I’m learning a lot from you Scott, Thank You 🍦

I bought a Jeep Rubicon with the same engine . I use it daily on and off road . It has right at 80.000 miles on it and other than regular oil and filter changes ; I had to change my brakes front pads that's about it ! LOL . Five dealer visits to take care of problems seems a bit excessive to me !

Placebo effect on the partial repair on the wobble.

I bought a used 2016 Chevy Trax a year ago and have had the check engine light come on 3 times. So you need to add "grrrrrrrrrrrrrr" to your list of reactions. LOL

Just watched video most likely the sensors were the real problem and not the rockers and I am a ASE certified mechanic

I love my 2016 Roadtrek Zion (Promaster). Voluntary upgrades I did: Sumo Springs on rear & a steel plate over the 2nd alternator. Recent ignition replacement only mechanical problem (totally locked up). Am 2nd owner, & got good purchase price when Roadtrek went belly up a year ago & their future was uncertain. Luckily I purchased a service contract for RV appliances & Ram mechanical (Protective Asset Platinum plan--bought online, NOT from dealership) and so a $860 dealership ignition repair, only cost me $100 deductible. (Entire ignition switch & all locks replaced as well as special order laser cut keys.) Service contract also covered the tow. Yes, I went to a dealership & good thing, too. The parts took 1 month to come in bc of a glitch in the Chrysler corporate parts system, so I called Ram Customer Care & FCA Group (Fiat Chrysler) picked up my entire car rental for the whole month! This rental reimbursement would never have happened if I'd taken it to an unauthorized Ram repair facility. Since the Protective service contract also covered car rental for a covered repair (but only for a 2 hour flag time job, meaning only for 2 days @ up to $75 per day), I actually made money on the repair. I love my Promaster--gas engine, low center of gravity, front wheel drive, more cargo space than Sprinter or Transit.

I love your van and your information as a retired truck mechanic I can't see buying a truck with front wheel drive. Seriously this is the same engine as in the Jeep Wrangler and in my opinion not up to the task of hauling a 10k lb vehicle.

Congrats on your decision to go with the Travato and the Ram Promaster chassis. I could see the fear when talking Mercedes Sprinter diesel! Yes, those are nicely designed but expensive if repair is needed. So yes, I think your choice of a Promaster is a good choice. Thanks for a fantastic video detailing your experience.

Hey Scott, I wanted to share my experience with our 2019 Ram chassis, Lexor by Pleasureway. My engine light kept coming on also...the dealer tried a couple of quick fixes which lasted a whole day before the light came back on. After a more thorough inspection, they discovered that the chassis electrical wiring harness had been chewed by squirrels!!! This was not covered by warranty but my insurance covered it under “vandalism”. So after a 500$ deductible, it was fixed. But then my question was,”what’s to keep it from happening again?” The dealer had no answer but said that it is a common problem...the plastic coating on the electric wires is now a soy-based product instead of a petroleum-based plastic. Rodents love the soy plastic! They think it’s crackers! Lol. Finally, after trying several products, I had a device installed under the hood connected to the chassis battery that sends out a strobe intermittent light and a high frequency sound that apparently rodents hate but people can’t hear. So far, it has worked and that’s my Ram story. Love, love my Lexor and love your channel! Ronda Lawhead

Scott I have a Dodge ProMaster 2017 RV Roadtrek Zion with 32,000 miles on it. Knock on wood I only had idler pulley replace on the alternator system and oil changes. Hope to be on the road soon, so stay healthy and safe.

Thanks for your notes on the promaster. I believe I have decided on the Promaster for my self conversion to an RV and seeing your repairs freaked me out a bit but hearing you say you’d buy it again was reassuring. You e really put a lot of miles on it in 1.5 years!

I don't know, I bought my 2001 Mazda Tribute SUV brand new for $21,000 and here it is 2020 It's got 200,000 miles, I've probably spent around $750.00 in repairs, Still driving it every day. I think David Mueller say's it best below, "This all sounds like the dealers need a great profit center." !!

Maybe just buy a large Japanese SUV and use the savings for a nice tent and motel 6 rooms.

Great video. I am subscribed. :)

It's amazing to compare how people manage their expectations. I posted a 3-year anniversary video about my car. I use it for EVERYTHING, even towing trash to the dump and supporting bicycling events with trailered water/ice, and put 93,000 miles on it during those three years. My video showed EVERY flaw, most of which was self-inflicted from my own use and abuse. People lost their minds! Many proclaimed that their Japanese cars (with far fewer miles) had been perfect and that VW's were trash. The car has needed no warranty work after fixing a few delivery flaws and I've spent less than $500 to repair VW-fault problems. I think that's pretty good! Having to spend $2000 on a one year old van would peeve me, but I wouldn't expect things to be perfect. Some people do, though. Keep up the good work!

I was looking for vids just like this...then bam this vid pops up. Just finalized my purchase yesterday!

Wow! This scares me.

Hmm, you don't think Winnebago would build a vehicle that is overweight? I think that this kind of thing might happen more than you think? I have a suggestion for you, first, get your coach weighed, take it to a Cat Scale and find out what the front and rear axle is. There's specifications for this, and you can be armed with this information. Next, I would call Super Steer in Grants Pass Oregon. Talk with them about your issues. They are experts in suspension. Tire pressure monitoring system, check out Truck System Technologies. They have a dashboard monitor that will give you the precise tire pressure and temperature. If you have a fast leak it will sound an alarm. For way less than $500, you can have a very nice tire pressure monitoring system with real time pressure right on your dashboard. Super Steer works with a lot of independent RV shops and is a well recognized shop part of Henderson's Line Up since 1961. Brakes are a function of how you drive, your overall costs are not bad, but, you might want to check your suspension. Good luck.

Thank you for doing this video. We are about 11 months from purchasing a Ram Winnebago Travato K! This is info that’s a must for a newbie! I’m saving your video for future references for that all important moment when it ‘hits the fan’! Wishing you apply and safe travels!!!!

Hey there Scott! I listened to the whole video thinking you would be mentioning the recall on the 2018 Ram 3500 Promaster. I know this won't mean out-of-pockets costs for me, but it is significant. Did you get the letter? "The transmission shifter cable could separate, disconnecting the transmission shifter from the transmission....." Currently I am waiting for the parts for this recall to become available. I am hoping the parts are available and the work done by the time the campgrounds are opened up here in Minnesota. Regardless, I thought this video was a very important reminder to keep your RV serviced and Dodge has great warranties! Thanks!

Love the 1964 Lincoln Continental shirt. That's the car I always wanted. One day.

I appreciate the detailed report. Glad you are having a good experience with your van.

Dig the hat man!

Thanks Scott for another excellent video. You put out some great content. I'm surprised that you don't have more subscribers. I'm thinking the rocker replacements and the dirty engine stuff was bogus. I've had to replace oxygen sensor valves on different makes. That is not all that uncommon. We are still sheltering in place. We drive our new Travato KL that we purchased 1/31/2020 to the grocery store once every two weeks. Our warranty is slipping by and we aren't getting much use out of it. No problems so far. Our van is holding up under the pressure of the bi-weekly grocery store trips (3 miles round trip). I'm writing a screenplay. I get inspiration by going out to my Travato and pretending I am in Monument Valley or Kodachrome State Park (that's where we were supposed to be next week).

Hi there I have a 2018 pro master I got 64000 on it and only the fan blower motor when out

We ordered a 2022 Travato KL and it should be here in February. Love the videos! Would you suggest trading up on the wheels and tires? Thanks Scott

I have a pleasureway on a Ram van with 43000 miles. I have nexus tires about 50% worn.beside oil and rotation my only expense was $160.00 for a battery.

Hi Scott, great video. I purchased a Hymer product based on the Promaster. I decided on the Promaster for the same reasons you did. I wanted to avoid the Mercedes expenses. I have had my Promaster at different Dodge dealerships for warranty work and routine maintenance. Three dealerships to be exact. All three were reluctant to work on my van because it was modified. They complained about the weight of the vehicle, the height of the vehicle and the ground clearance. One dealership actually told me their "Promaster Tech" was busy for 3 weeks. My experience has been awful, and I truly believe the techs just don't want to work on these vans or don't know HOW to work on these vans. Keep up the great work!

Hello Scott, So nice to see that you are safe and healthy settled in South Florida. Thanks for sharing the nerdy side of your travels. I find that very important, especially needing to know how well the dealerships interacted with you with this modified RAM van. Keep posting and stay safe!

Totally agree, love my Ram van. Some of the Winnebago stuff not so much (still trying to figure out the roof leak.) And don't forget about the "fleet commercial powertrain plan" that Winnebago adds to the original Ram warranty to make it 5 years/100,000 mi total for the power train! That additional coverage will show up on the dealer's VIP Summary Report that should be run any time you take the vehicle to a Ram dealer. And only use BusinessLink Ram dealers for service!

Scott, I love all of your videos. I could really use your input as I am looking into purchasing a 2022Travato. What is the best way to communicate with you?

Thanks for this informative video because I pretty much have my mind stuck on the Ram vans rv buildouts for the same reasons you stated.

Seems like you have more problems than you should. That van is still brand new. I just traded in my Winnebago Paseo ford transit. Had it 2 years and 24,000 miles. Just changed oil and rotated tires. Got another ford transit. Coachman beyond with lithium . Loving it so far. Just 2 months old and been on lock down. Btw I’ve only owned fords my whole 55 years.

Thank you Scott, that was excellent information. It is good to know the business end of the ownership part of owning a class B RV. I have really enjoyed your travels and your style of filming, and this too was another awesome video from you. I really appreciate the great knowledge, you have departed to us. Keep up the great relaying on information!

Rotate your tires every 5000 miles for max. Life

Very useful info. I'll budget about $1500/year for chassis repairs if/when I get my NPF GL. Yeah, I'm back to "if" because my retirement accounts took a hit of roughly 3 Travatos and have regained less than one Travato. The Chinese Commie Party owes me some serious Travatos! I'm not holding my breath... unless Dr. Fauci recommends it.

Thanks for the info Scott. Awesome vid! (cool hat)

Thanks Scott for the run down on your ProMaster! Stay safe!👍🤠🙏✝️

I have a love/hate relationship with the Dodge/Ram part of my Travato. One of the biggest problem with the van is that technology on this vehicle is 20 years old. As you intimated here part of the problem is that there is the limited information the Ram is giving you. The problem isn't that the information isn't available but that Ram has not updated their system. I solved my problem by replacing the radio (which is horrible) with better radio (that has Apple Play), a 9.5" screen and most important it connects to engine info system so I get actual numbers for tire pressure, Oil, temp, water temp, and so much more. Highly recommend it so you can see what your vehicle is doing in real time.

Very informative video post 👍😊🚌🌎🎥🎶 thanks for sharing and be safe

Good morning Scott! That was a good review of owner costs. Thanks.

This all sounds like the dealers need a great profit center.

Tells me not to purchase a Dodge. Thanks for sharing. first 40k there should be no cost to the owner,

The rocker issue sounds sketchy to me as well. And a dirty engine ? It seems to me that all should have been taken care of under warranty. Either way it was a good video. Thanks for sharing your experiences with that. I just bought a ford transit van that I'm converting into a camper. Being a truck driver I don't have time to do the work myself so I have to pay someone to do it. It's a long slow process . Good luck in your travels.

Thanks for watching! FREE DOWNLOAD of 17 RECOMMENDATION for RVers at gosmalllivelarge.com/free-downloads

As a Travato owner wannabe. I have please my wife as well. She doesn’t like the comfort of the passenger seating. Was looking at the Boldt instead but it’s built on the MB Sprinter chassis with a Diesel engine and that is a turn off... Stay safe!

I did not realize how short that warranty was for the Travato. Feels like they don't think much of their build out! It's nice that they did pay for the non-warrant work though. So, nerd boy is out in force again... You drove 44,000 miles and spent $1,920. If calculations are correct, that means you spent just under 4 and a half cents a mile on repairs. It also means after one and a half years of ownership, you spent an average of $106.67 a month or $3.50 a day, and spent an average of $384 per dealer. Now that you have this useless information, please continue on with your regularly scheduled RV antics. And say hi to Luke. Be seeing you!

I've noticed no ads on the last couple of your videos. I've seen other youtubers say any mention of corona or covid has advertisers leery and the algorithm watches for it. Don't know if there's anything to it, but as they say "the more you know..."

Scott! Great vid! I'm glad you shared that. Funny you mentioned the Mercedes Sprinter hahahaha I was seriously thinking the same...cost if repair because it's a "Mercedes" would be big bucks. Still waiting out for the 59GL or a Beyond with Lithium power. Waiting prob another year to let take advantage of the lower price and older model years. Seems the Ram promaster and the Fords costs are better for maintenance.

Assuming you could prove you had changed the oil at the proper intervals, (and I'm sure you have) I would argue the "Dirty engine" and the tuneup were a product of the rocker arm failure and should have been covered. I would fight that. Good luck.

As a former Dodge mechanic the work and prices are correct. Not familiar with the engine or the rocker issue but they apparently knew about it. I’m sure a Technical service bulletin was written about it. The engine flush, Eh’ you could have passed. I would have argued the plugs. I’ll split the labor....dealer pays parts because he’s already under there LoL. Still not a lot of money in the big picture. I’m glad Dodge improved the brakes. They use to suck 😂. Nice review though 👍🏼

Great information for this T wannabe. Thank you for sharing. But where is your sidekick Luke?

Stay safe and stay inside. Cheers!!!

Hey Scott. Thanks for the ProMaster warranty review. I was wondering if the shimmy you feel was still going on. Last July, I purchased the exact same van used in my Regency National Explorer Tour. I don’t have any shimmy in it and have been very happy with the van’s performance. Granted, I’m only part time on the road and have just 6k miles on it. Take care and hope to catch up once the virus is over and you are in the DF area again. Stay healthy!

Hello! Met you at the Tamp RV show. We stayed outside the fence on Friday night and you can over and had a glass of wine and a fun time with us. We have the Ram Promaster Pleasureway Lexor and like it so far (haven't gone very far yet, unfortunately). Enjoyed this video about the maintenance of your rv. Have you found out why you are getting the shimmy? Hope to see you on the road sometime

While you're not a mechanic it would serve you well to learn to do some of the simple tasks yourself like replacing air filters. Your vehicle is a complex machine and the more you know about the different systems the better off you will be especially since you're warranty is coming to an end. And nobody should have to replace spark plugs with such low mileage on the engine.

You probably mentioned this before but being new to your channel, what is your average mpg on your Travato, Dogdg Ram Promaster 3500?

I'm only 6 months in with 7K miles and the van has performed well. As I mentioned in my previous note my problem is with their limited technology. No sensors around the van, no adaptive cruise control, seat adjustments are challenging to use and limited. I agree with your reasoning for going with a gasoline engine, but I wish Ram would update. The Ford Transit may be a better chassis. I'm curious what your gas mileage is? I'm getting 12 mpg which seems low. Thanks again for your videos. Stay safe

I wish you would do a tutorial on using the nav. system in the Travato. We have a 2017 Travato G on a 2016 chassis. My wife and I cannot figure out how to put an address in the nav. system. So we use a Garmin Nuvi that is very easy to use. Dodge (Fiat) should have taken a lesson from them! Owners manual is worthless. Thanks

love the hat!!

Hi Scott, I was reminded of you when I saw a Fit Rv video. Do you watch them? They have a Travoto. James pulled out the head liner and put in more insulation. Maybe you could discuss this sometime and ask Terry if he is insulating there. Also you could ask the Winnebago rep.

I would NOT buy a Ram. I heard many times about problems. The dealerships don't want to take responsibility. Greed!!!!

Still running strong? I've read some scary reviews on promasters and warranty. It would otherwise definitely be my first pick. Just trying to get more info, an update would be great.

That "rocker" issue and dirty engine was BS if you ask me. Mechanics these days are not mechanics. They are computer technicians.

I'm still torn between the Travato or buying a gutted van and have a professional build it out the way I want it with better materials.. 🤔 But then there's the warranty issue if I have it built! Decisions, decisions..

So... was there any extended warranty offered on the Ram portion that would have covered any of this work? If so, how much and would it have paid for itself? Thanks for sharing.

Nice hat Scott!

Hello Scott, when you replaced the tires did it stop the shimmy/wobble you had at 38-42 mph?

Hello Scott, Been following your post on youtube. I wonder if you can share your upgrades you made on the Volta System. Did you get a new heavy duty alternator? to get you from 8700- 11000 Watts in KL /NPF .And The new Air Conditioning Unit you have replaced is it quiet? Thanks.

whatta bogus cwap--- valve rocker affects fuel/ air ratio...? they fucked you big... there are few O2 sensors control mixture, office collar got owned yall

Great info !! btw, would be nice to meet Kyle (?) sometimes :)

Sorry sir, The Ram Promaster is not a Dodge, it is a Fiat Ducato.

Does the Promaster comes with 4WD from the factory?

What type of gas mileage do you get with the Dodge Promaster?

Good video. However, I am now going to be “that guy” because Promasters are what I know best (and because I’m quarantine bored). I own 3 2014s, which we use commercially. 540,000 570,000 and 260,000 miles on them. Yes, 1.3 million miles. As you’d expect, I know them intimately. First point, avoid the dealers from here on out. They are the least competent, highest priced, longest wait service you can get! They suck, and I am convinced that Chrysler’s bad reputation is solely due to scummy dealers. Case in point was your wobble. Wobble CAN’T be caused by struts or ball joints. Wobble can only be caused by something that rotates, and suspension doesnt rotate. What a decent mechanic would do is put the rear tires on the front. If the wobble changes, it’s the tires. If it doesnt, you can rule out everything having to do with tires. Moving on...the lifter/rocker is the achilles heel of the pentastar engine. But problems with them are based on wear, and usually cropping up at around 120k. Yes, bad rockers will foul the oxygen sensors so that’s legit. But cleaning the engine is bullshit, as is a “tune up”. There is no such thing on this engine. The plugs are bullshit too. I generally get 300k or more out of plugs, and even if I didnt they are $8 each. That your rockers wore prematurely is probably due to oiling. If I had to guess, you are getting oil changes on the road at quick change places. These places suck, use the worst/wrong oil, and the teenagers who work there know nothing. Long story short: change it yourself with a $40 thing called a Topsider (seach on youtube) and use Penzoil Platinum 5w20 available at every Walmart in the country for the whopping sum of $22.98 for a 5l jug. With the topsider, you wont spill a drop and you wont have to get on the ground under the van. Moving on...air filters last 300+ k. They are gigantic and under $20 at Rockauto. I have never changed a cabin filter, but RV is different from the freight we do. What the dealer charged for your tire sensor is criminal. Part is about $70. What probably took yours out wasnt the sensor, it was the valve stem. Valves on these vans are super sensitive to dirt (and water) and MUST have a valve stem cap in place at all times. The 39 cent cap keeps the water out. Tires: I dont rotate, as the rears last over 200k but the fronts wear every 60-80k. Closing: happy to elaborate on any of these topics. Search my name on youtube and see some of my Promaster videos. With minimal care, you can get hundreds of thousands of miles out of these vans. The Travatos are dreamy.

$135 for a cabin air filter change??? Dude.

You will be unloading this Dodge in a year or 2 because you’ll go broke over the repairs

Hi Scott, another great video! I had the same coolant hose failure on my 2019GL back in February at about 5000 miles, took it to the local RAM dealer (San Jose, CA) and it took them one month to get it repaired and back to me. Part of the delay was the coodination effort with Winnebago as it needed their expertise to get the re-routing of the hose correct. BTW they charged almost twice what you had to pay, but Winnebago has said they will reimburse me. Still waiting for the RV Dealer to send the check. My concern is what if I was many miles from home when this happened? How long did it take them to fix this problem for you, and what did you do for a place to stay? Based on your experience with the various service requirements, do you think RAM dealers give scheduling priority to those away from home or full timers? Thanks!

buying a Rv is like buying a boat once you take delivery you are on your own. Manufacturers according to themselves claim they have never made a mistake!.Welcome to the blame game

You do know that you are driving a rebadged Fiat Ducato, don't you? The diesel is a much better choice. They are bulletproof.

My God you trivialized everything

Hey Scott Great video as usual!! But your true cost should reflect out of pocket + warranted cost + upgrades (tires) equals true cost for 1 1/2 year operation. Sounds like true cost during this time to be $6-8,000. I'm not sure what the condition of your house is in, but back when I had a sticks n bricks, I don't remember paying $2000.00 let alone having $8,000 for repairs in my first year and a half of moving in. It's nice to have a warranty to fix manufacturer problems, you actually paid for that warranty in the purchase of the vehicle. And then there's a safety recall, WOO, still outstanding on the RAM vehicle. I am uneasy driving a vehicle with known potential of resulting in a crash!!! With all said, hopefully you will take another look at your vehicle cost and experience.

There is a reason independent contractors DON’T BUY PROMASTERS. Transit.