 year warranty on the coach.... I don't know of anyone else offering that.

Based upon my experience of buying used ( a five year old model) for $79,000.... has had mixed results..... here's why...

Yes, I think the price was fair.... only had 26,000 miles and for $79k... seemed like the way to go... what I didn't realize was immediately after purchase, I had to get new tires, batteries, new propane sensor, sewer hose failed, shocks and suspension .... most recently a macerator and valves, and generator issue.

Look..all of this adds up quickly.... not to mention the maintenance on the diesel....

I guess I have to weigh that against that we put 15,000 miles on the coach since I purchased it .....

With all of these repairs, upgrades and maintenance in the rear view mirror, I might as well keep it for another couple of years at least.... drive and enjoy it.

Vehicles depreciate very quickly and are expensive to maintain properly. And because I don't work on my own vehicles ... all of this is expensive.

I get the feeling that a lot of folks on this forum DO actually work on their own RV's...

Good luck with your search and purchase.

FYI - saw this before but I just did the math this time................if you ever do by another or new.....that actually wasn't a good show price. I got 19.9% off the sticker and it wasn't at a show. Wasn't local either so there was cost and or adventure to factor in. That price is 15%. I got many folks online give me that pretty easy.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by ponti33602

FYI - saw this before but I just did the math this time................if you ever do by another or new.....that actually wasn't a good show price. I got 19.9% off the sticker and it wasn't at a show. Wasn't local either so there was cost and or adventure to factor in. That price is 15%. I got many folks online give me that pretty easy.

OK, so more like 20 percent is about right..?

Bob, as you know, I purchased my rig used to avoid a lot of lost money in the first few years.... kind of did balance out a little because I needed to make some alterations, changes and upgrades, but, in the end I have exactly what i want.

Just reading that Forrest River warranty... what a joke.... they excluded batteries, generators, pretty much everything and also included a clause in there about occupancy ... if you use it more than 30 days or 18 days in two consecutive months they will void your warranty ... they consider that full time.. I can understand that they wouldn't warranty a "rental".. but, personal use... unbelievable ...

You purchased your unit NEW from Roadtrek..... are there any exclusions like that in your warranty... just curious???

--Mark

[ponti33602]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

OK, so more like 20 percent is about right..?

Bob, as you know, I purchased my rig used to avoid a lot of lost money in the first few years.... kind of did balance out a little because I needed to make some alterations, changes and upgrades, but, in the end I have exactly what i want.

Just reading that Forrest River warranty... what a joke.... they excluded batteries, generators, pretty much everything and also included a clause in there about occupancy ... if you use it more than 30 days or 18 days in two consecutive months they will void your warranty ... they consider that full time.. I can understand that they wouldn't warranty a "rental".. but, personal use... unbelievable ...

You purchased your unit NEW from Roadtrek..... are there any exclusions like that in your warranty... just curious???

--Mark

Good questions and honestly do not know......I would expect there to be and when it comes to them I would be happily surprised if something was covered and usually expect to deal with it myself.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by ponti33602

Good questions and honestly do not know......I would expect there to be and when it comes to them I would be happily surprised if something was covered and usually expect to deal with it myself.

I've spoken with Nevin and Sean at Roadtrek Retail Sales group.. very helpful.

They said they would send me the documentation on my vehicle and they followed through.... plus, answered every single question I had...

Even called me once to follow up on an issue to see if I had any other concerns, that was very impressive.

AND... I'm the second owner... didn't purchase it brand new....

There's a LOT of people on this forum who love to "knock" HYMER... my experience with them is completely the opposite. I have nothing but good things to say about them..... they probably don't own a Roadtrek...

If you find out anything about your warranty details.. and exclusions let me know... I don't think you'll find much ... especially nothing as RIDICULOUS as the Forrest River warranty..??

[booster]

[QUOTE=Roadtrek Adventuous RS1;79953]There's a LOT of people on this forum who love to "knock" HYMER... my experience with them is completely the opposite. I have nothing but good things to say about them..... they probably don't own a Roadtrek... /QUOTE]


Probably not as many as you think, as there are plenty of Roadtrek owners past and present here, us included.


Our personal experience buying new was not good. New unit had bad batteries as we found out within the first two weeks (wet cells). Roadtrek would not warranty, dealer wouldn't either, nor would Exide. So we got to buy new batteries within the first month. The graphics had part of them upside down on one side of the van. Roadtrek said it had to have been damaged and replaced wrong, dealer said it hadn't, and they wouldn't fix it unless we took it to the factory in Kitchener. Very uncooperative bunch at that time.


A few years in, we discovered the surround sound didn't work properly, with just some noise out of the front speakers. I traced it to the selector switch in the back for van radio or surround sound, which is a rotary switch with about a million small tabs for the large number of wires. It was obviously wired wrong, but there were no identifiers on the wires to now what went where. I contacted Roadtrek for a wiring diagram, which they refused to supply, even though they knew some units went out wrong. Said we would have to go to a dealer, but were out of warranty and would be paying by the hour for a tech to figure it out, which could have been never.


Owners or non owners certainly can walk through vans at show and have an opinion on quality that is theirs, and all of us can read about what kind of things are going on with all brands on this forum, so ownership is not really a concern in those cases. The Roadtreks and Hymers in shows have probably had the worst perceived quality of any brand lately per those that have seen them at shows.



We really like our Roadtrek, but I would certainly not say the Roadtrek experience was as nice as the van, at least in our case.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

[QUOTE=booster;79957]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

There's a LOT of people on this forum who love to "knock" HYMER... my experience with them is completely the opposite. I have nothing but good things to say about them..... they probably don't own a Roadtrek... /QUOTE]


Probably not as many as you think, as there are plenty of Roadtrek owners past and present here, us included.


Our personal experience buying new was not good. New unit had bad batteries as we found out within the first two weeks (wet cells). Roadtrek would not warranty, dealer wouldn't either, nor would Exide. So we got to buy new batteries within the first month. The graphics had part of them upside down on one side of the van. Roadtrek said it had to have been damaged and replaced wrong, dealer said it hadn't, and they wouldn't fix it unless we took it to the factory in Kitchener. Very uncooperative bunch at that time.


A few years in, we discovered the surround sound didn't work properly, with just some noise out of the front speakers. I traced it to the selector switch in the back for van radio or surround sound, which is a rotary switch with about a million small tabs for the large number of wires. It was obviously wired wrong, but there were no identifiers on the wires to now what went where. I contacted Roadtrek for a wiring diagram, which they refused to supply, even though they knew some units went out wrong. Said we would have to go to a dealer, but were out of warranty and would be paying by the hour for a tech to figure it out, which could have been never.


Owners or non owners certainly can walk through vans at show and have an opinion on quality that is theirs, and all of us can read about what kind of things are going on with all brands on this forum, so ownership is not really a concern in those cases. The Roadtreks and Hymers in shows have probably had the worst perceived quality of any brand lately per those that have seen them at shows.



We really like our Roadtrek, but I would certainly not say the Roadtrek experience was as nice as the van, at least in our case.

OKAY.... most of my "problems" are not with Roadtrek.... rather, the age of the components... allow me to explain,

Discovered my 2012 was converted July 29, 2011 and sold August 2012...

First owners drove it 26,000 miles and turned it in... vehicle ran fine, but,

Original tires, batteries, shocks, sewer hose, propane sensor, very little generator use...

SO, had to replace a lot of stuff all at once... plus maintenance ...

and upgrades, radio, satellite navigation, cameras, solar...

And most recently discovered that the previous owners "grandchildren"... I can only assume that "children" would do this ... "threw plastic into the toilet and plumbing system"..... that's right, we had to get our macerator replaced along with the black and gray water valves.... RV shop said they found the plastic and the macerator pump destroyed.... WTF...

I had absolutely no reference on the water flow of the tanks ...since this is my first RV.... well, now, they're working like "Niagra Falls"..... pump is new and water flow is amazing.

We don't put anything in the toilet and only number 1.... lasted little more than a year... guess it took a while for the plastic stuff to make its way to the pump.. but, that is what caused it to fail...

Again, not Roadtrek's fault.

By the way, you mentioned the batteries, and "wet cells".. we have AGM sealed batteries.... first set were "full river" lasted about 6 years, now have AGM batteries also sealed by Centenial... they were expensive, ZERO maintenance.

What caused the problems with the "wet cells"... or were they not AGM?
Just curious?

Again, could have had problems buying new as a lot of other people did??

Seems like Forrest River is clearly the worst offender here. ?

All the other components like the TV, sound system, etc are working fine.

[booster]

Wet cells were the normal batteries used in 2007. We assume that the batteries were not appropriately maintained at the dealer, as it was there a while. That gave Roadtrek the opportunity to double bail out. First they said that the warranty on the batteries was through Exide, so I called them. Exide claimed the warranty started the day that Roadtrek installed them, so the warranty was expired before we bought the van. Yes, they sold us a van with bad batteries and no battery warranty. When we called Roadtrek again and told them that Exide would not warranty the batteries, Roadtrek then blamed the dealer, who had already refused to replace them, saying it was an Exide or Roadtrek responsibility.


I am quite certain that Roadtrek could have forced the dealer to replace them, and also maybe Exide because they were a big customer. IMO, Roadtrek also shared the responsibility because they didn't step up to help at all, and it was their brand new product we bought. They chose to not even try to help, saying we were on our own and should have known there would be no warranty. How would anybody ever think a new RV would come with bad batteries that have no warranty?

[Bud]

"Seems like Forrest River is clearly the worst offender here. ?"

Worst offender of what concerning class B's?

Bud

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by booster

Wet cells were the normal batteries used in 2007. We assume that the batteries were not appropriately maintained at the dealer, as it was there a while. That gave Roadtrek the opportunity to double bail out. First they said that the warranty on the batteries was through Exide, so I called them. Exide claimed the warranty started the day that Roadtrek installed them, so the warranty was expired before we bought the van. Yes, they sold us a van with bad batteries and no battery warranty. When we called Roadtrek again and told them that Exide would not warranty the batteries, Roadtrek then blamed the dealer, who had already refused to replace them, saying it was an Exide or Roadtrek responsibility.


I am quite certain that Roadtrek could have forced the dealer to replace them, and also maybe Exide because they were a big customer. IMO, Roadtrek also shared the responsibility because they didn't step up to help at all, and it was their brand new product we bought. They chose to not even try to help, saying we were on our own and should have known there would be no warranty. How would anybody ever think a new RV would come with bad batteries that have no warranty?

It looks like a decade ago, Roadtrek considered their coach batteries as a 3rd party appliance rather than original equipment, but judging from our experience, I think that their policy has changed considerably for the better. When we recently had a failed lithium battery replaced under warranty on our 2017 800ah 210, the repair facility also determined that the AGM support battery for the BMS was bad. The battery age was 18 months past the delivery date of the coach to us and even though the AGM one year warranty period had certainly expired, the factory nevertheless authorized its replacement at their expense. So, unlike the stonewalling you experienced back then, we found the factory support for addressing our problem was both responsive and productive. So at least with respect to customer support, perhaps things have actually improved.

[booster]

Roadtrek did change the policy on the batteries maybe a year after our adventure, even before they got to the lithium stuff which carries an even longer warranty. Around the time we had our issue, Roadtrek had overproduced badly and had units sitting at dealers for a very long time, even with good sized rebates. I think that because of all the glut of old/new units, like ours was, a lot of them had bad batteries by the time they went out the door. I read of numerous similar tales that matched what happened to us, on various websites and forums. For a while Roadtrek vigorously defended the practice and even chastised some of the customers with the old "what did you expect when you bought an RV that had been on the lot for a year" routine, like they did with us. All of the customers, obviously, answered that they expected a newly purchased, new, RV to have batteries that work. Eventually, Roadtrek backed off and changed the warranty on the batteries to one year from the purchase date, which I think it still is on non lithium systems. They would not, however, compensate any of the previous failures like ours.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by booster

Eventually, Roadtrek backed off and changed the warranty on the batteries to one year from the purchase date, which I think it still is on non lithium systems. They would not, however, compensate any of the previous failures like ours.

Actually there was an interim period when the 5 year warranty covered even AGM batteries but when they went to a 6 year warranty, the AGM warranty dropped to one year.

What's never been resolved for us is how and why the battery failed because the terminal voltage was reported as 5 volts at rest even though it showed proper voltage during alternator or converter operation. What's interesting is why at 5 volts it could still reset the Lithium BMSs. Perhaps the relay that reset addresses will fire even at this low voltage. As far as I can tell, the sole load for this battery is a reset demand and nothing more.

I have some reservations about the long term prognosis for this AGM battery which was shoehorned into the Etrek system to bring a shut down BMS out of it's coma. It's hard wired to be charged with by the same protocol as the lithiums. But at least on the 210 it's housed in an exterior rear passenger compartment where it can be addressed and tested which is good because the only electrical test point are the battery terminals themselves.

[booster]

Yeah, the long AGM warranty was a reaction to the etrek fiasco with the AGM batteries. Horrible, battery eating system, so they were trying to boast of confidence in the system by giving the long warranty. It soon was costing them way to much, so they changed it back to the one year again. We have heard from several people that Roadtrek even refused to warranty their AGM batteries by trying to find loopholes. When you are talking about $2500 worth of batteries plus labor, it gets to be a pretty expensive claim, and you might get 3 of them within the 6 year period as the etreks could wreck them quickly.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by booster

Yeah, the long AGM warranty was a reaction to the etrek fiasco with the AGM batteries. Horrible, battery eating system, so they were trying to boast of confidence in the system by giving the long warranty. It soon was costing them way to much, so they changed it back to the one year again. We have heard from several people that Roadtrek even refused to warranty their AGM batteries by trying to find loopholes. When you are talking about $2500 worth of batteries plus labor, it gets to be a pretty expensive claim, and you might get 3 of them within the 6 year period as the etreks could wreck them quickly.

"Loophole" is sort of a strange word which sometimes connotes disparagement while in other contexts it's congratulatory. I have no shortage of friends who might deride the behavior of others as unethically profiting from some loophole. But that same observer may describe their own success in finding a loophole as a smart move deserving a medal.

Roadtrek was undoubtedly a principal in causing the AGM Etrek debacle but the problem was accompanied by the owners' lack of understanding or indifference to excessive levels of battery discharge. This AGM vintage of Etrek was the first one with a sufficiently high power inverter to run a roof AC which understandably was gleefully implemented by owners. The problem, of course, was that, unlike the subsequent lithium setup, the multiple AGM Etrek had no battery management to limit DOD resulting in discharge patterns that invited premature battery failure. So, in fairness, IMO there was more than one finger to point. That said, RT's touting that the roof AC could run for eight hours in this mode certainly didn't help.

No question that their reduction of the AGM warranty was a CYA retreat. But I also think that the disparity between the AGM one year warranty with the lithium 6 year warranty was an effective marketing move prompting prospective owners to skip AGMs and choose the lithium option. We certainly were one of them. But the comical bottom line is that even with the lithium battery option they still managed to stuff an AGM into the mix.

[BBQ]

.

The Roadtrek ecotrek is a lost cause.
If you read the Facebook groups, you still find people reporting brand new systems not working properly. The Voltstart is a questionable concept; triggering a recharge based on lithium voltage will never yield dependable results. They need a shunt to find out the exact SOC, but they can't do that easily with their scalable modular setup, so they simply not do it. Duh. But they are selling like hotcakes. What gives.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by BBQ

.

The Roadtrek ecotrek is a lost cause.
If you read the Facebook groups, you still find people reporting brand new systems not working properly. The Voltstart is a questionable concept; triggering a recharge based on lithium voltage will never yield dependable results. They need a shunt to find out the exact SOC, but they can't do that easily with their scalable modular setup, so they simply not do it. Duh. But they are selling like hotcakes. What gives.

As you know I have a 2012 RS Adventurous.... I purchased it May 2017... and when I took possession it had the original blue " Full River" AGM batteries that came with the RV....
They did fail... but I discovered that my unit at that time was 6 years old.... I learned that the build date was the end of July 2011.. replaced them with comparable Centennial AGM batteries.. they were also expensive....$375 each.... none of this stuff is cheap... AND..I have a ZAMP solar panel system keeping them charged... batteries love to be trickled charged.

I've noticed that the value of the older E-Trek models are LESS ..for the corresponding years than the RS Adventurous model.... could it be possible that the aging batteries and the replacement cost which is extremely high... accounts for this....I read something like thousands of dollars in cost when they fail....and what alternative do you have... none.

Another point that was brought up was that Roadtrek in 2007 produced a "glut of products" on the market....this is also VERY INTERESTING comment.... here's WHY....

I spoke to Roadtrek on the phone... about my unit..and was wondering when it was built.. they gave me the precise date July 29, 2011 based on my VIN number...yeah, they keep those records......

I asked "how many of these are built... primarily wanted to know because I've heard that a lot of quality control issues have come up and flooded the market ... this comment did concern me a little......

What they told me was .. around 2014 when Roadtrek got purchased by Hymer... production did increase a lot... primarily on the lower priced models..... BUT...he told me that on the RS, CS and E-TREK models.. they built these models only when a customer actually ordered one...... they were not just built waiting for a client.....of course we did see one at a show... they built these for show and demonstration models........

My advice always is ask for the "build date"...it's a better barometer of the age of the vehicle and you can figure out the life expectancy of each of the components.... without knowing..it's really a guessing game.....

I don't know... maybe in the case of the Simplicity, and other units... they're just cranking them out....they did say that with the newer models on the Promaster chassis they have seen a reduction in the number of Chevy models. I imagine that the Mercedes Benz units that Roadtrek makes are still the lowest number.... He told me that in 2011...he estimated that they made only about 100 RS Adventurous models, another 100 CS Adventurous
and mostly all Chevy Express models....for a total of 800 models that year....

Don't know about 2007.... that was just before the great recession... maybe they did have a glut..I could see how units waiting around dealerships and being neglected on the battery maintenance could be a huge problem...... shame on Roadtrek for not helping you resolve it back then.... I don't think that would happen today based on my recent experience with them...

Hopefully the dealerships are not repeating the same thing with the lower priced and ubiquitous Hymer and Carrado products.... I have to say I walked through a few of those Carrado products just to see what they did and they looked extremely cheap......

As far as the E-TREK...the quality of the product and finishing details was stunningly beautiful.... however, now thinking about the future maintenance and replacement of the batteries.....I can see how this is a deferred maintenance nightmare on the horizon... with a huge price tag every 5 years or so....

[Arlo]

I’m into my 6th year of E-Trek ownership (May 2013 build) and, thanks in part to knowledge gleaned from chronic lurking in this forum, my 8 AGM batteries are doing fine - charge to 12.8 volts (rested overnight) and still hold a charge well. I quickly learned the realistic limits of the system, basic care of AGM batteries, and had a battery equalizer installed. Could just be luck I guess, but I lean toward cruising’s suggestion that unrealistic expectations rooted in sales hype nudged owners into usage patterns that caused early AGM failure.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Arlo

I’m into my 6th year of E-Trek ownership (May 2013 build) and, thanks in part to knowledge gleaned from chronic lurking in this forum, my 8 AGM batteries are doing fine - charge to 12.8 volts (rested overnight) and still hold a charge well. I quickly learned the realistic limits of the system, basic care of AGM batteries, and had a battery equalizer installed. Could just be luck I guess, but I lean toward cruising’s suggestion that unrealistic expectations rooted in sales hype nudged owners into usage patterns that caused early AGM failure.

Arlo, some questions for you....

1. How's your Mercedes Benz Sprinter doing with the maintenance, emissions and DEF? I ask because at 39,000 miles my entire emissions system was replaced under the 8 years , 80,000 miles extended federal government warranty....

2. Do you have your transmission serviced EVERY 20,000 miles...my Mercedes Benz dealership told me that this is important...kinda didn't want to challenge or question it. even though the manual says less....

3. I imagine you have the V6..... I'm getting a steady 18 MPG sometimes more..... never burns any oil.... very smooth engine...........

4. Please tell me more about your battery equalizer? Don't know what that is.... probably don't need with my RS Adventurous?

I've noticed that the solar panels system on my Sprinter keeps the system up to 12.8...overnight ( lowest point) ..it drops to this and gets re-charged during the day..... with systems running......

I was a little more than six years when I replaced my original Full River batteries....if you're planning on keeping this vehicle... you'll have to probably replace the batteries sometime this year or early next year??

Based on the maintenance, use and any repairs....are you keeping this??? I had a lot of things go at once... hopefully it will not continue....

I imagine that you have had your shocks replaced as well??????

I love the way the Mercedes Benz Sprinter drives....I'm sure you do as well???

[Arlo]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

Arlo, some questions for you....



1. How's your Mercedes Benz Sprinter doing with the maintenance, emissions and DEF? I ask because at 39,000 miles my entire emissions system was replaced under the 8 years , 80,000 miles extended federal government warranty....



2. Do you have your transmission serviced EVERY 20,000 miles...my Mercedes Benz dealership told me that this is important...kinda didn't want to challenge or question it. even though the manual says less....



3. I imagine you have the V6..... I'm getting a steady 18 MPG sometimes more..... never burns any oil.... very smooth engine...........



4. Please tell me more about your battery equalizer? Don't know what that is.... probably don't need with my RS Adventurous?



I've noticed that the solar panels system on my Sprinter keeps the system up to 12.8...overnight ( lowest point) ..it drops to this and gets re-charged during the day..... with systems running......



I was a little more than six years when I replaced my original Full River batteries....if you're planning on keeping this vehicle... you'll have to probably replace the batteries sometime this year or early next year??



Based on the maintenance, use and any repairs....are you keeping this??? I had a lot of things go at once... hopefully it will not continue....



I imagine that you have had your shocks replaced as well??????



I love the way the Mercedes Benz Sprinter drives....I'm sure you do as well???

1 & 2. I had the NOx sensors replaced around 15,000 miles. I’m currently at 80,000 miles without further problems. I follow the MB service recommendations for a 2013: oil service every 10,000, new fuel filter every 20,000, transmission service every 40,000.

3. This is also my experience: 18mpg average, never added oil, runs smooth.

4. The original AGM E-Trek setup is a 24v system with a 12v tap. This caused unbalanced discharge of the batteries. The equalizer addresses this design flaw. There was much discussion of the details in past threads. I’m not the person to explain the nitty-gritty details.

I’ll replace the batteries when they deteriorate to the point where they impact my enjoyment of traveling in the van. I tend to tour, usually without hookups, and rarely stay put more than a day or two. My original expectation was replacement after 5 years, so I don’t consider eventually replacing the 8 AGMs a big deal.

I have the original shocks - stiff ride but the dog does not complain. Finally, I have no fixed plan to sell my E-Trek, but, after attending the last two ARV Fests I’ll probably pull the trigger on a custom build if the 2019 or 2020 Sprinter convinces me that it is time for a new toy.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Arlo

1 & 2. I had the NOx sensors replaced around 15,000 miles. I’m currently at 80,000 miles without further problems. I follow the MB service recommendations for a 2013: oil service every 10,000, new fuel filter every 20,000, transmission service every 40,000.

3. This is also my experience: 18mpg average, never added oil, runs smooth.

4. The original AGM E-Trek setup is a 24v system with a 12v tap. This caused unbalanced discharge of the batteries. The equalizer addresses this design flaw. There was much discussion of the details in past threads. I’m not the person to explain the nitty-gritty details.

I’ll replace the batteries when they deteriorate to the point where they impact my enjoyment of traveling in the van. I tend to tour, usually without hookups, and rarely stay put more than a day or two. My original expectation was replacement after 5 years, so I don’t consider eventually replacing the 8 AGMs a big deal.

I have the original shocks - stiff ride but the dog does not complain. Finally, I have no fixed plan to sell my E-Trek, but, after attending the last two ARV Fests I’ll probably pull the trigger on a custom build if the 2019 or 2020 Sprinter convinces me that it is time for a new toy.

Arlo,

My local Mercedes Benz dealership said 20,000 on the transmission.. maybe they just want the extra money... doesn't hurt to over service something like that... I'll take another look and maybe go 40,000 next time?

I usually have the oil and filter changed at 10,000 miles with the water separator done every 20,000 miles.... following the manual..

Great to hear that you've had zero issues on the Nox sensors.... when they changed mine ...they updated the software to the current model.....I was using excess DEF.....

Same brakes... thankfully most of the mileage is cruising on the road....

WOW....80,000 miles on your 2013... congratulations.... you're a role model for me....

I purchased mine last year in May 2017 with 26,000 miles.....

Had to do a lot of stuff .... replaced tires, batteries, radio and navigation system, new back up camera and sensors for safety......

Interesting about the shocks...?? I had a lot of pitching and swaying and at 39,000 miles I had KONI FSD shocks anti-sway and a track bar from Super Steer in Grants Pass Oregon.....they supplied the parts and my local RV shop installed everything..... cost $3,200...made the vehicle drive and handle like a new one.... tremendous difference... cornering, going over uneven pavement and speed bumps.....I can now change lanes with more confidence.....

Incidentally, your vehicle is a 2012 Sprinter with the 2013 conversion?? I think that the cross wind assist didn't get introduced on the Sprinter until 2014..... we both have electronic stability control... but...cross wind assist is a little different..

In high winds and following larger big rig trucks...I used to get "sucked into the tailwind" of the large commercial rigs.... the track bar from Super Steer really helped me with the shuddering I used to experience when following these big rigs on the road.....the anti-sway helped with the cornerning and the shocks controlled the up and down motion.....

If you are experiencing any of those things...give Dave at Super Steer a call...he's very knowledgeable about the Sprinter......

Sounds like you're really enjoying the van ....do you have the additional armoire cabinets up front or the four seats?? We have both... normally we just have the cabinets installed and store the seats in the garage.... more organization that way on trips.....

80,000 miles in 5 years.... very impressive.....