Sprinters...

[Alphacowboy]

Ok, i am getting really sick of this 98 Ram Van I own. Today the wipers decided to stop, and of course its turning into something not simple like a wiper motor. With that said, what ya'll think of the sprinter vans? Of you that own one, would you recommend them? Also, any idea where I can find a used one? I would love a new one, but I cant afford that, and for the life of me, I cant find any used ones locally that are not priced as if they were new. Any of you selling one... :-laf

 

[Forrest Nearing]

my buddy just got his, I should be getting mine next month or so. hopefully the boss will let me put a programmer on it

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

My big plans are to pick one up when I retire in a decade, or so, and hit the road. I'm waiting for the 4x4 or all wheel drive models



I've done some thinking about swapping my CTD in on one, but I can't be without a 4x4 for firewood,hunting, and winter travel. So the paid off CTD plus "shack" will do for the interim.



I had my backpacking buddy talked into one. Until a jiffy lube, of some sort, cooked his Tacoma and he replaced it with a Tundra. He also was jonsing for a 4x4 or AWD model.



Yo, DC are you listening? PS: put a 4bt in a crawler jeep and can the fake jeep with the Vitorihoochy.

 

[E7mack96]

I have a 2002 Sprinter Cargo van. it is the 140 wheelbase. it has like 64500 on it. runs like a top. I'd consider selling it.



Note: Edited to correct mileage

 

[Regcabguy]

My big plans are to pick one up when I retire in a decade, or so, and hit the road. I'm waiting for the 4x4 or all wheel drive models



I've done some thinking about swapping my CTD in on one, but I can't be without a 4x4 for firewood,hunting, and winter travel. So the paid off CTD plus "shack" will do for the interim.



I had my backpacking buddy talked into one. Until a jiffy lube, of some sort, cooked his Tacoma and he replaced it with a Tundra. He also was jonsing for a 4x4 or AWD model.



Yo, DC are you listening? PS: put a 4bt in a crawler jeep and can the fake jeep with the Vitorihoochy.

Don't wait until retirement for a Sprinter 4x4. They're available now from Pathfinder. I saw two models at the Auto show here in San Diego. My neighbor operates his mobile diesel cleaning business from one. Bring your money,lots of it.

 

[Elite1]

I like them, they also have a nice chasis cab, wish they had a chasis cab with a back seat. I would like one with the service body & seats 4.

https://www.fleet.daimlerchrysler.ca/en/dodge_sprinterchassis.html

 

[daytripper63]

They are hard to find used because nobody wants to give theirs up...

We bought a high roof extra long model and loved it and then bought another high roof in the medium wheelbase and will be buying two more this year.

Get the high roof

 

[TowPro]

I have a buddy that has one for his carpentry business, he loves it! Plus the fuel savings allows him to run a Ford V-10 to tow his camper



My brother (also a carpenter) says all the contractors are switching to them and loving them.



As far as getting one to see the country, They do build motorhomes on them but they are kind of skinny. If the 5500 Dodge ever comes out that will be a prime motorhome chassis.

 

[Katman]

Friend of mine has one for his business and loves it. I rented a Winnebago View last fall. It's a small RV built on the Sprinter 3500. Had a kitchen/dining room slide that made it real roomy. Fully self contained. It drove great and I got 18 mpg or better doing about 70 mph highways and cruising around northern maine.

 

[EKlem]

The sprinters are great vans. We have 10 of them here at school and I drive them all the time. I personally think that they are much better than the E-350's that they replaced.



Part of what is so good about them is how easy they are to drive. They are very comfortable and have great visibility. The driving position is upright and the steering wheel is close to horizontal which in my opinion is the way it should be. Not to mention, getting low 20's for mileage is really good when you have 10 people in the vehicle.



There are a few things that I think could be improved. The climate control system is unbelievably confusing. We ended up going through the whole manual before we really understood how to properly use it. The other complaint that I have is that the sliding door on the side and the back doors get hard to close if they are abused a lot.



There has been a lot of speculation about whether they would tip over easily and I don't think that it is a huge deal. In heavy crosswinds, you definitely can feel it but I have never felt unsafe because of it. In truth, there really isn't much weight up high, it just looks like they are top heavy.



One thing that I would warn against with the sprinters is doing any significant towing. They are rated for 5,000lbs and that really is the max for them. We tow 4,000lbs pretty regularly and I wouldn't want anything heavier. I don't think it would be safe and it is a pain to drop to 55-60mph on any reasonable hill.



My opinion is that they are great at what they are designed for.

 

[MCummings]

If the 5500 Dodge ever comes out that will be a prime motorhome chassis.

Not much longer to wait...

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1694361#post1694361



Merrick

 

[MMeier]

What kind of rear diff is being used in the Sprinters? I was looking one over a few weeks back and that thing looks smaller then the diff in my 4 Runner!

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Yo, DC are you listening? PS: put a 4bt in a crawler jeep and can the fake jeep with the Vitorihoochy.

:-laf I dunno about DC, but I read you loud and clear, good buddy.



Matt

 

[Ruckuz]

Anything you can do to turn up those little mercedes 5 bangers?:-laf

 

[Forrest Nearing]

Van Aaken makes a box for them... there are a few european companies that make them too.



and man do they NEED something. This thing is an absolute gutless wonder... wish I had the interior room of this van w/ the power (which was already severely lacking) of my E350 gasser (5. 4 modular)

 

[Ruckuz]

hmm, i wouldnt exactly call these things slow, considering what they are. We have one at work... its the 3500 DRW extended high roof. If you get the hang of the slam shift thing, you can actually make her haul some ***. I've had this truck loaded right up with tools, tablesaw, glass, tons of other stuff, and about 6 people... and it performs nicely. My only complaints are the stupid freaking climate controls, and the handling in high wind.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

hauling what? my Econoline would spank this thing... passing power is ZERO in this thing, trying to pass someone from a 70mph punch is a joke, and it will only do 82-83mph... the old Ferd would do well over 100mph, and, while a major dog compared to my Cummins, it would leave this thing in the dust



I kept hearing about how "peppy" these things were, and yeah, for their displacement I guess theyr'e not bad, but if I had my druthers, I'd rather have a high roof powerstroke than this turd!

 

[Forrest Nearing]

oh, and LMAO @ the climate controls!!!! I think they were designed by a martian or something...

 

[Ruckuz]

i'd rather ride a bicycle than drive a ford. don't you love how no matter what setting you have the heat on, it always blows cold air out of the two vents in the middle/top of the dash??

 

[Forrest Nearing]

you can have your bicycle, Dodge doesn't offer a Cummins in a van... give me an old 7. 3 turbo stroke in a high roof E350, I'm on board. heck, I think I'd rather have a gasser than this slug!