Dodge Sprinter van

[onebiguglymother]

I am looking at purchasing three new vehicles for my service department and the Dodge Sprinter has caught my eye. Does anyone have any experience/information/feedback?

[condenseddave]

Well, they'll match your username...

I prefer cube vans, myself. I'm getting damn near 12 mpg on the highway out of 6 ton GMCs.

Dodge vans, historically, have really sucked with weight in them. The Sprinter design is new to them, but not "new" perse, as they have been made for a long time by Dodges' parent company, Daimler, for European use.

I believe that Freightliner also produces this design, but do not know if they are a division of Daimler.

What type of service are you doing? Resi, comm, refrig???

I do mostly supermarkets, but almost every type of mechanical repair in them, so I saw the need for the Fedex type trucks.

[mayguy]

I've seen a couple of them starting to poke around here along with the Freightliner..

At first it was odd seeing these, and thinking "are we becoming UK?". Now I don't look too bad.

[Dowadudda]

They are ugly, but I went and looked at a few just for grins a few weeks ago, and they were all decked out with shelving package. There pretty darn cool. Lots more room.

[glennwith2ns]

http://www.automotive.com/reviews/13/2003/dodge/sprinter-3500/buyersguide/

2003 Dodge Sprinter 3500 Buyer's Guide

Looking for A New Car?




2003 Dodge Sprinter 3500 High Roof
More 2003 Dodge Sprinter 3500 trims
• Standard Roof



Vehicle Overview
Trim: High Roof
Body Styles: 2-Dr Ext Cargo
Engines: 2.7L Inline 5
Transmissions: 5 Speed Automatic
Drivetrains: Two Wheel Drive
Exterior Colors
Black
Green
Red

Blue
Orange
Silver

Brown
Pink
White

Gold
Purple
Yellow

Interior Colors
Beige
Gray
Red

Black
Green
White

Blue
Other

Performance & Efficiency Standard Features
-Auxiliary transmission cooler
-Turbo compressor
-2,686 cc 2.7 liters 5 in-line front engine with 88 mm bore, 88.4 mm stroke, 18 compression ratio and four valves per cylinder MQ6
-Diesel fuel
-Diesel common rail fuel system
-Main 95 liter diesel fuel tank
-Power: SAE and 115 kW , 154 HP @ 3,800 rpm; 243 ft lb , 330 Nm @ 1,600 rpm

Handling, Ride & Braking Standard Features



PINK?

heard there was a big demand for them in the Pittsburgh area

[roger g]

looks an awfull lot like my VW Eurovan that I had once. One ton rated and could tow 2 tons. Could turn on a dime and could almost climb trees with snow tires. Some had sliding doors on both sides. Best "feeling" van I ever drove. BUT !!!!!!!!! around $200.00 per shock absorber, $8,000.00 for an automatic tranny NOT installed.Wiper arms were around $50.00. The drivers wiper arm was different from the passenger which was also different that the wiper arm at the back window. spark plugs were about $15.00 each. Lots of electrical problems AND I would have another Eurovan in a minute!

roger

[onebiguglymother]

Well I just took delivery of a 2003 Sprinter 2500. Nothing fell off or broke on the drive from the dealer to the office. So far so good.

I am moving a tech from a 2002 Astro and I can't wait to see his face in the AM.

Thanks for the input. We are shopping for a graphics person to spruce up our fleet. I'll post a picture once the Sprinter is decked out.

[mayguy]

wow, that'll be a big eye opener for him in the morning! LOL gotta see a pix of him on that1


nice thing you'll be going to Diesel, and that'll save on the fuel bill.

[onebiguglymother]

We will save approximately $1,400 per year in fuel alone. With the 500,000 mile driveTRANE, I am looking at 10 years in the service department then 10 years in install and the van will still have life in it. Sure looks good on paper! I guess time will tell.

[mayguy]

THat's a pretty good number.. Looks like you been doing your math already!lol

Just hope and pray that your guy will take care of the van!

You live in the northern states? Cold maybe hard on the Diesel if you don't have them plugged in.

[hvac45]

Boy, that van sounds great but it is butt ugly.

[mayguy]

Onebig,

How's the new van working out for you guys?

Looks like someone else is looking at one..

[BaldLoonie]

Saw a review in a car mag recently. What caught my eye is the comment about lousy A/C. That wouldn't go over well with our techs!

[Diceman]

Is that pink or hot pink? Big diff.

[mayguy]

Bald,

Just dump in more R-134a in to the system! Or add on a Roof Top! :-)

[uncle buck]

My nieghbor 4 doors down is a plumber he has 4 trucks on the Road. He just replaced a second truck with another frieghtliner sprinter van. He feels that this is a great van 8600 # gvw 5 cylinder mercedes diesel, 5 speed automatic transmission, also an outstanding factory installed bulkhead. It also has 16 inch rims with Load-Range "E" tires. He feels that the fuel savings justifies the extra cost. He intends to replace his last 2 vans within 2 years. His father who started the company and turned it completely over to him and his Brother about 13 years ago has a mercedes diesel car with over 400,000 miles on it that he cannot bring himself to get rid of. With the cost of gasoline through the roof. this van is a serious alternative to a Ford or a chevy!! Ya it looks "FUNNY" But remember it has a "MERCEDES" "DIESEL" The record shows like it or not Mercedes has never made a piece of junk. My first choice would be one of these vans. my second would be a chevy or gmc. My first 10 years in this business drove Chevy's. Last 9 years have been driving Fords. I would like a sprinter van. I have made it a point to talk to Trades-men I have seen driving these vans, and so far everyone of them said its a nice van to work out of.

[sctech]

grrrrrr all I get is a lousy 1/2 ton truck with a box on the back.. but atleast the a/c works.

[HeyBob]

The Freightliner and Dodge Sprinter are rebadged Mercedes Benz vans. Diamler Chrysler owns Freightliner so that name was used in the USA. Mercedes is percieved as a luxury make in the USA and after a survey they decided not to use the Mercedes name because of that. Imagine having the Mercedes name on the van, pulling in the driveway and having the homeowner see "Mercedes", you can bet he might want to negotiate the bill.

I also read at another site that FedEx makes their employees take a 2 week driving course on the Sprinter because it's extremely narrow, very high and has a propensity to roll over when loaded heavily.

As for me I am now buying Grumman stepvans on a Ford E-Series chassis, the service guys love them and 88,000 UPS guys can't be wrong.

http://www.morganolson.com

[otto]

The new Chrysler 300 is a repackaged Mercedes.