If it wasn't for bad luck...

[MN CakeEater]

We purchased a used 2012 AI EXT in late May and oh the stories.

First, we knew in advance the original equipment Kenwood stereo did not work and we replaced that to the tune of $1000.

Second, we took a trip to St. Louis over the Independence Day holiday and while parked two blocks from the Gateway Arch, someone broke into the van and stole that brand new stereo along with $3500 worth of computers, iPads, cash and personal belongings.

After getting the dash fixed and another new stereo installed, the generator stopped working two weeks ago. After having it looked at, it was determined the pre-damaged batteries caused problems for the gen-set and all the wiring on the gen melted. There went $4000 for a new gen, batteries and labor.

And now when we run the AC with the generator, the Tripp Lite inverter starts acting strangely and the AC will start to cycle on and off. I'm wondering if the we now have inverter issues.

Any guidance or a shoulder to cry on would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
MN CakeEater

[r carl]

Should of bought an alarm before that stereo.

[markdoane]

You say you're in Elk River.
But we all know you're really from Edina.
Cake eater.

[Boxster1971]

Yikes - doesn't sound good. You are the second owner of a Sprinter based B-van that I know of who had their van robbed in the St. Louis area. Mike Wendland the Roadtrek blogger had his robbed in the St. Louis area.


- - Mike
2013 Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[twolanehwy]

Damn, and I thought i made a bad purchase.
sorry to hear of another cash vacume victim.

[LB_3]

Still having an Interstate after melting all the genset wiring is great luck. Bad luck would be having a smoldering pile of aluminum and steel sitting where you Interstate was once parked.

[Lily&Me]

Yikes.

You have had your share of problems....time for some fun!


Maggie

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by MN CakeEater

while parked two blocks from the Gateway Arch, someone broke into the van and stole that brand new stereo along with $3500 worth of computers, iPads, cash and personal belongings.

Any guidance or a shoulder to cry on would be greatly appreciated.

Originally Posted by r carl

Should of bought an alarm before that stereo.

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

You are the second owner of a Sprinter based B-van that I know of who had their van robbed in the St. Louis area.

I'm not in St. Louis, rather the New Orleans metro area, but I can sympathize. When I bought my 2012 Interstate, I drove it home and made plans to head out the very next morning on my first camping trip. Didn't happen. Less than sixteen hours after I brought it home, it was burglarized. The vile miscreant broke out the passenger-side front window and used a crowbar, tire iron, whopping big screwdriver, or some such semi-sharp implement to pry my Kenwood head unit out of the dash. Never mind the Kenwood unit, the repairs to the dashboard alone cost $3500! And of course the insurance company took their own sweet time negotiating with the dealer, so it was every bit of two months later before I was able to get my Interstate back from the dealer and finally go on my first trip.

I had always intended to install an alarm system in mine, but the burglar beat me to the punch, so I did the next best thing, having the alarm installed by the same sub-contractor who installed the new Kenwood unit— who just happened to be an authorized Viper alarm system installer. So before I got the van home a second time, the alarm was installed and doing its job.

Since the alarm system cost about the same as one year's insurance, it was a wise investment in my opinion.

ON EDIT— Nearly forgot the moral of the story: The difference between a disaster and an adventure is how you tell the story afterwards. If you moan and cry about it, it's a disaster. If you can look back on it and laugh at the way you reacted to it, THEN it's an adventure, and you should get a lot of social mileage out of it telling the story around a campfire with a bunch of new friends.

[Sodbust]

The MB emblem on the van smells like money to any savage types on the street.. I have a friend who got a MB van and changed all the logos over to Dodge to masks the smell..

Sorry for your problems,, It;s a doggie world out there.
Sodbust

[73shark]

If the alarm doesn't notify your cell phone, not sure it'll do much good as far as protecting the contents. Every noticed what happens when an alarm goes off in a parking lot? Usually nothing.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by 73shark

If the alarm doesn't notify your cell phone, not sure it'll do much good as far as protecting the contents. Every noticed what happens when an alarm goes off in a parking lot? Usually nothing.

I am well aware. At my old pre-Katrina apartment in the New Orleans Garden District, there was an incident… My neighbor across the street was very proud of his brand-new Corvette, and made a point of demonstrating the car's very loud alarm system for the whole neighborhood to hear. A couple of nights later, the alarm goes off. The owner rushes out to see what was wrong, and finding nothing, reset the alarm. A few minutes later, repeat. And again. And again. And of course the alarm being very loud and right across the street, every time it went off I looked out the window as well. I just happened to see it was a neighborhood kid swatting the windshield with a rolled-up newspaper; apparently the owner never saw that. Finally, the alarm went off one too many times, and the owner quit coming out to see what was wrong. That's when the car was burglarized— they stole the alarm system!

Anyway, without the cell phone interface, range for one of the newer Viper remotes is about 2000 feet— and it's a two-way remote, so even if I'm too far away to hear it directly, I can hear it on the remote within that range. Plenty far enough if I'm at home, because my apartment is considerably less distant than that from the parking lot where I have to park it. And once when I was at work the alarm went off and the ladies from the rental office sent one of the maintenance men to find out what set the alarm off. Turned out it was someone parked next to it bumped the van with a bag of groceries while unloading his car. But the point is, if you have an alarm and it goes off, you have an obligation to see what caused it, every time. If someone is not going to check every time it goes off, don't set the alarm in the first place.

[kfrere]

Well, now I've got something to worry about that I didn't realize before today should be a big concern. Since we got our trailer in 2008 I've never given much thought to break ins. Now, with my AI, I'm suddenly very concerned. Of course, I don't park my trailer in parking lots and leave it for extended periods of time to site see. The trailer only sees the outside of a retail store lot long enough for us to shop for groceries, etc. However, one reason why we added the AI to our garage is to be able to travel - and park - in more tight-fitting tourist areas and then explore for a while.

Say we outfit it with an alarm, head off to see the sights, and the alarm goes off while we're some walking distance away. Have we really accomplished anything? Is the presence of an alarm system obvious? Is that presence enough of a deterrence? If it is, what system should we be considering? I had a car broken into once through a smashed window. It really surprised me how invaded I felt. I'd hate to experience that again so am willing to incur the additional expense of an alarm if it truly influences the thief to move along.



Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by kfrere

Have we really accomplished anything? Is the presence of an alarm system obvious?

Mine is. There is a blue flashing light by the alarm system's antenna glued to the inside of the windshield at the rearview mirror AND a green flashing "Viper" logo made out of laminated electroluminescent paper flashing in a different rhythm at the lower left corner of my windshield next to the vehicle inspection sticker. Highly visible at night especially.

Is that presence enough of a deterrence?

It's hard to prove a negative, so unless you're parked next to one that doesn't have an alarm and the other one is burglarized but yours isn't, you can't really say whether the alarm system is a deterrent or not. But I've owned my Interstate for well over three years, in a metro area known for a high vehicular burglary and vehicular theft rate, and there have been no break-ins— successful or unsuccessful— since I installed the system.

If it is, what system should we be considering?

Viper, of course.
Viper - Car Alarms | Remote Starters | SmartStart | Window Film and Tint | Vehicle Security | Keyless Entry
Drone is also good.
Alarm Alerts - DroneMobile Features | Your Car, Connected.

[73shark]

Originally Posted by kfrere

Well, now I've got something to worry about that I didn't realize before today should be a big concern. Since we got our trailer in 2008 I've never given much thought to break ins. Now, with my AI, I'm suddenly very concerned. Of course, I don't park my trailer in parking lots and leave it for extended periods of time to site see. The trailer only sees the outside of a retail store lot long enough for us to shop for groceries, etc. However, one reason why we added the AI to our garage is to be able to travel - and park - in more tight-fitting tourist areas and then explore for a while.

Say we outfit it with an alarm, head off to see the sights, and the alarm goes off while we're some walking distance away. Have we really accomplished anything? Is the presence of an alarm system obvious? Is that presence enough of a deterrence? If it is, what system should we be considering? I had a car broken into once through a smashed window. It really surprised me how invaded I felt. I'd hate to experience that again so am willing to incur the additional expense of an alarm if it truly influences the thief to move along.



Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

There's a thread on the forum that discussed alarms in mind numbing detail if you want to do a search. It even discussed different sticker and sign deterrents such as "Due to the high cost of ammo, we no longer fire a warning shot. We think you'll understand".

[rmkrum]

I like that one. It would go well with my "ignore the dog, beware of homeowner" sign.


Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums

[kfrere]

Protag: There appear to be 5 different Viper systems (that the Geek squad will install) available on the Best Buy site. I'm not interested in remote turn on (well, not for my van anyway), but do want to make sure I'm getting enough protection. I don't know enough about these systems to appreciate the differences between a $199 system and a $739, although I never like to overspend if I don't have to. Can you recommend?

[m.hony]

Gloom, despair, and agony on me-
Whoooa-
Deep dark depression, excessive misery-
Whooooa-
If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all-
Gloom despair, and agony on me-

[pappy19]

Although the web site below doesn't include MB, the idea of the small hose clamp around the lock/clip mechanism will still work. On the major brands, it takes a thief 5 seconds to defeat the key lock with a screwdriver and hammer. But with the Jimmi-Jammer system, they have to pound out the lock itself, and that takes a lot more work and noise. I also highly recommend the Viper alarm system. Between the 2 setups, it will at least deter a break-in. BTW, the fellow with the Corvette should have lessened the sensitivity so a slap on the windshield wouldn't set it off. On my Viper when first set up, a wind storm that shook the truck would make the alarm sound off. Now, I set mine so that if you pound on the door, it goes into a warning mode and if hit again, it sets off the alarm. I had my first (and only) break in at 2pm in Phoenix in a mall parking lot. After the 2 installs, no more incidents except for the warning signals.

Jimmi Jammer Model Selection

[kfrere]

I don't see a Jimmi Jammer for a Sprinter van on the website. They seem to want a specific vehicle to reference.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by kfrere

Protag: There appear to be 5 different Viper systems (that the Geek squad will install) available on the Best Buy site. I'm not interested in remote turn on (well, not for my van anyway), but do want to make sure I'm getting enough protection. I don't know enough about these systems to appreciate the differences between a $199 system and a $739, although I never like to overspend if I don't have to. Can you recommend?

I recommend that you not get a Viper system at Best Buy. One reason— hidden costs of hundreds of dollars for vehicle-specific components on every one of their packages. Another reason— their prepackaged systems may include components you don't need or want and shouldn't have to pay for. But hopefully the information that follows can help if you still decide to get a system at Best Buy.

Go to a "preferred" authorized Viper installer, and custom-design your own package that contains exactly the components you want and none that you don't. A search on the Viper website for the Lenoir City, TN area lists two Preferred installers, Radio Clinic in Chattanooga, and Electronic Connection in Morristown.
Where to Buy Viper Products

Now, addressing the issue of components…

First, there are three basic systems to choose from. Basic security, keyless entry, and remote start.

Go with basic security. This includes a shock sensor, which is pretty sensitive. You'll sometimes get a false alarm by a close thunderclap, but rolling boom boxes being driven nearby seldom set it off unless they have the bass turned up to 13. Also includes starter kill, which prevents the vehicle from being started after the alarm is triggered until the alarm is reset. Has a six-tone siren, self-explanatory. Side note, if you install two sirens, one outside the vehicle and one inside under the dashboard, you'll at least deafen anybody who manages to get in. It puts out a whopping 135dB.

Side note, all basic Viper systems have a "valet" feature that you will need if you ever put your Interstate in the shop. There is a switch on the antenna that disables the whole system, including battery backups, so that a repair technician can't accidentally activate an alarm inside the shop. I forgot to use the valet feature once, and the Mercedes repair technician performed emergency "surgery" on my alarm siren to shut it up because the remote key fob wasn't recharged and wouldn't work. Cost me a pretty penny to repair, too, but since it was my fault for not deactivating the system, I didn't try to have Mercedes pay for the repairs. Side note, the "valet" feature will not deactivate the system while the alarm is active, only when it has already been switched off, so thieves can't use it to silence the alarm.

You want the best two-way remote you can get. Go for the Full-color LCD Remote. It provides you with more information than the monochrone LCD.

Smartphone Interface includes a "track and locate" feature that is nice to have, especially if there are multiple drivers in the family and you want to know where the van is at any given time. Also will send you text messages if an alarm goes off. But if price is critical, you can get by without this interface or add it later.

Forget Remote Start. Unless you're subject to terrorist threats and have a strong desire to start the car without being in the car to be blown up, you don't need it. Warming the van before you get into the vehicle in the winter or cooling it before you get into it in the summer is nice, but not essential, and would require you to park it and shut off the engine with the heater or A/C still running so that it's already on when you start the engine again. Also, in cold weather, I don't know if it allows adequate time for the glow plugs and DEF heater (if your Interstate has the Bluetec system) to do their thing before starting the engine, so be sure to ask your installer about it if you decide to buy this feature.

Forget Keyless Entry. If you don't have remote start, you don't need keyless entry, either, because you won't be driving it without a key, and the key will give you more unlocking options than will the Viper remote. However, keyless entry will come in handy if you're the type to lock your keys in your vehicle more than once— but if you're that type, you'd also be the type to lock your Viper remote and/or smartphone in the vehicle as well. That's what spare keys are for.

As for accessories, those are add-ons to the basic security system.

Glass Break Sensor is a must. Smash-and-grab thieves will invariably break a window to get in. The sensor is sensitive enough to detect someone tapping the glass with a piece of metal even if it doesn't crack or break the glass— my installer demonstrated it by tapping a window with my ignition key.

Tilt Motion Sensor is good. Will set off the alarm if someone jacks up the vehicle to steal a tire, or hooks it up to a tow truck. Even stepping up onto a bumper or side step will rock the van enough to set it off. Can also detect a flat tire (if it's a flat on the front that causes one corner to settle while it's parked, but of course a flat on one just dual tire won't cause a rear corner to settle).

Battery backup is good. Especially since Sprinter vans have that chassis battery disconnect down by the accelerator pedal so that thieves could easily kill power to an alarm that doesn't have a backup battery. However, be warned. Once you install this system, disconnecting the battery using the plug down by the accelerator WILL set off the alarm, so you can never disconnect the chassis battery without using the valet feature to disable the whole system first.

Battery Backup Siren is also good. Siren has its own built-in battery and should be mounted somewhere underneath the vehicle where it's harder to get to than the main siren under the hood. If someone snips the wires to the main siren, the backup siren still does its thing.

Electroluminescent Indicator is good. Not only does it flash to indicate the alarm is activated, but it has the Viper logo, which is more of a deterrent than just a flashing light. But you'll still have the flashing light on the alarm system antenna, too.

Invisibeam Field Disturbance Sensor is a waste of money. Don't get it. Not only is it subject to many false alarms by people walking close to the vehicle with no intention of breaking in, but a Sprinter van is actually too big for the sensor to cover the whole van adequately.

Trunk Release is unnecessary in a van.

Programmable Voice Module is unnecessary. Having the alarm system talk to you to tell you it's armed is bling for bling's sake and there's no need to show off unless your intention is to use your Interstate to pick up young impressionable coeds— but hopefully we're all past the midlife crisis stage where we would even consider something so crass.