On the cusp

[Martin D]

Hello all, huge thanks to all on this forum - I’ve been trawling it for quite a while - and we’ve settled on buying an MP. Eventually.

It will be used as an all purpose thing; day van, short overnights, track-day tow-beast, wifeys daily (less than 2k a year), and maybe some longer roadtrips. It will also be my mobile office when we‘re in the road. Looking forward to seeing one close-up and in the flesh (oops, not done this yet!). We (wifey, dog and me), live in Halifax, West Yorkshire and will probably buy locally if we can get a decent deal on a new Sport MP, probably in blue with the beige interior plus ticking a fair few of the option boxes (tow, big stereo, awning).

Anyhoo, hopefully I will be able to contribute and look forward to being part of the MP community. I still have lots of unanswered question so pls be kind, its our first owned van (have rented bigger stuff before). Cheers

 

[Blackrat]

Hello and welcome,
We are fairly new here and already had some good advice. If you plan to tow as we do I would definitely recommend the factory towing kit over an aftermarket tow bar. It includes updated oil cooling and raises the towing capacity to 2500 kgs. It’s also very easy to fit, much more so than others I’ve had in the past.

 

[Martin D]

Hello and welcome,
We are fairly new here and already had some good advice. If you plan to tow as we do I would definitely recommend the factory towing kit over an aftermarket tow bar. It includes updated oil cooling and raises the towing capacity to 2500 kgs. It’s also very easy to fit, much more so than others I’ve had in the past.

Thanks, I plan to. It the factory fit tow ball a removable one?

 

[Blackrat]

Yes removable. The swan neck fitting lives in a dedicated compartment in the boot. When it’s not in use you’d not know it’s fitted unless you get down on your knees, then the 13 pin socket is just visible.

 

[Epigram]

Hello and welcome,
We are fairly new here and already had some good advice. If you plan to tow as we do I would definitely recommend the factory towing kit over an aftermarket tow bar. It includes updated oil cooling and raises the towing capacity to 2500 kgs. It’s also very easy to fit, much more so than others I’ve had in the past.

If you purchase with a factory fitted tow bar the engine cooling system is uprated for the OM651 engines and I assume for the current OM654.
The towbar fitting itself is indistinguishable from an aftermarket Westfalia detachable towbar.
It therefore depends what you are planning to tow. If you are planning to tow close to the rated weight limit up steep high mountain passes in summer go for a factory fitted towbar but, if you are just fitting a cycle rack or a relatively lightweight trailer, an aftermarket towbar should be fine.

 

[Steve B]

Welcome, I hope the wait isn't too long

 

[SteveR]

Yes removable. The swan neck fitting lives in a dedicated compartment in the boot. When it’s not in use you’d not know it’s fitted unless you get down on your knees, then the 13 pin socket is just visible.

I have the factory towbar and thoroughly pleased with it. I was just wondering if an aftermarket Westfalia (essentially the same thing) has the dedicated storage facility in the rear side compartment, i.e. the polystyrene moulded piece? Anyone know?

 

[Blackrat]

I don’t know the answer to that but when searching for our MP I got a quote for an aftermarket tow bar just in case.
The place recommended by my local MB dealer who in fact fitted one to my previous E class quoted £960 for a Westfalia detachable which makes the factory fit package good value with the extra cooling. They said they could fit a Witter fixed tow ball but it only brought the price down by about £150.
Two other places that I tried declined to quote for the MP.
Needless to say that I was very pleased to find one fitted with the factory tow pack!

 

[SteveR]

....a Westfalia detachable which makes the factory fit package good value with the extra cooling....
....Needless to say that I was very pleased to find one fitted with the factory tow pack!...

Totally agree. Very good value compared to the alternatives and also a well designed and engineered product. Stores away nicely and takes literally seconds to attach / detach and is very unobtrusive when not attached.
Very pleased with mine and recommend to anyone who may think that either now or in the future there is a chance to tow, rack, bike rack etc

 

[Blackrat]

Totally agree. Very good value compared to the alternatives and also a well designed and engineered product. Stores away nicely and takes literally seconds to attach / detach and is very unobtrusive when not attached.
Very pleased with mine and recommend to anyone who may think that either now or in the future there is a chance to tow, rack, bike rack etc

Can I ask what if anything you tow with your MP. We collected our car a few hours before the current lockdown started so not had a chance to try it yet. Everything seems good on paper but also nice to hear other people’s experiences.

 

[SteveR]

Can I ask what if anything you tow with your MP. We collected our car a few hours before the current lockdown started so not had a chance to try it yet. Everything seems good on paper but also nice to hear other people’s experiences.

I originally specced the towbar as I wanted to eventually tow a motorcycle. This hasn't happened yet but I have used a towbar mounted rack and storage bag a couple of times which has proven great to carry an awning etc rather than fill the passenger compartment

 

[Carol]

I put 2 cube e bikes on the tow bar with proper cycle carrier, total about 42 kilos , no problems , however it does shut off the blind spot warning / alarm , also interferes with reversing

 

[SteveR]

I put 2 cube e bikes on the tow bar with proper cycle carrier, total about 42 kilos , no problems , however it does shut off the blind spot warning / alarm , also interferes with reversing

Shutting off the parking sensor makes sense otherwise it would be constantly sounding with a tow bar rack or are you referring to the blind spot sensor in the mirrors? Also, what do you mean by 'interferes with reversing' Carol?

 

[Carol]

Cannot use auto park . Or rear reversing camera to assist when parking

 

[SteveR]

Cannot use auto park . Or rear reversing camera to assist when parking

Never used the auto parking but I do use the reversing camera a lot

 

[Martin D]

Quick question that I’m fretting about currently.

Whilst really keen “on paper” I am yet to see/play/drive one in the flesh. The first dealer (local) said they don't have any MPs, but I can drive a demo V220 long regular MPV.

So, my first thought is are there any forum members local to me (Halifax, WY) that I could visit/chat/look - bearing in mind COVID. And, secondly, I’m after the V300 ideally, any suggestions how to gauge how it might drive. It’s a nigh on £70k purchase and not being able to see or drive it might just force me to wait, or head to the dark-side. Bugger.

 

[SteveR]

Quick question that I’m fretting about currently.

Whilst really keen “on paper” I am yet to see/play/drive one in the flesh. The first dealer (local) said they don't have any MPs, but I can drive a demo V220 long regular MPV.

So, my first thought is are there any forum members local to me (Halifax, WY) that I could visit/chat/look - bearing in mind COVID. And, secondly, I’m after the V300 ideally, any suggestions how to gauge how it might drive. It’s a nigh on £70k purchase and not being able to see or drive it might just force me to wait, or head to the dark-side. Bugger.

I understand your concerns Martin. I didn't actually drive mine before I pulled the trigger but was confident as I have owned a number of Mercedes' in the past, albeit passenger cars or 4x4s and the driving experience is generally good (for me). However, I did see a couple in the flesh and managed to check out the interior and the 'living' compartment. My local dealer did not have any so I travelled quite a bit to two dealers on separate occasions to be sure.
My suggestion:
- Be prepared to travel. Make a day out of it if necessary. And check out the interior for yourself (I wouldn't worry too much about exterior as it is so similar to a standard 'V')
- Take a test drive in as close as you can to what you want. V220 demo is better than nothing at all

To be honest, my feeling is that this will give you peace of mind but if you are looking already at MPs I don't think you will be disappointed
Just my 2p worth - good luck

 

[Blackrat]

Quick question that I’m fretting about currently.

Whilst really keen “on paper” I am yet to see/play/drive one in the flesh. The first dealer (local) said they don't have any MPs, but I can drive a demo V220 long regular MPV.

So, my first thought is are there any forum members local to me (Halifax, WY) that I could visit/chat/look - bearing in mind COVID. And, secondly, I’m after the V300 ideally, any suggestions how to gauge how it might drive. It’s a nigh on £70k purchase and not being able to see or drive it might just force me to wait, or head to the dark-side. Bugger.

Hi,
A quick check on Autotrader shows MP’s , both 220’s for sale at separate motorhome dealers in Nottingham (Lowdhams) and Wednesbury (Hayes Leisure). I didn’t bother looking for Horizons.
Surely considering the sum of money involved it would be worth a day out to have a look (as already stated). You could have a good look at the MP in the flesh then find a V300 to test drive. There are plenty around. I’m sure that would answer your questions.
We are from Southampton but had to travel first to Northampton then to Milton Keynes to get ours.
We were lucky as we saw one on a camp site in the summer and the owner was very happy to show it off. Coupled with that we are also long time Mercedes owners so we were very confident it was the perfect vehicle for us.

 

[Martin D]

Hi,
A quick check on Autotrader shows MP’s , both 220’s for sale at separate motorhome dealers in Nottingham (Lowdhams) and Wednesbury (Hayes Leisure). I didn’t bother looking for Horizons.
Surely considering the sum of money involved it would be worth a day out to have a look (as already stated). You could have a good look at the MP in the flesh then find a V300 to test drive. There are plenty around. I’m sure that would answer your questions.
We are from Southampton but had to travel first to Northampton then to Milton Keynes to get ours.
We were lucky as we saw one on a camp site in the summer and the owner was very happy to show it off. Coupled with that we are also long time Mercedes owners so we were very confident it was the perfect vehicle for us.

I did see those, but they are the (slightly) older models. The nearest latest spec is Exeter, I think. I'll keep an eye out for a 2.0d version a bit closer to home. And, yes, it is worth a trek to find the right one, I do agree.

 

[The fat controller]

Welcome Martin.

The shortage of actual vehicles in dealerships has made buying a difficult process (for me at least). It has of course also led to some fairly outrageous lead times being quoted unfortunately, as you'll know.

Having done extensive online research (and checking out the competition) I ended up ordering 'off paper', which is far from ideal and won't suit everyone... But for me the priority is the lifestyle, which I don't think will be severely impacted by any minor shortcomings in the van.

I hope you find a suitable example to look over - as far as the drive goes, I'm fairly confident in saying that a 300d is going to be better than anything you'll find on the dark side!