If you are looking for a new Sprinter or camper built on the Sprinter chassis, the first half of 2009 might be the ideal time to buy. Not only will prices still be declining but interest rates should be very much in favor of the taxpayer. Of course, you will need a good down payment and have an excellent credit rating but if you got it, spend it.

Eventually, all the current government spending and promised government spending will come home to roost and many predict when the recession ends, we will see inflation or even hyper-inflation. Inflation means that Sprinter is going to double in price and interest will go from affordable to astronomical.

How much has the government spent so far? Bailoutsleuth.com details:

• $2T Emergency Fed Loans
• $700B TARP (designed to buy bad debt, the fund is transforming to whatever Paulson wants to buy)
• $300B Hope Now (the government’s attempt at mortgage bailouts)
• $200B Fannie/Freddie
• $140B Tax Breaks for Banks
• $110B: AIG ($40B of TARP money, plus $110B in other relief)

That’s close to $4.5 trillion and with the new government coming in January, it will only go up.

So start thinking about that new Sprinter. Good pricing, low interest and fuel costs and a vehicle that you can live in (if need be) and carry you away from all this to Canada or the beaches of Baja.

Both stickers in the post below are from Daimler-Chrysler or Chrysler or who ever was last in charge or still is in charge. As you can see, there seems to be some disagreement.

This is how I see it . . . If your rear axle is maxed out (5360 pounds) you need tires that would carry 2680 pounds. If your front axle is maxed (3970 pounds) you need tires that would carry 1980 pounds. Take into account 8550 pounds is your maximum weight and the tires would need to carry 2137 pounds each. My tires carry 3049 pounds at maximum pressure so I have capacity left over. I guess that extra is in part for the added load of turning, acceleration and braking.

The bottom sticker in the post below is basically useless.

The combined weight of the occupants and cargo should never exceed 3242 pounds.

And how do we do that? Weight the occupants and cargo before loading it? Load-up, weigh and subtract the empty weight? What is the empty weight? That sticker is useless and incorrect. Look at the front tire psi – 47 pounds. That means to me the tire will only be able to carry be able to carry 58% of rated weight. That means if your front axle is maxed out, your front tires will not have the required capacity to carry your load.

Weigh your vehicle as close to being completely loaded for ”bar” as possible. Front axle, the whole caboodle, rear axle. Today my weight was front – 3380 pounds; caboodle – 7680 pounds; rear - 3960 pounds. (I was wrong in the post below about being within a couple of hundred pounds.) Since I am running at 90% of my maximum weight I suppose I could air my tires at 90% or 72 pounds. This is assuming all the math, capacities, etc. are linear which I have no idea if this is the case.

The only way to be 100% sure is run the tires at the maximum that is printed on the sidewall and keep your weight below the maximum allowed – the GVWR. Take the GVWR from your certification sticker (shown here) from the door jam area or driver seat. Don’t use the owners manual for weight - that is incorrect (at least mine is).

If you are below your maximum weight by 15% then maybe back off on the air pressure. Keep your tires inflated according to your actual weight or air them higher – never lower.