# Sprinter Van for Painting



## Sustainable in OR. (Dec 30, 2010)

Anyone running a Sprinter Cargo Van for a painting vehicle?

Thinking of buying a High Roof version 144" wheel base with a ladder rack on top .
Do you like yours, hate it or what would you change?
Any advice appreciated on this.


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## RRP Expert (Dec 9, 2014)

Have you looked at the Ford Transit?

I have a friend that just got one and it's much nicer than the Sprinter. The only thing that the Sprinter has nicer is the spacing between the seats is a little bigger so you an put a file box there. Otherwise, the Ford is really worth looking at.


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## Phinnster (Feb 20, 2013)

I have a diesel freighliner / Mercedes sprinter
It's old now but has been great 

No racks which I should have. It often times is a trailer to us as we leave it on jobs 

It is deisel and gets great mileage 

I was excited for fords version but I hate the fronts ?
I am thinking the dodge ones that just came out 
I like them a lot !


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## Sustainable in OR. (Dec 30, 2010)

Have looked at the Ford Transit.
I have an F350 w/ 6.0 powerstroke 18 MPG with Cetane Booster in each tank. 
My mechanic is an owner / operator of a large repair shop repairing many models foreign & domestic. He somewhat wave me away from the new Transit. - Know he is not fond of working on Ford products. 
My concern about some of these Cargo Vans is the smaller towing capacity of 5000 lbs.


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## Ole34 (Jan 24, 2011)

I love my 2013 extended body... I get about 17mpg on average an about 22 on the highway. Drives like a car an turns on a dime for its size. I had a Chevy express rental for a week an it gave me a headache literally. I couldn't wait to return it. The sprinters have some nice safety features as well with more to come in the 2014 model like cross wind assist



Hers mine ... Just had the wheels painted black to match the body


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## Ole34 (Jan 24, 2011)

Sustainable in OR. said:


> Anyone running a Sprinter Cargo Van for a painting vehicle?
> 
> Thinking of buying a High Roof version 144" wheel base with a ladder rack on top .
> Do you like yours, hate it or what would you change?
> Any advice appreciated on this.


 

Best piece of advice is to NOT drive it like an American. By that i mean do NOT buy your oil at Walmart an do NOT have it serviced by your guy around the corner. these vans require what the manual says they require an they need to be service at the dealership by a Mercedes Tech


(unless your bringing in the money) im not sure these vans would be best served for pure painting rigs. i do a lot of other stuff with my van to generate money to help ease the cost of ownership


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## Damon T (Nov 22, 2008)

That sure us one sharp looking rig Ole! Whatever happened with that tinting / caulking issue?


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## Ole34 (Jan 24, 2011)

Damon T said:


> That sure us one sharp looking rig Ole! Whatever happened with that tinting / caulking issue?


 
well i went there... owner got a good talking too (very memorable for him im sure).. then he fixed it 


still cant believe that happened


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## Sustainable in OR. (Dec 30, 2010)

Very nice George!


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## capepainter (Mar 9, 2012)

I'm looking to pick up a ford transit van next year look like good little work vans


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

capepainter said:


> I'm looking to pick up a ford transit van next year look like good little work vans


If you're talking about "little work vans", you're talking about the "Transit Connect". That's a very different critter than the Transit. The Transit is Ford's new entry into the full-size Eurovan market, to compete with the Sprinter and similar models.

http://www.autotrader.com/research/...ford-transit-connect-whats-the-difference.jsp


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

Ole34 said:


> well i went there... owner got a good talking too (very memorable for him im sure).. then he fixed it
> 
> 
> still cant believe that happened


If you have a sprinter how come i saw you in this yesterday?


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## Jtpaintalot (May 4, 2011)

I want the new promaster by dodge ram. Lots of room. Looks weird on front end but prob just need to get use to it. I'm kinda waiting for the diesel 4 cylinder to come out and see mileage numbers . Although the v6 pentastar would have more power and would be more fun to drive I'm guessing. Pretty pricy though. They start at around $38 k in bc plus all the taxes and goodies. I just can't decide on 1500 low roof (easier ladder access) or the bigger 2500 or 3500 which would be nice to load right up with gear!


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## Sustainable in OR. (Dec 30, 2010)

I'm wondering if the dodge diesel when available for the Promaster will be a mini cummins?
Any thing diesel from ford scares me, especially after my experience with my 6.0 powerstroke that's parked tonight in my shop.


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## Seattlepainting (Jun 8, 2010)

Sprinters are pretty cool


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

Seattlepainting said:


> Sprinters are pretty cool


Cool? Yes, practical? That's the debate. If I knew it was worth the price tag I'd be saving up for one.


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## Sustainable in OR. (Dec 30, 2010)

What parts of the Sprinter makes this an impractical choice in your opinion?


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Sustainable in OR. said:


> What parts of the Sprinter makes this an impractical choice in your opinion?


We were looking at one for one of our other companies, and the roof height would be a deal-breaker for us to use for painting. We carry ladders, picks, and the occasional stack of scaffolding on the racks of our main work truck. I don't see us doing that on a Sprinter.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

When I bought our van, I thought about sprinters as well. My biggest concerns were maintenance costs since to get them down to a reasonable price used, they have well over 100,000 miles on them. Also, they seem to rust pretty bad compared to most trucks on the road. Not just isolated areas, but all over. Lots of salt on MI roads and it takes a toll.


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

Friend maintains a fleet of them and he says its a no go. They are expensive to keep on the road. Maybe that will go down as more of them get put into service here.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

DeanV said:


> When I bought our van, I thought about sprinters as well. My biggest concerns were maintenance costs since to get them down to a reasonable price used, they have well over 100,000 miles on them. Also, they seem to rust pretty bad compared to most trucks on the road. Not just isolated areas, but all over. Lots of salt on MI roads and it takes a toll.


The rust issue is something that seems to crop up in a lot of online reviews as well.


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## Sustainable in OR. (Dec 30, 2010)

I am also concluding that the sprinter is an expensive upfront purchase, maintenance situation.
Synthetic fluids, Oil, Diesel, Cetane Booster, DEF..............
Would be nice just to fill & go at the gas pump. 
My thought is a the GM van products are cheaper to maintain and purchase vehicle, but having a difficult time justifying crawling around in these when I can stand up and get to everything. 
Or is it just being a 55+ yr. old painter finally wising up a bit?
Seem many are getting 300K+ out of a Sprinter - Don't know if the GM product will do the same?


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## the paintman (Feb 3, 2012)

Not sure if I like the idea of a sprinter for myself. I don't see any advantages as a painter. But see a lot of disadvantages. So what if its high enough to walk around standing up in. I would have the floor loaded with to much stuff to be able to do that anyway. And what painter dosn't have a ladder or 5 on top of his van. You would need a ladder to get a ladder. What a pain.
I have been driving chevy vans for 30 years now and since they went with the new style in 96 they are the bomb. And every other painter must think so too, Every one drives them. 
Back in the day we considered a vehicle topped out at 96k because resale value took a dump afer 100k. Not so with MADE IN AMERICA anymore young grasshoppers. I get over 200k with all my Expresses now. And just sold a 96 with 250k for 3500. And he was happy to fork over the cash. The secondry market for good used work vans is very strong. All it had wrong with it was bad plastic and pot metal parts (door liners, inside handles and crap like that). The v8 engine was stll kickin ass (change that oil every 5k guys) and would still blow the doors off my new V6. It was a 1 ton and the transmission had never been touched yet. 
Heres the bottom line guys. If you would treat your American cars special like they "train" us to treat our foreign cars that we pay so much for up front and so much for parts and maintenance. They TOO would last just as long. Change that oil regularly. Buy AMERICAN!!!


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

Gough said:


> The rust issue is something that seems to crop up in a lot of online reviews as well.


That's my biggest issue with me buying a Sprinter, and why I won't. The rusted vans I see on the road would seriously piss me off if they were mine. After forking over that kind if money I expect the body to at least last FIVE YEARS without being covered in rust.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Sprinters are great vehicles for certain applications.

A good friend in NJ has one for his wallpapering business. He set it up with a small drop down table so he could do QUICK little jobs right from the inside. He also does a lot of commercial work and needs the room for his pasting machine, some staging, and other crap he uses. The ability to walk into the truck and access stuff is a big plus for him. Also, with that much "real estate" on the outside, he's turned it into one huge billboard advertising his business.

Another lady hanger that I (and Chrisn) knows has a Sprinter as an RV. She's big into NASCAR and utilizes it as a mobile home when going to events. She loves it.

Obviously sprinters can be really useful for all sorts of trades - plumbers, electricians, finish carpenters, etc. But as noted by others, the height would be an issue for anyone needing to carry long ladders - sure, they can hold a hell of a lot of shorter ladders inside.

List what you need for your jobs and determine how you would carry it all in/on a sprinter. One could be the best thing you ever owned, our the biggest PITA.


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## Zman828 (Mar 11, 2013)

Yeah I like these vans, I am also considering the new ford transit. The major downside is the MPG


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## Sustainable in OR. (Dec 30, 2010)

Seems like allot of folks are considering the Ford Transit full size van. 
I did look at a RAM Pro Master the other day in the high roof, short wheel base. 
Thinking this might be a little bit easier to get a 32' ladder off the roof rack than the Sprinter- don't know about this yet?
Mercedes Sprinter just seems like a better long term investment and potential return when it get's sold a few years later. 
Not sure about the Transit or Promaster


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## Danahy (Dec 11, 2008)

Don't those tall vans have side options for mounting ladders? I swear I see them all the time while driving.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Sustainable in OR. said:


> Seems like allot of folks are considering the Ford Transit full size van.
> I did look at a RAM Pro Master the other day in the high roof, short wheel base.
> Thinking this might be a little bit easier to get a 32' ladder off the roof rack than the Sprinter- don't know about this yet?
> Mercedes Sprinter just seems like a better long term investment and potential return when it get's sold a few years later.
> Not sure about the Transit or Promaster


I'm not sure about the potential return for those PT members who live in the Salt Belt. For those of us who live where they don't use salt, it's probably better.


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## PremierPaintingMa (Nov 30, 2014)

Schmidt & Co. said:


> That's my biggest issue with me buying a Sprinter, and why I won't. The rusted vans I see on the road would seriously piss me off if they were mine. After forking over that kind if money I expect the body to at least last FIVE YEARS without being covered in rust.


When i took mine to the Mercedes dealer recently I pop the rust question and I was told that they had problem with the primer they used up until 2008 from 2009 and up it shouldn't have any problem.
I love my Sprinter does about 20 to 22 mile, but i don't use it for painting only for Windsurfing it's to high 9 feet, with ladders on top i will have to use a different route.


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