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GroundHawk

Expert Expediter
Have there been any reports of spriters laying over? I seen on the other day make a right hand turn into a driveway that was a little incline, and the driver was not going fast the right rear wheels came off the ground about a feet,I hiught the damn thing was going to turn over. Hawk
 
OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
I haven't seen anything like that. BUT I did see 2 of them stuck in snow BUT that too could have been driver error. 2 UPS.
 
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GroundHawk

Expert Expediter
Have you ever seen a front wheel car on one of those test courses where the driver is going around cones,and that right rear leaves the ground? Well that is what it looked like, I'm telling you the driver wasn't going fast anf the drive wasn't that steep, I will be watching this one. Hawk
 
OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
was it a courier truck? Maybe the driver had all his load on the shelving on one side? you know up the side of the inside wall and he turned to the other side. If the top selves had wieghty objects and the sprinter does look like it wouldn't take much to be top heavy. Remember the first Toyota so-called mini-van? all the rollovers cuz the passenger seating was above the centre of gravity. I am not looking looking to defend the sprinter only wanting to get the right info so when I buy my next vehicle I am not persuaded by half stories.
 
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GroundHawk

Expert Expediter
Well I think its something to look into, I have own a many vans loaded them all kinds of wrong ways and never encounterd that.I'm not a sprinter fan,I think that it has a lot of limits----I think a box truck is just as good. Hawk
 
OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Me neither, in the spring I intend to do a little fishin and check out the E350 Unicell body as Unicell has a big place in Mississauga. My next vehicle (now I've been in this biz for 2 yrs) I know what I want for accessories and really need.
 
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SpaceGhost58

Expert Expediter
Well I just wanted to add my two cents about the Sprinter.
I have been driving a sprinter for an O/O for a while and I must say that I am quite happy with it.
I have driven (Expedite) in the Chevy Express and the Ford 1 Ton and I do miss the cockpit layout of both the Chevy and Ford.

Having said that I am definitely not happy with the way the Sprinter becomes like a sailboat in high winds.
I grip the wheel and slow down in the winds because the van sure does like to shimmy!!
But most of the time I have no real problems with the way the van handles.
Yes you have to be careful when taking turns but I have never had the van lean or lift off the wheels.

I'm no mechanic but I am getting the van serviced on a regular basis and so far so good.

I am happy with the performance I get even with a full load. It sure can zip when it wants too!!

Basically I try to drive as safe as I can...I hit black ice a few years ago in a Chevy Express and came away from that incident shook up but safe and unhurt.

I do worry about the handleing of the Sprinter in the snow and ice.
But I stay off the road when the weather gets too bad.

I love the room I have in the van and I really am happy with the Bentz sleeper that folds down.

Another big negative is the difficulty to keep the van warm in cold weather.

I do have an extra heater and that helps!

Overall I am happy with the Sprinter....but if I had to purchase one for myself I would really have to give the Unicell a look!!

I am able to get loads that the other vans do not get due to the amount of cargo space and head room.

Been expediting now for the 2nd time about 4 months now and am keeping busy so I hope the Spring brings continued success.
Take care and be safe!

SpaceGhost58
 
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letsroll

Veteran Expediter
Hey Dreamer, I saw one of those unicells at the expediters show. The only thing was that the door swung up like a hatchback putting it in the way of a forklift, otherwise I liked the setup. Just my observation.

"expect the UN-expected"
 
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SpaceGhost58

Expert Expediter
Just to follow up my last thread.
I finally got to drive the Sprinter in snow and ice and heavy winds.
Well let me tell you that I was white knuckles all the way up I-75 from Ohio to Michigan.

At least three times I started to lose control of the van so I had to keep my speed to 35mph or less.
The roads were bad that night and I saw several big trucks jackknifed and off the road.

So I will not drive the van in the snow and ice if I do not have to.
It is a little nerve racking to say the least.

Well that's all I wanted to say!
 
redytrk

redytrk

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
I was warned several years ago by a Fed-Ex express driver of this problem.This was long before they were avail to the public.He said that control on snow and ice was nearly impossible."You just have to let it go where it wants to go"was his advise.I`ll bet if Consumer Reports ever doesm one of there famous roll over test,this problem will be shown up under test conditions.
 
W

Weave

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
One thing I don't see too many Sprinter owners doing is putting bigger or wider wheels and tires on the vans. That would probably be the first thing I would do if I bought one. Those stock wheels and tires on the Sprinter look like pizza cutters! Some chunky wide R/V radials on the rear would probably help the van get better traction and control in the winter.
-Weave-
 
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SpaceGhost58

Expert Expediter
Yes Lawrence I was loaded (carrying a Load that is!)only had about 800lbs.

It was quite nerve racking to say the least. And my owner has on the rear some Michelins that are wider than what I have seen on other Sprinters.

Maybe dual wheels would help...I would be curious to hear from the dually drivers.

Now I have the chance to drive a straight truck and after this last experience I am seriously going to look at that.

Any inputs to advantages/disadvantages would be helpful.

I really like the cargo van but I am being given an opportunity that I don't think I could pass up.

I just know that there is more required (I'll have to get my class B)
Log Books, Tolls, Parking, New HOS regulations, Scales etc.)

That was something that I did not want to deal with.

But I am told that there are more loads offered at higher rates and that I would do good.

Oh yeah...my O/O is selling all his cargo vans so I might have no other choice.
Except maybe buy my own vehicle.

I would like to see what life is like in a straight truck though.

Have driven straight trucks before but for local delivery.

Anyway...thanks for the input!!

Spaceghost
 
R

RED MAN

Expert Expediter
Has anyone seen a Sprinter with a dual-wheel rear axle? I live in
Memphis--I observed one here in town last Friday that had a new
car dealer drive-out tag on the dash. I assume it was from our
Freightliner dealer which is Barloworld. In any event,it appeared
to be a factory installation.
 
G

guest

Guest
thats the 3500.

not good for expediting because of the lack of room beteween the wheel wells.
 
Twmaster

Twmaster

Expert Expediter
The Sprinter is a little funny on hard turns and can get hung up if you drive a front tire over a curb or something. The reason is the thing is too rigid. The suspension does not have enough flexibility to deal with that sort of thing. I have seen 2 different Sprinters (one from DHL) stuck due to running up a curb and having a drive wheel come off the ground. Silly huh?

Otherwise I was looking into the Sprinter as a replacement for my Astro but I think I am going to an Aerocell or a plain loooong wheelbase Chevy Express.

As for bad weather driving the AWD on my Astro is awesome.

--
Mike N

Don't follow me. I am lost in cyberspace!
 
T

teacel

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Can you buy an Astro in a cut-a-way model and put a body of some kind on it? Or some other AWD cut-a-way?
 
Twmaster

Twmaster

Expert Expediter
The Astro is waaaaay too small for this kinda work. While it is a 1/2 ton van it is just not heavy duty enough for the work I do. I have chronic brake replacement problems and such. I will say that other than the Astro being too light (read as not heavy duty) for this kind of work I overall like it.

GM makes an Express/Savana with AWD but it is only available on the 1500 model. I think a 3500 Express AWD would be suhweeeeet!

--
Mike N
 
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Tinman

Expert Expediter
TINMAN

Yesterday I had a passing conversation with a FedEx Sprinter driver.I asked how he liked his Sprinter in the snow and ice
we've had the last few weeks. He said it was the worst thing he
had ever driven in the snow and ice. Also, he added, FedEx was
going to finish their current contract with the Sprinter, and then go to another (read, better) vehicle to replace it.
 
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