Hello everyone,
I will start this write up a bit earlier in the process than anyone else, so, please, bear with me and share your thoughts )
So, we're a small but pretty restless family. We have a toddler and planning to get another one... like one is not enough ) We did a lot of short/long trips along the east coast before. With the first kid things have definitely changed, but small getaways are still one of our vital needs, we really need a breath of fresh air, literally ) We did a careful assessment of all the things we already do, all the things we want to do and figured that we need something larger than a minivan for 2 main reasons: we need a normal place for the kid to sleep, and we're freaking tired of playing Tetris every time we pack our gear )
Here comes the Weekend Warrior project for the family of 4 )
PICKING A VAN
There are a few things that we have to consider:
1. We live in NYC. COVID definitely moved few people out of the city here in there, but parking, and overall... mmm... tightness on streets, is still a problem;
2. It will be our daily driver for at least a few more years, so, my wife should be able to park it on the streets without much cursing;
3. We cannot afford any major modifications, like installing a RIB bed, time-wise. Because of #2, the van should always be available, more or less, so, the whole conversion will be split into relatively short projects that I can accomplish over weekends;
4. Living out of the apartment, getting proper tools/space for a major modification is a problem. We have a Makerspace nearby that I plan to use, but, again, its not exactly a garage;
5. We don't want to do any major modifications: while I'm totally fine carrying some of my colleagues in a non-certified nor crash-tested seat (you got it, right? :]), I'm definitely not ok doing so with my kid(s).
To better understand what would fit our missions better, today I did a few test drives with a local dealer: a V6 4x4 144 and a 170 gasser. Full disclosure - I never drove anything larger than Pacifica, so, here are my thoughts and first impressions:
Engines:
I was surprised by gasser - much quieter than I would expect from a van, and I wouldn't say it's slow either. 9-speed tranny is very smooth and quick. A V6... well... it's a diesel. My first impression, after driving them side-by-side, is that the 9-speed tranny on gasser is waaay smoother than this 7 speed automatic on diesel. That 7-speed was kicking pretty noticeable. Overall, the V6 engine is louder too. This might also feel like that because that V6 was a 4x4, so, if you think the regular 2WD V6 shifts better and not really that loud, please let me know.
Wheelbase:
170 feels like a bus. I wouldn't want to be my wife parking that thingy. I remember my thought after a few turns: "well, parallel parking in that thing is not going to happen". 144 feels much more nimble. The keyword here is 'much'. When in 170 you feel like a train... with the last car somewhere far-far-far behind you, in 144 you feel much more confident for sure.
4x4:
Well, the short answer is 'I didn't like it', the long answer is 'I didn't like it and here is why...' It's noticeably louder and feels much stiffer. There is much more weight on the wheel to the point I wouldn't want to drive that thing every day in the city. I know all that is very subjective, but I know for sure that my wife will not appreciate that either. Also, you definitely feel the weight of that 4x4 shorty: that longer gasser felt lighter and peppier. Given all that, plus a really archaic design of that 4x4 system, plus a sh## load of money Mercedes is asking for it... for me, that's not worth it in day-to-day operations. Besides that, you giving up about 350lb of weight capacity compared to 2WD V6 and almost 600lb compared to 2WD gasser.
Based on the things above, I think the best way for us to start is a 2500 144WB Crew van. Yes, we will pay for things we do not need, like side windows, but we will get a factory-installed and tested bench, which is pretty comfortable once you add that 'Crew Van Comfort Package'.
Availability
Now let's talk timing. It's still possible to find a nicely equipped gasser on lots. It's pretty much impossible to find a properly configured V6. My dealer told me today we're not going to get anything with V6 until late September/October of 2021 at the earliest. Doesn't makes any sense for us to wait for so long. The only viable option right now is to order either gasser or a new l4 diesel that they bring this year. Here we're talking mid-to-late May. Personally, I would want a diesel, my impressions from other diesel cars I drove - you can load them to the gills and they would just go without making a sweat. I like that. At the same time, I have to say, I'm intrigued by gasser...
So, a few questions regarding that:
1. What do we know about that new l4 diesel? How it's going to be compared to a gasser and a V6? Is it going to be the same 7-speed that we have for V6 now, or that's going to be that 9-speed that gasser has?
2. How's fuel economy and performance under load with a gasser? I know everyone on youtube reporting a very good economy, like 20-22mpg... but in most cases, that's for an empty van. Once people start loading them, it feels like 12-14mpg becomes very common and I would assume they're going to become louder as well. I would imagine my build could get me fairly close to GVW... how would gasser perform then? Anyone carrying a lot of stuff in their gasser every day, please share your experience;
3. Now the complexity of the build and, specifically, heating. I would hate to carry multiple types of fuel and with diesel it's easy - add an Evo from Webasto and you have both heat and hot water, pretty convincing. At the same time, how would you heat water with a gasser?
Please comment and share your experience/thoughts.
I will start this write up a bit earlier in the process than anyone else, so, please, bear with me and share your thoughts )
So, we're a small but pretty restless family. We have a toddler and planning to get another one... like one is not enough ) We did a lot of short/long trips along the east coast before. With the first kid things have definitely changed, but small getaways are still one of our vital needs, we really need a breath of fresh air, literally ) We did a careful assessment of all the things we already do, all the things we want to do and figured that we need something larger than a minivan for 2 main reasons: we need a normal place for the kid to sleep, and we're freaking tired of playing Tetris every time we pack our gear )
Here comes the Weekend Warrior project for the family of 4 )
PICKING A VAN
There are a few things that we have to consider:
1. We live in NYC. COVID definitely moved few people out of the city here in there, but parking, and overall... mmm... tightness on streets, is still a problem;
2. It will be our daily driver for at least a few more years, so, my wife should be able to park it on the streets without much cursing;
3. We cannot afford any major modifications, like installing a RIB bed, time-wise. Because of #2, the van should always be available, more or less, so, the whole conversion will be split into relatively short projects that I can accomplish over weekends;
4. Living out of the apartment, getting proper tools/space for a major modification is a problem. We have a Makerspace nearby that I plan to use, but, again, its not exactly a garage;
5. We don't want to do any major modifications: while I'm totally fine carrying some of my colleagues in a non-certified nor crash-tested seat (you got it, right? :]), I'm definitely not ok doing so with my kid(s).
To better understand what would fit our missions better, today I did a few test drives with a local dealer: a V6 4x4 144 and a 170 gasser. Full disclosure - I never drove anything larger than Pacifica, so, here are my thoughts and first impressions:
Engines:
I was surprised by gasser - much quieter than I would expect from a van, and I wouldn't say it's slow either. 9-speed tranny is very smooth and quick. A V6... well... it's a diesel. My first impression, after driving them side-by-side, is that the 9-speed tranny on gasser is waaay smoother than this 7 speed automatic on diesel. That 7-speed was kicking pretty noticeable. Overall, the V6 engine is louder too. This might also feel like that because that V6 was a 4x4, so, if you think the regular 2WD V6 shifts better and not really that loud, please let me know.
Wheelbase:
170 feels like a bus. I wouldn't want to be my wife parking that thingy. I remember my thought after a few turns: "well, parallel parking in that thing is not going to happen". 144 feels much more nimble. The keyword here is 'much'. When in 170 you feel like a train... with the last car somewhere far-far-far behind you, in 144 you feel much more confident for sure.
4x4:
Well, the short answer is 'I didn't like it', the long answer is 'I didn't like it and here is why...' It's noticeably louder and feels much stiffer. There is much more weight on the wheel to the point I wouldn't want to drive that thing every day in the city. I know all that is very subjective, but I know for sure that my wife will not appreciate that either. Also, you definitely feel the weight of that 4x4 shorty: that longer gasser felt lighter and peppier. Given all that, plus a really archaic design of that 4x4 system, plus a sh## load of money Mercedes is asking for it... for me, that's not worth it in day-to-day operations. Besides that, you giving up about 350lb of weight capacity compared to 2WD V6 and almost 600lb compared to 2WD gasser.
Based on the things above, I think the best way for us to start is a 2500 144WB Crew van. Yes, we will pay for things we do not need, like side windows, but we will get a factory-installed and tested bench, which is pretty comfortable once you add that 'Crew Van Comfort Package'.
Availability
Now let's talk timing. It's still possible to find a nicely equipped gasser on lots. It's pretty much impossible to find a properly configured V6. My dealer told me today we're not going to get anything with V6 until late September/October of 2021 at the earliest. Doesn't makes any sense for us to wait for so long. The only viable option right now is to order either gasser or a new l4 diesel that they bring this year. Here we're talking mid-to-late May. Personally, I would want a diesel, my impressions from other diesel cars I drove - you can load them to the gills and they would just go without making a sweat. I like that. At the same time, I have to say, I'm intrigued by gasser...
So, a few questions regarding that:
1. What do we know about that new l4 diesel? How it's going to be compared to a gasser and a V6? Is it going to be the same 7-speed that we have for V6 now, or that's going to be that 9-speed that gasser has?
2. How's fuel economy and performance under load with a gasser? I know everyone on youtube reporting a very good economy, like 20-22mpg... but in most cases, that's for an empty van. Once people start loading them, it feels like 12-14mpg becomes very common and I would assume they're going to become louder as well. I would imagine my build could get me fairly close to GVW... how would gasser perform then? Anyone carrying a lot of stuff in their gasser every day, please share your experience;
3. Now the complexity of the build and, specifically, heating. I would hate to carry multiple types of fuel and with diesel it's easy - add an Evo from Webasto and you have both heat and hot water, pretty convincing. At the same time, how would you heat water with a gasser?
Please comment and share your experience/thoughts.
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