Freightliner vs Mercedes chassis - which is it in 2010

[elgo]

Some 2010 Interstates appear to have Freightliner grilles while others appear to have Mercedes grilles (see links below). The manual from 2010 says Freightliner chassis however VIN reports on some 2010 say Mercedes Sprinter. Did AS actually build on two different chassis in 2010 and switch to MB mid year or can someone offer an explanation other than people changed their grilles aftermarket?

Freightliner example:
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/classc/...3500-21983.htm

http://www.nadaguides.com/RVs/2010/A.../Special-Notes

Benz example :
http://www.rvguide.com/manufacturer/...view-1317.html

[xrvr]

Same chassis, different badges. There are also some badged as dodge. I had a t1n badges as a dodge and bought the kit to change the grill and name tags to Mercedes.

[Protagonist]

All Sprinters come off the same assembly line in Dusseldorf regardless of what name is on the van. Mercedes first marketed Sprinters in the US through Freightliner. As it happens, Daimler Corp. owned both Freightliner and Mercedes Benz and— at least in the US where Mercedes was not associated with commercial vehicles in the minds of consumers— the Freightliner badging was a way to ensure that the vans targeted the right consumer base.

Then when Daimler and Chrysler Corp were partnered, part of the partnership deal was for Dodge to discontinue their own RAM vans and sell Sprinters instead. Although still built in Dusseldorf, the Dodge Sprinters were partially disassembled before shipment and reassembled in the US so that the vans would incorporate just enough US labor to qualify as a domestic rather than an import.

When the partnership was dissolved, Mercedes took back the Sprinter marque and Dodge designed their new RAM van which is basically a boxier Sprinter clone.

[Boxster1971]

Here is a good historical summary of the Sprinter vans.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_Sprinter


- - Mike
2013 Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[UKDUDE]

The Interstate Owner's Manual retained the Freightliner image on its front cover right up to 2014 even though in reality the Mercedes front was being used from much earlier - perhaps 2010. Maybe that had confused you.

[elgo]

Thanks for the replies and explanations. What was particularly confusing to me was seeing both versions in the same model year. It seemed strange that a company would switch over brands in the middle of the model year, but I lobbed in a call to Airstream this afternoon and was told that's exactly what happened in 2010. Reading these posts and knowing now that both Freightliner and MB come off the same assembly line I guess it's probably the same parts and labor so it doesn't matter much. Thx.

[73shark]

My 2011 AI on a 2010 Sprinter came w/ the MB grill.

FWIW, my Sprinter owner's manual has a MB grill on the cover.

[m.hony]

It is the same vehicle regardless of Freightliner, Mercedes, or Dodge grill.
The entire vehicle, chassis, engine, transmission is the same.
Think like Chevrolet/GMC/Pontiac/Oldsmobile/Buick, Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth, Ford/Mercury/Lincoln, Nissan/Infiniti, Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus
Our friend has a 2004 with a Freightliner grill and she takes it to the Mercedes dealer for service.
I have never quite understood the point/purpose of badging the same vehicle with several nameplates.
Just don't make no sense to me-

[graysailor]

Say what?

[kfrere]

Our local Mercedes dealer can't service our van because their rack can't hold our 24 foot van. (Which they didn't tell us until after we dropped it off for service even though I told them in the call to schedule what I have.) Anyway, took it to Freightliner - had terrific service!

[xrvr]

I might be wrong but in the early years, 05 o06, maybe, the interstates were either Freightliner or dodge, no mb badging. Correct?

[NY24]

In some states, a MB labeled Sprinter can NOT be serviced at Freightliner (and vice versa).

[73shark]

Originally Posted by avionstream

I might be wrong but in the early years, 05 o06, maybe, the interstates were either Freightliner or dodge, no mb badging. Correct?

It's not that simple. You need to read the above Wikipedia link for the convoluted story.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by NY24

In some states, a MB labeled Sprinter can NOT be serviced at Freightliner (and vice versa).

In those states (Louisiana is one of them) that restriction only applies to warranty work. After the warranty expires, you can get service anywhere that will take the van.

[m.hony]

Jannie's '04 has a Freightliner grill and she gets service at the Mercedes-Benz dealer.


Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

[John Millner]

So I have a 2010 Airstream Interstate with the Mercedes grille, Mercedes badging on the outside but a Freightliner steering wheel and it says Freightliner on the title. Mercedes has no problem servicing it.

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by 73shark

It's not that simple. You need to read the above Wikipedia link for the convoluted story.

I was talking about interstate conversions, not sptinters in general.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by m.hony

It is the same vehicle regardless of Freightliner, Mercedes, or Dodge grill.
The entire vehicle, chassis, engine, transmission is the same.
Think like Chevrolet/GMC/Pontiac/Oldsmobile/Buick, Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth, Ford/Mercury/Lincoln, Nissan/Infiniti, Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus
Our friend has a 2004 with a Freightliner grill and she takes it to the Mercedes dealer for service.
I have never quite understood the point/purpose of badging the same vehicle with several nameplates.
Just don't make no sense to me-

It is all about marketing and Sprinter badging is a long story of marketing. All three versions of the Sprinters ; MB, Freightliner or Dodge have IDENTICAL body panels, mechanical components and available options. They are not quite like the examples cited above as there are significant differences between a Chevy and Buick, or a Toyota and Lexus.


- - Mike
2013 Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[m.hony]

There possibly are some brand differences in Today's GM world- except the trucks- the trucks are the same except for badging, grill, horn button- especially the Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana. They're like the 70's and 80's when there was a nearly identical model across all GM brands- Pontiac Parisienne/Bonneville, Chevrolet Impala/Caprice Classic, Buick LeSabre, Oldsmobile Delta 88- some them shared identical components- maybe a body accent line was different- A door from a Caprice would still bolt right on to a Delta 88 or LeSabre or...
Seems silly to me.
My Pontiac is better than your Buick.
My Oldsmobile is better than your Pontiac.
I can understand it a little better with Sprinter- attempting to get them sold through as many dealer networks as possible- sell them through Freightliner, Dodge, and Mercedes-Benz dealers- larger service network-
I guess eventually most everyone else figured out that most of the cars were really the same. That's why there are no more Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs.
That's why there are no more Plymouths.
That's why there are no more Mercurys.
I think the Toyota Scion brand will be defunct soon.
That's also why there are no more Freightliner or Dodge branded Sprinters.

[InterBlog]

Pardon me if someone already mentioned this point but I don't remember seeing it earlier in the thread.

Some of the confusion arises because the *owners themselves* switched the badging, especially in the T1Ns. The practice was widespread and the Interstates on the road today reflect it. They figured that they had paid for a MB and so they wanted to show off their MB.

LB_3 and I are very much opposed to this practice for two reasons:

(1) Advertising wealth or even the perception of wealth attracts more crime. There's enough risk as it is with Interstates and other Sprinter-based Class B's getting broken into without voluntarily making it worse.

(2) We sometimes engage in stealth camping and don't want to generate any ambiguity about what we are driving. The more exotic it looks or sounds, the more unwanted attention it draws. When I walk into the office of a public facility to get an entry permit and they ask me what I'm driving, I reply "Dodge van" because that's what it is. All probing ceases at that point.