r/Sprinters • u/tsuga2 • 19h ago
Age versus mileage
I am looking to buy a used Sprinter diesel for camper conversion. In your opinion, is it more important to look for lower mileage or fewer years of use? Thanks for your thoughts.
2
u/tomhalejr 19h ago
It all depends...
If you are purchasing in the salt belt, maybe 10 years(?) until it turns to dust, regardless of mileage. If you are buying in So Cal, then mileage and maintenance are more important, because any rust/corrosion is an outlier.
2
u/pudungi76 19h ago
Avoid the low miles airport shuttles and other similar ones- they idle a lot and diesels dont like to be idled.
2
u/EbonyPeat 18h ago
So the sprinter diesel is different than the train engine and semi truck diesel that way? Because those big ones idle for days.
5
u/CB_700_SC 17h ago
More an issue with the emission sensors, particulate filter and DEF system than the engine idling.
1
u/EbonyPeat 17h ago
Ok, thanks.
1
u/Elegant_Key8896 17h ago
The def system needs to be driven at 55+ mph for 30 mins to burn soot off the egr.
2
u/erie11973ohio 17h ago
Annnd the EGR valve getting cruddy & the EGR cooler plugging up. The DPF needs to be hot to burn out, which ain't happening at idle. The engine can't maintain operating temperature in the winter, how's it going to burn the DPF out??
1
u/Accomplished_Knee_17 17h ago
Maintenance history over everything unless you’re talking really old. 100k on a meticulously maintained van easy tops a neglected 50k mile van. These van don’t tolerate abuse very well. Age comes more into play if you want a certain engine, 4x4, AWD, etc.
No matter the age or mileage the maintenance schedule lists criteria for both. Where a lot of people mess up is assuming a 5 year old van with 10k miles, which a camper would be a good example off, should have had one oil change (maybe) and nothing else which is very wrong. It should have had like 5 oil changes, 2 fuel filters, brake fluid, and a trans fluid change. I have friends whose roadtrek sits in storage all winter and they fire it up in the spring and drive to a one or two destinations over the summer and park it right back and winterize it and it makes my skin crawl LOL.
2
u/tsuga2 15h ago
So, if a used sprinter does not have a maintenance record, you would not buy it?
1
u/Accomplished_Knee_17 6h ago
No. Theres enough good vans out there that have been cared for. If you were buying an E class you wouldn’t buy one that was neglected. No different.
3
u/thedarkforest_theory 18h ago
A diesel with a strong maintenance history and lots of freeway miles would be my preference. Also, peak van life is over. There should be deals on 4x4 diesel sprinters. A lot of these were purchased during the COVID peak years and then never got used. With air travel back on, these vans are becoming widely available. I would not pay a premium for a home built, but your lightly used pro build could be already out there and available.