Sprinter van, I am so confused!

chefdennis · Mar 3, 2011

As Highway said, with a NEW sprinter, there is no great fuel advantage..ask TJP about his mileage in the 2010....as for picking up parts , yea I would, for a choosen few..

chefdennis · Mar 3, 2011

Scott wrote:

I can guarantee he's in each one

LOL, no doubt...with his expertise and or opinion on every subjest under the sun, you can bet he his....

chefdennis · Mar 3, 2011

Greg wrote:

Golf, this wasn't directed to you.

Boy it seems none of you read the threads here, do you?

golfournut · Mar 3, 2011

greg334 said:
Golf, this wasn't directed to you. BUT seeing you did read all of the threads, then consider that the fuel economy of the vehicle can offset the cost of higher cost of maintenance, while the Ford and GM also have similar problems with parts at times (depending on the location of the dealer you are using) - IT all seems to work out in the long run.

Outside of a few issues with EO members, one situation which was abnormal to say the least, many of the sprinters running on the road seem to be doing alright.

The best one's to ask are the present owners of sprinters, like Turtle, et al. who have been playing the sprinter game for a while.

Please accept my sincere apology.

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golfournut · Mar 3, 2011

ChrisGa23 said:
Chef , Going with that. I think you made the right decision with the cargomax with the parts availability probably out weights the sprinter times 10

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Going to do more research on it, but leaning that direction also.

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chefdennis · Mar 3, 2011

Hey English Lady (Sue)...how many Sprinters do you and Tony own???

golfournut · Mar 3, 2011

I spoke with 4-2010 Sprinter owners here in Baltimore that use the same facility for parking when not in use. 3 of them primarily do Baltimore to DC runs. They are saying they are averaging 16 to 19 mpg depending how much idling they do in traffic and how many deliveries in each local. One of them kept an overall average that came out to 17mpg. The 4th one told me he is at 18 to 22 depending on traffic. He primarily goes Baltimore to NC. Monday thru Friday 8pm to about 6or7 am. 572 miles round trip. Both pickup and delivery locations are within 2 miles of IH95. The most weight is 1800 lbs 3 pallets.

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golfournut · Mar 3, 2011

I have some experience with parts availability driving a Hino. I had a senior moment once, well I had more than one truth be told, but I had closed the hood on the wipers after I had flipped them up to clean them while I was cleaning the windshield. Got down the road, started to rain. Sure nuff, the driver side wiper arm went limp. Pulled off, swapped the passenger side and kept traveling. I was heading to Indy, called the dealer there. Not in stock. Had them overnight one so it would be there when I got there. Nice thing about the Hino service, dealers aren't allowed to charge freight on parts they should have in stock. So it cost me only $14 for my screwup.
I learned then to replace the wear & tear items before they go bad while I am home. The dealer here has a real good inventory, but I call head. Tell them what I want done. If they don't have the parts, they order them and I never pay freight.

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jelliott · Mar 3, 2011

My only input on this is the major corporations like Fed Ex have gone heavy to the sprinter. Normally the have vetted the process and analyzed every tenth of a penny to determine the best ROI.

golfournut · Mar 3, 2011

jelliott said:
My only input on this is the major corporations like Fed Ex have gone heavy to the sprinter. Normally the have vetted the process and analyzed every tenth of a penny to determine the best ROI.

Darn good point. They are thorough when it comes to their money.

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greg334 · Mar 3, 2011

John, you are talking about FedEx delivery, and even then there is a lot of small cutaways being used. FedEx CC doesn't seem to use them as much, I don't see them often as I do good old GM and Ford vans.

chefdennis · Mar 3, 2011

greg wrote:

FedEx CC doesn't seem to use them as much, I don't see them often as I do good old GM and Ford vans.

yea not as much as delivery is right, but the fact that Fed CC limits their CV;s and Sprinters to no more then 2 skids is probably a pretty good reason why...

greg334 · Mar 3, 2011

Never heard that. Something new?

chefdennis · Mar 3, 2011

No, its been that way since the 3 yrs i have been in the business..I believe they are limited to a 102" or 104"...

guido4475 · Mar 3, 2011

As much as carriers are wanting the o/o to go with a Sprinter, I cant help but lean towards a Spartan-body equipped SRW Ford or Chevy, 12 ft body, which should have close to the height and width of a Sprinter,minus 4 ft of cargo length.Maintenace is cheaper, and parts are available anywhere, plus price is alot cheaper.I am seeing 2010 new ones for as low as $28,000, fully equipped, gasser.I have heard of soem people getting close to 18-20 mpg out of these, and then figure the difference of cost between gas and diesel, and it pretty much off sets the mpg difference, which really isnt that much nowand days between gas and diesel.That is my next one,in time.I just have to remember to keep it as lightweight as possible, and am told there is a 800# difference between the two.

Hightech_Hobo · Mar 5, 2011

I've been in my 2010 Sprinter for about a year now and can verifiy the Lower mpg returns. I am getting an avg of 19mpg which I will admit is not what I had hoped for at the time of purchase...

As to service costs I really dont think there is much difference at the dealership level other than the fuel filter..that particular item is a little on the pricey side. Not sure if you "HAVE" to stick with the maintenance "program" but I do as the sprinter is my life and my job.

Am I happy with my decision to go with the sprinter...to that I give a resounding YES!!..It handles wonderfully, is extremely comfortable to drive, live in, load and unload. I am extremely satisfied with the dealership I bought it from and expect that Mercedes will correct the inventory issues afore mentioned.

To me a good comparison is you can drive a freightliner....or you can drive a western star...let your budget be your guide....

Ht Hobo

Steady Eddie · Mar 5, 2011

This is funny- You think Maint cost are high on a Sprinter, just wait until one of these new type of Sprinterwantabes need work.

Note: MB is not the only ones selling the Sprinter, don't forget FreightLiner.

xiggi · Mar 5, 2011

chefdennis said:
ask TJP about his mileage in the 2010....

A lead foot will make a big difference.

golfournut · Mar 5, 2011

Steady Eddie said:
This is funny- You think Maint cost are high on a Sprinter, just wait until one of these new type of Sprinterwantabes need work.

Note: MB is not the only ones selling the Sprinter, don't forget FreightLiner.

I have been to both dealers. The Freightliner dealer stocks more in cargo van with cargo pkgs. The Mercedes dealer stocks more passenger. They had 1 cargo.

Your best bet, hire a vet! Please.

OntarioVanMan · Mar 6, 2011

as in the past the supply line will get better..and the parts will get a bit cheaper as the knock-off parts will start appearing..

Hobo...once your warranty is up, you can add at least 30k to that filter...

Everyone tries to copy the sprinter but they all come up short in 1 way or another...

and remember..it IS assembled here, employing thousands of Americans...