High roofed van

[TheBeardedWanderer88]

What are some other options for older, reliable cargo vans with a higher top/roof. I really wanted a sprinter but even the used market prices are insane, I was trying to keep the vehicle cost under $10,000.

I was also thinking maybe just a regular cargo can and I am more than comfortable installing my own high top on it.

 

[John61CT]

Try to find one you like with HT already in place, even if you need to travel.

To me the thousands needed to add one aftermarket only makes sense on a newer pricier base.

 

[Almost There]

Cargo or passenger vans with the really good high top already installed are actually fairly rare. Commercial use over the past couple of decades has far outstripped personal use in domestic vans. That's why it's so hard to find one without a bazillion miles on it already.

The 'conversion vans' normally only came with what's called a 'tv roof' - just high enough for passengers seated in the captains chairs in the rear to have sufficient headroom and a space behind the driving compartment for the installation of the entertainment unit. These do not give standing height.

The easiest and less costly way to get the high top is to find one in the junkyard and remove it from the donor van. It's easiest done it you can line up both vehicles side by side but it that's not possible it just means more muscles are needed. Obviously you need one that will fit but given the long production run of vans and almost standard sizing it's not THAT hard to find one.

It generally takes 2 to 4 strong people and a couple of pieces of 8' lumber to move the high top from the donor van to your new one.

Get your butyl tape from a marine supply so that it's the good beige stuff instead of the RV gray one. Gray has a 10 year life expectancy, beige is 20.

There's lot of video's out there of installing the high top. The hardest part is mental in cutting away the van roof...  

Years ago I had a van with the 24" high top but the original roof had been cut away except in the driving compartment. It had cupboards built RV style all around the rear of the van. This van came complete with the high top but the installation had left the back 30" of original roof in place. Man is that storage compartment ever handy. I'll never be without it again, much better than small cupboards.

 

[TheBeardedWanderer88]

The more and more I look into it, I just may have to wait a bit longer so I can save up an extra 5000-6000 to get a sprinter like I want, I plan on driving a lot and going full time so I guess its worth the extra cash

 

[ArtW]

Ford Transit? i dunno how cheap you can find a used Sprinter, but my understanding is new the transit is much less expensive

 

[TheBeardedWanderer88]

Ford Transit? i dunno how cheap you can find a used Sprinter, but my understanding is new the transit is much less expensive

But how do they compare up size/space/reliability wise?

 

[ArtW]

Transits are newer, in the US market,so reliability is hard to judge, but Sprinters after a certain year had reliability problems, and the were expensive ones, from what I gather
I'd check out some forums on both
The Transit (not connect) is offered in a high roof extended that I think is very comparable the the Sprinter, though I haven't done a side by side comparison
They're both essentially European vans brought to the US market
I am no expert, so definitely add salt to my opinion

 

[TheBeardedWanderer88]

Another option I tossed in the air was a Chevy Express w/ the high top, they're priced well even for ones under 100K and any major mechanical issue I can't fix pretty much any garage will fix across the US plus the parts are way cheaper and easily available. Once you toss mercedes on parts it triples the price lol

 

[ArtW]

I didn't mention those because (1) it can be hard to find one with a high top already installed and (2) my very obvious pro GM bias would have been, well, obvious lol

 

[TheBeardedWanderer88]

I didn't mention those because (1) it can be hard to find one with a high top already installed and (2) my very obvious pro GM bias would have been, well, obvious lol

Its okay to be biased, I have owned Chevy's my whole life, hell one of my trailblazers had 250,000 on it. Only reason I sold it was computer issues and I didn't wanna deal with it anymore, engine ran great mechanically. So I sold that and what did I buy? Another trailblazer.

Back to vans, I can find Express vans fairly cheap around me with around 65-80K miles on them, I have no problem buying a high top to install on one. I am researching vans a lot, I am looking to buy within 6-8 months. Maybe I should read into the express more, the only thing that drew me to sprinters was you hear all these stories about insane mileage on them

 

[ArtW]

You do, on the older ones, and I could be repeating tales about the newer ones, as I'm speaking strictly third hand when I talk about a Sprinter, not even 2nd hand experience
Personally if it was my own money I was spending, and I had enough to consider a Sprinter, I'd get a late model Express with a high top, or have a high top put on it, but that's me being very pro GM and having only academic knowledge of diesels in general and Merc diesels in particular

I'm not out of place next to a car with a wrench, but with a Sprinter I'd be at the mercy of others, as far as maintenance / repair, and that's not where I like to live