Do the turbo and sell it on Autotrader or to carmax.
NOT FOR SALE: considering the details of sale of my van, advice please
(Note to Mods: This is in general discussion because the van is not for sale now and may never be and not for the next 6ish months at least; if you feel this should be in the sales forum, feel free to move it there)
Van is NOT for sale presently. As I mentioned elsewhere, I have just given the go ahead for an order of a 2024 Sprinter 2500 144” high roof. When my aqua green monster arrives, I will need to dispose of BB. I have a vanity plate that I intend to transfer to the new van, which means I will not have plates on it after the Sprinter arrives for deliver. The simplest solution is to trade the van in, but I suspect I will get more for it on a private sale. I used to sell all my cars on eBay, but I don’t even know if thats a reasonable option anymore.
Anyway, I wanted to discuss the van and ask you guys if you think I should try to sell it on here or what, and what you think a reasonable expectation of a sales price would be. The sale basis would be me posting a for sale for it as soon as I think I have less than a month until a fully expected delivery date, offering the opportunity for evaluation of it on the road pursuant to an agreed sale immediately after I take delivery.
The van currently has 173k miles on it I suspect in 6-9-months I will have 182k-185k miles on it. This van has been basically fully documented on this forum before I even placed the order on or about 5/18/15. I will list its services later in this post; all of these services have full paper documentation which will be included in the sale. Besides one or two repairs, which were done at Mercedes Of Princeton, tires (which were done except for the first replacement set, at R&W Tire of Bordentown) and one accident repair (done at Mercedes-affiliated collision repair shop Lee’s Garage of Long Branch), all work was done by Contemporary Motor Cars of Little Silver.
It is currently in for a turbo replacement. One set of tires will probably be worn out before this sale and will be replaced with Michelin Defender LTX IIs or whatever the current equivalent is; the other set was replaced subsequent to the 165k service. The passenger’s control of the passenger window works but will not do express up or down; express up/down of the passenger window is possible from the driver’s master switch. The collision prevention assist is inoperative; this occurred in a minor 5ish-mph shunt in which I rear ended a small Chevy at the exit of a parking lot. The Auto Stop/Start is also inoperative. The Becker Map Pilot can sometimes take time to be recognized, start up, and find satellites, up to 3-4 minutes. Everything else works.
The van came equipped with a 2-and-3 seat bench configuration; the 2-seat bench was removed and disposed of and the 3 seat bench mounted in the middle. The van has almost never carried more than two passengers; I can count on my fingers the number of times it carried more than 3. However, the passenger side of the 3-seat bench is collapsed because I have been using that as an office chair and used it quite extensively.
The van has been in three accidents; the two significant ones were documented on this forum- it got rear-ended and repaired by the aforementioned Mercedes-Certified, dealer-endorsed body shop. I lost traction at the rear wheels on I-81 northbound, went down a 45-degree slope in the pouring rain, across I-81 Southbound, and punched into the ditch there at some speed (I was avoiding being t-boned), damaging several components behind the front bumper (which was otherwise visibly undamaged) including the intercooler; this was repaired by Mercedes of Princeton. There was also the aforementioned incident where I rear ended someone. There is also a little damage to the body work directly behind the front wheels because I underestimated how high a curb was I drove over. I will certainly post pictures in the listing; if you really want them I can post a few here when I get the van back from service.
There are a few chips on the windshield, and a minor crack that was attended to by safelite. There is a number of rock chips on the hood which have some surface rust.
The van will come with several minor accessories. I have a Velcro headrest wrapping mount for a tablet, and a Mercedes-branded headrest spoke-mounted seat back table. I have Mercedes cloth floor mats on the the front of the van that I got practically as soon as I took delivery of the van. Finally, I have a genuine, well fitted genuine sheepskin cover for the drivers seat (but not the headrest) but not the passenger. This is covering up a few seat breaks and tears on the drivers seat. About 70% of the time the van was driven with my wife as a passenger; the passenger side seat has one small tear in it. Oh, and I replaced the factory wheel center cap logos with aftermarket ones that are simply a silver-painted, chrome-relief 3-pointed star, after market; I threw out the originals, they looked like crap, maybe a few weeks ago.
Oh, apparently (i forgot) truck threw up rock and dented front A-pillar; that was repaired by a Burlington body shop whose name I have forgotten.
I think that is all the relevant data besides the vehicle service history. KBB suggested a trade value of 7500 on the low end, although my financial calculations for purchasing the new van are predicated on $5k. I appreciate the help with sussing this out in advance; I know I have a history of being… a little blunt on this forum, but I really do appreciate you guys.
Service history:
1) 3/14/16 Mileage 14960 Trip 12877 - 354h 5 min - 21.4mpg - 36 mph Service A $213.02, Pass sliding Door (felt tape applied) Coolant level (no fault), Nav system (felt tape applied to prevent movement)
2) 7/20/16 mileage 30179 (7/25/16), Trip 15228 393:09 - 22.2mpg - 39mph, Service b, trans fluid, two new tires (front) Hankook Ventus2Noble 225/55R17 101T, rear brake pads, four wheel alignement, $1635 Seatbelt (replaced adjuster), Radio reception (ordered parts from Germany), paint (sent for authorization), Nav system (updated software)
3) 8/1/16 Mileage 31005 (Body shop repair, front Pax A-Pillar $276.73 Paid insurance, no deductable
4 ) 8/05/16 Mileage 31286 (8/11/16), Radio (replaced), Paint (repaired by Lee's), No charge
5 ) 9/14/2016 Mileage 33,570 (10/14/16) Accident repair, Lee's Garage $5801.65 [Rental T&C 3373mi $1472.15] Insurance covered all.
6 ) look up Fixing accident repair Lee's covered
7 ) 10/31/16 Mileage 35900 (11/2/16) Accident damage relating to going off road, Replace underbody cladding, front wheel housing trims, intercooler, wheel alignment, radiator mount $2773.48
8 ) 11/3/16 Mileage 36060 (11/3/16) Replace rear tires, worn 225/55R17 97T Michelin Defender $366.65
9 ) 2/9/17 Mileage 45602 (2/16/17) 15,500 21.5 Service A, front pads and Rotors, spark plugs $940.05 Rear door (sent to Lee's for adjustment), Horn (no problem found), Nav (replaced Becker Map Pilot unit), Overhead cntrl panel (rep. ordered), Fuel smell (replaced fuel line)
Van is NOT for sale presently. As I mentioned elsewhere, I have just given the go ahead for an order of a 2024 Sprinter 2500 144” high roof. When my aqua green monster arrives, I will need to dispose of BB. I have a vanity plate that I intend to transfer to the new van, which means I will not have plates on it after the Sprinter arrives for deliver. The simplest solution is to trade the van in, but I suspect I will get more for it on a private sale. I used to sell all my cars on eBay, but I don’t even know if thats a reasonable option anymore.
Anyway, I wanted to discuss the van and ask you guys if you think I should try to sell it on here or what, and what you think a reasonable expectation of a sales price would be. The sale basis would be me posting a for sale for it as soon as I think I have less than a month until a fully expected delivery date, offering the opportunity for evaluation of it on the road pursuant to an agreed sale immediately after I take delivery.
The van currently has 173k miles on it I suspect in 6-9-months I will have 182k-185k miles on it. This van has been basically fully documented on this forum before I even placed the order on or about 5/18/15. I will list its services later in this post; all of these services have full paper documentation which will be included in the sale. Besides one or two repairs, which were done at Mercedes Of Princeton, tires (which were done except for the first replacement set, at R&W Tire of Bordentown) and one accident repair (done at Mercedes-affiliated collision repair shop Lee’s Garage of Long Branch), all work was done by Contemporary Motor Cars of Little Silver.
It is currently in for a turbo replacement. One set of tires will probably be worn out before this sale and will be replaced with Michelin Defender LTX IIs or whatever the current equivalent is; the other set was replaced subsequent to the 165k service. The passenger’s control of the passenger window works but will not do express up or down; express up/down of the passenger window is possible from the driver’s master switch. The collision prevention assist is inoperative; this occurred in a minor 5ish-mph shunt in which I rear ended a small Chevy at the exit of a parking lot. The Auto Stop/Start is also inoperative. The Becker Map Pilot can sometimes take time to be recognized, start up, and find satellites, up to 3-4 minutes. Everything else works.
The van came equipped with a 2-and-3 seat bench configuration; the 2-seat bench was removed and disposed of and the 3 seat bench mounted in the middle. The van has almost never carried more than two passengers; I can count on my fingers the number of times it carried more than 3. However, the passenger side of the 3-seat bench is collapsed because I have been using that as an office chair and used it quite extensively.
The van has been in three accidents; the two significant ones were documented on this forum- it got rear-ended and repaired by the aforementioned Mercedes-Certified, dealer-endorsed body shop. I lost traction at the rear wheels on I-81 northbound, went down a 45-degree slope in the pouring rain, across I-81 Southbound, and punched into the ditch there at some speed (I was avoiding being t-boned), damaging several components behind the front bumper (which was otherwise visibly undamaged) including the intercooler; this was repaired by Mercedes of Princeton. There was also the aforementioned incident where I rear ended someone. There is also a little damage to the body work directly behind the front wheels because I underestimated how high a curb was I drove over. I will certainly post pictures in the listing; if you really want them I can post a few here when I get the van back from service.
There are a few chips on the windshield, and a minor crack that was attended to by safelite. There is a number of rock chips on the hood which have some surface rust.
The van will come with several minor accessories. I have a Velcro headrest wrapping mount for a tablet, and a Mercedes-branded headrest spoke-mounted seat back table. I have Mercedes cloth floor mats on the the front of the van that I got practically as soon as I took delivery of the van. Finally, I have a genuine, well fitted genuine sheepskin cover for the drivers seat (but not the headrest) but not the passenger. This is covering up a few seat breaks and tears on the drivers seat. About 70% of the time the van was driven with my wife as a passenger; the passenger side seat has one small tear in it. Oh, and I replaced the factory wheel center cap logos with aftermarket ones that are simply a silver-painted, chrome-relief 3-pointed star, after market; I threw out the originals, they looked like crap, maybe a few weeks ago.
Oh, apparently (i forgot) truck threw up rock and dented front A-pillar; that was repaired by a Burlington body shop whose name I have forgotten.
I think that is all the relevant data besides the vehicle service history. KBB suggested a trade value of 7500 on the low end, although my financial calculations for purchasing the new van are predicated on $5k. I appreciate the help with sussing this out in advance; I know I have a history of being… a little blunt on this forum, but I really do appreciate you guys.
Service history:
1) 3/14/16 Mileage 14960 Trip 12877 - 354h 5 min - 21.4mpg - 36 mph Service A $213.02, Pass sliding Door (felt tape applied) Coolant level (no fault), Nav system (felt tape applied to prevent movement)
2) 7/20/16 mileage 30179 (7/25/16), Trip 15228 393:09 - 22.2mpg - 39mph, Service b, trans fluid, two new tires (front) Hankook Ventus2Noble 225/55R17 101T, rear brake pads, four wheel alignement, $1635 Seatbelt (replaced adjuster), Radio reception (ordered parts from Germany), paint (sent for authorization), Nav system (updated software)
3) 8/1/16 Mileage 31005 (Body shop repair, front Pax A-Pillar $276.73 Paid insurance, no deductable
4 ) 8/05/16 Mileage 31286 (8/11/16), Radio (replaced), Paint (repaired by Lee's), No charge
5 ) 9/14/2016 Mileage 33,570 (10/14/16) Accident repair, Lee's Garage $5801.65 [Rental T&C 3373mi $1472.15] Insurance covered all.
6 ) look up Fixing accident repair Lee's covered
7 ) 10/31/16 Mileage 35900 (11/2/16) Accident damage relating to going off road, Replace underbody cladding, front wheel housing trims, intercooler, wheel alignment, radiator mount $2773.48
8 ) 11/3/16 Mileage 36060 (11/3/16) Replace rear tires, worn 225/55R17 97T Michelin Defender $366.65
9 ) 2/9/17 Mileage 45602 (2/16/17) 15,500 21.5 Service A, front pads and Rotors, spark plugs $940.05 Rear door (sent to Lee's for adjustment), Horn (no problem found), Nav (replaced Becker Map Pilot unit), Overhead cntrl panel (rep. ordered), Fuel smell (replaced fuel line)
- 8/25/17 mileage 60,692 (same day) Replace front tires, swap rear to front, uneven wear 225/55R17 97H Michelin Defender T+H $387.62
- 8/ 30/17 mileage 61005 (9/1/17) B service, fix rear washer, overhead control panel, 4 wheel alignment, tailgate light, rear brake pads. 15331, 22.0 $944.99
- 5/14/18 mileage 76404 (5/14/18). A service, engine air filter, checked window rattle in spec, felted rattling rear seat, 15435 21.6, $341.41
- 5/29/18 mileage 77503 replace front tire swap front to rear, wear within spec, Michelin Defenders LTX 225/55R17 101H $388.85
- 12/3/18 mileage 90568 (12/5/18) B service, replace hood latch sensor, spark plugs, front pads, rear pads and rotors, seatbelt trim, brake fluid check 14183, 21.2, $1806.86
- 1/5/19 92515 leaky rear tire (ref #10) - nail in tire; removed and patched- covered under RH warranty
- 1/24/19 93624 blew out rear pass tire, unfixable. Replaced both rear tires with correct spec 225/55r17 101H Michelin defender LTX $413.36
- 2/8/19 94503 (2/13/19) hood latch sensor, fuel line recall, crankcase ventilation valve (75% parts courtesy from MB), engine oil pump valve (warranty), $867.14
- 8/9/19 106250 (same day) A service, replace poly-V belt due to noise and wear, transmission service as per mileage, checked for motion squeak not found, $250 coupon, $665.34
- 5/21/20 119328 (5/26/20) [13080, 442:24,21.8mpg, 29mph] B service, recall steering gear, front passenger seat cover recall, replaced brake fluid, rear shocks replaced under warranty, rear differential serviced, cooling system serviced, rear brake pads, front pads andr rotors, four wheel alignment, tires rotated, $1959.08
- 9/24/20 124309 rear pass tail light out, replaced it and pass reversing light, DIY, $6.61
- 9/24/20 124329 replaced rear tires, Michelin Defender LTX 225/55R17XL 101H, $433.64
- 4/27/21 (5/4/21) 134420 [15223, 479:10, 21.6 mph , 32 mph] Service A, Engine air Filter, Spark plugs, alignment four wheel, flex pipe w/ cat, parking brake adjustment, inter cooler air hose $2784.77
- 5/5/21 134625 replaced front tires, swapped rear to front, Michelin Defender LTX 225/55R17XL 101H $476.26
- 2/21/22 149975 Service B, brake fluid flush, PCV valve replaced (2nd time), fuel system software updated (recall), front and rear wiper blades, lift pad replaced, aux battery replaced, starter battery repla/ced, rear brake pads, $3885.70
- 12/16/22 165715 [15768, 466:13, 30.0 MPG, 34 mph] Service A, Transmission Service, parking brake adjusted, Frant brake pads and rotors, engine air filter, $1381.88
- 12/18ish rear tires replaced with Michelin Defender LTX IIs (I apparently forgot to write this down; i have the receipts and data but they are in the van)
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I realized I forgot to mention build/options: here’s a post on the van‘s details: Original build
I already gave the go ahead on the turbo; I need it for the next 6-9 months anyway. Driving rudolf with all the perished rubber stuff is really not a sane option. Is CarMax really that simple?
I already gave the go ahead on the turbo; I need it for the next 6-9 months anyway. Driving rudolf with all the perished rubber stuff is really not a sane option. Is CarMax really that simple?
Carmax is that simple. They can give you a guaranteed offer good for a period of time. They use pricing from our company. If you don't like managing a private sale it's an easy button.
Carmax may throw a low ball offer because of the accidents. Probably do better private party. But, you never know. You can enter your vin on their website and see if it spits out a number or they will ask to see it in person.
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
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