Stowaway2.....Not so fast!

[Harleydeal]

If you are looking to increase your storage capability on your AI the Stowaway2 Max will certainly provide much needed space. HOWEVER.....if you have a new AI like my 2016 you should know that it blocks the rear sensors and disables your blind spot monitoring system. If I had known that before the purchase I may not have been so quick to slap it on the back as the blind spot sensor is a great travel tool.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Harleydeal

If you are looking to increase your storage capability on your AI the Stowaway2 Max will certainly provide much needed space. HOWEVER.....if you have a new AI like my 2016 you should know that it blocks the rear sensors and disables your blind spot monitoring system. If I had known that before the purchase I may not have been so quick to slap it on the back as the blind spot sensor is a great travel tool.

My Interstate doesn't have the sensors, so I don't know exactly where they're located. But if they're down by the bumper, then it might be an easy matter to get a 2" or 4" drop hitch, and mount it upside down to provide a 2" or 4" rise for mounting the Stowaway, that might allow the sensors to be cleared.

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from AZ. . . great idea Protag, turn the drop stinger upside down. Hope Mr Harleydeal will let us know if that works for him, regards, Craig

[73shark]

If they're like the ones on my Tahoe, they are mounted in the bumper cover.

With the mirrors adjusted, there should be no blind spots, especially w/ the convex lower mirrors on both sides.

[Harleydeal]

Good thought Protag but the problem is by raising the assembly up two inches the rear doors would be rendered inoperable.

[Harleydeal]

Shark.... True that there are no blind spots.... But there is nothing like a bright red triangle to tell you not to bother checking your mirrors because it's a no go. It is a great safety feature that I have come to rely on in my other Mercedes vehicles. It comes in very handy on night trips and reduces the amount of squinting at the glaring lights in your mirrors.

[Boxster1971]

I doubt that raising the box 4" is going to be enough. Those sensors have a wide field of view. But then again it's worth a try.


- - Mike
2013 Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Harleydeal

Shark.... True that there are no blind spots.... But there is nothing like a bright red triangle to tell you not to bother checking your mirrors because it's a no go. It is a great safety feature that I have come to rely on in my other Mercedes vehicles. It comes in very handy on night trips and reduces the amount of squinting at the glaring lights in your mirrors.

If I had those triangles in our Interstate, I would NOT want to lose them. We rented a 2015 Ford Somethingorother earlier this month that had that technology (I hadn't seen it before), and while I think it might be overkill for a car, it would be very useful on a larger vehicle. We put side cameras on our Interstate to help with lane changes, but they do have the obvious lighting limitations due to exposure adjustment lag time (glare / darkness). Some of the new automotive tech features fall squarely into the bells and whistles category, but I think the triangles are a keeper. Would pay for them, yes.

[Ilguy]

2021 AI GL 24 4x4 here on 2020 MB Chassis. I’m looking for a solution like the STOWAWAY2 and was ready to pull the trigger until I saw the posts about losing the blind spot monitoring system on here. Is this still the case today? Does anyone have a fix or workaround? I also noticed on the Stowaway web site that they don’t recommend the LED upgrade for German vehicles. Anyone know why?

[toskeysam]

The Sprinter will throw a code thinking you have a bulb out if you hook up an LED upgraded Stowaway. They do offer an adapter that lets you use LED systems with the Sprinter. I have a Stowaway 2, also an adapter on my Sprinter and have no problems.

[MountainLife]

We love our Stowaway and feel the trade off of No BlindSpot assist is worth the flexibility. We travel long distances and stay places for one night and it’s so convenient to have all the outdoor gear in the Stowaway. Also, anytime you use your hitch towing or Stowaway your Blind Spot Assist is deactivated. I love the safety features in modern vehicles, but we need to not become overly dependent. I have learned this when switching between vehicles and forgetting one doesn’t have rear sonar. Oops!

[Ilguy]

I think the concern about blind spot assist being disabled when using a stowaway2 may have been resolved with the newer 2020+ MB Sprinters. I've gotten several other responses in different forums that suggest they are not having any of those problems with their newer Interstates built on the '20+ vans.

[DaveG]

Originally Posted by Ilguy

I think the concern about blind spot assist being disabled when using a stowaway2 may have been resolved with the newer 2020+ MB Sprinters. I've gotten several other responses in different forums that suggest they are not having any of those problems with their newer Interstates built on the '20+ vans.

"...may have been resolved with newer 2020+..."

Has anyone used the Stoway2 and can confirm the blind spot assist is disabled or not? Would love to hear a users review! We are seriously contemplating a purchase for use with a 2021 AI-19.