Can I tow a 22 Cruiser with a 21 Ft Diesel Sprinter RV

Bob is spot on.

The new Mercedes indeed a nice powerplant for it's intended purpose which is powering the sprinter chassis with various body configurations (The latest model uses the DEF (blue piddle) system to clean up the exhaust.) and has some increased load and towing capacity compared with the earlier models which were sadly lacking in this respect.
I may be wrong but I don't think the older models were rated at anywhere near enough to tow a CD22. Like about 3000lbs.

Having driven both over the same roads there is no comparison between the View (Nothing in tow) and the Chevy Duramax/Allison towing an RF 246 at 10,000 lbs or so which would go from 50 to 70 up a mountain pass without even grunting.

The new model is rated to 5000 lbs with all the usual discussion about not exceeding total vehicle weight etc etc so now you have two loads and distributions of water, fuel, crap etc to figure out.

So it's really a "couldya" vs a "wouldya".

I personally would not & neither would I risk my warranty on a new vehicle by performance enhancements. (It's hard enough to find a Merc dealer and even harder to pay them :-)) If you read the manual you get the feeling you need to wear a suit and tie when driving it if you want to keep warranty coverage.

M
 
Thanks, Good thoughts. I guess an alternative would be to upgrade to a 16 :roll: :lol:
Marty et al, Nothing against the 16, just don't think it is the one for me at this point. I still want to take my boat to Alaska, spend a couple of months on it at a time and do some big island circumnavigations.

And yes I know, Catman would say I can do it on the 16, and he could. Me, not so much.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Merv,

I have looked at, (into), the View and it is a really nice "little" RV. I like everything about it, including the mpg, and am strongly considering one even though it may mean I would be traveling without the 22. Just need to figure some way to travel and get my water fix too. (Inflatable canoe, Porta boat, real canoe [Old Town] on the roof, kayak or rent-a-boat somewhere.)

Do you , or would you, get a "View" again, or keep it if you have it? The MPG and size are what is most appealing to me. Would you consider pulling a small utility type trailer with a motor cycle, a 10 ft inflatable and a 15hp out board in it? Maybe 2000 - 2500 pounds.

Just fishing for some ideas for future planning.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
My 22 cruiser fully loaded on the trailer weighs 4200#. Being as you want the Sprinter and it's great mileage 99% of the time I'd say go for it. There is no end to bigger and more powerful tow rigs, but the mileage won't come close to the Sprinter.

Mileage,...do as I say, not as I do. We just got back to So Cal after trailering the 22 behind our 32ft Southwind w/6.8 V-10 to the Erie Canal and back. 6,000 miles! At my usual 7 mpg, that's <gulp> $3,000 in gas!

Let the FUN begin!

...Roy
 
Harvey,

In a word, Yes.

But like all things, it is a lifestyle issue and depneds what you want to get out of it. We had a 25 ft trailer which fitted nicely behind the Chevy which also towed the boat. Rationale for that was not wanting yet another expensive engine and transmission system to maintain.
BUT looking foreward at what we wanted to do over the next 5 years of so, there were many more miles of RV trips, including to the "Other" coast and back so milage and convenience started to weigh more heavily in the equation.
Connecting and disconnecting the trailer becomes "old" quite quickly when you eed to go shopping. With the View, you just go to the shop before you park for the night. It's only 25 ft long compard to 46 for the Truck/trailer combo.

With the best will in the world (and a following wind) the Chevy/Trailer combo makes 8 to 11 mpg partly because it is so darned powerful you just can't resist doing 70 + and out dragging little cars.

Last week with the View across the cascades, Stevens, Snoqualmie and a couple of other hills with strong winds and a lot of vino on board, we easily got over 15mpg. I will say there was some considerable white knuckling in the hills above Yakima with a stiff cross wind that even had the big rigs slowed down.
The other big difference is in driving style. The Mercedes diesel is nice but it does not have 400+ Hp and 600+ lb.ft of torque to play with, so you think ahead and even out the speed. Maybe even do 50 - 55 up the hills :-)

If you are seriously thinking about the View (or Navion) join the user groups on Yahoo (3 of them) and drop by Whidbey sometime, we will be glad to show you the beast.
Also consider which floor layout suits you best. The "j" works for us and I have already converted the over cab space to storage with cargo net for lightweight items.

During the first week I kept wondering why there was so much more space in the RV when it was effectively the same length as the boat. Perhaps someone should make a boat with slides :-)

With their high fuel prices, Europeans have been using small turbo diesels for years and there are some pretty big hills over there too.

Makes sense for us. Doesn't have to for anyone else.

BTW I have no idea what the mielage would be on a Sprinter with 4000 lbs + in tow but I have a strong suspicion there would also be some hefty maintenance bills in addition. (And it costs a whole heck of a lot more than a truck)

M
 
Merv, thanks for the reply. I am not considering using the View or Sprinter as a tow vehicle for the 22. That is more than it is designed to do, but I have given some thought to a small, enclosed utility trailer as a possible toad option.

Yikes, those two big hills out of Yakima can get real breezy. Worse than Snoqualmie with a little ice or snow down, just because the winds are always from the sides there.

Thanks for the insight on the View. I hadn't even thought about "floor plans" yet.

Good luck on getting a boat with slides. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Harvey,

Good idea. The view has much less storage space than the equivalent sized trailer (which is perhaps a good thing for people like me who tend to take the kitchen sink etc...) so it could be good to get oversized "stuff" back there.

The slide really illustrates just how much you gain by extra beam on a boat compared to extra length. Not having to exchange "passing signals" moving fore and aft is a luxury :-) particularly with two dogs of the herding type.

Another plus is that the "admiral" actually finds it easier to drive than the Chevy so Momma is happy.

M
 
Have had a View for 4 years and love it. We do tow a Honda CRV with no problems.
I would like to tow the C22 but am not too sure about that.
Waiting for someone to go first and comment on how it goes.
The Honda comes in at about 3500# so the weight is not so far off.
Jerry
 
I recall seeing somewhere a picture of a guy pulling an airplane with his teeth :-)

Perhaps the answer lies with TWIN Sprinters...

and it's only October..


M
 
If you really want the answer on towing with a View, check out the View owners sites. A lot of guessing going on here.

We also love our View and just like the CD22, it was our only choice. MPG around 17.5 makes it pretty easy to like.
 
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