The Dodge/Freightliner/Mercedes Sprinter is becoming very poular around here. We take delivery of our first 1 next week. They are suposed to get about 24 MPG(deisel). You can completely stand up in the back and with proper shelving we think it's going to make a great service truck. Does anybody here or the company they work for own 1? If so, what are your likes and dislikes? Any tips? We are going to get the power ladder rack.
http://www.dodge.com/sprinter/index.html?context=sprinter-photos&type=left

Buddie wants one.... Wanted one before they came out, rants about them all the time, still doesn't own one and would have no place to park it either. But he makes them sound fantastic! I almost want one too.

I like to here from someone who has one too.

Sure looks like an ambulance without lights to me.

What's the difference??
...S

I WANT ONE!
They are way cool.

electure, well to start most ambulances are just conversion vans. They have gasoline engines and will need a complete overhaul at a little over 100,000 miles. These have diesel engines and don't need major service until 300,000 miles and only need oil changes and minor service every 10K instead 3-5k like most gas vehicles. These also get about 2 1/2 times the MPG of a gas van. The biggest feature we like is almost straight sides and ability to stand up inside. And it will fit in a customers driveway, unlike our box truck.

Would be nice to have one of those!

I have an ancient Ford Econoline from the '60s that is running on borrowed time. On a good day 3 of the cylinders will work and it will start without backfiring.

Other than that, there is major rust (holes in the sides and floor, among other things), the tires are bald, the clutch slips, the synchromeshes are nearly gone, repairs to the engine have been made with duct tape and glue, the parking brake is non functional, the engine burns oil and smokes, cellophane covers the chicken wire on the back windows and everything in the van is worn out from 40 years of hard use and lack of maintainance.

But it works and it was $25!

When the van dies I want a Sprinter.

The way you describe that van, if you pulled up to my home looking like that , the next move you'd be making is leaving. the way your vehicles look reflects yourwork in my eyes, a clean van means the person takes the time out to do things nice!!

A fellow electrical contractor in my area has a Sprinter. He loves it. It does look real handy and easy to work out of. We give him a lot of ribbing about driving the "short bus" but he's a great guy and one of the best electricians around. He's also known for running a tight ship and I'm sure he's done the research on the cost effectiveness of putting it into service. They are supposed to be virtually maintenance free for 100,00 miles.

NJ Wireman:
I couldn't disagree more. If I work for a contractor who puts me in a lousy truck, it doesn't make me a poor electrician; and, I've seen lots of low quality work done out of new trucks. What a new truck does mean is that the customer is paying top dollar for the work, whatever the quality.

NJ Wireman:
You are correct, I can't tell you how many customers have called and said, I noticed your truck at the post office, or the gas station and the reason i called you is, the electrician we called came in a beat up old truck and my husband din't want him in the house.

I start the day in a clean truck and drive into the oil field to work on pump jacks. When I get back the truck is covered in mud and the wipers did little more than smear the muck. Who really thinks that the mud stuck to the truck because I'm an incompetent electrician?

You guys have some strong arguments here.

Having a nice vehicle does make a better impression, but what you roll up in does in no way reflect the quality of the work.

I am pressed for money, as the price I paid for the van suggests.

Nonetheless, I appreciate the comments!

twh, I'd stop at the car wash on the way home and charge the boss for making his truck look good again. I have to agree with NJ Wireman & LK a neat clean truck does make a good first impression.

...but what you roll up in does in no way reflect the quality of the work.

Please. Maybe it doesn't reflect the quality of your work but it certainly does say something about your financial status. If you are strapped for cash you don't need a rolling billboard that advertises that fact. Most customers assume their contractors are, at minimum, financially fit and reputable.

If you can't afford more than a $25, forty year old junker they are going to worry that the supply house is going to lien their property because you didn't pay for the materials or that they will never see you again after they give you a deposit.

-Hal

I think it is absolutely disgusting that people think what a person drives means anything at all.

The sister in law just got a job at a winery. Finally all that money and time to get a degree in Microbiology will pay off for her. Before she moved she really wanted to get a new vehicle to replace here beater of a 80 something Chevy Cavalier. I laughed at her and told her if she thought anyone cared what she drove she was shallow and off her rocker. Guess I'm wrong and in the minority.

When I see a guy pull up in $60,000 of brand new shiny lifted truck with all the goodies I don't think right off the bat he's a good electrician. I just know what my money is going to.

When I see someone pull up in a beater I don't assume he's a hack. Rather I identify with not having the money or wanting to spend the money on something that will be beat-up during the course of a hard lifetime of work.

My work truck is a rotting 1991 F350 with a walk in steel utility bed. It is starting to look pretty bad and beat up. My clothes get dirty at work and so do I. Sometimes my hair and beard get a little scraggly during a stressful week at work. Who do you think customers specifically request come to their home or business when they call my boss? Yeah...they ask for me. A persons actions and words are the only thing that count. Keep in mind that one alone means nothing, actions AND words.

The things a person has or wears also bear no statement about their financial status. Some of the grubbiest uneducated yet hardest working people I know are millionaires. I would have never known. This 72 year old man has nothing. Drives a beater his equipment is old but maintained and yet he owns and operates the largest excavating company in his area. Pulls in millions of dollars, lives in a tiny home and owns no toys, does most of the work himself, go figure.

Things like what people drive, how they choose to live as well as how they dress and groom themselves say volumes about their lives and their mentality.

Like it or not you are judged by these appearances and unfortunately this concept has fallen by the wayside with some of the current generation who think stereotyping is a dirty word. Maybe so, but human nature is hard to change.

Bottom line is that no matter how policically incorrect you may think it is, if you look like a slob, a deadbeat or whatever the stigma is attached and you can have a hard time shaking it.

Some of the grubbiest uneducated yet hardest working people I know are millionaires. I would have never known. This 72 year old man has nothing. Drives a beater his equipment is old but maintained and yet he owns and operates the largest excavating company in his area. Pulls in millions of dollars, lives in a tiny home and owns no toys, does most of the work himself, go figure.

It's not hard to figure. What do appearances say here? He may have millions but what kind of life do you think this guy has? I hope he has family to leave all his money to.

-Hal

What type of auto you drive, old or new is a personal decision, but when you are in business, your decision may cost you money, there are many choices for a contractor today, and a service truck must provide good access to storage, and be kept clean and neat, the Sprinter has the access and storage area, it is not a toy but a good service truck and investment.

True story that comes to mind. I know we are not necessarily talking about dress here but this is a good example.

A 20 something girl I know was educated as a legal secretary and she knows her stuff. She lands a good job with a large law firm. Law firms tend to have somewhat traditional views as far as dress goes, business attire is the norm although there is no formal dress code in this firm.

20 something comes to work in skintight hip- hugger slacks with her thong showing and sometimes a top that shows her belly. On dress down day it was even better- cutoffs that showed her butt cheeks.

She was asked many times to "tone it down" but she refused saying she has a right to dress the way she wants and it's a matter of self expression.

Needless to say her georgeous butt was out the door in short order. She now works for my wife's construction company for about half the pay. They have the same objection to her "self expression" and the only reason she stays is because she is a good worker. Needless to say she is not allowed to go to any job sites.

-Hal

wow
never seen one from dodge yet. i think the benz front grill is much nicer
http://www.ecovent.de/images/sprinter.jpg

andy, maybe I should buy this for it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...1&item=7923384556&category=33645

FYI...When I neded a replacement truck, I was pleased with what I saw at the federal government's auction site, www.gsaauctions.com.
I actually ended up with a truck that the POCO surplussed out. Maybe it only gets 9mpg, but it has power to spare, and cost well under $4K.

Any larger online photos of the Sprinter?

Bjarney... www.google.com, click on "images" and type in Dodge Sprinter

There you will find virtually every type, size, colour and variation of Dodge Sprinter available.

Enjoy.

One of the best things is that it is a vehicle actually designed for the abuses of city delivery work. I heard that Fed-Ex people were involved in the design and comitted to a large number of them. The price of admission is a little steep but it will be very dependable, require minimal maintence, and likely last many years. It should still be an economical, serviceable unit 10 or 15 years out. You really have to look at the big picture - like it or not, appearance DOES make a difference, it will have a long life, it is well designed to actually work out of, and its heavy duty enough to do almost anything you'll ask of it.
I think you will see a lot of them as soon as they get production ramped up.

I think the sprinter will outlive it's usefullness. A dedicated work truck tends to get beat up and bumped into when used in the city and may not look very well in ten years after all the abuse.
I am also not sure about it holding up to the constant weight of a work truck. Take a look under the van and it has no frame, unibody, the axle looks very small as well as the front suspension. As a delivery truck I doubt they see the weight a electrician would put in one daily

I have always found that Dodge vans, while very reliable are the least soundly built. Ford and GM have always used a full frame under their full sized vans where Dodge opted for unibody construction. This is probably a factor in their being able to sell them for a lower price but it also means that a hit causes much more serious damage or even a total where the others will survive.

I know that TELCO's use Dodge vans pretty much exclusively but I wouldn't take that as a recommendation. It's probably only because of the lower cost which adds up when you buy by the thousands. FEDEX is probably doing the same thing.

-Hal

hi,
the better you look the more you get paid.

when you interview for a job you dress up right? believe it or not you can actually get more money if you look and act professional..

i may be the hardest working electrician in the world but if i cant meet and greet the public without offending anyone then i am limiting myself..

i always try and put on a shine whn i go to meet a client for a bid or to chat about a job..sometimes it may help to show up looking like you have been doing some work but not like you are desperate!

comb your hair, brush your teeth, put on some smelly stuff, it WILL pay off.

when i first started out i drove everything from a 75 Cheyenne to a buick lesabre to get to and from a job..

now, i would not drive anything that is not late model..

a company truck needs a business name, telephone number and a license number on it in most places..if you have that on the truck it hardly ever matters what the vehicle looks like..i know million dollar companies that still have some pretty old trucks running..BUT they will have a company name on the door...it may have a dent in it but thats ok..it adds charachter!

big fancy rigs cost big bucks..

-regards

mustang


[This message has been edited by mustangelectric (edited 09-30-2004).]

Hbiss, you'l be glad to hear that these Dodge Sprinters are actually rebadged Mercedes Sprinters made in Germany. And FedEx isn't buying these because they are cheaper than any of the other vans, the sticker is around $33,000 and they aren't offering much off. But we will save over $100 per month on fuel cost.

There is a Freightliner Sprinter that is basically the same van and it is assembled in South Carolina.

Wow, I can't believe how much interest has been generated by this van.

For the record, just because its badged a Dodge, means nothing. This is not a Dodge engineered product. The engine is Mercedes Benz and gets amazing fuel mileage.

Car and Driver did a full road test of this van....if you are considering buying one, you may want to read this first... http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=7365

I forgot to mention that the design of the Sprinter just cries out to be a rolling billboard. Some attractively designed graphics and it carries your company name and message everywhere, all the time. If you are service oriented company, that should be a real consideration

We got the Sprinter last week, but we aren't using it yet. It's needs racking and lettering first. Once we get it tricked out, I'll post a picture.