Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter as a daily driver?

[Cruiser]

Sounds like a classic "working in the family biz" type scenario to me. I did it for a good while back in college. My best friend still works at his family's biz. There's always foolishness that goes along with it. But, in many cases, it's sufficiently lucrative to justify putting up with the shenanigans and inequities.

So, wtf are you waiting for? Buy a sprinter and some snow tires. Drive the damned thing daily. If it sucks then sell it and move on to something that sucks less. Surely it's not that big a deal. I've bought and drove and sold bunches of vehicles. Some were better than others and some were worse. It always costs some $$$ to dump a car and get something else but that's just the nature of the beast. Some guys buy a car and then drive it until the wheels fall off. I get that they are taking the most economical path but who really gives a shit? It's just money and, in reality, it's not all that much money in the grand scheme of things.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

But I want my nice fast weekend car and a work truck too!!!!
#'merica #firstworldbitching

[babybear]

I agree with cruiser
It's fun to research and try out different stuff- for some it's vehicles
Even if you don't ultimately end up loving it for work, you can just camp the hell out of every weekend and at least get your moneys worth it out of that for a summer before selling it to another sucker (perhaps me )

[babybear]

But I want my nice fast weekend car and a work truck too!!!!
#'merica #firstworldbitching

I hear ya
but maybe get another fun zippy car but older and cheaper and then get the sprinter

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Another big vote for the sprinter is the possibility of living in it for a few months when my soul finally dies enough in this rat race and I move back out west

[Cruiser]

Plenty of nice hispanic gentlemen 'round these parts have beater 2wd work vans that they use during the week. They also have regular vehicles that they drive around when they aren't working. It's the american dream, man! I got no problem with that. If the budget doesn't allow for keeping the audi and buying a fancy sprinter then get an old savanna, express, e250, etc... and drive that sonofabitch into the ground during the week while you pimp the audi in the evening or the weekend. Ain't no reason to have a fancy work van unless you're just fancy. NTTAWWT

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

I think an old econoline van is the way to go. We have a couple beaters here at the office that basically never get used. Maybe I can convince the old man to let me drive one of those. Can keep my tools in it, etc.

When I am extra creepy I can camp in it down by the river.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nhgfjrKi0o

[Skidog]

I think an old econoline van is the way to go. We have a couple beaters here at the office that basically never get used. Maybe I can convince the old man to let me drive one of those. Can keep my tools in it, etc.

When I am extra creepy I can camp in it down by the river.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nhgfjrKi0o

Free candy sign optional.

[Cruiser]

Now yer talkin'! Appropriate one of the old beaters. Just put your shit in there and get to work.

This begs the question though, wtf are you doing posting on tgr right now? Shouldn't you be working and shit? It is monday morning afterall...

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Got some new hardware put in. Bikes + hammers/drills/etc = my hands aren't always stoked.

I'm running out of desk jockey shit to do.

[guroo270]

Left handed fapping, finger in butt injury. Rough. Trying the David Carradine and panicked when the knot got too tight?

[Cruiser]

[babybear]

a couple old econoline vans at your disposal?? yas

[guroo270]

Talked to Homer, he said it wasn't so much the combo but just that it's twin turbo. For reference, he bought the standard V6, is getting 23 mpg, and has put 21k miles on it in 4 months. He said he was just hesitant about engine maintenance. Why he gives a shit and didn't pick up a king ranch diesel considering he's basically THE diesel mechanic is a little beyond me aside from mileage, but an extremely smart man went with longevity and fewer working parts and is very happy with the standard V6.

Carry on, but that's the clarification.

[LightRanger]

http://www.supertopo.com/tr/New-Old-...cf10-207151185

Just saw this TR and felt like posting it here.

[single]

Sell the audi, the closer it gets to being out of warranty the further away from it you want to be. If you are already out of warranty, sell it sooner. Having two expensive cars that rapidly depreciate is dumb.

get a duramax. Install deaver rear leafs to stop it from rattling you to death, and throw some fox 2.0's on it.

~400hp, ~800ft*lb is pretty quick, and it feels even quicker in that big of a truck. IFS front end rides way nicer than a solid axle and seeing as you are mostly needing a pavement pounder theres no worries on not having ideal articulation in your instagram photos.

Tell your dad that you respect his decision to make you a man of the people, and ask him to pay you more than the prevailing government rate/ work related mile in order to pay off your truck purchase quicker, with none of the other employees knowing about it.

Anyone know the numbers that a 4x4 sprinter gets for MPG? I've been seeing forum posts telling like 16-18 depending on how big a tire and how much load they have inside.

^That TR is cool and stuff, but it looks like that truck is not at all capable offroad (mostly because approach, departure, breakover), and if the mpg numbers are below 20, it seems you might be better off with a truck with a camper? YMMV, etc.

[LightRanger]

^That TR is cool and stuff, but it looks like that truck is not at all capable offroad (mostly because approach, departure, breakover), and if the mpg numbers are below 20, it seems you might be better off with a truck with a camper? YMMV, etc.

Yep. Just posting because I thought it was cool. While reading I was thinking, "My bone stock 4Runner would rally right through that shit, probably without airing down..."

[single]

For sure it would, probably in 2wd. Looks like they just got stuck because the rear hangs out so far.

[PNWbrit]

you can just camp the hell out of every weekend

I've never seen a genuine work van that spends it week full of tools and crap and getting fuller of tools and crap that anyone ever then empties out on the weekends to camp in... I think you can write off that supposed benefit.

[guroo270]

How come no one is mentioning that new hideous Nissan 3500 can. It's like a Ford Transit that you can fit more than a box of Kleenex into. GD prepositions.

[babybear]

I've never seen a genuine work van that spends it week full of tools and crap and getting fuller of tools and crap that anyone ever then empties out on the weekends to camp in... I think you can write off that supposed benefit.

Good point.
But just trying to give some idears

[ncskier]

I used to have an F250 with the 5.4 V8. Great truck. Got sick of driving it all the time. Between work and play I put 70k on it in less than 4 years.

I sold it and bought myself 2012 Audi A4 Avant S-Line this past May. Car is amazing.

I was under the impression I would be getting a work truck through the company. Considering I am the head project manager/foreman of my two family businesses. We are growing BIG TIME. Busiest the companies have been since starting in the mid 1940s. 150+ employees, building multiple new locations every year, etc. I do a little of everything. Carpentry, masonry, equipment installs, etc. Makes sense for me to get a company vehicle right? We only net like 5 million every year.

WRONG

Aka, don't ever work for your dad.

Anyway, you don't need to hear me whine anymore.

I need to sell my car and get a used sprinter 2500 so that I can save money and GTFO and find a new career.

How much does driving a sprinter daily suck? How reliable are these things? I assume mercedes diesels are workhorse motors. I see lots of used ones with about 120-150k miles. This is nothing for a diesel. How do the rest of these vans hold up?

Either the story is full of holes, or your dad is a prick. Any pm construction guy in a hugely profitable business should be given a truck

[SuperGaper]

Sorry, late to this thread, I have an 06 Sprinter for a work vehicle, and it was my daily driver for
about 6 years out of the 8 I have had it. Easier to drive, park and maneuver than my 06 Duramax with
an 8 foot bed. Always 21.5 mpg unless a severe headwind. Definitely need to have real snow tires in
this area.
Actually since reading Frorider's posts in this thread I traded in the Duramax for an eco boost Ford Transit last
Thursday. Used it to do a delivery to SLC on Friday and got back today. 500 miles of lightly loaded 55-65-75 mph
driving is getting about 18mpg, though the computer claims 19.2.
The van is better for what our business does, though it will need to tow an extra high (9'6") 16 x 7 v-nosed cargo
trailer to LA or SF a couple of times a year, and I have a feeling the mileage will be in the single digits for sure, where
the Duramax did 11-12 mpg pulling that.
Now I am looking at 4 x 4 diesel high roof Transit next summer to replace the Sprinter- getting a little haggard but
the motor is as strong as the day I bought (225k) the tranny- not so much.

Lastly- regarding Ford Motor Company- Henry Ford was anti semite, and an admirer of Hitler, his son Edsel was not. Ford's european plants
were seized by the Nazis and Edsel Ford maintained contact with his most senior workers there as much as he could. More out of concern for their well being than anything else.
Read "Arsenal of Democracy"- both to learn about the troubled father son relationship, and the amazing feat of building an assembly line from scratch that delivered a B-24 bomber an hour round the clock.

[Beastiality]

Lastly- regarding Ford Motor Company- Henry Ford was anti semite, and an admirer of Hitler, his son Edsel was not. Ford's european plants
were seized by the Nazis and Edsel Ford maintained contact with his most senior workers there as much as he could. More out of concern for their well being than anything else.
Read "Arsenal of Democracy"- both to learn about the troubled father son relationship, and the amazing feat of building an assembly line from scratch that delivered a B-24 bomber an hour round the clock.

What the fuck does this have to do with anything????? Way to go way off topic

[Skidog]

What the fuck does this have to do with anything????? Way to go way off topic

I think i mentioned it earlier in this thread? Maybe it was another thread...

anyway..thanks for the recco on a read about it. I was kinda shocked when I heard about it.