Fans of Airstream Interstate

[Mr. B]

Haha :-)))))

.. or to connect a straight pipe from black tank to exhaust :-)
then regardless who bought the beer.

[Mr. B]

Gentlemen, since I'm an extremely picky pain on the neck with cars, I wasn't completely satisfied with original Continentals installed by the factory. So, today I replaced two front original Continentals to the Michelins - and I can't explain what a difference! The van runs like a plane now!!! Straight like an arrow and perfectly smooth at any speed. At 90 mph feels like at 60, just windy when passing by semi-trucks due to the height of the vehicle. Proved again for myself that only Michelins are a real tires.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Mr. B

At 90 mph feels like at 60, just windy when passing by semi-trucks due to the height of the vehicle.

I'm not sure I'd even want to drive at 90mph in mine, no matter what tires are on it and no matter what road I'm on. I've never had mine over 75mph because my Interstate has no "need for speed." Besides, fuel economy in my Interstate drops sharply after getting much over 65mph.

But that's an artifact of the RennTech ECU tune; I'm trading slightly improved fuel economy (+2mpg vs stock) below 65mph for significantly worse fuel economy (-6mpg vs stock) over 65mph. Normally not a problem since I never tow my toad over 65mph anyway due to limits on flat-towing with the Honda's transmission…

[Mr. B]

Oh no no no!
I am not riding at 90 mph on the bus!
What, I am a nut?!

I ment I just tried - and it runs very well.

My speed regime on the straight and clear 70-speed-limit-highway is 78 mph.
However, having in mind that your vehicle can easily and smoothly run on high speeds, gives you a confidence on the normal driving tend.

My personal opinion is not to aftermarket the factory engineered engine, even it is a such recognizable tuning company as RennTech, because it shortens the original engine resource.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Mr. B

My personal opinion is not to aftermarket the factory engineered engine, even it is a such recognizable tuning company as RennTech, because it shortens the original engine resource.

And yet, RennTech is an authorized Mercedes Benz upfitter, and I had the RennTech tune performed at my Mercedes Benz dealer. Well, actually they removed the ECU and sent it to RennTech, then reinstalled it when it came back, and I was told by the service manager at that time that it would not adversely affect the warranty or trade-in value.

To the best of my knowledge RennTech is the only aftermarket ECU tune approved by Mercedes Benz USA. The other Sprinter ECU tunes on the market are not approved by MB and may void your powertrain warranty. Unless more of them have gotten approved in the last three years since I had it done…

[Mr. B]

Protagonist, I know only two Mercedes tuners who proved their competence through the decades, and these are AMG and BRABUS. All others including the RennTech are too young. Also, I would not trust any official MB USA dealers, because half of them definitely don't know what they are doing service-wise.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Mr. B

I would not trust any official MB USA dealers, because half of them definitely don't know what they are doing service-wise.

I trust MB of Baton Rouge, having used them on several occasions and gotten acceptable results every time.

When my Interstate was still under warranty, I had no choice but to take my Sprinter there for service because Louisiana requires that all warranty work be performed by a dealer who sells that brand. No third-party warranty work allowed— some states are still like that. MB of BR was the closest dealer who could service Sprinters.

Now that the warranty is expired, I still take the van to MB of BR even though there's a Freightliner dealer right across the street from them who could also service my Sprinter, because my MB dealer has done right by me up to now.

[Mr. B]

Today the windshield cover is received.
This is fine, but I am not 100 percent satisfied, because I was expected that it will also cover the space between vipers and rear part of the hood thus preventing leaves and pollen dropping into the open space there. However that space is still exposed to the weather contaminations. Yes, later I will cover the viper blades with foam pipes, as Protagonist does. But it will not protect that drain space from leaves and other trees pollen.
:-(((

[jerhofer]

See below for the reason Mercedes dealers are comfortable with Renntech's products.


Renntech is a Florida company established in 1989 by Hartmut Feyhl. It is best known for performance modifications of Mercedes-AMG automobiles.

Feyhl had spent 12 years at AMG well before the tuning company became part of Mercedes-Benz in 1999, serving as that company's North American technical director and acting as a driving force behind the AMG Hammer—an iconic early 1990s automobile which was, for a time, the fastest production sedan on Earth, with a top speed approaching 300 km/h.

[Mr. B]

What I know they've done yet with Mercedes AMG 5.5 liters engine on the AMG-55 models is replacing two sides of air intake before it goes to the AMG compressor, making output of the supercharge for 27 horsepower more, and put the RennTech labels on both sides of intake under the hood, and on the back of the Benz trunk. All that costs $700. Yes they are in South Florida. No, they aren't a reputable Mercedes tuner yet, and no, I wouldn't give them my G55AMG for tuning. IMHO.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Mr. B

What I know they've done yet with Mercedes AMG 5.5 liters engine on the AMG-55 models is replacing two sides of air intake before it goes to the AMG compressor, making output of the supercharge for 27 horsepower more, and put the RennTech labels on both sides of intake under the hood, and on the back of the Benz trunk. All that costs $700. Yes they are in South Florida. No, they aren't a reputable Mercedes tuner yet, and no, I wouldn't give them my G55AMG for tuning. IMHO.

Suit yourself. We will never agree on this topic, and further discussion will not change your mind or mine. Best we move on and let this minor detour of the thread die of neglect.

[Mr. B]

Protagonist, where I can see a pic of your van?

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Mr. B

Protagonist, where I can see a pic of your van?

This is the most recent one, taken at a WBCCI rally at Grand Isle State Park last year…

[RoadJager]

Protag's photo looks like a Corona beer commercial.

[Boxster1971]

Love that Corps of Engineers front license plate!


- - Mike
2013 Interstate Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

Love that Corps of Engineers front license plate!

As long as their retirement pay is funding my camping trips, it doesn't hurt to advertise.

Funny thing, I didn't add the license plate until AFTER I retired. Didn't want to look TOO gung-ho while I was working for them or they might have gotten the mistaken impression that I was some kind of deviant who LIKED working for the Government! I like being RETIRED from the Government, though!

[Boxster1971]

Being retired from any organization that pays you a pension is great!


- - Mike
2013 Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[Mr. B]

Didn't think about a pension yet at my 52 )

Protagonist, nice picture!
But where is your exterior front windows cover, and where you bought so big and well fitted interior windshield cover?

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Mr. B

But where is your exterior front windows cover, and where you bought so big and well fitted interior windshield cover?

I have both internal (pictured) and external windshield covers. In particularly hot or cold weather I use both at once.

For that particular trip I used only the internal cover because I had accidentally left the external one in the washing machine after it got hit with bird droppings on the previous trip. Danged seagulls!

I got the pictured windshield cover from Outside Vans. It comes in three pieces, one for the windshield and one for each front window. All three pieces accordion-fold for storage.

[Kwils25]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

This is the most recent one, taken at a WBCCI rally at Grand Isle State Park last year…

Nice looking rig Protag!



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