Not many high tops out there?

Mtnsprinter

New member
Interesting observation... When we left home for an extended travel trip - with getting my new van in Texas at the end of the month close to the end of the trip - been watching as I drive (as much as one can while watching the road as one should...). Mostly it's been the opposite direction on the freeways, but I'm even counting FedEx vans - and in 2300 miles, I've seen only 44 high tops. Seems like more than 1 per 50 miles would be the case, but I guess the high tops aren't as common as the low and mids? Just a curiosity factor - I've been counting, and have quite a few more miles yet to go, and I'm sure I'll rack up more sightings, but the ratio may not improve much. Am I just traveling at the wrong times, the wrong states, or are they just not very common?
 
Other than HAVING to get a lower one for some unavoidable "clearance" issue, I cant imagine why anyone would want anything BUT a high roof...

I spent several years stooping around in a Dodge van and I absolutely LOVE being able to stand straight up without hitting anything in my high roof.

FWIW - I dont remember seeing anything BUT high roof Sprinters at my MB Dealer when I went to pick mine up, and around here I think the majority I see on the road are high roof.
 

mean_in_green

>2,000,000m in MB vans
In the UK you rarely see a standard roof Sprinter, they're almost all high roof with take your pick wheelbases.

The unusual one is the super roof or uber hang.
 

wmlog

New member
Interesting observation... in 2300 miles, I've seen only 44 high tops. ... I guess the high tops aren't as common as the low and mids? ...
So, what are you really talking about here? You have seen 44 'high tops'! I find that number very high! You seem to recognize the short and mid-height Sprinters. If you've seen 44 'high tops', the ones with the 11" fiberglass tops, then I think you have seen most of them that were produced!
 
So, what are you really talking about here? You have seen 44 'high tops'! I find that number very high! You seem to recognize the short and mid-height Sprinters. If you've seen 44 'high tops', the ones with the 11" fiberglass tops, then I think you have seen most of them that were produced!
I suspect most everyone else in the US is referring to the "high top", currently referred to by M-B USA and Freightliner as the "High Roof", to be the steel roof factory model with 78.2" interior headroom.

I did not know M-B/Sprinter produced a US model with an 11" fiberglass extension. It does sound like an upfitter or very special M-B product. I do see some Sprinters shown with are sometimes called a "Very High Roof" or "Super High Roof" like one put out by Airstream/Westfalia but they look like roofs added to the low roof model by the upfitter. And I see some indications on the web of a European Sprinter with what looks to be a factory roof that is taller than the US High Roof but I dont know much about that.
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
All over the place down home problem-is they just are useless for Delivery or getting in to drive ways with trees.
Can't drive them down by-lanes same problem.
But they are neat.
Richard
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For most of the US this is what you have to allow for if you want UPS to deliver anything:


And FedEx has even bigger delivery vehicles...

So by comparison a high roof Sprinter is a breeze.
 

MellowYellow

New member
Most in the GTA or Toronto area are high tops I'd say 85/15


I find most of the Sprinters in the GTA are mid roofs, including the 3 I run. I've only seen a handful of the high roof models and boy do they look horrible.

Looks like someone super glued a bath tub to the top of a perfectly good sprinter.
 

wmlog

New member
The extra high roof is an option for the US market. The 11" fiberglass shell is in place of the steel roof and braces. The vehicle is the same, but a fiberglass shell is mounted on top.
 

Bluetec

New member
The extra high roof is an option for the US market. The 11" fiberglass shell is in place of the steel roof and braces. The vehicle is the same, but a fiberglass shell is mounted on top.
I have a high top, but mine is metal, not fiberglass.

.... maybe there is an even taller NCV3 model that uses a fiber top, or it could be my misunderstanding of what a high top looks like.
 
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wmlog

New member
Standard and high roofs are metal. The super roof is plastic.
There are 140" and 170" wheelbase NAFTA Sprinters, and a 170" extended (EXT) that is 17" longer than the regular 170" model. There are 3 different heights of NAFTA Sprinters, with the highest having an 11" fiberglass top. It is my understanding that there were problems with the 2007 caps and only a few were built. Later caps are made differently, maybe by a different supplier. The super high roof just sits on top of the high metal sides, with the same doors, so there is no greater clearance into the extra tall model.
 

Bluetec

New member
There is a picture of my truck on the profile page when you click my name.... I consider it a high top, I doubt it is the 'super high top'.... I've never seen a higher one.
 

WPJ

New member
I say my first super high top in the Toronto area
I honestly didn't think they were offered in Canada.

If I was not driving I would have taken a pic.
 

WPJ

New member
Driving downtown Toronto this morning I saw a black super top, wow two in two days....or two in 6 months...vs thousands of high and low top
 

Mtnsprinter

New member
DUH, silly me - didn't have my settings right - thought I had it set for notification on replies, but I didn't. Here I thought I just didn't have any interest in the topic (been traveling for days and haven't logged in lately).

So I stopped counting at 57 high tops (regular US high top) while driving the 2300 miles. No, not good at recognizing a mid or low top while driving - need my attention on towing the boat and staying safe while driving. Picking mine up tomorrow morning - woo hoo!! :bounce:

In all that time, only seen one other high top pulling a boat - so I guess (as usual), I'll be in the minority. We'll take it over to the upfitter after we pick it up to get some minor mods going. Back up camera made for sprinters using the 3rd brake light, some running boards, and some cabinets with a custom cat cage ("condo") on one of the cabinets. Then it's back to traveling and fishing...
 

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