Advice wanted on key features on MP

[GeorgeG]

Hi everyone, I’m new here. A former California owner for 4 years up to 2011. Seriously considering a Marco Polo, having looked at the current California Ocean, Westfalia Joker City and Westfalia Kepler One.

I’ve crawled all over one at a dealers, but not yet driven. My main concerns which I need to convince myself about are as follows (and maybe owners could help me out with their experiences):

1) Only 1 leisure battery. I’m used to camping off grid and wondered if I could get away with 1 leisure battery and solar panel, otherwise I’ll either have to change my modus operandi or find an alternative. Anyone with useful advice on fitting a solar panel on a permanent basis? Also, anyone tried fitting a second leisure battery and where?

2) Can you fit a Porta Potti in the kitchen cupboard?

3) I’m used to either a Webasto or Erberspacher diesel space heater. I don’t like the price of the MP optional heater so can it be retrofitted and will this affect the warranty?

4) In 4 years living with a California we never slept downstairs. I guess the MP roof bed is 4 or 5 inches narrower than a California (which we found ok) so do people find it comfortable (we are 2 adults weighing about 75kg each)?

5) Are the blinds an issue at night in terms of privacy? I would probably use silver screens on the front in any case

6) The picnic table and chairs don’t really concern me as I would dump them and use our Helinox ultra light and compact chairs and folding table. Can the ‘case’ they’re in be easily removed to free up valuable space.

7) I don’t like the emissions related VED, but I could probably live with it if servicing costs are reasonable. What are the service intervals and how much is a standard service (oil change)? Hopefully they are more reliable than the California which we had several warranty issues with. Don’t get me onto the subject of Golfs - my wife suffered horrendous problems with a couple of new Golfs and wouldn’t go near another one, not even another VW.

8) On the question of the strange auxiliary coolant heater, are they of any use? All the nearly new MP’s seem to have them (rather than what they call the night heater) presumably because they are cheaper. Am I correct in thinking that they work off the cab battery rather than the leisure battery and is this a problem?

9) I’ve read that the seat rails are a poor design and fill up with detritus. Any solution to this other than carrying a 12v vacuum cleaner?

10) Is rear wheel drive a problem in wet fields?

11) What is the electric auxiliary heater and how does it work - off a hookup or off the leisure battery?

12) Anything I’ve not covered that I should be aware of before taking the plunge?

Apologies for all the questions - I thought I get them out of the way in one go.

Hoping to join you as an owner in the near future if you can put my concerns to bed.

 

[Colin Hollywood]

Hi George,
I have a new MP on order (September, hopefully! delivery), so have been trawling the internet and asking questions too.
I cant help with most of your questions here (yet), but here are a couple of things I HAVE found out...
Q2. Brandrup (a German company with many MP accessories) have the PortaPotti 335 Qube on their website, showing a photo of it inside the kitchen cupboard, with the centre shelf removed... https://www.mercedes-parts-and-more.de/brandrup/fahrzeug-innen/toilette/,
Q9. I understand there are rubber strips available to "fill" the seat rails, though I don't know how things work when you need the seats pulled full forward - presumably they have to be removed. I am planning to go with the 12v vacuum method!
Having perused the options list, my order is for a V250d in silver, 19" 5 spoke wheels, COMAND, tow bar, night heater (the expensive one), black leather, light wood floor, 360 deg camera, awning.
Good luck! I am sure others on here will be able to answer many of the other questions - they have been invaluable!
Colin

 

[GeorgeG]

Hi George,
I have a new MP on order (September, hopefully! delivery), so have been trawling the internet and asking questions too.
I cant help with most of your questions here (yet), but here are a couple of things I HAVE found out...
Q2. Brandrup (a German company with many MP accessories) have the PortaPotti 335 Qube on their website, showing a photo of it inside the kitchen cupboard, with the centre shelf removed... https://www.mercedes-parts-and-more.de/brandrup/fahrzeug-innen/toilette/,
Q9. I understand there are rubber strips available to "fill" the seat rails, though I don't know how things work when you need the seats pulled full forward - presumably they have to be removed. I am planning to go with the 12v vacuum method!
Having perused the options list, my order is for a V250d in silver, 19" 5 spoke wheels, COMAND, tow bar, night heater (the expensive one), black leather, light wood floor, 360 deg camera, awning.
Good luck! I am sure others on here will be able to answer many of the other questions - they have been invaluable!
Colin

Thanks Colin for the useful info. I had a lot of Brandrup accessories in my California. Very good quality, but at a price. Your spec is very much what I would order, but sticking with 18” wheels.
Pity my wife chucked out our 12v vacuum!

 

[Roy C]

Hi everyone, I’m new here. A former California owner for 4 years up to 2011. Seriously considering a Marco Polo, having looked at the current California Ocean, Westfalia Joker City and Westfalia Kepler One.

I’ve crawled all over one at a dealers, but not yet driven. My main concerns which I need to convince myself about are as follows (and maybe owners could help me out with their experiences):

1) Only 1 leisure battery. I’m used to camping off grid and wondered if I could get away with 1 leisure battery and solar panel, otherwise I’ll either have to change my modus operandi or find an alternative. Anyone with useful advice on fitting a solar panel on a permanent basis? Also, anyone tried fitting a second leisure battery and where?

2) Can you fit a Porta Potti in the kitchen cupboard?

3) I’m used to either a Webasto or Erberspacher diesel space heater. I don’t like the price of the MP optional heater so can it be retrofitted and will this affect the warranty?

4) In 4 years living with a California we never slept downstairs. I guess the MP roof bed is 4 or 5 inches narrower than a California (which we found ok) so do people find it comfortable (we are 2 adults weighing about 75kg each)?

5) Are the blinds an issue at night in terms of privacy? I would probably use silver screens on the front in any case

6) The picnic table and chairs don’t really concern me as I would dump them and use our Helinox ultra light and compact chairs and folding table. Can the ‘case’ they’re in be easily removed to free up valuable space.

7) I don’t like the emissions related VED, but I could probably live with it if servicing costs are reasonable. What are the service intervals and how much is a standard service (oil change)? Hopefully they are more reliable than the California which we had several warranty issues with. Don’t get me onto the subject of Golfs - my wife suffered horrendous problems with a couple of new Golfs and wouldn’t go near another one, not even another VW.

8) On the question of the strange auxiliary coolant heater, are they of any use? All the nearly new MP’s seem to have them (rather than what they call the night heater) presumably because they are cheaper. Am I correct in thinking that they work off the cab battery rather than the leisure battery and is this a problem?

9) I’ve read that the seat rails are a poor design and fill up with detritus. Any solution to this other than carrying a 12v vacuum cleaner?

10) Is rear wheel drive a problem in wet fields?

11) What is the electric auxiliary heater and how does it work - off a hookup or off the leisure battery?

12) Anything I’ve not covered that I should be aware of before taking the plunge?

Apologies for all the questions - I thought I get them out of the way in one go.

Hoping to join you as an owner in the near future if you can put my concerns to bed.

Here are my views on the ones I feel qualified to answer:

5) The blinds don't fit as close to the windows as on the Cali but during the day the privacy glass is so effective I don't think you'd even need them apart from the front windows which have a separate cover. At night with the lights on then the privacy glass is less effective but the gaps are so small that someone would need to have their nose up to the window for it to be a problem.

6) I haven't removed it myself because I just pile other stuff in with the tables and chairs but others have removed it quite easily, I believe.

7) Reports on here suggest the auxiliary water (coolant) heater is actually quite useful. It heats the coolant to reduce engine wear and tear when it's cold but also heats the cabin for up to 50 minutes at a time. It can be turned on via remote, via the app or set to a timer so your can get into a nice warm car in the morning, for example. Not sure if it operates off the main or leisure battery but I suspect the former. The warm air heater is the one that you can run continuously, say on a cold night, and that definitely uses the leisure battery.

9) I got the rubber strips from the MB shop and fitted them very easily. I actually cut them into two pieces so that when both are in they cover the rails when the rear seat bench is moved to the back of the van. When I move the seats forward to make the bed I remove one of the sections in each rail so the bench can move but there is still a strip covering the remaining exposed rails.

11) The auxiliary warm air heater can operate continuously to keep the van at a constant temperature. It uses the engine diesel but the auxiliary battery must be at a voltage of more than 10.5v. Of course if on hookup the leisure battery is charged.

 

[GeorgeG]

Here are my views on the ones I feel qualified to answer:

5) The blinds don't fit as close to the windows as on the Cali but during the day the privacy glass is so effective I don't think you'd even need them apart from the front windows which have a separate cover. At night with the lights on then the privacy glass is less effective but the gaps are so small that someone would need to have their nose up to the window for it to be a problem.

6) I haven't removed it myself because I just pile other stuff in with the tables and chairs but others have removed it quite easily, I believe.

7) Reports on here suggest the auxiliary water (coolant) heater is actually quite useful. It heats the coolant to reduce engine wear and tear when it's cold but also heats the cabin for up to 50 minutes at a time. It can be turned on via remote, via the app or set to a timer so your can get into a nice warm car in the morning, for example. Not sure if it operates off the main or leisure battery but I suspect the former. The warm air heater is the one that you can run continuously, say on a cold night, and that definitely uses the leisure battery.

9) I got the rubber strips from the MB shop and fitted them very easily. I actually cut them into two pieces so that when both are in they cover the rails when the rear seat bench is moved to the back of the van. When I move the seats forward to make the bed I remove one of the sections in each rail so the bench can move but there is still a strip covering the remaining exposed rails.

11) The auxiliary warm air heater can operate continuously to keep the van at a constant temperature. It uses the engine diesel but the auxiliary battery must be at a voltage of more than 10.5v. Of course if on hookup the leisure battery is charged.

Many thanks Roy, very useful.

 

[Simon Fletcher]

5-we don't have any issues with the blinds, there is a small gap as everyone mentions but it only allows a very small amount of light in. When sleeping downstairs on our second short trip I had the best night sleep I have had in ages, slept until 9.45am which is unheard of for me.

6-we removed the case straight away and have never used the chairs. We are a family of 4 so we had to add 2 extra chairs so felt 4 chairs of the same design would pack easier, we use some from Ikea that are £5 each and are great.

7-we bought our MP 10 months old it was a demo, our first service is due after 2 years. We had a negative dealer experience and managed to negotiate a free 1st service, they informed me it was £800+, not sure how true this is.

8-we have the water heater only, can't pass comment as only owned van since end of April so never used it.

9-im ordering the rubber protectors from the MB Germany site over the weekend, think they cost about £9 pm.

12-as we are a family of 4 we as adults sleep downstairs, both myself and my wife have slept well very and we haven't had an issue with bed size. I'm 6ft 2 and fairly broad, my wife 5ft4, yes it is on the cosy size especially compared to our king size at home but certainly not an issue for us. May however change my mind after our 3 week trip to france but very much doubt it.

We have loved ours so far and have found it perfect to use as an everyday drive

 

[GeorgeG]

5-we don't have any issues with the blinds, there is a small gap as everyone mentions but it only allows a very small amount of light in. When sleeping downstairs on our second short trip I had the best night sleep I have had in ages, slept until 9.45am which is unheard of for me.

6-we removed the case straight away and have never used the chairs. We are a family of 4 so we had to add 2 extra chairs so felt 4 chairs of the same design would pack easier, we use some from Ikea that are £5 each and are great.

7-we bought our MP 10 months old it was a demo, our first service is due after 2 years. We had a negative dealer experience and managed to negotiate a free 1st service, they informed me it was £800+, not sure how true this is.

8-we have the water heater only, can't pass comment as only owned van since end of April so never used it.

9-im ordering the rubber protectors from the MB Germany site over the weekend, think they cost about £9 pm.

12-as we are a family of 4 we as adults sleep downstairs, both myself and my wife have slept well very and we haven't had an issue with bed size. I'm 6ft 2 and fairly broad, my wife 5ft4, yes it is on the cosy size especially compared to our king size at home but certainly not an issue for us. May however change my mind after our 3 week trip to france but very much doubt it.

We have loved ours so far and have found it perfect to use as an everyday drive

Thanks Simon

That’s mostly reassuring, particularly as 4 of you are contemplating a 3 week trip. There’s only 2 of us, but we do often go away for 5or 6 weeks.

I’m a bit concerned about the service costs (on top of hefty VED charges). My current camper - a Westfalia Columbus - based on a 6m Fiat Ducato, cost around £200 for the first service at 2 years. The ‘big’ service is no more than £400. Can anyone comment on what they’ve actually paid for a service? In the past, when enquiringly about service costs before the purchase of a new car, I have often been mislead by dealers and even lied to.

I’m still mystified by the electric auxiliary heater. I assume this is different to the aux water heater and aux air heater which work off the diesel tank.

It’s a shame that the sales literature is so thin, especially when the dealers know virtually nothing about the MP and frequently provide wholly inaccurate information about vehicles costing upwards of £60,000.
These forums are such an important resource!

 

[Roy C]

Thanks Simon

I’m still mystified by the electric auxiliary heater. I assume this is different to the aux water heater and aux air heater which work off the diesel tank.

There are only two auxiliary heater options, the water / coolant one and the warm air one. Where have you seen references to the electric auxiliary heater? When I was looking to buy my van there were secondhand dealer adverts which referenced an electric auxiliary heater but I can only assume it was a reference to one of these two other options. I think the issue is that the dealers often don’t know what they are talking about and tick a generic box when populating the entry for a vehicle.

 

[GeorgeG]

There are only two auxiliary heater options, the water / coolant one and the warm air one. Where have you seen references to the electric auxiliary heater? When I was looking to buy my van there were secondhand dealer adverts which referenced an electric auxiliary heater but I can only assume it was a reference to one of these two other options. I think the issue is that the dealers often don’t know what they are talking about and tick a generic box when populating the entry for a vehicle.

I think you’re right about dealers adverts. However, I think this is probably due to an item in the current V Class brochure which lists “electric air heater system - 1.2kW output” which is specified on all models, including the MP. I can only assume this is your standard car heating a system - i.e. hot water heat exchanger with electric fan! Why they feel the need to specify it is odd, unless it is something else I’ve not thought of. I don’t think there’s much point asking a dealer about it though.

 

[Roy C]

Yep, that makes sense especially if it doesn't use the word "auxiliary" that would suggest it is the main car heater.

 

[davidk]

Thanks Simon


I’m a bit concerned about the service costs (on top of hefty VED charges). My current camper - a Westfalia Columbus - based on a 6m Fiat Ducato, cost around £200 for the first service at 2 years. The ‘big’ service is no more than £400. Can anyone comment on what they’ve actually paid for a service? In the past, when enquiringly about service costs before the purchase of a new car, I have often been mislead by

We bought the rubber strips for our Viano MP from an MB van centre as they were a Vito part. Easy to take in and out and can be cut to size as needed. You can also get lashing eyelets which clip into the rails.

How do you find the Columbus? We're looking at replacing our van and after 6 months of thinking about it are still undecided between something similar again (probably a new MP, possibly an Ocean or Kepler 6) or a bigger panel van such as a Westfalia Amundsen.

 

[GeorgeG]

We bought the rubber strips for our Viano MP from an MB van centre as they were a Vito part. Easy to take in and out and can be cut to size as needed. You can also get lashing eyelets which clip into the rails.

How do you find the Columbus? We're looking at replacing our van and after 6 months of thinking about it are still undecided between something similar again (probably a new MP, possibly an Ocean or Kepler 6) or a bigger panel van such as a Westfalia Amundsen.

We’re are in a quandary ourselves, like many others, in wieighing up the pros and cons of the hundreds of campervans and motorhomes that are available today. We went to the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon in 2015 and spent two full days looking at literally dozens and dozens of vans. The upshot was we came away even more confused than when we arrived there. The problem is that you have to decide on your needs and priorities as so many have said on this and other forums, but these change over time. In our case health issues, amongst other things, means that we’re looking to downsize and also get rid of one of our cars. Our main problem is that although we had a California for 4 years and know how they work and the limits of their practicality, we have travelled extensively in our Westfalia Columbus and are now used to the luxury of fixed toilet, shower, hot water, diesel space heater with actual hot water radiators, a large double bed (which can be left made up) and masses of storage. In addition, we are able to store 2 full suspension mountain bikes inside the van, under the bed.

Clearly, downsizing to a MP will involve major compromise. My main concern is the fact that we have got so used to camping off grid, i.e. without hookup, showers or toilets. As we have 2 leisure batteries and a solar panel we can pretty much remain self sufficient and even on well equipped campsites we often don’t bother hooking up to the electric because we can’t be bothered.

We’ll have to accept that we will need to use more fully equipped sites in a MP to be able to enjoy the benefits of a much nicer drive in a more compact and useable vehicle as an occasional second car.

Returning to your own problems in deciding on a replacement for your MP, I offer the following comments on your list:

California Ocean: overpriced, reliability issues and continuing niggles (see California forum), some of the fittings a bit flimsy. I speak as a former owner.

Kepler Six: I’ve seen these and the Kepler One and Joker City. The Keplers are nowhere near as impressive as the Joker in terms of quality. They are made in France by Westfalia’s parent company, Rapido, in the Fleurette factory. To me, they look as they are made down to a price to be as competitive as possible and it shows in the quality of the materials. For instance the seats look like leather but are leatherette.

Amundsen: nowhere near the quality of the Columbus and very much Westfalia’s budget van. The same layouts as the Columbus, which is extremely effective, but inferior materials and detailing. The problem with the Columbus is that they have become very pricey, largely because of the poor exchange rate (euro to GBP) that Westfalia have set for this year (1.10). The Columbus 601D is a great van if you can live with the size (not a daily driver) and the Fiat Ducato driving experience (definitely not Mercedes and I’ve previously hired a 7.2m Sprinter Automatic based camper for a month in New Zealand and know the difference).

I think I can sum up the choice as between a well equipped home in a large ponderous van and a bed in a semi luxurious car. Very difficult decision.

 

[Israel]

I think you’re right about dealers adverts. However, I think this is probably due to an item in the current V Class brochure which lists “electric air heater system - 1.2kW output” which is specified on all models, including the MP. I can only assume this is your standard car heating a system - i.e. hot water heat exchanger with electric fan! Why they feel the need to specify it is odd, unless it is something else I’ve not thought of. I don’t think there’s much point asking a dealer about it though.

Electric air heating system comes standard on many cars, nothing specific with campers. It's an electric resistance that warms the air that comes into the cabin even before the motor is warm. This way you do not need to wait until.the motor gets warm before you can take your scarf off like on the old happy days ;-).
Why the need to specify this? Well ... to make the list longer so they can charge os a more. The even say 'electric windows'


Skickat från min SM-A320FL via Tapatalk

 

[RFT]

7) I don't expect anyone will be needing a service before 2019, but I'd be disappointed if it was £800.

 

[Katie]

I’ve got a funny feeling it will be expensive as option for paying for service plan is £40 per month
I’m just putting my hands over my ears until it needs doing
By the way, how often does it require a service under warrante? I think the sales man said 15000 miles but cannot find it in my pack of instructions etc

 

[WILLH]

I will be sending mine to the local MB commercial vehicle centre for its first service having had lots of unhappy experiences with my particularly rapacious local passenger car MB dealer.(They all but insist on replacement of brakes and tyres if they are >50% worn!!)

 

[WILLH]

Mymercedesservice website should provide a local online quote for service at nearby MB dealers.

 

[davidk]

We’re are in a quandary ourselves, like many others, in wieighing up the pros

I think I can sum up the choice as between a well equipped home in a large ponderous van and a bed in a semi luxurious car. Very difficult decision.

Thanks for all the comments. We’ve owned our Viano MP for 10 years so know exactly what we will get from a small camper van. Mostly we use decent campsites with just the odd night wild camping or on an Aire etc. We’ve held out from carrying a Porta Potti around until recently but that does add a bit more flexibility.

We had initially thought about replacing it with a sub 6m van with a fixed bed, shower, loo etc but now not so sure. We do use our van a lot as a day van for bike races and climbing and I think realistically a lot of the time anything bigger would get left at home and we’d just end up taking the car. Instead of using a bike rack we often carry two bikes upright inside with the bench pushed forward.

I’m also a bit unsure about the reduced living space between the seats and I know what you mean about the Ducato, I had a brief drive of a Hymercar and was surprised at just how poor it was, even compared to our Viano never mind a new V-class. Also as neither of us drive to work a small camper gives us the option to sell the car which a bigger van doesn’t.

I think I’ve just convinced myself, now to find the right one....

 

[davidk]

I will be sending mine to the local MB commercial vehicle centre for its first service having had lots of unhappy experiences with my particularly rapacious local passenger car MB dealer.(They all but insist on replacement of brakes and tyres if they are >50% worn!!)

Has your local MB commercial said they will service your MP? Leeds said our Viano MP was a car and wouldn’t touch it.

 

[GeorgeG]

Finally got to drive an MP yesterday. It was a 250 Sport with all the bells and whistles such as 360° camera, Distronic, Command, but no auxiliary air heater (it had aux water heater). Very impressed with 360° camera - almost no need to use the door mirrors when reversing.

I was initially thinking of buying a 220, but most of the demo cars seem to be 250’s. I have to say I was a little disappointed in the 190 hp as I thought it would be more lively. However, on reflection, I think my reaction is largely due to the fact that the MP is so car like you somehow expect a car like driving experience. On the other hand, when I drive my 6m Fiat Ducato manual I don’t expect anything other than a fairly unpleasant experience in a large noisy diesel and have have limited expectations. I will be driving a 220 tomorrow, having found one not too far away. I hope it doesn’t disappoint as I would rather spend the extra for the 250 on an aux air heater.

The interior of the MP I viewed yesterday was black, which I thought I wouldn’t like, but it’s ok and would be more practical. I will be looking at the Silk Beige tomorrow - not too bling I hope.