Any correlation to reliability of the passenger vs. cargo?

-D-

Member
I noticed in the sprinter wiki it mentions that the cargo vans are assembled here in the US while the passenger vans are imported complete from Germany. Do any of you think that the cargos may be prone to more issues?

Not that I don't have faith in my fellow 'mericans. It just seems to me that a complete unit coming from the mothership is more likely to be assembled properly due to more experienced personnel and having the engineers who designed the thing available on site.

I realize this is probably not quantifiable, just looking to pick some brains and wondered if any of you have had experience with both models.
 

cedarsanctum

re: Member
Somewhere i read in here that they are first assembled in Germany, then taken to the dock and disassembled into several major components (engine/trans, suspension parts, rear end, etc) and shipped in separate containers. All those parts are then put back together here. The bodies are left intact.
Does someone remember that discussion? My sometimers is catching up with me.
 

220629

Well-known member
...
I realize this is probably not quantifiable,

...
You said it.

There are far fewer passenger models than there are cargo so sampling is skewed right off the bat. Cargo models are more likely to have higher road miles than passenger models. The cargo models were partially disassembled and then reassembled in the USA. The passenger models were shipped completed. To the best of my knowledge the drivetrain in the cargo models was not disassembled so there should be no issue there.

All you are likely to get in answer to your post is opinion and conjecture. YMMV. vic
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
Is the chicken tax thing back on the agenda.
Use the blue bar and do the research.
On this officious accusation I'll add this bit of useless information.
How did Ford get around the Chook tax for the baby Trabvestite.
Please not this model is not the official Transvestite.:lol:
chicken tax.JPG
By the way My Transvestite has clocked 80 thousand and no complaints either.
DSC00802(3) (Custom) copy.jpg
Richard
 

hkpierce

'02 140 Hi BlueBlk Pass
Altered is correct. If you have a passenger van, simply look up the plant code in your VIN. The cargos and the passenger vans are different for their assembly plants.
 

Diamondsea

New member
I am often in Charleston, SC and Ladson, just up the road a few miles. The passenger vans are literally driven off the RO-RO ship as they are complete so they go up to Ladson for final checks. They are not subject to the tax. Cab/chassis units are also driven off the RO-RO ship as they are considered truck parts, not complete units as they have no body on the back. No tax on them. Although driven off the ship both types are then driven onto trailers for transport to Ladson (via a Frightliner truck, of course!) as they have no "papers" or tags so are not legal on the roads. The cargo vans (the majority of Sprinters) come in parts in cargo containers which are trucked to Ladson for unpacking and re-assembly at Ladson. Bodies are complete (wheels/tires packed inside) and the drive trains come separate. Bodies come on a big wood pallet that can be handled by a fork lift truck. Hundreds of complete vans are parked outside the Ladson re-assembly plant. It is a sea of white! The very few colored ones are usually pre-ordered so I assume that as soon as assembled they go on to the dealers.
 

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