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clinter36 · 10-26-2022, 10:31 AM

Hello,

New to the forum and new to RV's. But I do have extensive experience with boats, so many of the systems are similar.

I am looking at a 2006 Airstream on a Sprinter Chassis. The vehicle has about 68K miles.

My primary reason I want an RV is to drive to our family camp in Upper MI. We drive out at least once a year from Connecticut (about 3500 miles round trip). We may stay in the vehicle while driving out, but my primary concern is comfort while rolling. My wife can stand up and make a sandwich or use the head. So for me, road manners are critical which is why I am looking at something on the Sprinter Chassis. I have been told the 2007 and up is better than the previous generation, but the 3.0 5 cyl engine is very good on fuel.

Any input would be appreciated. Any particular issues that pop up with these? Anything I should look out for? Thank you.

Lily&Me · 10-26-2022, 10:58 AM

Welcome, and I’m here to tell you these rigs are a great way to travel.

We had an 06 for 11 years and now an 07 the past 4+ years.

Might do some reading in this subforum.

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f240/

Have your engine and moving parts checked over thoroughly by a reliable mechanic, and if you are unfamiliar with RV’s perhaps have a reputable dealer do the same with all of those systems.

Just so you know what you are buying.

Good luck,

Maggie

Hittenstiehl · 10-26-2022, 05:10 PM

No one you love or care about should be up making sandwiches or using the facilities while traveling down the road. [emoji4]

Sorry, I know that's not what you asked for. Other than that it sounds like a great way to use the Interstate.

NC_John · 10-26-2022, 06:22 PM

We downsized from a 40’ diesel pusher to an 09 Interstate earlier this year and are very happy with it. While we miss the room and amenities of the class A, with diesel at $5/gallon, we can still take off anytime and anywhere in the van. It’s already been up to Canada, down to Mississippi and out west to Colorado.

It’s a better travel van that camper- I’d be ok with sitting at the beach for a week in the big rig but would lose my mind doing the same in the van. The bathroom is too small for me to use (emergency use only) but my wife can fit. We’re trying to sort out the “bed” (can’t get real comfortable on the lounge sofa-bed) and I’m too big to even stand up straight in the van (I’m 6’6”). BUT, for a big road trip, weekend camping or using as a base-camp out in the Rockies, it’s been great. Fully self contained, useable kitchen, sleeping quarters etc…. Solid fuel mileage - I average 18.5 doing posted speeds and it fits in most normal sized parking spots- way more flexible than the big rig. I can do a 16 hr day behind the wheel and be ok to do it again the next.

The sprinter chassis drives easy and there is plenty of support online (sprinter-source forum is great). I wrench on it myself and it’s much easier to work on than the big one. The OM642 definitely has some known issues so do your due diligence before buying and ending up with a money pit. On the coach side, airstream seems to be about as good/bad as the rest. Lots of things I shake my head at but not enough for us to regret the purchase.

We like the sprinter base so much we’ll probably move into a class-c based rig for our next one. The small size has more pros than cons for sure.

(And we make sammiches and get snacks while going down the road, just make sure it’s the co-pilot, not the driver)

ITSNO60 · 10-26-2022, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clinter36

. I have been told the 2007 and up is better than the previous generation, but the 3.0 5 cyl engine is very good on fuel.

There are many over at the Sprintersource forum who would disagree with that, the 2006 has the reputation of being the best year for the Sprinter. If it is in good shape I would expect it to sell pretty quickly, they have a loyal following. The 2006 (T1N) has a 5 cyl inline 3.0 and the 2007-up (NCV3) has a 3.0 V6. The 2007 has a diesel particulate filter and the 2008 up has a dpf and the addition of DEF. It is called "Blutec" and is a fairly complex system which many complain of problems with, the 2006 has none of this.
If the 2006 fits your needs and is in good condition I would grab it. Like Lily mentioned, have it inspected, there are issues with the T1N just like with any vehicle but most of the time they are manageable. Not only have a mechanical inspection but a body inspection as well, rust can be a big problem if it was subjected to a lot of Winter driving, not just underneath but the windshield area, the floor and the roof and upper wall area under the finished ceiling/wall. I wouldn't expect this to be bad on a motorhome but have seen it on work vans that were used year round. Pay close attention to the top of the windshield for any evidence of leaking. Ask the guys over at Sprintersource in the T1N section but watch out that someone doesn't go buy it from under you!

PS you should find out if the chassis is a 2005 or 2006, often a motorhome chassis is a year behind, not sure on the B class though.

NC_John · 10-26-2022, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ITSNO60

The 2007 has a diesel particulate filter and the 2008 up has a dpf and the addition of DEF.

Our 09 Airstream on an 08 chassis is pre-def. DPF only.

ITSNO60 · 10-26-2022, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NC_John

Our 09 Airstream on an 08 chassis is pre-def. DPF only.

I stand corrected, 2010 was the first year for the DEF on diesels sold in the US market.

85MH325 · 10-26-2022, 08:41 PM

I have an '04 T1N Interstate with the OM647. It's the same engine as the '06. The T1Ns are getting older and finding service for them is getting to be a great sport. BUT, they are generally more reliable than the NCV3 or VS30, less expensive to operate, get better fuel mileage, have no smog equipment other than an EGR valve, and have far fewer sensors and electronics to fail. The inline 5 cyl OM612/OM647 engines were responsible for the "million mile Sprinter" moniker to be possible.

With routine maintenance and oil monitoring, you'll likely have a positive experience with an '06 T1N.

UNlike the newer coaches, the "house" part of the coach still used standard RV systems, an Onan 2800 LP generator, LP furnace and water heater that are easily user-serviceable with parts readily available. Most of the systems like blinds and awnings are manual with no electronics, and the coaches have running boards instead of the retractable steps that fail regularly. They're about as simple and reliable as any B-Van can be.

I like my T1N a lot. I would never buy an NCV3 or VS30 solely based on the frequency and expense of routine service and necessary repairs.

clinter36 · 10-27-2022, 09:42 AM

Thanks for the info... I am glad to hear that this chassis was a decent one.

On another note... Its a little more cash than I can dish out right now. So I am looking at financing. From the little bit of looking I have done so far, this is over 15 years old which complicates it a little. If anyone has suggestions on who to talk to about financing a over 15 year old RV, I am all ears.

85MH325 · 10-27-2022, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clinter36

Thanks for the info... I am glad to hear that this chassis was a decent one.

On another note... Its a little more cash than I can dish out right now. So I am looking at financing. From the little bit of looking I have done so far, this is over 15 years old which complicates it a little. If anyone has suggestions on who to talk to about financing a over 15 year old RV, I am all ears.

Financing a coach that old is nigh onto impossible. You'd be more likely able to refi another vehicle or get a second mortgage or line of credit. Most of those deals are cash.

Adam Geuss · 10-27-2022, 03:56 PM

We had a 3.5 ton Sprinter living in Europe and I think the year was 2005 or 6. We used the vehicle for traveling with our three children. Not an Airstream Interstate just a Sprinter with all the upgrades available from MB. The vehicle was super on the road and performed well when traveling on vacations. Not 3500 miles but a thousand or so. Bottom line, comfortable to drive. Decent gas mileage with the 3liter TD engine and loads of room. Fuel consumption was below 20 mpg driving @ 120 - 130 KPH. We always felt confident the vehicle would get us anywhere safely.

NC_John · 10-27-2022, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clinter36

Thanks for the info... I am glad to hear that this chassis was a decent one.

On another note... Its a little more cash than I can dish out right now. So I am looking at financing. From the little bit of looking I have done so far, this is over 15 years old which complicates it a little. If anyone has suggestions on who to talk to about financing a over 15 year old RV, I am all ears.

Check out lightstream. I’ve financed several vehicles (used RV’s and an older muscle car a normal bank wouldn’t touch) through them at very good rates. All online and problem free - they don’t even want the title. Super easy.

LB_3 · 10-27-2022, 08:54 PM

Check the lap seams on the roof and the top corners of the windshield for rust. The feet of the roof rack are also a common site for rust as are the various body cuts Airstream makes.

Additionally, if it has a mid bath, there is a 100% chance the ABS pipe entering the grey water tank has sheared off.

The engine is nice and can get up to 24 mpg but limp home mode can be triggered by dumb failures. For that reason I would replace the failure prone turbo resonator with an all metal replacement and depending on your skill and ethics, either carry a spare EGR valve, install an EGR simulator on the wire harness, or disable it in the ECU software.

Boxite · 10-28-2022, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hittenstiehl

no one you love or care about should be up making sandwiches or using the facilities while traveling down the road. [emoji4]

sorry, i know that's not what you asked for. Other than that it sounds like a great way to use the interstate.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ this !! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

InterBlog · 10-28-2022, 05:12 AM

Welcome to Air Forums.

In addition to parsing threads on this subforum, you might want to check out The Interstate Blog, which was written to describe all the repairs and upgrades that my husband LB_3 and I have made to our T1N Interstate (2006 Sprinter / 2007 Airstream conversion) over the past 8 years.

LB_3’s short summary above hits some of the major cost highlights, but there are many other considerations when integrating a T1N Interstate into a travel lifestyle.

It sounds like your use scenario bears some similarity to ours - travel to the family camp - except our trip is more than 3 times longer than yours (Houston to northeastern Nova Scotia). Plus, we use our Interstate *AS* the family camp, in terms of being its lodging and logistical support center. Regardless of age, Interstates are expensive vehicles, and the only practical way to get the value out of them is to use the heck out of them (at least that’s the way we’ve always looked at ours). For that reason, our family camp consists of private road and Interstate parking pad only - no utilities, no cottage. Our money went into the vehicle rather than the land that was customized to receive it:

KateinRP · 11-01-2022, 03:17 PM

I am a USAA member and financed my 2006 Sprinter through them.

SilverWind · 11-01-2022, 03:25 PM

We bought a 2005 Interstate new in 2004. The roof seams started rusting after a few months. The windshield frame started rusting shortly after. Airstream and Dodge/Mercedes split the initial cost of repair for the roof. Rust reappeared and was repaired twice again.

The Sprinter Store in Portland added heavy duty shocks and stabilizer bars for better control in the wind.

We replaced the plastic turbo resonator with an aluminum after market model. This after it went into limp home mode outside of LA and we did a very nerve wracking trek at 20 MPH.

We loved the van. Put 80K camping miles in eight years.

clinter36 · 11-02-2022, 06:56 AM

Thanks for all the great info. It turns out the van I was looking at had a tree fall on it at some point and the roof was damaged (I found pics of it at an auction). It looks like it was repaired OK, but it threw a wrench in the whole works.

Lily&Me · 11-02-2022, 07:00 AM

Good that you were careful, and may have dodged a bullet.

My first Interstate was an 06, and the front end was sliced off in an accident in Pennsylvania in 2018, totaling it, though the RV part of it was intact.

It was sold at auction, and I keep watching for it to be sold again by someone who has cut and pasted the front end of another onto my old one.

Stranger things have happened.

Keep watching, there will be others.

Maggie

InterBlog · 11-02-2022, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clinter36

Thanks for all the great info. It turns out the van I was looking at had a tree fall on it at some point and the roof was damaged (I found pics of it at an auction). It looks like it was repaired OK, but it threw a wrench in the whole works.

Which auction site?

I’ve been following Copart and Global Auto Auctions almost daily for about a month now, and I haven’t seen any Interstates listed, at least not under the Airstream manufacturer name.

Buyers beware - as you can imagine, MANY Airstreams are being auctioned out of Florida with salvage titles right now, and who knows what will be done to lipstick them and get them back into the resale market. It can be difficult to spot flood damage depending on how high the water rose in the location where the rig was stored.