I’ve had both. I started with Promaster. Bought a Sprinter and put a ton f money into a build. The ability to utilize 4WD/AWD was nice. But I missed the wide space and flat walls of the Promaster. I’m back in a Promaster, and never looking back. Oh, and I don’t miss the $1200 service fees for working ona Mercedes.
Those “flat” walls don’t allow parallel parking on many city streets since all roads are crowned for drainage thus tilting the top toward the curb and the signs are usually so close to the curb you will be scraping more with the Promaster. Same problem with tree limbs
Just remember, some builders love the Promasters because they know there will be more money leftover to pay them for a build for people with lower budgets. Similar logic for why manufacturers/inventors go for Mercedes first because owners have more money to spend on accessories. To not talk about the build quality of a Promaster vs Sprinter seems negligent. Mercedes beats it hands down. It only takes a 10 second glance for me to see the difference
Huh.. that’s not been my experience. Let me repeat… I love the Sprinter. But my warranty items were 3:1 in favor of the Promaster. I’ve got zero horses left in this fight. Buy the rig that is right for YOUR build.
Ummm.. so those same crowns don’t apply to a Sprinter ?? Sorry, brotha .. I full timed in a sprinter for almost two years . Not sure what your point is (?).
Promaster: 9-speed trans (smooth), good gas mileage, enough power, small turn radius, Front Wheel Drive (drives the same full of empty), more room inside, dealers all across the USA, shocks to not hang low, more ground clearance, more options (less 4WD and diesel), lower repair cost. low upfront cost. I put KO2 A/T tires on, so snow, mud and off-road has been fine. Do not have to worry about turbo failure, fan parts in my engine. Promaster was an easy choice.
Being a fleet manager that had all three the last choice would be the Mercedes. They cost a fortune to fix and at a 100,000 miles the dash lights come on all the time for more service that are usually $1500.00 or more. The pro master has one big fault and that is front wheel drive, it sucks in the snow because being a utility vehicle all the weight is in the back. The engine is the Pentastar v6 in everything dodge makes from jeep, Ram, Challenger, charger, etc. Its a 2-300,000 mile engine and give decent mileage and minimal maintenance. The Ford Transit is my choice. Rear wheel drive, good powertrain if you stay away from turbos. Also minimal maintenance and is also reliable. Thats my 2 cents from experience.
From England, I respect your understanding of functionality, you understand you need to live vanlife to understand it, I'm forever perfecting my camper 👍
You want best of both worlds, cheaper to service and parts are available worldwide: FORD Transit 350HD Twin turbo, AWD. Great interior height, Wider, 300+ HP. Strange that most people don't build more from the Transit platform.
All-wheel drive is a must on a van if you plan to go in snow, sand or mud. I wouldn't take a Promaster off the pavement. In our market (California), no one wants 2WD vans. They don't sell because they are way too easy to get stuck. Cool interiors- nice work!
Pro Master is more of an East Coast van (Low bridges on the parkways) also no BLM land. Sprinter has way higher maintenance cost and harder to find repair shops.
thank you for your comparison. However you compared an optional all wheel drive short wheel base to a long wheel base 2wd Ram Promaster. You can get a Sprinter as a 170 wheel base extended length which would give you 16 foot of floor space behind the front seats.
@@ReadySetVan thank you for clarifying that. So it sounds more like you are comparing more of what you build rather than actual attributes of each van in an apple to apple comparison.
Nobody ever mentions standing height. The sprinter is several inches taller. At 6’3 I can’t stand up straight in a Promaster even if you take out the floor and ceiling. Sprinter has standing room even with floor insulation, flooring, roof insulation, and ceiling.
One question I always had about these builds is the water situation. Is it hookup only or is there a tank? I don't see where the tank would be or how much it would even hold.
I have a Promaster 159 base 2500. I installed a 28 gallon tank over the right wheel well base. I have two ports- one I can pour water in and the other is a snap on hose. Then I have a 3 filter water filter and a 12v water heater. All works fantastic. I only use my water for drinking and sparingly to wash hair, etc. I can stay out boondocking for over 3 weeks! 🎉
Build your own and measure the height of you bike which will determine the height of your bed platform. I did and love it. Have paddle board, mtn bike, etc in the garage!
@@brettbutler9730 2500 Promaster 159 base- high roof but not the really high one. I like everything about it interior wise. Could use more torque on mountain passes, higher clearance and 4x4 would be great. I only boondock and get into some wild places that I probably shouldn’t. Got stuck 2 times in 2.5 yrs so not too bad. Good luck!
Hey Sir , I need watching you a lot and you seems really nice for a very successful rich guy . Just wondering , do you guys by any chance have an older model of that I can buy since I can't afford a new one . I'm a senior citizens retired fixed income , perfect time for me to own one since I'm retired . I'm worried to just look for one to buy a used one and end up getting one with so many problems . With you I'm pretty sure you will not sell a van with so many issues . I just want to try to enjoy life a little bit . I will trade my car for that and get a loan for the rest . This probably sounds a weird comment but I want to give it a try , you never know ... Anyway , hoping to hear from you ! Sincerely , Old man dreaming!
I’ve had both. I started with Promaster. Bought a Sprinter and put a ton f money into a build. The ability to utilize 4WD/AWD was nice. But I missed the wide space and flat walls of the Promaster. I’m back in a Promaster, and never looking back. Oh, and I don’t miss the $1200 service fees for working ona Mercedes.
Thanks for sharing. Nice to hear from someone who has done both! Glad to hear you're happy with what you've got.
Those “flat” walls don’t allow parallel parking on many city streets since all roads are crowned for drainage thus tilting the top toward the curb and the signs are usually so close to the curb you will be scraping more with the Promaster. Same problem with tree limbs
Just remember, some builders love the Promasters because they know there will be more money leftover to pay them for a build for people with lower budgets. Similar logic for why manufacturers/inventors go for Mercedes first because owners have more money to spend on accessories. To not talk about the build quality of a Promaster vs Sprinter seems negligent. Mercedes beats it hands down. It only takes a 10 second glance for me to see the difference
Huh.. that’s not been my experience. Let me repeat… I love the Sprinter. But my warranty items were 3:1 in favor of the Promaster. I’ve got zero horses left in this fight. Buy the rig that is right for YOUR build.
Ummm.. so those same crowns don’t apply to a Sprinter ?? Sorry, brotha .. I full timed in a sprinter for almost two years . Not sure what your point is (?).
So helpful. I'm looking into van life. 70 year old woman that wants to travel to visit family across the country.
Glad to hear it! Traveling to visit family and friends is a super common use for many of our clients (and us too!).
This is something I am also thinking of, I am 72, live in Florida and family lives in California!
Great video, just in the design phase of my 170 sprinter. But this video really shows the actual size of the van. Thanks!
Thanks! The 170 has a LOT of space to work with inside. Good luck with your build!
Promaster: 9-speed trans (smooth), good gas mileage, enough power, small turn radius, Front Wheel Drive (drives the same full of empty), more room inside, dealers all across the USA, shocks to not hang low, more ground clearance, more options (less 4WD and diesel), lower repair cost. low upfront cost. I put KO2 A/T tires on, so snow, mud and off-road has been fine. Do not have to worry about turbo failure, fan parts in my engine. Promaster was an easy choice.
Being a fleet manager that had all three the last choice would be the Mercedes. They cost a fortune to fix and at a 100,000 miles the dash lights come on all the time for more service that are usually $1500.00 or more. The pro master has one big fault and that is front wheel drive, it sucks in the snow because being a utility vehicle all the weight is in the back. The engine is the Pentastar v6 in everything dodge makes from jeep, Ram, Challenger, charger, etc. Its a 2-300,000 mile engine and give decent mileage and minimal maintenance. The Ford Transit is my choice. Rear wheel drive, good powertrain if you stay away from turbos. Also minimal maintenance and is also reliable. Thats my 2 cents from experience.
I wish your comment was much higher… this has been my experience, as well.
Thank you
wouldnt trust a transit, that 10-speed automatic fails in less than 100k almost guaranteed
I think the front wheel drive is an advantage in the snow
Thank you for putting this video out. It’s very informative and helps us make a decision.
From England, I respect your understanding of functionality, you understand you need to live vanlife to understand it, I'm forever perfecting my camper 👍
Great information Ben. AWD is definitely needed in the Southeast with the dirt/mud after a rain.
Thanks! Yep, sinking mud is a no-go for the Promaster.
Promaster really needs to offer an AWD option…regardless, I would still rather have a Ford Transit over both of these.
Transit with the wet belt problems? No chance 😁
@@EvoCarlNot in the US it doesn’t. Timing chains around.
@@walwalka yeah don’t think the US gets the EcoPop 2L like the EU. Lucky, shockingly bad engine.
@@EvoCarl Quite the difference it makes, I’ve got the 3.5L ecoboost and AWD in my van. It’s been fantastic.
@@walwalka would love that over here 👍
You want best of both worlds, cheaper to service and parts are available worldwide: FORD Transit 350HD Twin turbo, AWD. Great interior height, Wider, 300+ HP. Strange that most people don't build more from the Transit platform.
The last couple of years it was nearly impossible to get a Transit. Fortunately that has improved so I expect we'll see more Transit builds.
All-wheel drive is a must on a van if you plan to go in snow, sand or mud. I wouldn't take a Promaster off the pavement. In our market (California), no one wants 2WD vans. They don't sell because they are way too easy to get stuck. Cool interiors- nice work!
That's completely silly, there are promasters driving and exploring all over CA.
Great comparison. When, or if, I actually go with a Class B, I am pretty sure it will be Promaster.
Thanks! We tend to agree and think the Promaster is the best choice for most people.
Pro Master is more of an East Coast van (Low bridges on the parkways) also no BLM land. Sprinter has way higher maintenance cost and harder to find repair shops.
Neither, I got a Ford Transit AWD with a more horsepower and more torque than both the Sprinter and Promaster.
Just be careful of those super low shock mounts on the Transit. For me, nothing beats the ProMaster for usable interior space given the exterior size.
Ford transit sucks I work on them every day I hate every bit of them especially changing the brakes is just horrible design
@@eigeroverland Upgraded suspension to Van Compass 2.0 kit for AWD. Lower shock mounts not an issue anymore.
thank you for your comparison. However you compared an optional all wheel drive short wheel base to a long wheel base 2wd Ram Promaster. You can get a Sprinter as a 170 wheel base extended length which would give you 16 foot of floor space behind the front seats.
Thanks for watching! The 170 is in a different class - these are both the
@@ReadySetVan thank you for clarifying that. So it sounds more like you are comparing more of what you build rather than actual attributes of each van in an apple to apple comparison.
I like tge soace if the promaster better.
With that said, i would like to see the exact video between the promaster and the ford transit.
I would prefer the Ford all wheel drive.
Nobody ever mentions standing height. The sprinter is several inches taller. At 6’3 I can’t stand up straight in a Promaster even if you take out the floor and ceiling. Sprinter has standing room even with floor insulation, flooring, roof insulation, and ceiling.
One question I always had about these builds is the water situation. Is it hookup only or is there a tank? I don't see where the tank would be or how much it would even hold.
I have a Promaster 159 base 2500. I installed a 28 gallon tank over the right wheel well base. I have two ports- one I can pour water in and the other is a snap on hose. Then I have a 3 filter water filter and a 12v water heater. All works fantastic. I only use my water for drinking and sparingly to wash hair, etc. I can stay out boondocking for over 3 weeks! 🎉
Is as one making a hybrid van yet?
Sprinter and Mercedes both have some of the poorest reliability issues both power and driveline.
Transit
Of course you can’t go on the mod because is only front wheel drive 😂
They Both Look good. and fancy. too fancy. beds too low for my bike. I want to put my mtb in with wheels on..
Build your own and measure the height of you bike which will determine the height of your bed platform. I did and love it. Have paddle board, mtn bike, etc in the garage!
@@MannyWC OK. cool thanks. do u have a pic of your van? and what van did u use/ get.
@@brettbutler9730 2500 Promaster 159 base- high roof but not the really high one. I like everything about it interior wise. Could use more torque on mountain passes, higher clearance and 4x4 would be great. I only boondock and get into some wild places that I probably shouldn’t. Got stuck 2 times in 2.5 yrs so not too bad. Good luck!
I'm surprised people don't desire a private vented enclosed head.
We also do builds with a private head/shower, and they are quite popular. This build has a vented toilet located in one the the bench seats.
Hey Sir , I need watching you a lot and you seems really nice for a very successful rich guy . Just wondering , do you guys by any chance have an older model of that I can buy since I can't afford a new one . I'm a senior citizens retired fixed income , perfect time for me to own one since I'm retired . I'm worried to just look for one to buy a used one and end up getting one with so many problems . With you I'm pretty sure you will not sell a van with so many issues . I just want to try to enjoy life a little bit . I will trade my car for that and get a loan for the rest . This probably sounds a weird comment but I want to give it a try , you never know ... Anyway , hoping to hear from you ! Sincerely , Old man dreaming!
Definitely not North America Diesel.
Its the sprinter. The other is a death trap. That mini me window. You cant even fit your arm out of. And it looks stupid.
Promaster is better . Gasoline motor. Diesels suck and pricey
One is garbage and one is the absolutely the worst garbage ever!🤔
Gutless throw away vans . . .
If you are 6,4" or taller, the Ford Transit is the best van.
The Promaster is very wimpy in the mountains