Quick question...Anyone? Anyone?

[mjmsprt40]

sorry to burst your bubble but the Transit is as foreign as a Sprinter.....

I hope Ford backs them better, anyway. One problem with the Sprinter was/is getting anybody-- including dealerships-- to look at it when it needs repairs. Whether it had a Dodge, Freightliner or Mercedes nameplate, it doesn't take long to figure out that only certain of those dealers will even look at opening the hood. If Ford gives better support, they may have a winner. If they only give spotty support like Daimler does the Sprinter, then who cares? it's another over-priced foreign fussbudget machine.

I'm not interested in driving a cargo Jaguar to impress the natives. I'm interested in having a tool of the trade that helps me do my job.

 

[mjmsprt40]

Chevy Chassis, 14 foot load floor 71 inch rear door opening...78 inch floor to ceiling...

I'll have to look into that.

 

[xiggi]

For our purposes, and having driven both a Sprinter and standard cargo vans, a Sprinter is a really large and sometimes incredibly expensive cargo van.

A Sprinter can be had with a 14 foot long cargo section, and with the Super High Top you can easily stand up in it. The standard cargo van-- I've had both Fords and now this Chevy-- has a 10 foot cargo section and the roof is just over 50" from the floor, with a 48" door height.

The Sprinter, regardless of the nameplate they hang on it, has Mercedes power. Expect to spend money accordingly. The diesel fuel economy is better, the newer ones not as much better though.

Fords and Chevys are cheaper to begin with and cheaper to get fixed when they break than Sprinters are, the gasoline engines burn more fuel and therefore your fuel cost per mile is higher. I haven't driven a diesel standard cargo van, so I don't know how they compare-- except to say that up to now, Fords and Chevies have used American engines so repairs should be easier to get, if not cheaper than Sprinters. Ford is getting ready to bring in the Transport vans that they've had in Europe almost since the invention of dust, so we'll have to see how those compare against Sprinters.

16 ft cargo space

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[xiggi]

Another case in point. The other day in Kentucky i was at a pilot with 14 vans. Only 3 of which were sprinters. When i got a load at 1600 it made all 3 sprinters gone and 10 cargo vans still there. There is more opportunity in a sprinter and often its not load size but because the customer requests one.

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[OntarioVanMan]

it all comes down to personal choices/likes and dislikes....some say yea, some say nay....

 

[wvcourier]

sorry to burst your bubble but the Transit is as foreign as a Sprinter.....

?? We must have a different definition of "foreign"....why invest money into Mercedees ,when i can invest it in Missouri

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[blizzard2014]

OVM, I agree the Sprinter prices are reasonable but after reading about all the expensive repairs that some have encountered leaves me afraid of them. Some of these repairs cost more then the cost of my used van. Love the size and height, just afraid of being put out of business because of a repair. Right now if something serious breaks, junk yard parts are easy for GM or just replace van for cheap.

When my van breaks again I'm gonna call the wrecker to pick it up and haul it away for scraps. I am not dropping another dime into a vehicle ever again. I like the non-asset asset light model of business. If my fax machine breaks it only cost me 50 bucks replace! I am done with maintenance, tires, breakdowns, and vehicle replacement funds.

 

[blizzard2014]

Another case in point. The other day in Kentucky i was at a pilot with 14 vans. Only 3 of which were sprinters. When i got a load at 1600 it made all 3 sprinters gone and 10 cargo vans still there. There is more opportunity in a sprinter and often its not load size but because the customer requests one.

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In some cases they do. I have about 20 sprinters and 2 box trucks leased on right now and it doesn't get me any preferences when it comes to loading them up. But I did get my box truck out of El Paso on a Ford load today! I wish I could just say the word sprinter and get a bunch of brokers calling me with 10 pound boxes to pick up.

 

[Turtle]

By the same token, you have customers requesting Sprinters for a load of 4 drums on 1 pallet, 3840 pounds. A Sprinter can't haul that, but an E-350 can.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

?? We must have a different definition of "foreign"....why invest money into Mercedees ,when i can invest it in Missouri

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not really.....I invest in South Carolina where 1,000's of Americans have jobs thanks to Sprinters......where the sprinter is assembled......like the Transit will be assembled in Mo.....

 

[mjmsprt40]

By the same token, you have customers requesting Sprinters for a load of 4 drums on 1 pallet, 3840 pounds. A Sprinter can't haul that, but an E-350 can.

Quickie question: Most of us, when we say "Sprinter" we mean the 2500 series. Because of the rear-wheel tubs sticking out as far as they do in the 3500 series, you can't get a pallet in unless you've built a platform, which reduces the capacity. But, just for giggles, what is the payload weight on a 3500 Sprinter? I realize by what I just wrote why a Sprinter can't haul your pallet with four drums. The 2500 series can't handle the weight, the 3500 series has those wheel tubs for the duallies, and of course a Ford doesn't have those tubs.

 

[Turtle]

The 3500 can haul about an additional 2000-2500 pounds over the 2500 series, but a 48x48 pallet of four drums won't fit into a 3500 anyway.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Quickie question: Most of us, when we say "Sprinter" we mean the 2500 series. Because of the rear-wheel tubs sticking out as far as they do in the 3500 series, you can't get a pallet in unless you've built a platform, which reduces the capacity. But, just for giggles, what is the payload weight on a 3500 Sprinter? I realize by what I just wrote why a Sprinter can't haul your pallet with four drums. The 2500 series can't handle the weight, the 3500 series has those wheel tubs for the duallies, and of course a Ford doesn't have those tubs.

How do you know they don't have "tubs"?.....the ones I've seen sure look like they do.....just saying

 

[mjmsprt40]

How do you know they don't have "tubs"?.....the ones I've seen sure look like they do.....just saying

All Ford E-series vans have tubs. But, unless you have the dually wheels (hmmm, I've never seen an Econoline with duallies) they have the standard tubs. You can get a pallet between them, it's 52" between the wheel tubs. For some reason, the 3500 series Sprinters seem to come with the dually wheel tubs, and a standard pallet won't fit between them. At least, not sideways the way I've sometimes loaded skids.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

All Ford E-series vans have tubs. But, unless you have the dually wheels (hmmm, I've never seen an Econoline with duallies) they have the standard tubs. You can get a pallet between them, it's 52" between the wheel tubs. For some reason, the 3500 series Sprinters seem to come with the dually wheel tubs, and a standard pallet won't fit between them. At least, not sideways the way I've sometimes loaded skids.

I see....you are correct....the 3500 sprinter is narrow...that is why the elevated floor idea...

 

[zorry]

Could you put a mini-super single on and narrow the tubs ?
Is there enough clearance in the wheel wells to narrow them w/o tire switch ?

 

[guido4475]

not really.....I invest in South Carolina where 1,000's of Americans have jobs thanks to Sprinters......where the sprinter is assembled......like the Transit will be assembled in Mo.....

Do you mean where the Sprinter is "re-assembled?"....After the sea salt air soaking on the way there?......lol...

 

[guido4475]

Could you put a mini-super single on and narrow the tubs ?
Is there enough clearance in the wheel wells to narrow them w/o tire switch ?

Why not just buy the correct van/Sprinter to do the job correctly, without modification, to begin with? I have heard that the new 2500 Sprinter can be ordered with a GVW of 9,900 also.Supposedly a couple from our company was going to get one.Single rear wheel.

 

[zorry]

Why not just buy the correct van/Sprinter to do the job correctly, without modification, to begin with? I have heard that the new 2500 Sprinter can be ordered with a GVW of 9,900 also.Supposedly a couple from our company was going to get one.Single rear wheel.

That'd be the way to do it.

 

[Turtle]

I have a quick question. If a tub is "a wide, open, deep, typically round container with a flat bottom used for holding liquids, growing plants, etc.," why are people referring to wheel wells as wheel tubs when the wheel wells don't resemble a tub in any way?

Is it kewl to do, or something? I don't want to miss out on kewl.