Every 10 years I go crazy and get another work van. This time I want -dare I say it- A NEW VAN. No more someone else’s used truck. Current ride is a 95 G30 350 ci. A tank. Am looking at a 07 Express 2500 with a 4.8 L. What options should I get that the dealer isn’t going to mention because it’s not in his lot? Posi rear, (Ratio?), AC, CD, power door locks, are on my short list. Got to get it before the snow flys and my worn out michelins flunk the state inspection.
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Don't ferget the Sattelite radio!
my worn out michelins flunk the state inspection.
Ugh.....just replaced mine today. Just under 23,000 miles....POS!
FREE SPONGE BOB,SANCHO PANTS!
What about the Sprinter?
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
I like the sprinter (20+ MPG) but haven't heard good things about the reliability. Have a friend who has two in for repair more than on the road. I should look into a test drive though....
Where in westchester Cty are you by the way?
I'm down in Pelham.
FREE SPONGE BOB,SANCHO PANTS!
Pleasantville, Formerly of Portchester until my wife said our house is perfect, let's move.
I know the area a little.I went to the now defunct The King's College in Briarcliff Manor 20 some-odd years ago.Might still be a Pleasantville cop who remembers a 6'5", 200 lb. 20 year old crying his way out of a speeding ticket.Hey, I may not have any pride, but I also didn't get the ticket.Glenn
Was that you??
Have you ever weighed your loaded van on a truck scale?
The info you get there (weigh each axle, with the gas tank full) will help you spec out suspension and tires, maybe even engine size.
If Weschester cty has lots of hills, and you drive loaded for bear, you should consider a rear axle ratio that gives that 4.8L an additional mechanical advantage. 3.73 is good for all around on hills, and gives great 2nd speed compression braking on the way down; not too bad on highway runs either.
I like a separate automatic transmission cooler, in addition to the one buried in the radiator. Again, better for a van that's loaded full-time.
Years ago, the first van I bought got stuck in the first snow of the season -- one wheel spinning, the other not moving at all. That's when I learned about specing a "limited slip differential", which is vital for anyone in snow country. The other thing I always get is an auxillary battery, so I can run lights in the back; I have three banks of lights, which I can switch at the back door with a module I picked up at a marine supply place. Very handy when you're packing up at 5:00 PM in January, and it's pitch dark outside. As part of this wiring, I always switch the courtesy lights, so I can leave the doors open without having those lights on.For the last van, I bought the interior package that included electric windows and door locks, which I now rgard as an indispensible convenience.I looked into, but decided against buying one of the aftermarket shelf packages. Instead I built my own, so I could tailor storage to exactly what I needed.It doesn't get that cold in Westchester, but if the van will not be garaged, you might consider a factory installed block heater. I could probably get by with a half ton, but I've always bought the 3/4 ton with heavy duty suspension and the small 8 cyl. I don't pull a trailer, but this configuration gets me though those few times when I am loaded to the gills with sheetrock, etc. However, the mileage is miserable -- 10-12 mpg in the city.I've always bought Fords, but the next time, I think I will look hard at the Sprinter with a diesel.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
I presume that the references to Sprinters are to Mercedes vans? If so, then I can assure you that Mercedes have an excellent reputation for reliability and longevity, in the UK at least. I have a Vito, which is a smaller Mercedes van, and I am very happy with it. Most of the larger companies in the UK use Mercedes vans.
JohnIf my baby don't love me no more, I know her sister will.
> I presume that the references to Sprinters are to Mercedes vans?
No, they're a Dodge product. I saw a 2500 on the road this morning. It was very tall and square cornered, it should carry maybe 10%+ more stuff than a conventional van in the same footprint. Looks ideal for the trades.
-- J.S.
Actually, it would seem that they are a Mercedes product. I copied this off the dodgeforum.com
"The Dodge Sprinter is a whole line of vehicles including a delivery van, pickup truck, and minibus built by DaimlerChrysler but commonly sold under the Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, and Freightliner brands. The Dodge Sprinter was introduced to the market in 1995 in Europe to replace to Mercedes-Benz T1 van that has been sold since the early 70's. The Dodge Sprinter finally made its way to the United States in 2001 and is intended to be used for business use. A diesel or gasoline engine is available for the Dodge Sprinter, though an electric hybrid version is expected in the future."
In the UK thet are used by UPS for instance. They are alos the vans that are most likely to be seen doing 85plus mph on the motorway
They are good, if one is within your budget then I would recommend it
JohnIf my baby don't love me no more, I know her sister will.
** In the UK thet are used by UPS for instance. They are alos the vans that are most likely to be seen doing 85plus mph on the motorway
How do they corner?
They look very top heavy - all that box towering over those small tires. Where is the center of gravity, unloaded?
Best thing I have seen for cornering was a 5 ton gravel truck. Those sure beat my E 150 down Rt. 1 on the California coast. My CG is up there somewhere. The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
Lojack might be a good option for your new vehicle. Just this past week, in Belair Md., a contractor's van was stolen from the local Home Depot. It was an electrical contractor who was in the store for about 15 minutes. They caught the guy heading to Pennsylvania. The cops think it's the 40th time this guy has done this. He takes the vans to some location in PA and empties the contents. He left the last stolen van in the Home Depot parking lot in Belair.So, I'm thinking about a Lojack or cut-off switch, or something. That freaks me out......View Image
The Sprinter handles just fine. Not the same league as a small sports car, but it drives better than a Ford or Chevy van.
Have to look for a test drive - take it round the corners.The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
Can you expound on that lighting system.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
I use lights something like this, which I bought from a local RV supply dealer:http://tinyurl.com/tjvafThese lights are mounted along the cap rail on either side of the van interior. Each side is switched separately, and IIRC, there are four on the passenger side, and 5 on the driver side. Since they are up in the corner, they are out of the way. The ones I have are quite small -- maybe 2" X 3", and protrude maybe an 1" from the mounting surface. I then went to a junk yard and picked up two rather fancy lights I could use to replace the OEM courtesy lights -- which were mounted at the front and over the back door in the headliner. I purposely looked for lights that could be switched right at the light fixture, so I could choose to shut them off if I wanted to keep the doors open for an extended period of time. They are run to the regular truck battery, so I didn't have to change any of the basic wiring. The cargo lights are run thru a factory installed auxillary battery, and are run into a fused/switch panel that I picked up at a marine supply outfit. It looks something like this:http://tinyurl.com/y6wb3jI used two of the circuits for the cargo lights, and I used the rest of the circuits for 12v outlets, which are nice to have, but I rarely use them. The panel is run directly to the auxillary battery, and is mounted right at the back door in the shelving units I made.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
ThanksA great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Need picks of the inside, at least.Still trying to figure out how I want to do my E350 over.
Send me camera, instructions on how to use it -- will send all the pics you want <G>...............********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
this may sound crazy but i purchased a low mileage express 3500 passenger van (massive interior) ripped out all the row seating except one. I haul furniture cabinetry and tools ...works great massively powerful 300 hp. It doubles for vacations with the family and work. Hauls my cargo trailer easy. MPG @ 16 no trailer 13 with trailer. 6.0 engine with a gigantic airfilter. I am a freak about preventive maintenance...its been good so far no breakdowns. stinky
I has limited slip on my Chevy Astro, and it was 2WD. I had no problems going through snow with it. The van also had a shelf package in it, so I don't know if it was just the limited slip or the weight of the stuff in there.
Ford and GM offer contractor shelving packages for free or low cost if the van is bought as a commercial vehicle.
I wouldn't buy anything less than a 2500 series van, and if I drove it a lot, I would look into a diesel if the numbers worked out. The Astro was a decent van, but it was just too light duty. Half ton full size vans aren't much better.
My must haves would include A/C, radio, power windows and locks (remote if possible), cruise control, cloth seats, heated seats, driver/cargo area divider, remote and heated mirrors, heavy duty charging, heavy duty cooling and heavy duty suspension. As an add-on, I prefer Cargo Lock deadbolts over exterior puck locks. The Cargo Locks can be tied into the factory power lock system.
Ford vans haven't had a major redesign in a looong time.
I have spent some time in a rented new Chevy Express 2500 extended, and I am not too impressed. The seat was uncomfortable and the drivers door opening gave a funky entrance/exit approach. I was always bumping my knee on the lower dash. The Chevy did fine in the hauling department and it liked gas. I looove hydroboost brakes.
I own a Dodge Sprinter. I have the "high roof" version and I can stand upright inside. With the 140" wheelbase and a cargo divider, I can still put 10' long material in the back and close the door. The rear doors open 270* and fasten to magnetic catches. The driver's door opens 90* from the body of the van. The 2500 series has a 3500# payload capacity. With the ASSYST option, 10k miles plus oil changes are a reality. It will outmaneuver many small cars in a parking lot and will put domestic trucks and vans to shame with slow speed turning and parking- try it and you will believe. Sometimes I think I should have bought the 158" wheelbase, but the one I have does the job. I am getting 20 to 23 MPG but the engine has less than 10k miles on it.
The optional diesel fired coolant heater/timer thingie is a must. Expensive option, but well worth it (just about impossible to retrofit if you don't order it). The REST heater circulates coolant and turns on a low fan speed to warm the cabin with warm coolant when the engine is switched off. The "extra set of keys" option is waaaaay cheaper than ordering a new blank and fob from the dealer.
It comes with an "electronic posi" that modulates the brakes to control wheel slip. Don't know how well that works yet.
The optional cargo walls are more durable than I thought.
I have put a lot of Dynamat and radiant barrier insulation in the van. Now it is pretty quiet in there and the factory dash AC will keep it cool.
If you tow anything with much weight, the Sprinter is limited in that area. It is also a tall vehicle. The high roof is only 6" taller than the regular one, but it *looks* so much bigger. Placing/removing things from the ladder rack is a PITA because of the height.
If it is in the budget and you intend on keeping it for a while, then give the Sprinter some serious consideration. Close the doors on a Sprinter, then go do the same on a Chevy or Ford.
They plan on releasing gasoline engine versions for the 2007 model year, which should be competitive price wise with a gasoline engine domestic van.
Thanks for the info- The sprinter might be my next van. Gas engines for 07 sounds like it might work for us. We get so use to the poor handling and gas milage vans Detriot has given us over the years that a new idea (i.e. sprinter) is a welcome option. We refer to our van as the "covered wagon" as it wallows and rattles down the road. I didn't realize how noisy it was inside on the highway untill I got a ride in a buddy's Sprinter the other day. Need to find a dealer in the area...
along with the power door locks, get the keyless entry remote.
I've got it on my "98 savana, and wouldn't buy another van without it. It's so convenient to just push one button and have all the doors locked and my tools secured.
A friend recently a new Express, with the power locks, and had the keyless entry added ( by the dealer) shortly after he got it.
I don't know if they offer it as a dealer option, but I am seriously thinking of installing a video backup system that can also be oriented such that I can also see the trailer hitch when I am trying to hook up.
They have gotten cheaper in price plus I just read an article saying that over 100 kids are killed each year from being backed over. Don't know about you, but it would be worth quite a lot to not go through life knowing that I had squished some little rug rat when backing out of his/her parent's home...