Our Sprinter Van Broke Down in the Middle of Nowhere!

[@Agileoffroad]

We're so happy we could help you both out and get you back on the road. We promise you won't regret that ARB Locker or those Overlander HD's. Much love!

[@cherylmeyer4808]

Agile Off-road for the win!!!

[@larrykelly4905]

❤

[@murphtahoe1]

Three of my friends have sold their Sprinter vans due to multiple failures and a massive lack of repair shops that will do warranty services when you are out and about.

[@craigroosa9321]

I too have had two friends trade their sprinter vans . Poor service and long waits for a simple oil change , not to mention high price paid for everything .

[@FredJumayao]

Just curious: what was the option that they went with?

[@murphtahoe1]

@@FredJumayao One went with a Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 SB with a really nice pop-up trailer and the other one loves 4x4 vans and he bought a Ford Sportsmobile. My buddy’s Dodge is cool, but the Sportsmobile is truly bad-ass! Alas, my other friend has bowed out right now because of all of the issues that took place with the Sprinter pissed his wife off something fierce. To be honest, her idea of roughing it is not having a concierge!

[@craigroosa9321]

Hi Fred ,,, one of my friends went with a Winnie Ekko and the other a Solis .

[@insane_jarvis_9857]

Ford Transit superior in many ways, especially horsepower with the EcoBoost engine (plus WAAAY more Ford dealers, cheaper service, etc.)

[@travisb.8005]

This speaks volumes about where Mercedes Winnebago's Sprinter's priorities are. When they don't take care of someone with a larger voice they certainly won't take care of the average joe.

[@TrailRecon]

I never mentioned that I had a KZbin channel, I wanted to be treated like a regular guy so I could see how they would handle it... or not handle it.

[@jr23kid]

@@TrailReconthey should have looked you up. It’s not like they haven’t been to all the off-road shows lol.

[@Kcdaniel88]

The fact of the matter is while driving you damaged the rear end. While that sucks that is not a warrantable item. Warranty is for manufacture defects. I do find it funny they want to replace the hole axle but that is how the industry is these days. Glad to see everything worked out for you!

[@jakec6637]

@@Kcdaniel88 Correct, definitely NOT a warranty issue.

[@paulelliott682]

And that boys and girls is how the Sprinter Van got its nickname The Toad

[@JimJones-gd2jy]

Gutless Toad . .

[@psyamok3735]

LOL, thanks for sharing your experience with Mercedes with us. We we looking at the 4x4 merc van, not interested anymore.

[@Diamondplayz-ui6mo]

I use to go Kayaking all the time, but with aging I have not done it in a while; Sir your videos are motivating me to start going outdoors again. It’s good to see that the van was fixed and improvements were made at a cheaper price, thanks for sharing Sir.

[@TrailRecon]

Get out there my friend, being outside is good for the mind and soul!

[@brett3152]

I love my old Cherokee XJs (I have 3 of them) because they’re so easy to fix on the trail. Just carry a spare CPS, serpentine belt, and a set of tools. They also always seem to break the same way every time, so figuring out what to repair becomes second nature. Then again, I find that dealing with broken Jeeps is part of the adventure. I’m glad you guys made it back to civilization!

[@MooseModePXL]

Sprinter vans have put several companies out of business due to maintenance issues. Lord knows they cost me 4x what our express vans did. I parted ways with all but 1 before it was the first one and paid off. However… it’s pushing its limits with me.

[@maxbooshay7875]

Small world. At the start of the video I jokingly said to my wife that this was the van we saw on our way to Thomas Mountain. Then you said it was the Thomas Mountain Road. We were in the red Wrangler you saw right before your camp site. Thanks for including a very small bit of our Jeep in the video. This was my second encounter with you two in the wild. The first was July 17. Your yellow Jeep followed your red Jeep going north past Hanna Flat Campground. See ya on the trails! Cheers

[@nsalata1]

Love the story. Sprinter sagas like these are why I have a GMC Savana with a Quigley and a fiberglass high top for a van. Reliability and serviceability.

[@MegaRetr]

What a story!

[@Andy-ec9yn]

Sorry you guys had to go through all that and the unfortunate experience with the Mercedes dealership. We love our Sprinter (the lack of power is a major downside along with available service centers though we live close to one which so far has been great) and one of the first things we did after purchase were to get all the skid plates available that we could since we go offroad often. This was before Agile came out with the heavy duty diff cover and air locker. I was going to put off getting the locker, but after watching your video its next on the list.

[@toddraymond2348]

Funny rental coincidence. A few days before your trip my wife and I flew to Redding to pick up our truck and do some over landing on our way home to NY. Our airline left us stranded in San Francisco so we rented a car and drove the last 3 hours. We left our rental at the Redding airport - The same Cherokee you drove home. Due to flight delays that week our trip was cut short by 4 days. We managed to squeeze in several CA off-road trails before we left and then visited some in Utah and Wyoming as we headed home. It was a crazy experience for us as well but an experience we treasure.

[@OscarTheJT]

Glad you can have such a good attitude about all of that. Also glad you have friends with multiple talents to help out. Good story, and food for thought for anyone thinking Mercedes has any better Customer service than any of the other auto manufacturers. They've all become horrible, and the independent shops are about the only hope we have, now. Just have to find the rare honest ones. Glad you guys are safely home and repaired. Can't wait to see what y'all do next.

[@BigRockMoto]

Thanks for sharing, what an adventure! Also, I live in Garner Valley (right below Thomas Mtn.) The burned areas were prescribed fire done this past June to reduce fire danger in the area. I mountain bike and explore Thomas Mountain almost every week since I live here. Love the yellow post sites up there! Thanks for testing out the van and sharing with everyone, we are all curious!

[@regenakowitz]

That's good to know! Thank you for the info. 😊

[@OffRoadDiscovery]

Thanks for sharing your story, you made us aware of this potential issue and we purchased and installed a differential guard so we don't run into this issue off-roading. We are often off the beaten path and away from easy help, so this really resonated. Happy and safe travels!

[@DeeperImageAutomotive]

Now I know why my buddy who paid $220,000 for one of these fancy sprinter off-road vans only camps in parking lots 😅. What a ride, but it’s all part of the adventure, and now you have a great story. I love your positive attitude, I would’ve been fuming after paying 200k for one lol.

[@jadams947]

I watch most all your videos and this is the first of me seeing your dog!!

[@TrailRecon]

Rocket is my boy, he is just over 13 years old. He's made a sneak appearance here and there, but he's just getting too old these days to take out on long trips.

[@TimTheTowman]

Yup, kinda figured you would have problems with this van.. Although, not the problem I expected.. Through my experience in the towing industry, I've noticed that these vans don't seem very reliable and the lack of available service options creates an endless list of problems.. The scary part, to me anyways, is that I've personally seen a bunch of these vans burned up from the engine back! Then there's the Manufaturers roadside plan..Pretty much the same with all the manufacturer plans.. They just don't care.. They're too quick to give up on finding you a tow and don't even bother to call the customer back.. in most cases they are contracted with 3rd party call centers like Agero, Allstate roadside, Honk and a handful of others who have a very poor reputation at best for actually getting the job done.. AAA definitely does a better job in most cases. But, still has their moments..That said, Keep it and make sure you have rv coverage on that policy.. Being from Bend, I am not a bit surprised by your experience at that Mercedes dealership. They are shady as hell! I've personally repossessed vehicles from employees there that they were deliberately trying to hide and have not heard one good experience from anyone.I hope you don't have any more problems, But, I'm not gonna hold my breath either..lol..

[@christianustvedtkavli3169]

Interesting story - thanks for sharing. And nice to see your dog in an episode. Every overlander channels should have a dog as part of the show 🐕.

[@1hasbeen531]

Breakdowns and crazy misadventures make for the best campfire stories.

[@aleyeahoverland4663]

Thanks for sharing your story! We are huge fans of your channel. After more than 200 nights out on the trails with our Tacoma the last four years we are building a Sprinter 170 to enhance our longer distance trips and adverse weather seasons in the southwest... and beyond. Fortunately have not had an unfortunate circumstance like you share in this episode, but love hearing about your experiences and comparisons, as we are also discovering the differences between light truck and van exploring. I really appreciate your candidness and willingness to share your whole story. Thank you for what you do!

[@nwadventure1]

Further watching.....looks like ill be purchasing some skid plates. Thanks

[@nfri5108]

I got my VC Baja brackets installed and added the rear diff skid plate after watching your video...thanks!....while I was at Owl I said what the hell and had them put in the twin ARB compressor also. I really enjoy your videos. Thanks

[@Propelled]

We had a Sprinter van Class B. Danged thing went limp mode with electrical gremlins out in the middle of Alaska. Can’t enjoy myself with an undependable vehicle. Technicians couldn’t figure it out. Sold and never going back.

[@livezero264]

What a story! Thanks for sharing it with us. It can be heartwarming when people who don’t have to help out then go out of their way for people having a tough time. It renews faith in our fellow humans. Big takeaway is to stay far away from Sprinter vans and horrible Mercedes service. I’m glad it finally worked out for you.

[@randomstuffwithnofluff7472]

I've had my Entegra launch 4x4 for almost three years now added 20k miles and took it to some questionable places with zero issues on the Mercedes side of it (knock on wood). First thing I bought for it was that diff cover and skid plates from Van Compass as extra insurance. I just put in my order for the AO lockers three days ago. Haters are gonna hate, I'm glad everything worked out for you.

[@journeytoliving7344]

Thank you for sharing your adventure and experience. I have watched your channel Brad for years. I have enjoyed even more with Regina being involved and watching her experience grow. Thank you Both for clean entertainment and Your Service to Our Country. Blessings to you.

[@MrLugansd]

Thank you guys for sharing this experience. I think the Axel cover will be next on order. Appreciate your insight.

[@DJZach22]

Why don't new vehicles have diff temperature gauges? My 98 has one

[@jeffquick7917]

Sometimes the stories, good or bad, that spawn from our adventures teach us a lot about ourselves! Prime example of adapt and overcome! Glad you guys are safe, that’s all that really matters and you both have a smile and a great story to pass on…thanks for sharing, always a pleasure to come along!

[@67wildwolf]

I think I now now why the relative that owns one did all the upgrades to his(the one I took on a trip) and why he grumbles when he is asked about Mercedes repair techs and warranty work. His is now sitting on 35's nitto recon grapplers. He and his wife also take ether there TJ (TJ is under going a transplant axles and 4.2 stroker inline 6 it's a direct replacement!)or JL 2 door Rubicon with them on most trips. ! Because they got stuck in the middle of South Dakota and had problems getting a rental as well. Lessons learned the hard way are unforgettable. Thanks for all your great videos Brad and for including ones like this one.

[@gilvietor1918]

I've been pretty remote in places and come around a corner, there's a sprinter van! My thoughts weren't your broken part, it was after 80 miles of washboard and rocks how are cabinets and fittings doing! Glad it got sorted, 10,000 dollars is a hard number to swallow.

[@davidoden]

Funny story, at least you made the best of it and came out laughing. 😀

[@JD-xo3xz]

The main reason keeping us from Vanlife is the limited selection of possible vans. Ford, Mercedes, and Ram . Waiting for Toyota to wake up and save the day.

[@John-uo1qf]

I think even Amazon tried sprinters at one point

[@plus790]

At least the Ford can be made very capable with just a few bolt-ons. And it's mostly Ford stuff too.

[@lweleven3423]

I’ve driven many Van , the sprinter was the worsed as popular as they are and the great name they seem to have , they do tick lots of boxes and there isn’t much to compare them with . I’d personally prefer the 4x4 with the removable camping pod

[@PandaLAG]

We just found your channel & are loving it. It's ironic that we're wanting yo get out to the beautiful places you go.... so we're researching. However, we also want to go do some "touristy" things... so. we've been going back & forth from overlanding trailer or storyteller van (or similar). It's been so confusing...good & bad in both, but we're newbies to it all. We're a bit leary of the sprinter though & this isn't helping.. although i admire the fortitude of you both. 😅 I'm looking forward to more tales of your adventures! Thanks for sharing. ❤

[@oliveronskioliveronski6813]

great story, thanks for sharing I admire this marriage the dealer just gave you their “get-out-of-my-face” quote, I have experienced something similar. Great decision going for the locker. You just have to get out of the box and do the best of things. Thanks guys

[@oc1jason]

Thanks for all the details. You both have such a great attitude when dealing with adversity on the road. I'm going to add that rear diff cover to my 2019 Revel upgrade list right now.

[@CortJohnson]

Loving my GMC Savana with Advanced 4wd right now! Not as much room but much more reliable and more power.

[@tuomasholo]

The skid plate offered by Owl Vans $367 is cheap peace of mind. It will take about 30 minutes to install with 3/4” and 5/16” socket. Thanks for sharing your ups and downs.

[@GriffinConway]

What a great adventure! Thanks for sharing the story and also nice sprinter upgrades!

[@wojohowitz5432]

Geeez, you just gave away my secret go-to transportation. Uhaul has saved my bacon multiple times when thier weren't ANY rental cars available. I Even drove a 5 ton cube one way, just me and my suitcase, from AZ to Montana. lol.

[@juniorparra165]

Love that Regina is more involved now, you guys mesh great.

[@trjnsd6874]

What an amazing...adventure?! The Trials and Tribulations of Travel Vans! And thanks for the reminders of how beautiful Idylwylde is; one of my favorite places in California. After 70 years its no longer "home". Glad to have you and Regina and your smiles and optimism! Thanks for taking us along!

[@joshbeebe9512]

I really enjoyed this video. It was real life and relatable. I think if you don't have an occasional good story then you are not doing it right...

[@brunnie]

What a situation to be in, but as always you applied one of your "rules" and managed to take things in stride. So good to see and hear from you both after the Aussie adventure. Until next time... Travel safe, and thanks for bringing Rocket along.

[@BattlePhrog165]

This video definitely has a different feel to it. Top notch.

[@butchhansen391]

As a Central Oregon resident I'm glad the folks in Burns Oregon were so helpful. I hope everyone you met on your journey home was as helpful. Please remember to pass kindness and help forward when you can. Also thanks for confirming in my mind to keep my TJ and stay away from the vans.

[@DayZeroFWD]

First time coming across you two; I learned something.

[@Paintbl99]

Holy guacamole- Mercedes what an embarrassment!!! Thank goodness for actual good people and AAA. Glad you guys were able to work around this. What a nightmare!

[@joshedcostanza]

Awesome to see some sprinter stuff! Ex wrangler owner who loves your channel and have been building a 4X4 170 sprinter build. Will be excited to see more!

[@DanaB49]

Owl vans. I can see and feel the change when the secondary alternator is set to standby.

[@margaretbowen867]

Wow! What an adventure. Thanks for all the info regarding the van fix. I plan to get a Revel as soon as I can sell my home so I can complete some bucket list items. Now I know what to add to my van for better adventures. Thanks!!!!😘

[@phelandeluna5439]

I would just go back to the Gladiator and the Cherokee for this type of exploration, and use the JK and JL for more difficult things

[@shawnm2597]

Yayyyy HD diff cover is in place... I knew you would add it ...

[@1a1u0g9t4s2u]

Since you know and have had him in one of your episodes, surprised you have not viewed Venture4WD's videos where he discussed several issues and improvements to his sprinter van. Thanks to yours and other KZbinrs the videos I have viewed I was able to make smart decisions on the modifications to my JL which I have enjoyed. Another excellent source for local 4x4 repair shops is the local 4x4 clubs. Learned to use this resource from other off-roaders that plan trips and organize logistics into new areas. Glad it worked out in the end. Thanks for sharing.

[@GregSlimSkinnyParkerMinnesota]

Love watching your journey in the sprinter.

[@moepassley6780]

Great story. Hilarious. Thanks

[@lisaspurk3187]

Wow! At least you kept a positive attitude. We love watching your adventures! I wish we could do it more often. We love going out on adventures!

[@chknlyps2373]

At 5:13 I could see down to my house... you are up in ny back yard... All the burned area you saw up there was a US Forest Service prescribed burn that was done over a couple weeks in July.

[@jenniferandrew3373]

Yikes! I had been thinking hard about a Sprinter conversion van. Thanks for this.

[@gcajones]

What a story! For some reason never realized you are in San Diego. Been watching your videos for a year and began hitting baby trails since I got the Rivian truck. Thanks for mentioning Agile. I’ll keep that in mind for any mid-adventures in the future. Happy trails!

[@johngrant1337]

Glad to see you got a real off-road vehicle a 4WD Van, thanks

[@scottclukey2424]

MC & Miss Ragina, you folks are truly inspirational, and I'm appreciative of the calmness that you show when dealing with . . . You fill in the blanks Although I'm a Toyota guy I love the content of your KZbin programs Thank you

[@scottclukey2424]

PS: NO SPRINTER FOR THIS GUY

[@explrx4678]

You broke down where my folks are from in Eastern Oregon. Really great people.

[@pontiacwolf]

I am very pleased to hear that you received a family/friend welcoming in the town that you broke down in. I am amused that you were surprised about the hospitality that you received. Here in Nebraska. I would honestly say that there probably is three people that wouldn’t have given you the exact same “Shirt off their back” treatment in our whole state. I guess we take it for granted. It saddens me a little bit that people act so surprised when others do things that growing up we are used to. Again, thank you for all the experiences that you share with us. Also, thank you for including your family and all of your adventures. Both personal and business. Very inspirational. If you ever want to wake up every single day and get treated with the same hospitality. You’re more than welcome to come and visit in Nebraska. if you do, I would be willing to bet that every single person you pass on any highway, roadway, or trail. Will wave at you like they know you.

[@markj10]

Welcome to vanlife! I’m not a Jeep guy, but definitely love my vans and Agile rocks!, Looking forward to your next Van adventure!

[@mtnessler]

LOL!! Great story!! We also have Sprinter van that we had an engine failure on, with the same warranty that you guys had, and they wouldn't cover the engine, because they said we didn't have an OEM oil filter. We also work with a lot of Freightliner trucks with Detroit Diesel and Cummins engines and have found over the past few years that is how they are also getting out of covering stuff under warranty. It's truly unfortunate too. It's funny, we are Class A Rv'ers that are transitioning into overlanding and you guys are going the opposite direction from overlanding into an RV! We had a lot of fun with our RV over the past 30 years. We hope to have as much fun in our Jeeps!!

[@TheBillp603]

The spinster seems like such a great platform, too bad you have to deal with Mercedes dealers. Love the little clips of your dog sprinkled in.

[@seantoothill6786]

Thank you for explaining your dealings with Mercedes. I was considering one of these for future travel. You have made my decision a lot easier. No thank you Mercedes!

[@paulelliott682]

Banks makes a great diff cover. Banks can help you with power too.

[@creekerjeeper3879]

It’s good to see Rocket is out with you.

[@SeanChandlerSF]

Hopefully you added a diff skid, I think Owl makes one, AO might too.

[@fscottgray9784]

I feel your pain on MB. I had to replace the front brakes on my 2015 S550 recently. I had to replace rotors and pads and it was $2000 just for the parts. Originals only had 50,000 freeway miles.

[@charleshicks3492]

Yes, sprinter van and problems go hand in hand, glad everything is good⭐️😎🤩

[@Hillbilly-zn6lx]

Ah man, if I'd had known you were THAT close to me, I would have picked you up & drove you to Redding

[@imbdileva]

Selling the PowerWagon is coming back to haunt you. I really wanted to see more of that!

[@donkeybyte4540]

The Pine Room steak house is surprisingly good in Burns. Also check out Crain hot springs 20 miles east of Burns we seldom pass it

[@sixyonex7385]

Thanks for sharing, its not always glitz and glamour while traveling.

[@paulabola9628]

Check out the Owl Vans differential skid plates. It's one of the first mods they recommend.

[@Mr_troy_s]

Really like the van, enjoy the adventures in it

[@Stickerbob11]

Love that gulch!

[@cwyoming7004]

We have the Winnebago Solis on the RAM chassis. It definitely isn't as capable as the 4x4 Sprinter, but I'm hoping for a little reliability. No problems so far... Thanks for sharing the story, and I'm a 2nd Amend person too

[@chuckleescustoms]

Protect that diff even more and pick up a van compass diff skid!

[@JorgeRojas-ut3wj]

Man! One breakdown and all that monumental hassle came from it. I'm not sure I'd have the patience to deal with that living hell... lol, Glad you all made it home safe and sound.

[@garretlewis4103]

I thought the van was a temporary thing. Guess not. Christine and I have considered a van. Definitely some positives with one. Enjoy!

[@TheOffroadCamper]

I’m just getting into the video. I’m only a few minutes in that kind of made me chuckle with the gray water hose Falling off. That’s one of the reasons why I bought the Offroad trailer I bought was because it doesn’t have on board gray or black water tanks, so nothing hanging down below the trailer to get torn off. I think Brad’s gonna have to get himself a shop space to store all these vehicles they’re multiplying rapidly.

[@ranarch]

Thanks for sharing. You always have such interesting vlogs and good info.

[@TrailRecon]

You are so welcome!

[@grumpy-g5s]

thats what Sprinters do !

[@jerrymestas1231]

Customer service is #1 no matter what you do or where are you go? Hopefully Mercedes sees this, and has a better approach for the next customer. Glad you made it home, great conversation piece around the campfire😬

[@stevehori673]

OK Brad I’m going down to AO and getting the heavy duty diff cover. You’re the 3rd KZbinr to hit that stock cover and lose the fluid. If you ever do a group van adventure I’d be interested, I’m close by in Vista. Love your channel especially now that you have a Sprinter van!

[@nickmenchaca1061]

Would be cool to see you in a 4x4 converted Ford E350 van on one tons and 37s

[@seandawnvantures2001]

I have the trifecta, too, Van, Tacoma, and a trailer. The van will do better than you think, but you need some armor and reasonable recovery equipment for the van.

[@bjbj3853]

I sure hope you've had the battery recall done on your van. I winced everything I saw you flying over the ruts. Lots of cable rubbing going on.

[@bobcooper1055]

Thank you, Ford it is..

[@ThomasDomizi]

great story!

[@extspence]

wow, sorry you had to go through all of that. You know a Power Wagon is not that bad! Try another one with a Supertramp camper. little lighter and still have a Power Wagon

[@johnmccaffery5186]

Wow, what a great adventure story and way to make it work out to your favor! The same thing happened to Chris, Schontz’s Revel ( Venture 4wd) but he caught it in time and replaced the cover with an ARB… Poor quality control.

[@craigwojciechowski8322]

Great video! We have a sprinter too! Thx for sharing… gotta get that agile diff cover! 👍👍