Three '17 Sprinter 4x4 pax vans coming up on ND IronPlanet auction

[Chuckles!]

Found these three vans coming up for sale sometime soon on IronPlanet. Williston ND, so probably hauling oilfield peoples around. Past auction performances have shown that these are usually Buy-It-Now listings of around $19k-$25k.


26k miles:

2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 4x4 12 Passenger Passenger Van

2017 US EPA Label, Daimler AG 3.0L Diesel Engine, Automatic Transmission, Requires Diesel Exhaust Fluid, Air Conditioner

www.ironplanet.com

46k miles:

2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 4x4 12 Passenger Van

2017 US EPA Label, Daimler AG 3.0L Diesel Engine, Automatic Transmission, Requires Diesel Exhaust Fluid, Air Conditioner

www.ironplanet.com

51k miles:

2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 4x4 12 Passenger Van

2017 US EPA Label, Daimler AG 3.0L Diesel Engine, Automatic Transmission, Requires Diesel Exhaust Fluid, Air Conditioner

www.ironplanet.com

 

[Kolockum]

Driven hard and put away wet but for 26k miles for $20k not a bad deal. All the rigs up there have good AC and a good heater no matter how crappy the truck is.

 

[jlcanterbury]

Wow imagine being in the oil business. Where you can just buy a fleet of incredibly expensive vehicles, drive them into the ground inside of 3 years, and then just liquidate them for 25% instead of maintaining them. All of these seem to have a list of unattended engine lights and other issues.

I guess when you're pulling unlimited liquid gold from the ground you can get away with this.

 

[jlcanterbury]

Hmm, judging by past sales looks like these are part of the "Schlumberger" fleet. Company is worth 36 billion so I guess it makes sense

Looks like they have auctioned off about 15 of these 2017 sprinters in the past year.

 

[Model97]

Wow imagine being in the oil business. Where you can just buy a fleet of incredibly expensive vehicles, drive them into the ground inside of 3 years, and then just liquidate them for 25% instead of maintaining them. All of these seem to have a list of unattended engine lights and other issues.

I guess when you're pulling unlimited liquid gold from the ground you can get away with this.

Imagine working for the government and buying a fleet of incredibly expensive EV vehicles on the taxpayer dime

 

[Kolockum]

Wow imagine being in the oil business. Where you can just buy a fleet of incredibly expensive vehicles, drive them into the ground inside of 3 years, and then just liquidate them for 25% instead of maintaining them. All of these seem to have a list of unattended engine lights and other issues.

I guess when you're pulling unlimited liquid gold from the ground you can get away with this.

The first time I saw a F-550 completely airborne was up in the North Dakota oil field. Wasn't the last time I saw it up there either. Seeing people do really stupid stuff in trucks became fairly normal.

Most everybody working up there are only interested in the paycheck and only in for the short term. The equipment gets thrashed because nobody cares.

 

[jlcanterbury]

Imagine working for the government and buying a fleet of incredibly expensive EV vehicles on the taxpayer dime

Ha! Yup... same concept of "unlimited" funding paired with zero accountability.

I see many prime examples of government excess/waste in my time spent on surplus sale sites. Many millions of taxpayer $$ assets being unloaded after being neglected/unused, or otherwise being sold at a massive loss for no real reason other than arbitrarily scheduled replacements.

At least every once in a while we can score on these government 'write-offs' and turn them into cool camp rigs. Unfortunately so many of their used assets have no real use in the 'civilian' world and are discarded for scrap value.

 

[michael_l]

Ha! Yup... same concept of "unlimited" funding paired with zero accountability.

I see many prime examples of government excess/waste in my time spent on surplus sale sites. Many millions of taxpayer $$ assets being unloaded after being neglected/unused, or otherwise being sold at a massive loss for no real reason other than arbitrarily scheduled replacements.

At least every once in a while we can score on these government 'write-offs' and turn them into cool camp rigs. Unfortunately so many of their used assets have no real use in the 'civilian' world and are discarded for scrap value.

Not to derail this further, but I just scooped up a 2008 e350 with only 73k miles for 7500$ including all auction fees. It had simply been replaced with a newer 15pax model. I intended to turn it into a cool camp rig ? in this case it has been lovingly maintained and lightly used so there are definitely decent deals to be found.

 

[jlcanterbury]

Nice, find!

Some of the gov. vehicles are actual time capsules, so there is that aspect of it. There will be particular agencies like some in fire or emergency work that will take impeccable care of the fleet.

 

[Jdubucsd]

The first time I saw a F-550 completely airborne was up in the North Dakota oil field. Wasn't the last time I saw it up there either. Seeing people do really stupid stuff in trucks became fairly normal.

Most everybody working up there are only interested in the paycheck and only in for the short term. The equipment gets thrashed because nobody cares.

Dang. Airborne F550...!?

 

[Jdubucsd]

Not to derail this further, but I just scooped up a 2008 e350 with only 73k miles for 7500$ including all auction fees. It had simply been replaced with a newer 15pax model. I intended to turn it into a cool camp rig ? in this case it has been lovingly maintained and lightly used so there are definitely decent deals to be found.

Is it 2wd or 4x4?

 

[shortbus4x4]

I've worked in Williston. If those Sprinters hauled crew then the interiors are probably pretty well used. The last oil field company I worked for had a couple of Sprinters for crew vans. They got the crap beat out of them on the lease roads we were driving on, partly due to the driver and partly due to the roads. As far as check engine lights we had to take ours to Billings MT for work at the dealer as Williston isn't exactly Mercedes country. After spending almost three years as a mechanic in the oilfields I would look long and hard at any rig I was thinking about buying that was used in the oilfields.

 

[michael_l]

Is it 2wd or 4x4?

Definitely 2wd. I obviously want 4wd. I'm currently making peace with either a limited slip or electronic locker for the rear and keeping it two wheel drive for a while. I just can't justify 15-25k for 4wd. I am loosely researching a Ujoint kit and leaving it 2wd in case I want to upgrade later, but that seems to still cost almost 10k vs <4k for an action vans or metalworks 2wd suspension set up.

 

[Jdubucsd]

Definitely 2wd. I obviously want 4wd. I'm currently making peace with either a limited slip or electronic locker for the rear and keeping it two wheel drive for a while. I just can't justify 15-25k for 4wd. I am loosely researching a Ujoint kit and leaving it 2wd in case I want to upgrade later, but that seems to still cost almost 10k vs <4k for an action vans or metalworks 2wd suspension set up.

Yea. Its about 22-25K for Chris to do work on it at his shop.

Or buy the kit. New rims tires etc and install it yourself. ?

 

[Pegasus1]

Definitely 2wd. I obviously want 4wd. I'm currently making peace with either a limited slip or electronic locker for the rear and keeping it two wheel drive for a while. I just can't justify 15-25k for 4wd. I am loosely researching a Ujoint kit and leaving it 2wd in case I want to upgrade later, but that seems to still cost almost 10k vs <4k for an action vans or metalworks 2wd suspension set up.

Rear locker and some decent tires will take you most places. I've had to search for places to actually use my 4x4!