Sprinter as daily driver.

[Jmeredith]

As I am fairly new to the poll feature, I apologize for not having all the possible selections, I had a primary poll in which the other (some may say better) options were pushed out for these few seemingly indifferent options :P

sorry had to take a poke at what our national polling has become :) but seriously I will try to have a better collection of criteria for my next poll. thanks for the input.

-J

[mike_mcginn]

I did not plan on the Sprinter as a daily driver, but it has worked out that way.
I will end up with the 'newest' Lexus RX 300 as it has gotten very little use
since the Sprinter arrived. Also the fuel cost is less than the Lexus.
Parking simply has not been a problem.

[tegimr]

Originally Posted by Green Sprinter

I have 2 VW cabrios (2004, 1995) but I end up driving my sprinter much more than the Cabrios...While the Cabrio is fun to drive my kids can't see around as much so prefer the sprinter**. I find the fuel economy (similar to the Cabrio), the peppy engine and the visibility of traffic to be the deciding factors.

**I should explain I have set up the rear seats with 2 Dodge Ram buckets plus console (3rd seat) on a welded tubular frame so rear passengers can see over the backs of the front seats. I got this idea from a long trip I took as a kid in a Peugeot stn wagon with the high third row seats. I have it set up so that I can pull four bolts and the seats will lift out on the frame leaving the full cargo area. They are very heavy (overkill on the tube wall thickness) but I have a forklift to help.

The console thing that you've created sounds really useful. Can you post pictures of the 'console' option that you've created? That would be an awesome contribution to the forum. Maybe in its own thread, so we don't hijack this one.

Tim

[Don Horner]

Like Baywood Bill, my Sprinter is an RV -- but it is still my daily driver. A couple of years ago, we had a small car for my wife, a Windstar mini-van, a Dakota pickup and a Pace Arrow Class A RV. I had recently retired, and my DW urged me to eliminate some of the registration and insurance costs -- it was pretty expensive for just 2 drivers. That's when I discovered the Sprinter-based RV's.

I sold the Pace Arrow, the Windstar and the Dakota, and replaced them all with the Sprinter. We still have a small car for my DW, but we traded the Focus ZX3 for an even smaller Scion XA, which weighs only 2300 pounds, has a 5 speed gearbox and is perfect to tow behind the Sprinter. I also use the Sprinter to tow a 6'x`12' utility trailer, a 6' x 10' single-axle flat trailer, a 16' tandem-axle flat trailer, and a 20' pontoon boat on a trailer. With the trailers, the Sprinter perfectly replaces my pickup and the Sprinter gets better fuel mileage than any of the vehicles it replaced.

sprintertowing 002 (Small).jpg
...towing the Scion Xa

sprintertowing 006 (Small).jpg
...towing the small trailer, loaded with flooring

sprinter-trailer (Small).jpg
...towing the utility trailer

I have a picture on the other computer towing my compact tractor with front end loader and box blade, but no pictures yet towing the pontoon boat.

[BaywoodBill]

Originally Posted by Don Horner

Scion XA, which weighs only 2300 pounds, has a 5 speed gearbox and is perfect to tow behind the Sprinter. I also use the Sprinter to tow a 6'x`12' utility trailer, a 6' x 10' single-axle flat trailer, a 16' tandem-axle flat trailer, and a 20' pontoon boat on a trailer. With the trailers, the Sprinter perfectly replaces my pickup and the Sprinter gets better fuel mileage than any of the vehicles it replaced.

Quite a menagerie, Don.

[Don Horner]

I'm back in Port St. Lucie, now, and found the other picture of my daily driver uses, with the tractor.

rv-tractor 001 (Small).jpg

[zigzagguzzi]

I drive mine to work daily and tow a 1970 AS Safari TT, but not to work. zz

[unik]

I have other primary vehicle for everyday driving
It does use all my callory and fatt
and I changed it (bicycle) evry year for a new one $$=100$

[MikeP]

Hi,
We have 03 Sprinter, 140" wheelbase passenger model. Guess it's our daily driver, we don't go very much only about 25K miles in last 4 plus years. But since 2 of us in powerchairs it is just great, no need to have to purchase raised doors or roof. Just added Ricon KlearVue lift.
It replaced our 1996 Dodge 3/4 ton with similiar lift and a 360 engine that we got very poor gas mileage from and don't miss it at all. It got such bad mileage, coupled with constant repair needs we traded it in and kept our old 88 Chevy 3/4 ton with Ricion lift as backup vehical.
Good Luck,
MikeP

[BaywoodBill]

Originally Posted by MikeP

But since 2 of us in powerchairs it is just great, no need to have to purchase raised doors or roof. Just added Ricon KlearVue lift.

Have you had to remove the regular seats so you can drive from your power chair? Or do you transfer? Did you have to put in hand controls?

Seek, maybe there could be a section in this forum for that sort of modifications. We have an RV section, maybe a disability-mod section? Every now and then I run into someone with a disability using one or another type of vehicle and I always think how much superior a Sprinter could be. If I could refer them to this website....