Dodge Promaster
- Thread starter Big Al
- Start date
westmicher
Veteran Expediter
Why do you detest the Promaster so much???
I would think the Promaster would beat out the NV in a fuel economy contest. Two concerns I have about the Promaster are the underpowered Pentastar gas engine (durability over the long haul) and the weight distribution with the front wheel drive.
westmicher
Veteran Expediter
Oh, so many bad jokes come to mind...
westmicher
Veteran Expediter
280 horsepower is underpowered???
I can tell you firsthand that a race against a $printer, loaded or unloaded, will leave the $printer in a ditch without any of its doors in sight!!!
westmicher
Veteran Expediter
Yup, it was full of stuff... emptied out now.
I'm not a motorhead. If I bought a Promaster it would be to haul freight not race Sprinters. My 6.0 GM puts out 100 more lbs-ft of torque than the Promaster. I equate the more than adequate power to get the job done to my engine's longevity.280 horsepower is underpowered???
I can tell you firsthand that a race against a $printer, loaded or unloaded, will leave the $printer in a ditch without any of its doors in sight!!!
westmicher
Veteran Expediter
Actually, I bought mine to do both... compete against $printers HAULING FREIGHT!
I see now that your complaint is NOT that the engine rated in the top ten engines of 2013 is underpowered... but perhaps not as durable as you need. Gas engines of the past had some durability problems but modern well designed gas engines that are well maintained are as durable as anything else. That's my bet anyway.
So comparing the two we find, alphabetically:
ProMaster 280hp 260tq
Sprinter 161hp 265tq
So the ProMaster has 74% more hp and 1.9% less tq
Sprinter has 43% less hp and 1.9% more tq
So does that mean the Sprinter is also underpowered and no good for the long haul?
Might as well compare diesels too.
ProMaster 174hp 295tq
Sprinter 161hp 265tq
ProMaster diesel has 8% more hp and 11% more tq
Sprinter has 7% less hp and 10% less tq
Also, the Sprinter is 2.15L and the ProMaster is 3.0L so how do we factor engine size into it, if at all?
ProMaster 280hp 260tq
Sprinter 161hp 265tq
So the ProMaster has 74% more hp and 1.9% less tq
Sprinter has 43% less hp and 1.9% more tq
So does that mean the Sprinter is also underpowered and no good for the long haul?
Might as well compare diesels too.
ProMaster 174hp 295tq
Sprinter 161hp 265tq
ProMaster diesel has 8% more hp and 11% more tq
Sprinter has 7% less hp and 10% less tq
Also, the Sprinter is 2.15L and the ProMaster is 3.0L so how do we factor engine size into it, if at all?
As an aside, a Sprinter 2500 tall extended starts at $43,500 base price with no options at all. A ProMaster 3500 tall extended diesel loaded with options, probably more than most people would include, stickers at $45,275 including back up camera, second sliding door on driver's side, extra fobs, wood floor, alarm and many other options.
Murraycroexp
Veteran Expediter
When I drove my van my limit was 2000 pounds unless there was a bonus for weight and then it was 2500 pounds limit. Anything over that and I said no thanks. I did one time carry overweight 13 miles. The shipper claimed 750 pounds. When it was put in the van I knew from suspension compression it was over a ton. When I got to the airport they weighed it and it was 3180 pounds. I left it with them and the customer paid for it's return because they couldn't get it flown for 750 pounds tariff.
Anyway, boring story aside, the max payload for a Sprinter 2500 tall extended is 2948. The max payload for a Sprinter 3500 tall extended is 3885 but you have to raise the floor and lose a lot of your height capacity. The max for the ProMaster is 3908 but you have full capacity of the 3500 cargo area with 58" between wheel wells. You also have a 46.8 foot turning radius vs. 54.6 in the Sprinter.
I doubt the ProMaster will be a Sprinter killer but it's almost assuredly a very strong competitor.
Anyway, boring story aside, the max payload for a Sprinter 2500 tall extended is 2948. The max payload for a Sprinter 3500 tall extended is 3885 but you have to raise the floor and lose a lot of your height capacity. The max for the ProMaster is 3908 but you have full capacity of the 3500 cargo area with 58" between wheel wells. You also have a 46.8 foot turning radius vs. 54.6 in the Sprinter.
I doubt the ProMaster will be a Sprinter killer but it's almost assuredly a very strong competitor.
A 2500 promaster ext starts at $36150. Dealers in Texas are selling them loaded for $34k
I do not quite detest it, I just don't like it as much as I like the NV. For one thing, the comfort. NV it's like you drive a Caddy, while Promaster remembered me the old Vandura. Then the transmission, it down shifts very often, the engine seems to be not that powerful as it's written on papers. The brakes are squeaking any time I touch them, the engine overheating at only 7000 miles, while the fuel consumption is about the same compared to NV. So far the only good thing about Promaster is the cargo area, I can put three pallets. It might be just my van with problems, not all of them, but when I talked to the technicians, they insisted that everything it's normal. I really doubt it.
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westmicher
Veteran Expediter
Max payload on spr. 2500 long & tall is what .....2948.....yes , with NO driver , fuel , generator , AC unit , clothes , bed ,.....less be honest here...sprinter 2500 long & tall maybe 2300 lbs. Legally available for freight if you pack light ....I have the spec. sheet on those sprinters...and I love it when a driver says he can haul 3000 lbs. legally.....I say really ,, I show him the spec. sheet and say lets go weigh it once .....none have volunteered to let me see that done....
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KickStarter6
Veteran Expediter
Underpowered is my extended E250 with the 4.6 V8 hauling 3100lbs thru Virginia. It wasn't worth the aggravation to go that slow
westmicher
Veteran Expediter
Any day on the Load boards I see many 2500 $printers claiming they can carry 3,500 lbs. or even more. The door sticker on my Promaster says I can carry 4,217 lbs. so using the $printer capacity I've seen, I can carry more than 5,000 lbs!!!