sprinter van thoughts

[BradKW]

I was chatting with an NCR employee in HD parking lot the other day, as he was driving a Promaster and I wanted to get his thoughts. He says he drives around 1k miles a weeks and it is a fleet vehicle. He said he didn't really like the transmission and the seating (seemed to be referring to the actual positioning, not the seat itself). In general, he was happy because it was a big upgrade in available space for him, but without being asked, he volunteered that his company would be ditching the Promasters in favor of Ford next year, primarily due to high maintenance issues.

For me, I will be more than happy to look at the Fords when I'm ready to buy, but they haven't been out very long which means there won't be much variety to choose from, and what is there will be expensive. I've decided that stand-up room is a priority for me, which means odds are good I'll go with a used Sprinter. From everything I've read and heard, Promaster isn't something I'm interested in, Nissan wastes too much space with their cab/engine layout, which leaves Sprinter and Ford I think.

 

[Almost There]

For me, I will be more than happy to look at the Fords when I'm ready to buy, but they haven't been out very long which means there won't be much variety to choose from, and what is there will be expensive. I've decided that stand-up room is a priority for me, which means odds are good I'll go with a used Sprinter. From everything I've read and heard, Promaster isn't something I'm interested in, Nissan wastes too much space with their cab/engine layout, which leaves Sprinter and Ford I think.

OR, you could go with a traditional cargo/passenger van with a high top on it since one of your priorities is standing height (it's mine too).

 

[BradKW]

Good point, and not one I have dismissed altogether. However, when I see high top standard vans, it kinda screams "camper" to me. Since stealth with be up on my priority list, I'm tending away from them. If you're aware of hightop Chevy or Fords that appear utilitarian, I'd be interested in following that line of thinking... thanks

 

[B and C]

You could always go the dog wash van route:

2004 model
or

2014 model

 

[Almost There]

Good point, and not one I have dismissed altogether. However, when I see high top standard vans, it kinda screams "camper" to me. Since stealth with be up on my priority list, I'm tending away from them. If you're aware of hightop Chevy or Fords that appear utilitarian, I'd be interested in following that line of thinking... thanks  

A plain  (no windows like mine) high top on top of a cargo van with no RV windows and no vents/propane hookups/holding tank drain pipes looks no more 'camper' than a regular van. I'm talking about the 24" high top not one of those pseudo hightops that is on all the conversion vans.

It's when you start putting up drapes, rv windows and adding all the obvious external connections for a camper that it looks like a camper IMO.

Don't worry about a roof vent though, I saw a police van going down the highway with one...lol.

 

[darude]

I was chatting with an NCR employee in HD parking lot the other day, as he was driving a Promaster and I wanted to get his thoughts. He says he drives around 1k miles a weeks and it is a fleet vehicle. He said he didn't really like the transmission and the seating (seemed to be referring to the actual positioning, not the seat itself). In general, he was happy because it was a big upgrade in available space for him, but without being asked, he volunteered that his company would be ditching the Promasters in favor of Ford next year, primarily due to high maintenance issues.

For me, I will be more than happy to look at the Fords when I'm ready to buy, but they haven't been out very long which means there won't be much variety to choose from, and what is there will be expensive. I've decided that stand-up room is a priority for me, which means odds are good I'll go with a used Sprinter. From everything I've read and heard, Promaster isn't something I'm interested in, Nissan wastes too much space with their cab/engine layout, which leaves Sprinter and Ford I think.

as well as the promaster costs just as much as a small sprinter once you added in the diesel option!!

 

[myke]

i took one out yesturday i liked how it handled and how it got upto speed. me being used to sprinters i can say they auto trans runs more like a manual i didn't like it and i didn't like the fact that when i took my foot off the brake i started rolling backwards either but i do like the space in them. and one more thing to consider in my book would be long term reliability since they have fiat motors in them :-/  as others have mentioned on here. so far they don't seem like bad vans they just need some refinements is all

The transmission in the gas version doesn't work like that, it's a regular automatic. The motor and transmission is Dodge though, same as in the grand caravan

I was chatting with an NCR employee in HD parking lot the other day, as he was driving a Promaster and I wanted to get his thoughts. He says he drives around 1k miles a weeks and it is a fleet vehicle. He said he didn't really like the transmission and the seating (seemed to be referring to the actual positioning, not the seat itself). In general, he was happy because it was a big upgrade in available space for him, but without being asked, he volunteered that his company would be ditching the Promasters in favor of Ford next year, primarily due to high maintenance issues.

But yeah I worry about the reliability in them, and getting work done on them...

 

[darude]

The transmission in the gas version doesn't work like that, it's a regular automatic. The motor and transmission is Dodge though, same as in the grand caravan


But yeah I worry about the reliability in them, and getting work done on them...

i'll prob wind back up in a sprinter again. I prefer a diesel van because it leaves options for heating open like a wabasco heater or a Dickenson marine fire place vs propane with propane being 3.67 a pound last time I looked and I won't have all of the moisture issues that people have using propane as well as worrying about not waking up

 

[highdesertranger]

I think you mean propane is 3.67 gallon not a pound. even that's kinda expensive, around here it's about 2.50 a gallon. highdesertranger

 

[BigT]

I drove 2012, 2013, and 2014 diesel Sprinters for two years, commercially, and it seemed like they were in the shop more often than not.  They had countless warning lights on the dash, and at least one of them was lit pretty much all the time.  As for service, get ready for bankruptcy.  The MB dealer wanted an arm and a leg for even the most basic service or repair.  

Granted, using them for commercial use they probably got driven a little more than your average dweller would, but we were't putting that much on them.  We just used them to shuttle high tech workers from building to building in the same small city.  

Great vans otherwise, though.  Fun to drive, fast and comfortable!  Ours were averaging 17 mpg.

 

[BradKW]

Its worth mentioning that it appears there was a some type of major changes made in certain Sprinter years. I haven't completed my research by any means, but all I've read indicates that from 2006 to 2007 there was a significant change in either the engine itself, or in the emission controls. The gist of it being that 2006 models are more reliable and less prone to expensive repairs. There also seems to be a change between 2009 and 2010 in emission controls that again indicates the newer models more prone to problems.

What makes it difficult to pin down the "truth" so far, has been that my sources of information are forum related postings, sometimes with conflicting information, and difficulty to weigh anecdotal experiences. Sometimes I will see private sellers posting something like "2006- most desirable engine!" and want very high prices. Then I will see a 2006 with low mileage (66k) on a dealer lot for $13k, versus $23k from private.

I certainly plan to continue researching before I make any decisions...

 

[Duck]

i'll prob wind back up in a sprinter again. I prefer a diesel van because it leaves options for heating open like a wabasco heater or a Dickenson marine fire place vs propane with propane being 3.67 a pound last time I looked and I won't have all of the moisture issues that people have using propane as well as worrying about not waking up

Espar heaters come in gasoline models now too.

 

[darude]

Its worth mentioning that it appears there was a some type of major changes made in certain Sprinter years. I haven't completed my  research by any means, but all I've read indicates that from 2006 to 2007 there was a significant change in either the engine itself, or in the emission controls. The gist of it being that 2006 models are more reliable and less prone to expensive repairs. There also seems to be a change between 2009 and 2010 in emission controls that again indicates the newer models more prone to problems.

What makes it difficult to pin down the "truth" so far, has been that my sources of information are forum related postings, sometimes with conflicting information, and difficulty to weigh anecdotal experiences. Sometimes I will see private sellers posting something like "2006- most desirable engine!" and want very high prices. Then I will see a 2006 with low mileage (66k) on a dealer lot for $13k, versus $23k from private.

I certainly plan to continue researching before I make any decisions...

Don't buy any diesel that's 2010 or newer or you'll be kicking yourself in the ass everyone it breaks down. Anything with any scr engine is crap. The engines are more complicated than they already are and they cost more to fix!! Last time I got a qoute from my mb mech cause i was curious. For shits and giggles I asked him how much it would cost to replace the box sensors in the sprinters for the def and he said around $2000.00 bucks. In my area I can buy 3 year old sprinters for 11k but do I want to no because there all lemons and the mechs can't figure out what's going on with em

 

[darude]

And an 07 will have a dpf and an egr. The one bad thing with a dpf is if it gets clooged with soot the vehicle won't start!!

 

[arizonatruck]

I have thought about purchasing  one of the new transits from ford once more come available used.  But new they are around $35 to $40k.

 

[Evil Patrick]

I bought a new 2012 170 2500 and it's been nothing but a joy to own and drive. Granted, it's a conversion that's only used as RV. It's not a daily driver. It's not a work horse.

As far as emissions, here's what I learned and what rules I follow.

Get a Scan Guage
Use the tiptronic shifting liberally to
1) Keep the engine load low and
2) Keep the engine rpms in the general area of the "sweet spot" (2400)

This will help not only in providing the best fuel economy, but also keep the emission controls from getting fouled with diesel soot.

Don't let the engine idle for more than about 3 to 5 minutes at a time, since that's a likely situation that potentially can result in excess soot.

I'm getting between 20 and 21 mpg all around.

If anyone is driving their Sprinter without trying to follow the above tips, they might be more prone to issues that put them into the mechanics shop. And the chances that anyone has ever provided these tips to a new owner is very low. I stumbled on them by scouring Sprinter-source.com

Yes, it's important to use qualified MB mechanics, so be aware of your options with regard to that.

One reason to possibly consider a Ford or Mopar (or other competitor) as an alternative is the availability of shops. But face this fact: all new diesels are subject to the stringent emissions standards of today, and it is my understanding that no one has created technology that is bullet proof against the soot.

 

[wagoneer]

THE power of any van is diminished by the load. Weight= energy Being a big fan of Mercedes inline 6 diesel why do they not re-use this platform.
it's like a small cummins on steroids.

 

[Patrick46]

I'm surprised that no one on here has mentioned STEPVANS!

I really liked the Sprinters at first, but then I heard about maintenance issues (obviously a big topic on here...) but then I also do not like the way the body curves in toward the top = lost interior space!

Not so with a stepvan!

Folks have been commenting about how they like their diesels, well you can get or install a good 'ol 5.9 Cummins Turbo Diesel in a stepvan, and get their great mileage PLUS all that extra power for hills.

Plus, the good reputation the Cummins have for maintenance...

Plus, the added room a stepvan offers inside...

Plus, the fun of driving down the road with your doors slid open!!


STEPVANS FOREVER!!!

 

[wagoneer]

Great point Patrick having owned many a step van agree

 

[sassypickins]

Patrick I sure agree with you. Best time ever was driving cross country in my old stepvan with both doors wide open. Sassy