ELVAN has been a good rig; He has always started & I never had any mechanicals; certainly nothing that stranded us. He does NOT like super cold weather, ie: below 5 degrees F. I have an engine heater (which heats the coolant) which I have not installed; that would help but only when you have electricity. If you go skiing at minus 10F & come back five hours later, that could be dicey. If it’s 5F or above he starts well and likes to be warmed-up for 5-10 minutes & then he’s ready! Heater/defrost works well, especially if you use the insulated curtain so you’re just heating the cockpit. There’s a diesel powered ”Espar” cabin heater which uses very little fuel and heats the living area well. That heater needs to be SERVICED.
Elvan came from Ohio so he definitely has some modest rust in the usual places for the Mercedes/ Dodge rig. As far as I’ve learned even severe rust doesn’t compromise the suspension, frame or other mechanical parts. I plan to do a bit of rust proofing now that the weather is warmer. The folks from whom I bought it were I think honest about its history & all the work they had done on it. They replaced a bunch of important, expensive parts but didn’t have a good paper record of that work. What they told me was the Turbocharger, fuel injectors, oxygen sensor, alternator, radiator had all been replaced. I replaced the Engine Exhaust pipes from the “Flex Pipe” on back including the muffler. I also put in (fall 2021) a new engine battery, an AGM type which is longer lasting, has more capacity, & works better in cold weather. I had the oil/oil filter and fuel filter changed locally on 9/1/2022. The Rear brake pads and rotors were replaced on 5/13/2022.There is a new 2” receiver hitch, Class 4, for bike racks or towing. I wouldn’t recommend towing anything more than a SMALL cargo or snowmobile trailer. You’d have to read up on that if it’s in your plans. I had the spare tire WHEEL sand blasted & powder coated (like heavy duty paint) & there’s a solid unused proper weight rated tire on it. I’ve not had a flat tire, but if ya do, well then ya NEED it! The proper jack & lug wrench are there too. He has full on General Altimax Arctic Winter tires now; like new. A set of Goodyear Wrangler Dura-Trac also with about half tread left. I put a set of SUMO brand “Bump Stops” in the rear axle. It makes the rear end handle better when cornering & hitting bumps.
In the living area Elvan has sliding doors on BOTH sides! I good weather the galley can have the full Veranda effect! I put in the small sliding window which is located on the driver’s / left side directly above the Galley where the stove is located. I use a propane two burner camping stove with a (20#) tank stored in the cargo area. It’s super handy ‘cause you can take it outside or put it away to convert the counter top into a Party Bar! Hahaha! There is a 30 gallon H2O tank with electric pump & accumulator, the sink is 13”x12”x 8” deep; pretty big! Currently the sink drains directly outside. I have a 10 gallon “grey water” tank, which was installed previously, but I’m not fond of that system for the way I live in the van.The fridge is a Whynter brand. 65Liter. It lives in the galley just inside the sliding door on the left and serves as a handy seat for the cook! The walls & ceiling have been insulated but I haven’t verified how much or well that was done. I have a big box of Havelock brand WOOL insulation which I used to upgrade a couple of smaller areas which I did take apart. I had the two front/ cockpit seat BOTTOMS re-upholstered with LEATHER. He has full- on General Altimax Arctic Winter tires now. Like new. A set of summer dirt tires too with half tread left. UPDATE, 5/11/23; Both rear doors and both sliding doors have been insulated with HAVELOCK Wool. There is a full set of Quest Overland insulated window covers included. The remote keyless locking system has been repaired so ALL doors now lock remotely. The left Headlight assembly (which was cloudy/oxidized) has been replaced with the OEM -HELLA brand unit. ELVAN is raring to travel; give him a look!
