Sprinters

20 kN wrote: And have it depreciate by $20k in the first year? Buying a car brand new is never a good deal. If you buy a car that is only one or two model years old, you can get one that still has full bumper to bumper warranty and pay 25-40% less than what it would have cost brand new. I saved over $20k on my last vehicle by buying used one year after the vehicle came out. The car was still basically new, but for a bit over half the price.

Oh believe me, I know about depreciation. Have you ever tried to find a used 4x4 sprinter? Good luck finding a 1 year old 4x4 sprinter. The first model year that came in 4x4 was 2015. It's as rare as a damn white rhino. It was hard enough to find a NEW 4x4. If you live in it though, the price becomes a lot more reasonable.

caesar.salad wrote: Oh believe me, I know about depreciation. Have you ever tried to find a used 4x4 sprinter? Good luck finding a 1 year old 4x4 sprinter. The first model year that came in 4x4 was 2015. It's as rare as a damn white rhino. It was hard enough to find a NEW 4x4. If you live in it though, the price becomes a lot more reasonable.

You could just not buy 4x4. I never understood why climbers feel they have to get it. Over 99% of climbing in American can be accessed with a Prius. If you climbed everyday of your life and never took a rest day, you still wouldent climb 1% of the routes available. So why the need for 4x4? The only way I could see it is if you lived at elevation and wanted 4x4 for the winter roads. That I could see.

caesar.salad, how is the reliability of your 4x4 going? I know it's not needed most of the time but for full time living we would also be in cold areas in the winter skiing and ice climbing on occasions. I like the idea of the 4x4 but not critical. I did read some stories about lots of time in the shop for the 2015s and that would negate the typical reliability we're looking for in the sprinter..

I struggled a lot deciding between a 144 and 170".
Make sure you look at window flares. I know that they aren't cheap but you can pick up an extra 2 to 2.5 feet of interior room with them.

If you ever roll into some tent campgrounds anything over 20 feet they don't allow.

20 kN wrote: And have it depreciate by $20k in the first year? Buying a car brand new is never a good deal. If you buy a car that is only one or two model years old, you can get one that still has full bumper to bumper warranty and pay 25-40% less than what it would have cost brand new. I saved over $20k on my last vehicle by buying used one year after the vehicle came out. The car was still basically new, but for a bit over half the price.

You can also buy a 2006 and have it converted to 4x4 for around 6k and still be way under the new sticker price.

Mike Brady wrote: You can also buy a 2006 and have it converted to 4x4 for around 6k and still be way under the new sticker price.

That is a good idea, as long as you have the $6k cash to spend on it. Otherwise I'm guessing most people would have to finance the vehicle. Still, a really good idea because you get the 4x4 and a fresh transmission. You won't have the worries about a 200k mile transmission while you're road tripping.

Ryan Hamilton wrote: That is a good idea, as long as you have the $6k cash to spend on it. Otherwise I'm guessing most people would have to finance the vehicle.

If getting 6k in cash is an issue, buying a new 4x4 Sprinter is probably also not a good idea?

Jeremy Kasmann wrote: If getting 6k in cash is an issue, buying a new 4x4 Sprinter is probably also not a good idea?

Or any sprinter for that matter :)

Curious about the reliability of Sprinters. So far I've chosen not to get one because they seem horribly unreliable, extremely expensive to fix and difficult to work on if you want to fix it yourself. A friend has one. He's been road tripping in it for about six months and it's broken down about five times. Most of the time when it broke down, the quote he got was $2000 or more to fix it.

20 kN wrote:Curious about the reliability of Sprinters. So far I've chosen not to get one because they seem horribly unreliable, extremely expensive to fix and difficult to work on if you want to fix it yourself. A friend has one. He's been road tripping in it for about six months and it's broken down about five times. Most of the time when it broke down, the quote he got was $2000 or more to fix it.

I have had mine for about a year and a half. Bought it with 160k miles on it and it has not had any issues. I have put around 50k miles on it and have never broken down. A properly loved Sprinter can achieve 500-750k miles, so reliability is pretty solid. With that said I probably would not buy one unless you are going to be living in it for extended periods of time. The cost to properly maintain one CAN be pretty high. I think the trick is finding someone that doesn't rake you over the coals because it is a diesel or because it is a MB. In that same vein some things are more expensive because it is a diesel.

20 kN wrote: A friend has one. He's been road tripping in it for about six months and it's broken down about five times. Most of the time when it broke down, the quote he got was $2000 or more to fix it.

Before purchasing mine I had it taken to two shops. One being the Freightliner dealership and the other being a shop that I had frequented before and had a lot of trust in. I kept the dealership completely out of the loop as far as communication with the shops goes so I could ensure some level of honesty. I took the results back to the dealership and made them fix the mechanical issues that I found and I had them fix several cosmetic issues as well. Signing a major mechanical recision gives you a leg to stand on, even if it is a little wobbly.

Bummer on your friends van.

20 kN wrote: You could just not buy 4x4. I never understood why climbers feel they have to get it. Over 99% of climbing in American can be accessed with a Prius. If you climbed everyday of your life and never took a rest day, you still wouldent climb 1% of the routes available. So why the need for 4x4? The only way I could see it is if you lived at elevation and wanted 4x4 for the winter roads. That I could see.

nomadian wrote:caesar.salad, how is the reliability of your 4x4 going? I know it's not needed most of the time but for full time living we would also be in cold areas in the winter skiing and ice climbing on occasions. I like the idea of the 4x4 but not critical. I did read some stories about lots of time in the shop for the 2015s and that would negate the typical reliability we're looking for in the sprinter..

The only problems I have had with mine have been due to human error. I bought the 4x4 because I live in it and want to be able to take it anywhere. Also, I'm from Maine and being in two wheel drive in that van sucks in the snow. I've gotten stuck a bunch of times in the snow in two wheel drive and every single time I just change to 4x4 and it crawls right out. I'm so glad I got a 4x4. It's hilariously fun driving such a large vehicle offroad too. I love going way out to climbing areas in the sticks whenever I can, so I find it useful a lot. And I like going ice and alpine climbing. I've already taken it across the country and back and I'm going out west again this winter

You could probobly get to most of the summer climbing destinations with the front wheel drive promaster but camping spots are a whole nother ball game :) used a ton of 4x4 in our Astro this summer...

4x4 camping

Where I'm typing this...

Reliability so far has been great for us, and we definitely have beat it up on rough roads. We've spent over 5 months in it, around 30K miles, two years, and usually with two dogs so it has been used.

True most don't need need a 4x4 but it sure is nice to be able to get away from the crowds and explore new crags.
Personally I can't imagine not having the option. Having a 4x4 opens a whole new world to explore, especially here out west. If you are just traveling to established crags you don't need it but if you ever get the urge to see what is up that old dirt road or want to get way off the highway to get away from people for a good nights sleep you will
be happy you have the option.

Kevin Mokracek wrote:True most don't need need a 4x4 but it sure is nice to be able to get away from the crowds and explore new crags. Personally I can't imagine not having the option. Having a 4x4 opens a whole new world to explore, especially here out west. If you are just traveling to established crags you don't need it but if you ever get the urge to see what is up that old dirt road or want to get way off the highway to get away from people for a good nights sleep you will be happy you have the option.

I totally agree. We didn't want to wait two years for 4x4, but I would have gotten one. We have aggressive tires, traction sleds on top, automatic chains, a winch and still we've been stuck numerous times. Once, after digging in the mud, we just left it and went for our hike for the day (a few miles longer since we didn't reach the trailhead) and let it dry out. That still didn't quite work but we got lucky with some jeepers coming along and they happily pulled us out.

Still, for the most part, we go where we want.

Working out at City of Rocks

That is a SWEET looking rig you got there Ney.
And ya, Nick, those 4x4 Astro's have always intrigued me. When I was van-hunting I noticed decent ones going for about 1/4 the price of a good 2wd Sprinter.

Alex Bury wrote:That is a SWEET looking rig you got there Ney. And ya, Nick, those 4x4 Astro's have always intrigued me. When I was van-hunting I noticed decent ones going for about 1/4 the price of a good 2wd Sprinter.

The AWD Astros are sweet. They won't go as long as a Sprinter but the price tag is way way cheaper. They are plenty capable. The one draw back is long term living.

It's tight for 2 people. I am solo tonight so roomy compared to when all of Isa's stuff is in here. It is supposed to rain in the morning so I will be cooking breakfast in the rain. No room in here for a fully functioning kitchen

ahh yes...awd.