Who traveled the farthest to pick up a Sprinter?

Umnak

Member
We just finished the second half of the journey from Austin, Texas to Juneau, Alaska. The first 3000 miles in December of 2014 took us across the Southwest, along the California and Oregon Coast and into the Olympia, WA area. This leg was 2000 miles through BC and the Yukon on the road, and another 100 by ferry from Skagway.

Pictures of the road trip are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/umnak/

 
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Mein Sprinter

Known member
We just finished the second half of the journey from Austin, Texas to Juneau, Alaska. The first 3000 miles in December of 2014 took us across the Southwest, along the California and Oregon Coast and into the Olympia, WA area. This leg was 2000 miles through BC and the Yukon on the road, and another 100 by ferry from Skagway.

Pictures of the road trip are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/umnak/

You ought to post this in the Adventure section..:thumbup::thumbup:

This is wonderful...

cheers...
 

Umnak

Member
You ought to post this in the Adventure section..:thumbup::thumbup:

This is wonderful...

cheers...
Thanks for the suggestion. Eve and I are setting out in August for a year-long road trip around North America. A broad itinerary is to return to the Yukon, head east to meet the Laird to Yellowknife along the Great Slave, and then across Canada to the Trans Labrador Highway, where we will spend a few weeks exploring a place that is similar to the Alaska I recall of the 1970s. From Labrador we will ferry to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, then down the east coast. Our first layover will be in either Maryland or North Carolina from October - December. Then a month on the road to the 4 Corners for February - March. We plan to finish the 12 month journey in northern Michigan for the summer of 2016.
 

Mein Sprinter

Known member
Thanks for the suggestion. Eve and I are setting out in August for a year-long road trip around North America. A broad itinerary is to return to the Yukon, head east to meet the Laird to Yellowknife along the Great Slave, and then across Canada to the Trans Labrador Highway, where we will spend a few weeks exploring a place that is similar to the Alaska I recall of the 1970s. From Labrador we will ferry to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, then down the east coast. Our first layover will be in either Maryland or North Carolina from October - December. Then a month on the road to the 4 Corners for February - March. We plan to finish the 12 month journey in northern Michigan for the summer of 2016.
Cannot wait to read your Adventures.

Did the Dempster to Inuvik, NWT last year. Done Labrador and Newfoundland but will return once more to explore Fogo next year.

Good luck and God speed.

cheers...
 

JimBray

New member
I've seen many threads on "fly and drive" adventures to purchase a Sprinter! I've done many of these trips for vehicles myself. Flew from Denver to Maine to pick mine up!


For those of you that did the same......how far did you go?

I had to go the southern route to avoid a blizzard on bald tires!



Wife and I flew from San Diego to Detroit in August to get a nice 2006 Sprinter chassis with a 2007 Airstream Interstate mid bath with twin beds aft. About 2600 miles. Well worth the trip!
 

comsigns

Member
2800 mi Pennsylvania to Vancouver
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Brought home my 2005 158 and proceeded to start the conversion.
Then found one in BETTER SHAPE and ALREADY CONVERTED 1 mile away.
OH! and it was the same price.
Life is strange sometimes!
 

amarquez888

New member
I just picked up my 2015 Sprinter 170 in Atlanta Georgia. This baby is headed to its home in Anchorage Alaska. I will be driving it up in April and will be traveling cross country. I will posts photos of my new rig soon along with photos from the journey.
 

synergy_58

2009 Navion and 2015 Crew
We just finished the second half of the journey from Austin, Texas to Juneau, Alaska. The first 3000 miles in December of 2014 took us across the Southwest, along the California and Oregon Coast and into the Olympia, WA area. This leg was 2000 miles through BC and the Yukon on the road, and another 100 by ferry from Skagway.

Pictures of the road trip are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/umnak/

I flew down from Anchorage to Tampa, inspected a 2008 Navion, the one I thought I wanted, but found out that the seller didn't disclose that she did NOT have the title in hand, that the roof had a crack in it (though repaired, it was ugly), and that the bank wanted my money first, before they would give her the title, and then she would sign it over to me…no thanks.

Rented a car and drove up the state to Pensacola, FL looking along the way at several prospects and rested and got back on-line searching, found 3 prospects. Drove to Navarre, FL, Mobile, AL, and then up to Birmingham, AL. Just about gave up, then found a very nice '09 Navion in the Chicago area. Had the Navion delivered to Vacaville, CA, I flew there, had the van prepared for the long haul back to Anchorage. All of this was in March 2012, so mucho snow and ice through Canaduh, Yukon and of course AK. BUT, it was a great adventure and I fell in LOVE with my Navion!
2009, full body paint, diesel genny, new Michelin LTX AS2's, new brakes, complete service, everything in perfect working order, 24, 890 miles at the time of purchase! I just wiped her down, loaded up some grub and odd and ends and hit the road!
 

kayakkingoz

Active member
We got ours from Perth in Western Australia & drove it home to Newcastle NSW. Following the southern coast to Melbourne then straight up the Hume HWY.
6500 km,s extra on the clock when we got home.
We done that coz couldnt find one with right km,s & price near us. So as neither of us had been that side of Australia before, we thought we would take advantage of an adventure at the same time. Great trip
Just got another one from the other side of the country ( reason: price & low low km,s.) Got it transported across this time. $2100. Last time it cost about $1150 just in fuel. Somewhere around $800 - $1000 flights (2 people). & dont get the extra 6500 km,s on the van. Just have to get down to Sydney in the new year to pick it up from transport depot.
 
Well, definitely not the farthest, but flew Boston to Kansas City MO, this past Saturday, signed paperwork, got on the road, arrived back home Sunday @10pm. Really like my used 2014 MB 170 EXT. Great upgrade from my 03 158 3500. Thanks to all who recommended the 4 over the 6. Seems to be great match with the 7 speed. Filled fuel tank 3 times, 21+, 21+, 23+ mpg. Time will tell when interior is finished. Mike D.
 

Boogieman

Simple Simon
2800 mi Pennsylvania to Vancouver
Brought home my 2005 158 and proceeded to start the conversion.
Then found one in BETTER SHAPE and ALREADY CONVERTED 1 mile away.
OH! and it was the same price.
Life is strange sometimes!
yeah I know what you mean . . I didn't drive far for any of my Sprinters . . but I only wanted to buy one, was looking for a few month but none fitted my requirements . . so I bought one which came close . . as soon as it was in my driveway, all of a sudden Sprinters popped up all over the place . . I ended up buying 5 :doh:. . and then selling 3 of em again . .
 

thorn

Member
We ordered our Sprinter cargo van in June 2015 in Maryland and we were told it should be coming in mid Sept. We had a commitment to go to AZ, but it had not been built by mid Sept., :yell: so we drove with our travel trailer 2300 miles to AZ.

They said that it should be coming into SC in Nov. so we drove back towards SC thinking we could pick it up there, camping along the way. Still no luck so we drove back up to MD from FL/SC, 2600 miles. After a few weeks we had to get back to AZ so we drove back, renting a U-haul to pull a horse trailer, another 2300 miles. They finally shipped the van to Phoenix in mid Dec. which was 110 miles from were we are staying.

2300+2600+2300+110*2 = 7,420 miles

If it had come in Sept/Oct like they had promised, it would have only been 20 miles away and we could have used it to pull our horse trailer to AZ. :frown:




 

Say what

Active member
Well this is a good question. I just got back from my trip. I flew 2200 miles to get it, and then drove 4240 miles to get it back home.

I picked it up in Jew Jersey. I drove it to Florida for a few days and then headed back to Utah. On the return trip from NJ I passed through many states including NJ, PA, DE, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, TX, NM, AZ AND UT. I missed all the tornadoes that hit the Gulf coast in late Feb 2016 by 8 hours.

The van is a 2011 144 2500 passenger. It performed awesome on the entire trip. I went as fast as it would go (83mph) the entire trip and got about 18 mpg. I have been driving a Lexus for the last 10 years the game so "Guess that rattle" was endless and became very frustrating. I pulled over so many times to find a rattle.

So I ended up going about 4200 driving miles after picking it up to get it home, and I went about 6500 miles total if you are counting distance out to buy it and distance to get it back home.
 

RedCrew4X4

New member
flew on Thursday evening to Harrisburg , PA , to pick-up my new 2015 4X4 - Friday morning 10 AM at the dealership signed paperwork, got on the road, arrived back home in SW Florida on Saturday , 2 pm after 1,200 miles drive and a few hours rest along the way on rest areas . Filled fuel tank 3 times but the last one close to home , approx. 19.3 mpg on onboard computer . No problems , drives well , no strange noises , so far very happy , only time will say for the future .
 

tadeo1

Member
Maybe I broke the record.....you will be the judge. I bought on eBay a 2006/118WB in Seattle,
I was in Sayulita, Mexico next to Puerto Vallarta. I drove my 2008 camper from Vallarta to San Francisco and put it for sale. I took United flight to Seattle went up north to a small town near the Canadian border and pick up the 2006, drove to San Francisco, spent 2 weeks converting it to a camper, got Calif. lic. plates and clasified as a MT (motor home) and drove back to Sayulita where I reside most of the year, I did all this because of the infamous DPF filter in the 2008.
I love the little 2006/2.7 litter/118WB, name it "Gitana" and already went twice this year to California. As a resident in Mexico if you bring a Motor Home, you can keep it for 10 years for $56
Puerto Vallarta to the Canada border is 3,000 miles one way so I traveled 6,000 miles to have this baby in Sayulita, what is more we are thinking in moving to Uruguay and I can ship Gitana to Montevideo for us$4,000 so maybe this little guy will see the southern hemisphere and travel all the way to Usuhia the south most city in the world in Argentina, the Iguazu Falls, the gigantic Perito Moreno Glazier (4 miles long 200 feet tall) the Bariloche Lake and so many places where I was when young and beautiful in a VW camper......Ha....Ha
 

Scout fire

New member
Caught a flight from San francisco to New York.Then a short train ride up to Connecticut. Finished the deal and back on the road in my 2016 144 4x4. 4 days 2990 miles later, home safe in Bay Area.
 

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