Choosing and Buying Our Van

The day we bought our van!

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First we’ll introduce you to the van or our Vantasy as we call her! Our van is a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter 2500 4x4 with a 170 inch wheelbase. We bought her in April 2022 which was a terrible time to buy a vehicle where we live. Dealer inventories were still very low, but Kevin scoured the internet every day until he found our van at a dealership 5 hours away from our house. We picked her up on a windy day in April and started the biggest project we’ve ever attempted!

The inside of the van when we picked her up.

The previous owners of our van had actually started a van camper build so a few things were already installed when we bought her. They installed a total of 6 windows in the van, 2 on the rear doors, 1 on each side near the back of the van, 1 behind the driver’s seat, and 1 on the sliding door. They also installed a Maxx Air Fan. Rear window covers, front window covers, a windshield cover, and a fan cover were also included with the van. There was also a ladder that was partially installed on a rear door and the van had matte black wrap. They also installed flexible solar panels and attempted to start running some electrical wiring. We ended up pulling out all the electrical and removed the flexible solar panels since they were a much lower wattage than we needed. We properly installed the ladder on the rear door and decided to keep the wrap for now.

Sprinter vs Transit vs Promaster

Before settling on the Sprinter, we narrowed our search down to the RAM Promaster, Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprinter. We looked at the Nissan NV, but the overall look and feel didn’t appeal to us. All 3 vans come in different lengths and roof heights, but there were certain qualities that we k

RAM Promaster

2022 RAM Promaster

First up, the RAM Promaster. The Promaster would have been the least expensive to buy and probably have the least expensive maintenance costs. Since the Promaster is wider, we would have been able to to put our bed width wise vs length wise which would save some space. However, the extended length was only around 20 feet long and the roof height was also not at high as the Transit or Sprinter. Since we planned on traveling with our dogs, we wanted the van to be as spacious as possible. Additionally, the Promaster only came in front wheel drive with a ground clearance of just under 7 inches, which would be fine for a lot of people. However, we knew we wanted to take the van off the beaten path and felt a 4x4 or AWD would perform better. Ultimately we decided the Promaster didn’t fit our needs.

Ford Transit

2022 Ford Transit

Next up, the Ford Transit. The extended length Ford Transit is about 22 feet long and 68 inches wide at the widest point. This would give us plenty of space for our dogs and us. The interior height of the Transit is 81 inches which would give us plenty of head room in the van. Additionally, the Transit came in an AWD drive option which was very appealing. We also knew the Transit would have lower maintenance costs than a Sprinter and there are a lot more Ford dealerships around the US than Mercedes dealerships. However, at the time we were looking at vans, a high roof, extended length, AWD Transit would have been a very similar price to a 4x4 Mercedes Sprinter and the Sprinter would hold its value more than the Transit. We do believe the Transit would be a great camper van and Ford has even created a trail ready camera van to give you a head start on your build.

Mercedes Sprinter

2018 Mercedes Sprinter 2500 4x4

Finally, the OG of camper vans, the Mercedes Sprinter. We were looking at the 170 inch wheelbase Sprinter with 4x4 which is about 22.75 feet long. Yes every inch counts on a van build. :-) Even though the Sprinter has the 4x4 badge, it is technically not a true 4x4 since there is no rear locking differential and its not a 50/50 split in power sent to the rear vs the front wheels. However, you can upgrade to a locking differential from companies such as Owl Vans and Agile Off Road. Recently, Mercedes has discontinued the 4x4 on Sprinters in favor of an AWD drive system. The ground clearance of 7.9 inches is also very appealing since it would give us the ability to take the van off the beaten path. The width of the Sprinter is 67 inches which makes its the narrowest of the vans we looked at. We would definitely need the bed to go length wise, but the extra length gives us more room to work with. Since the van is narrower, it would be easier to drive on narrow roads and easier to get in and out of tight parking lots and parking spaces. At the time, the Sprinter line only offered diesel engines which are known to go for hundreds of thousands of miles. The biggest downside to the Sprinter is higher maintenance costs and finding a Mercedes dealership if we needed parts.

Our Sprinter the day we brought her home!

We went back and forth between the Transit and Sprinter a lot since both were great options for us. We actually almost bought a Transit but the deal fell through. Ultimately it came down to which was available at the right price and that ended up being a Mercedes Sprinter. We were even lucky enough to find one with only 24,000 miles on a diesel engine! So far we’ve taken her through snowy Colorado, overloading in Moab, and all over New England and she has been a beast! Luckily, we haven’t had any issues with it so far, however, even an oil change can be pricey.

Want to see more of our van? Check out our camper van layout here.