"As professional as they seem to be it makes me wonder how the safety department isn't all over that issue; considering many of those Sprinters have a custom built sleeper package."
I don't know where the misconception came from that all Sprinters with a custom sleeper package cannot haul more than 2000 pounds of freight. Most can. For the 06 and earlier long and tall Sprinter, with the GVW being 8550 lbs and the curb weight being 4600 lbs, that leaves 3950 for outfitting and cargo. Incidentally, the Sprinter's curb weight as listed by Mercedes includes all operating consumables like gas, coolant, oil, and also includes 75 kilograms (165 lbs) for a driver. If you want to haul 2500 pounds, assuming 300 pounds for securements and personal items, that leaves 1150 pounds from which to construct a customized sleeper.
The Midwest Upfitters "Expediter" package, which is the most common manufacturer custom upfit for expediting, yields an "empty weight ticket" on an 06 and earlier long and tall of about 6250, which leaves 2300 for cargo. Other popular manufacturer upfits are in the same ballpark, give or take a couple hundred pounds.
Those two particular $90,000 vans obviously had something else going on besides a standard expediter upfit, be it special appliances, extra heavy anti sway bars or springs, something. I know too many people with the manufacturer upfits and have seen too many empty weight tickets not to know that many of these Sprinters can haul 2000 pounds of cargo without any problems. Some can haul 2500, some even more. Yeah, some can't even haul 1700 pounds.
I can haul 2290 lbs in mine. I've got those shelves, and the bunk, that are made out of some pretty heavy bookcase-type wood, and there's the Microfridge, and the batteries, etc.
