No More Saintly Patience with Mercedes-Benz; I’m Pissed

“Diane Nilan has the patience of a saint. Her followers and supporters do not.”

(friend’s email message to Mercedes-Benz corporate executives)

My van outside Albuquerque Mercedes-Benz Photo Diane Nilan

My “saintly patience” has been exhausted by my ongoing saga with Mercedes-Benz over the dangerous deterioration of my Sprinter van. My ire, however, has skyrocketed.

Background

Back in February 2020 on my Medium blog, I described my frustrating Sprinter saga, pushing for a solution to the chronic mechanical crises that have plagued me since I purchased this new camper-van back in September 2014. At the time, MB was touted as “the” van for campers. I fell for the hype, counting on it to be reliable and efficient.

Back in the days — 2014 — when my van and I were fresh. Photo courtesy HEAR US Inc.

I live full-time in the van, traveling cross-country to chronicle family homelessness for my one-woman HEAR US Inc. nonprofit. I purchased the van with my own money. This is my 2nd van; I’ve lived on the road since 2005 when I sold my home and belongings to pursue my unique, essential mission of raising visibility of family homelessness.