Mercedes-Benz Breaks Ground on Plant in S.C.

[markopolo]

On RV Business: Mercedes-Benz Breaks Ground on Plant in S.C.
Link: Mercedes-Benz Breaks Ground on Plant in S.C. | RV Business

Mercedes-Benz broke ground Wednesday (July 27) on a $500 million addition to its commercial van factory in South Carolina in a bid to beat competitors by building the next-generation Sprinter stateside and sidestep a steep tariff.

[BBQ]

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The current hot RV platform is no longer the Sprinter.

The Dodge Ram ProMaster has made so much inroad, you will soon see more of them on the road than the Sprinter.


Maybe the new mid-size Mercedes van will win back some numbers?

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by BBQ

.

The current hot RV platform is no longer the Sprinter.

The Dodge Ram ProMaster has made so much inroad, you will soon see more of them on the road than the Sprinter.


Maybe the new mid-size Mercedes van will win back some numbers?

Isn't the Sprinter still outselling the Promaster by a significant amount?
What was the diesel sales percentage? Over 60% or something like that and Roadtrek is still selling Chevys so all the gas ones are not Promasters...

Aren't there so many Sprinters on the road that even if the Promaster took the lead it would take years to have more on the road?

[markopolo]

http://www.classbforum.com/forums/f9...ctor-5634.html

In the Class B sector, 64.7% of total units were built on diesel chassis while 35.3% were built on a gas platform.

I'm still surprised by that stat. Gas powered Lexors, Travatos and Zions & Chevy's would all be mixed in the 35.3%.

If the Sprinter starts to sell for less because of the new plant then the diesel percent could very well increase.

[rockymtnb]

The plant groundbreaking press event did feature a Class B Sprinter as their highlighted Master Upfitter - a rugged Sportsmobile Sprinter 4x4 with pop top and snorkel.

MB also stated they expect RV sales in both van and cutaway (Class C) formats to be a growth driver for US Sprinter production. I suppose time will tell how MB fares against Ford Transit and FCA Ram Promaster in the market.

[BBQ]

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Mercedes-Benz North Charleston New Van Factory Ground Breaking Ceremony

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/vid...64390974569%2F

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by rockymtnb

The plant groundbreaking press event did feature a Class B Sprinter as their highlighted Master Upfitter - a rugged Sportsmobile Sprinter 4x4 with pop top and snorkel.

MB also stated they expect RV sales in both van and cutaway (Class C) formats to be a growth driver for US Sprinter production. I suppose time will tell how MB fares against Ford Transit and FCA Ram Promaster in the market.

Got to use one with a snorkel for a press event...

[bobojay]

As far as Winnebago goes, with the class C Transit Fuse recently coming out at a $10k+ lower price than the View/Navion, they've had to increase Fuse production twice now, at the cost of Sprinter View/Navion numbers.
And the settled in after 18 mos. production of the Promaster Travato and Sprinter ERA, has gone to a 4 to 1 ratio of Travatos over ERAs....
I know the Travato is flying out the door as fast as they can make them, partially explaining the Winnebago increase in B market percentages.

For one, Ford is not going to let anybody undercut them in the fleet markets, so I don't see MB picking much further up if any with the Sprinter in the foreseeable future. MB is hiding the Sprinter sales numbers lately by combining Metris numbers in with it

[rockymtnb]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

Got to use one with a snorkel for a press event...

LOL But it needs a Roo bar too. Been seeing a lot of roos romping 'round the Rockies recently...

[booster]

Originally Posted by bobojay

For one, Ford is not going to let anybody undercut them in the fleet markets, so I don't see MB picking much further up if any with the Sprinter in the foreseeable future. MB is hiding the Sprinter sales numbers lately by combining Metris numbers in with it

Got to agree with this, as Ford wants the lead in that market almost as bad as theydo in the pickup market. Add to that a lot of the van buyers like plumbers and electricians really, really, dislike dealing with high service and parts for MB vans. Even small fleets can't get away from the array of proprietary software and testers that MB requires to test anything. You can bet there will be plenty of aftermarket diagnostics stuff available for the Fords, especially with a US drivetrain.

[Boxster1971]

I also agree that the Ford Transit will remain the sales leader.


- - Mike
2013 Airstream Interstate from 2012 Sprinter 3500 tall & long

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

I also agree that the Ford Transit will remain the sales leader.


- - Mike
2013 Airstream Interstate from 2012 Sprinter 3500 tall & long

With respect to commercial vans, the Transit is a big seller but in the RV industry I think the Promaster platform will outsell it. Both Zion and Travato sales seem to indicate that. As far as I know, the only Transit platform available in Class B is the LTV Wonder.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by booster

Got to agree with this, as Ford wants the lead in that market almost as bad as theydo in the pickup market. Add to that a lot of the van buyers like plumbers and electricians really, really, dislike dealing with high service and parts for MB vans. Even small fleets can't get away from the array of proprietary software and testers that MB requires to test anything. You can bet there will be plenty of aftermarket diagnostics stuff available for the Fords, especially with a US drivetrain.

My neighbor runs a business with a fleet of about 8 Sprinters. He is unloading them and replacing them with Transits. He says that his Sprinters are chronically in the shop for problems that are centered on the electronics and that basic maintenance costs are much higher than in the one Transit he has bought so far. Also, with MB he was pretty much a prisoner of one repair facility. With the Transit he says he can pick and choose.

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

With respect to commercial vans, the Transit is a big seller but in the RV industry I think the Promaster platform will outsell it. Both Zion and Travato sales seem to indicate that. As far as I know, the only Transit platform available in Class B is the LTV Wonder.

LTV no longer makes a Class B campers, only Class C campers and the Wonder is a Class C...

There was a rumor of a Winnago Class B on a Transit coming later this year...

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

LTV no longer makes a Class B campers, only Class C campers and the Wonder is a Class C...

There was a rumor of a Winnago Class B on a Transit coming later this year...

Don't you think that the historical distinctions between A, B or C coaches have become pretty muddied lately? I see Class B's that have current amenities and features that historically have been seen only in Class A coaches. And Class C's that historically were invariably defined with the bunk over cab profile no longer uniformly fit this profile. Using your criteria, the R/T 210 Popular with a slightly wider after end has to be considered a Class C coach while the 190 Popular would be considered Class B even though they sit on the same platform with similar interiors. From where I sit, if there is a distinction here, it's a distinction without any practical difference that creates mostly confusion and certainly no clarity.

What niche woud a WGO Transit Class B fill that isn't addressed by the ERA and the Travato?

[booster]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

Don't you think that the historical distinctions between A, B or C coaches have become pretty muddied lately? I see Class B's that have current amenities and features that historically have been seen only in Class A coaches. And Class C's that historically were invariably defined with the bunk over cab profile no longer uniformly fit this profile. Using your criteria, the R/T 210 Popular with a slightly wider after end has to be considered a Class C coach while the 190 Popular would be considered Class B even though they sit on the same platform with similar interiors. From where I sit, if there is a distinction here, it's a distinction without any practical difference that creates mostly confusion and certainly no clarity.

What niche woud a WGO Transit Class B fill that isn't addressed by the ERA and the Travato?

I don't the distinctions between the definitions of the classes has become muddled, it is just that the marketing people are choosing to call things what they aren't. The definitions have always been that if it started as a full bodied van, it is a B. If it started as a cutaway it is a C. If it is on a designated motorhome chassis it is an A. Features and options have never been considered in the class rating, as far as I know. A 210 starts life as a full steel body van so is a B. A 200 Roadtrek is technically a C as it started life as a cutaway.

With no one to enforce the "rules", you can bet the manufacturers will call their units whatever they want to for their own benefit. Best to just ignore what they are called and get what you like.

[markopolo]

These definitions might help - https://www.rv.org/class_C.htm

I like to keep it simple:
A Class A is built on a custom, purpose built chassis.
A Class B is built on a van chassis.
A Class C is built on a cutaway chassis.

I have complicated things a bit and used the B+ (aka C minus) moniker Those units don't have storage capacity seen in some Class C's. The 30' Class C I owned had full pass-through basement storage.

The RT 210 starts its life as a van. The older Chevy based RT 200 started its life as a cutaway chassis (I think, correct me if wrong). The 210 is a Class B and the 200 would have technically been a Class C.

Everyone can call them what they want though This debate has been going on longer than my involvement with RVing and it will likely continue long after I'm gone - my 2 cents won't change a thing!

[BBQ]

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A cutaway is a Class C.

For those without an overhead bed, the sales people try to call it a B+.

Why do they think B+ sounds better is beyond me.
because we all know the Class C is more popular
and the Class B sales is only ~10% of Class C.

[Davydd]

Ah here we go again. Class Cs with B-ness envy. This comes up time and again.

[gregmchugh]

Back to the original point, there is currently no Transit based Class B camper van built on a van chassis produced in North America by the major manufacturers, only available currently from the custom manufacturers...