This Is The Worst Part of Vanlife...
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- This isn't a video we wanted to make...
Life on the road doesn't always go to plan and this is one of those times.
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your experience will help future vanlife goers on their journey... so take care, stay healthy, keep safe, and more power to you guys
I hope everything works out with your van. Take care and stay well ❤❤
It’s sucks that life can move you in some many directions. Sorry to hear about your van and Sasha. You will overcome this. Please keep us updated! Hope everything will resolve soon! See you soon! 😊
If I was living in the van I’d want a new engine installed. No guarantee that a fix on a head gasket will last (from experience). If you got to somewhere remote and it blew then you are screwed.
I’d take the downtime, insist on a replacement engine and being on such low mileage be pushing for priority replacement and recovery of costs for accommodation.
It’s an issue with their van, their product. You have a popular vlog series, that will reflect this issue on them.
Hey ,no need for a new engine. just a new gasket service and cooling fluids. Stop freaking this cool people . If you have a hole in your roof you change your all house ?
@@cataling-o7y my roof does not provide the heating to my house, the boiler does. That is the engine of my house. A roof keeps the rain and cold out and the heat in, I’d repair the tiles. If the boiler has a major problem where I can’t have warmth and safety for my family then I’m changing the boiler, not a stop gap fix.
@@andrewhyland9212 ok, and in this case you have a boiler with a broken gasket, you change your all boiler instead of changing only the broken gasket ? just asking... ok, do it your way.
We have 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the SAME P.O.S. 6 cyl. The engine starts DRY - NO OIL PRESSURE for the first 30 seconds or more EVERY TIME YOU START it. It wears out the upper valve train and cam shafts. LSS at 185,000 miles the electric radiator fan stopped, the engine over heated. WHILE it was at the Dodge dealership we decided to have the upper parts of the valve train and cam shafts inspected AND replaced. One cam shaft and ALL the cam followers on BOTH banks were replaced. As well as a new radiator/A/C condenser, and cooling fan. YEP $8Gs, 8 BIG ONES. Today it is BACK in the Dodge dealers for overheating Thursday. NO WATER IN THE OIL (I checked the dip stick after it "cooled").IF I could afford something new I would be tempted.
I feel you guys on the van problems. My Promaster is having flexplate problems and I am currently not working and need a job. Stay strong.
Man, I'm so sorry all that happened. Sending you guys positive thoughts.
I had a head gasket failure in my Ford Transit on the way to a vanlife event in Oregon.
I ended up renting a RAM Promaster from U-Haul. I had some instrumentality that wouldn't stop dinging and I figure out what it was for
Downshifting and headlights were confusing also.
Wow, that sucks. Imagine if you didn't have an emergency fund for a situation like this. A warning for beginners in van life. It's not as fun as you might think.
We feel your pain. We have been waiting on our van to be fixed for 3 months. We've been stuck in the PNW the whole time. Like you said, if it wasn't for our friends, it would have totally sucked, but I believe it might be done next week sometime. Total was a new transmission and a new engine. Luckily both under warranty, but as you can see, it takes forever to get done. If anyone is a Vanlifer, be prepared for this possibility and where you would stay if this happens to you. Thanks for sharing your story and I hope it moves quickly and easily for you! Cheers!
Thanks!
Yeah we have heard lots of stories about how issues like ours usually need new engines so we are just hoping if that’s the case it happens as quickly as possible. We are actually building out our first ever low roof van to live in in the event it takes a long time.
@@scarletandseth That's a great idea. Have a backup just in case!
high pressure pump that pumps the oil into the engine? seems like sprinter would been less need for troubleshoot? 😅
Scarlet and Seth,
Which do you recommend Mercedes Spriter, Dodge or Ford ?
I was wondering since I see SO many van lifers having mechanical issues which are a PAIN ( especially for solo van lifers )
SO SAD you two are going through this ❤
The Tour is a huge think here in Denmark where i am from, Even before the arrival of Vingegaard. Who are you rooting for?
Honestly I’m a Tadej fan and he was so dominant this tour. But Jonas’ comeback after such a bad crash earlier in the year is pretty incredible!
Sounds like the rockers arms for the valves got prematurely worn out.
Its quite common on these motors.
We have a 2015 2500 and we were at the dealership lin Laredo last year for 9 days just to replace the alternator. They were the most incompetent bunch we have ever met. It cost us a lot of money for no reason. Last month we had the radiator replaced here in Mexico at a radiator guy and it cost us less than $300 Canadian and it took 3 hours. That is how it's supposed to be. We will never go to dealerships again, they are just interested in selling cars.
@@OurSnugLife yeah it sucks. Unfortunately if we take it anywhere else it voids the warranty. Probably wouldn’t have had the issue in the first place though if we had.
I stick with Mercedes 170 Sprinters with good luck so far. Just from my experience.
Cats need wet cat food, not just for the acidity balance and meat but also for the moisture content. Dry kibble leads to so many health issues.
We feed them a pretty good mix of about 60% wet and 40% dry food.
And need to add a little water to the wet food too
Maintenance was allways done in time ?
Yes, but one of the dealerships didn’t do a repair they told us they did which eventually caused the issue. We left it there for 5 days back in January when we were visiting family.
❤
The Problem is you bought a Ram... Sorry but they're unreliable
Brand new vehicle..... This brand definitely sucks...
Even though it is under warranty it is a real pain having to pay for lodging and being out the vehicle for so long. I hope that they end up getting the parts in sooner than expected.
Cash is king. I've never had any luck with warranty repairs.
Fix on a head gasket will last long time and distance more than a 400 000 km and maybe more then the car body, more than the life at the car and yes, you read right. So, take care of you, check the fluid levels, leaks, dont over heat the engine and enjoy the leson, i am a mechanic. Please read, don't panic so easy !
I really wish more reliable brand companies like Toyota and Nissan created equivalent vans!
Glad you guys are under warranty which is a good thing.
Maybe plan Z - start building a new van on a Sprinter or Transit platform just in case. Sell the old one after it gets fixed.
TBH…..I would love to see you build a Sprinter Van 170 just once 😏
Haha we are actually working on something but it’s a loooot smaller than you might think. More on that soon!
I am sorry you are going through all this trouble, but that will get resolved. I want to share my experience with my small dog and the 7 relatively large bladder stones she had in 2016, at the age of 8. Three vets said she had to undergo surgery and that there's nothing anyone could do to rid her of the agony she was going through. Finally, I phone the fourth vet and he was as calm as a cucumber, said these are most commonly struvites, gave me couple of "cookies" (for free as he said they were so cheap he couldn't charge me for them) and within 24 hrs she began squatting less (that was the sign I had as she got them... she was squatting and dripping whatever urine there was in her bladder every 2-3 min).
Within 48 hrs she went back to her regular routine and the follow up x-ray showed ALL of the stones gone.
For free.
She went on a urinary-track diet that regulates pH of urine and was fine to this day (nearing her 16th birthday 🎂)
Please , don't go straight under the knife. There is remedy and our beloved fur kids don't have to go through all the stress, pain, risk and recovery. And of course, financially it's easier for you.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing I wouldn't give and do for Nacho 🐶 and our 🐱 Napoleon, but the idea of Nacho having to have surgery terrified me.
I got luckier with my 2018 Popmaster 2500, that I now have for 5 full years and other than maintenance I had no issues ever.
I wish for your troubles to be over soon. Take care❤
Ugh! When it rains, it pours. First the van, then one of the ladies. I used to think UTIs were a male cat thing. Then my lady got sick - she had been nursing her kittens for over 8 months and absolutely hated eating wet food. She was so dehydrated that she started forming struvites. Luckily, I’m a mother hen when it comes to my fluff babies, so I caught it early. She’s now on a special diet. Both mama and baby eat wet food twice a day and kibble once. I hope your van issues clear up early and you get back on the road. At least you’ve got each other, and the cats are both doing well. This, too, shall pass. Fingers crossed.
FWIW, Transit and Sprinters aren't much better in terms of reliability.
Yea I’ve been researching them todo this and they all have their problems. I guess hire a mechanic to come look at it and hope for the best:/
Hi, I'm Boys from Malaysia, love watching your videos. Shahsa, beautiful name and I love your hairstyle. Oopss, I hope Seth doesn't feel jealous. hahaha. ooohhh. sad to see your van in such a bad condition. And you both of you are lucky because your van has a warranty, I think if you both have stable finances, I think it's good for you to change your van's system a bit, whether you look for a good engine and put some van component modifications that can go through quite a rough trip, because you live in a van, and you need a stable machine for you and shasa through the travel adventure
We actually had a trusted salesman (we've known for years) steer us away from the Promaster when he learned we wanted it to upfit. He said the feedback he's getting is that too many are having trouble with them. He recommended either a Transit or a Sprinter. This cost him a potential sale, and we know him, so we trust him. Maybe you should think about switching.
It all depends. People have had terrible experiences with them but have also driven them for hundreds of thousands of miles with no issues. The same can be said for sprinters and transits honestly. You couldn’t do this build in a sprinter or transit so I guess that’s the reason we went with a promaster. The truth is all of the major vehicle manufacturers are really backed up on parts which is why this repair is taking so long.
Unfortunately I have a 2023 sprinter and they are crap as well. I'm having serious issues at 10,000 miles. They are probably going to have to pull the engine out if they every get ahold of me or if I can get ahold of them. Don't buy a sprinter. Companies don't care about the quality of the products they create anymore. Manufactures just plain suck.
@Thermal694 Thanks for that info. I wouldn't get a Sprinter anyway, since test driving one. The gas pedal is rather resistant and hyper- responsive, my words for: it's only going as long as you're flexing your muscles to actively press the gas pedal somewhat harder than the average gas pedal, and the *slightest* letting up makes your speed drop significantly. I'm sure I'd adjust and stop noticing it over time, but I found it concerning for a family member with a muscle issue who would wear out taking turns driving it. It also rode like a truck (I'm sure it would improve built out and modified appropriately). The Transit we test drove was smooth, easy, intuitive, and drove like a higher-end "luxury" minivan. Almost luxuriously smooth and easy. This would be much easier on that particular driver in our particular family--maybe not as important to everyone.
@Thermal694 you have the new gas engine right?.. every sprinter up too 2022 I believe came with the diesel engine, mines got 40k miles, 2019 model.. it's developed an oil leak but luckily no running issues, not sure I'd buy a van so large with a gas engine, they just don't produce the torque needed to move a heavy built out van
@@LiimpyTransit has a V6 Ecoboost (gas) option with 310 HP & 400 lb-ft of torque.
The cat sleeping on the bed all stretched out! My favorite. I’m really sorry about the van.
Why do we continue to accept the deplorable build quality of American vans?
I hope you can sue in some way for them lying about fixing this under warranty but then not doing it? And you having to pay a ton more money to fix it for real? Because that is disgusting of them and a real let down.
They are still covering the repair under warranty. It’s just disappointing but the truth is most major dealerships are slow and not incredibly good at fixing the vehicles the produce in our experience. We are thankful that it is under warranty for this but also kinda ready to be out of warranty since it complicates repairs a lot.
Oh my gosh. It's been forever since i have caught up on your videos and I'M SO SO SO SORRY THIS HAPPENED!!!!! 😭😭😭
Dang, this is brutal... Sorry this is happening and sad to see you've all been going through it lately. Honestly terrible tho for Dodge to be so incompetent as well as backlogged for parts, that's insane.
I hope there is a more positive outcome in the next video, but hope y'all are doing well in the meantime. Take care!
because I've seen the transmissions go out in the dodge ram's I purchased a ford transit.. never had one problem with it.. got into a wreck and totaled it which is the only reason I got rid of it.
Thats a promaster for you. Should have bought a diesel sprinter 2.1l, mines is at 356K miles no major issues.
I hear so many issues with them and the citroen relay that I am forced to go with the renault master, I hear that can have electric issues and some say gearbox issues, frankly what van do you get Mercedes have eng problems etc its a pain .
I think this is one of two main reasons I'm going to a truck with slide in pop top camper. If had to could rent a truck to haul camper or drop camper somewhere stay while truck gets worked on.
Seeing sll them vans waiting for repairs 🫤
Yeah. Most vehicle manufacturers over extended during covid and now can’t repair the vehicles they sold.
WHO KEEPS WIPING MY COMMENTS HERE BEFORE THEY ARE EVEN COMPLETED?
Sorry this has happened to you!!! :( I'm going through something similar. My Fiat Ducato ($125k) needs a new gearbox servo and it won't go into gear. I was driving it to the mechanic for a service when the transmission error appeared on the dash and I barely got it to the shop. Now I'm waiting for them to get the new parts in and do the fix. It's been a week of waiting and will probably cost $4k. My van is sitting in their yard waiting. I feel like I'm missing a limb or something. Could be worse. At least the mechanic's yard is secure so the van is safe there, waiting to be fixed.
Yeah, the parts delay is in many ways the worst part of the whole process. It just feels like nothing is happening.
Do you guys still build these luxury vans?
I'm sorry to hear you're having so much trouble with a practically new vehicle. I hope it turns out all right for you in the end.
after having a very similar experience with my promaster only 2 months after getting it, this is the reason i got a transit for my second van instead. sending you love from someone who knows how difficult it is to not have their home with them
From our experience It’s more that all the major vehicle companies over extended during covid and don’t have parts to fix them than it is specifically the promaster (not saying it’s the greatest by any means lol). Unfortunately I think this would be similar for any other van as well right now. We have friends who have been waiting for ford parts for 3 months and Mercedes is backed up for months as well! It’s a bummer that corporations spend so much time focused on profits and not actually taking care of their customers after a major purchase.
Don’t transits have major transmission issues?
Why does it cost anything? Isn't it still under warranty?
It’s still under warranty yes but hotels are not covered. So we couldn’t just stay there forever. We live in this van full time.
Jesus christ. Maybe you guys should just hunker down somewhere, with friends or family for a while. It sucks, but maybe the universe is giving you this break. 💔🌻✊🏼 Don't lose hope. Stay strong. Thanks for sharing with us 🙏🏼
Dang Seth. Crap man. Wish I was rich to help. Sorry guys.
OMGGG so thankful you guys caught the uti before it turned to kidney stones!!! 😊
I’m so sorry this is happening to you guys (the van issue). 😔
Oh man, I'm so sorry. I get to go pick up my new van in a couple of weeks. I do have an emergency fund, but am hoping I won't need it soon. I bought a Ford. Best wishes to all of you. ❤
You guys have the best music for workout scenes lol!!! ❤ Sorry your van and Sasha are both taking breaks right now, but it’s good to rest, recover, and develop new plans for the whole family every now and then. My sense is you guys have been hitting it hard close to burnout these days, which I completely understand from personal experience. Maybe take advantage of the chill time and trust that the universe has your back, if you haven’t already. As long as you keep that internal fire going you’re good 🔥 #hakunamatata
Sending positive energy for a quicker that expected shipment of parts and that it fixes it because
I know you're missing your little home. 🙏
I’m sorry to see such troubles with your van, what a bummer. I always enjoy watching and learning so much from you two, such a sweet couple, and those cute little ladies. Hang in there!!! ❤
Would not be better off getting a new camper van. With all the money you are putting into this one .
Really sorry you all have to go through this. Thank God for all the help you all got so far.
Get a lemon law lawyer and get a brand new replacement or get all your money back
That wouldn’t really help us given that there is a build inside it. It also doesn’t count under the lemon law since the repair was technically never done at the first shop and caused this issue.
@scarletandseth yeah I wouldn't be too sure about all the technicalities but it still won't hurt to talk with a lawyer who does know and can tell you all your options, consultations are usually free, you really have nothing to lose
The Càt looks like a Calico?
❤️🙏🏼👍🏼👍🏼❤️🐈🐈❤️
When I do Van Life I’ll be getting a Toyota Hiace just for the reliability of Toyota Cars in general. I think that all of the European Cars are just rubbish!
Yeah it’s true. I gotta say though we have some friends with a hiace and the have had lots of issues with it! There really isn’t any perfect rig.
👊🏿🙏🏿
🔥🔥🔥 🤘
How long have you been using pretty litter? I’ve seen that a lot of cats have contracted UTIs after switching to pretty litter.
@@Lovehannahyang so we didn’t go too much into it but this wasn’t actually a UTI. Sasha doesn’t like most other litters we’ve tried. She basically is prone to high alkalinity urinary issues. This caused structure crystals to form. We actually think that the first UTI was misdiagnosed. She’s on a prescription diet now and that has solved the issue she was having.
So many people have such bad experiences with those promasters. I would never buy one again
It depends. People have terrible experiences with the sprinters and fords too. People have also driven these promasters for years with no issues. They get kinda a bad rap but as we explained in the video it wasn’t a random event. It was neglect on the part of the first dealership we took it to that put us in this position.
just "HUGS"
Sending 💕😊
Man….. so sorry!💕
Great tour!!
So very sorry
Electric vans don't do that
The electric vans on the market right now only have about an 80 mile range so unless you are just riding around a city you couldn’t see much.
electric vans have other problems
This was so sad to watch. Lemme ask you this one; What if instead of a cargo van, instead you used a pickup camper. Then if you end up in a situation where the truck needs service for an extended period, the camper being modular, is basically hot swapable. Maybe you already considered that option. I'm just thinking out loud here.
Yeah, there isn’t really any perfect rig. We have friends with tow behinds that have been hit with back to back trailer & truck issues. The truck campers are great but without another truck to put it on you’d quickly run out of food, water etc. there isn’t really any one perfect solution to it. This is kinda just part of it if you want to live this way full time. Wouldn’t be as much of a problem at all if we were just taking a trip.
@@scarletandseth So, what about this idea... You buy a base camp, one that you own, could be a small cabin, just a lot basically would do, that is reasonably
Been thinking of doing just this - even renting a small studio apt in a state where there’s no state income tax :) cheap and have a place if I need it
Would’ve it been more cost effective to buy an RV?
Probably not in all honestly. Pre manufactured RVs are pretty cheaply made and have a lot of issues with the build. You are also typically still reliant on some sort of vehicle to tow it or the chassis it’s built on.
Would have been !!!! ....the van breakdown in all the years is better than ok....NO vehicle can go thru life without a breakdown.
@@scarletandseth. I know you’ve had problems in the past with that Dodge van. I know a lot of people that have them dodge vans and their transmissions go out. The transmissions are not strong enough to carry that kind of weight.
this exactly. a friend and their partner live in an rv on a plot theyre renting. they dont travel in it at all unless its to visit family, moving to a new plot, or to get gas. 24/7/365, that thing is PARKED, cause maintenance is a nightmare 😵💫
Dealerships take too long. Cost too much money. Safe travels
Yeah, honestly a smaller shop would be better off but you would void the warranty unfortunately.
@@scarletandseth the great scheme
In Ga a vehicle from the lot if its 2022 to 2024 if its been in the shop more then 4 times in a yr you might be able to file under the lemon law look it up in your state
It’s not really applicable for lemon law since this is technically the first time this specific issue has actually been addressed. Certain dealerships are just terribly run unfortunately.
Are you at all able to go after the folks who said they repaired it but it didn’t? I mean, I know it’s under warranty and all… But the it also seems like since the O2 sensors were not replaced as needed, it cause a cascade of issues, potentially leading to a new engine replacement. Either way… Ya’ll are tough cookies fa sho! And am happy you’re safe and have amazing friends you’re able to lean on. 🫶🏼⚡️🤙🏼
So in theory yes. But honestly it’s not worth the legal fees and fighting a huge corporation like ram probably isn’t worth it at all. Honestly we are glad that it’s under warranty and hoping to get it repaired soon. In the meantime we have started something else really exciting so we will be sharing more on that soon!