Mechanical problems while traveling are never fun, but with a Mercedes Sprinter chassis it can be a challenge to schedule service. Not all Mercedes dealers are set up to service Sprinters, which are much heavier and taller than passenger cars. Service appointments may not be readily available so determining where and when we will be somewhere and having that align with an available service appointment can be tricky.

First, while passing through Billings MT, we noticed that the sprinter was “bucking” during acceleration. So we canceled a 3 day stay at Mount Rainier National Park (🥲) and scheduled service at the Seattle Sprinter Service Center. While going through our service paperwork, we found this letter from Mercedes-Benz concerning a warranty extension on the exhaust gas recirculation valve. A little bit of carbon buildup on the EGR valve can cause uneven acceleration.

Just before we dropped off the RV we noticed bad wear on our front tires. Both tires were worn on the inside edge suggesting a camber problem. This was surprising as we had replaced the front tires which were cupping and had a front end alignment performed in November of 2025. Sure enough, the camber bolt that was installed in November was not properly secured.

We had the front end aligned and will wait to replace the tires at the dealership who did the front end alignment. Hopefully they will replace the tires for free.

A couple of relatively minor mechanical issues caused us to miss staying in a national park and incur the cost of a couple of nights at a hotel. To make missing Mount Rainier even more poignant for us, a visitor on the Wolf Haven Tour told us that Rainier was the most breath-taking place she’d ever been, spiritual even. Oh well, better to be safe than sorry!

On the brighter side, we did get to explore some urban trails in Tukwila, Washington while we waited for repairs.

Thanks for following along.