The Sprinter and Transit are both really great vans for van dwelling because of the size and capabilities you’ll have for the conversion. They offer the chance of fitting all the necessities of a home into a vehicle without feeling too cramped. Both have different features and therefore, have different reasons for going with one or the other to begin your build.
The first van I had was a 2011 MB Sprinter with a 144″ WB; 90k miles at time of purchase. I recently transitioned to my second van and purchased a 2017 Ford Transit with a 148″ WB; 60k miles at time of purchase. My biggest concerns were budget, traveling solo in the van and avoiding break downs or major repairs at all costs (hopefully)! After weighing the info below, my personal conclusion was the Ford Transit. But I encourage you to consider your own necessities and weigh the options accordingly to make a decision that best suits you.
SPRINTER
This includes Mercedes- Benz, Dodge, and Freightliner because they have all been made under Mercedes.
Cargo 144" Wheelbase
Standard Roof:
Interior Standing Space- 5′ 5″ tall
Cargo Volume- 319.1 cu. ft.
High Roof:
Interior Standing Space- 6 ft. 4 in.
Cargo Volume- 373.7 cu. ft.
Cargo 170" WB
High Roof:
Interior Standing Space- 6′ 4″
Cargo Volume- 486.5 cu. ft.
Cargo 170" WB EXTENDED:
High Roof:
Interior Standing Space- 6′ 4″
Cargo Volume- 530 cu. ft
PROS:
- Very popular among the Van Life Community
- Several layout guides available because of popularity saving conversion time
- Older years available allowing for a cheap buying price
- 4x4 Availability
- Several Diesel Engine options
CONS:
- Mercedes Dealerships are the only place you can go for majority of repairs
- Dealership repairs are insanely expensive
- Not rare to need some major repairs even with consistent routine maintenance
- Slow acceleration taking 11.5 seconds to go from 0-60 mph
- When repairing at dealerships, some parts come from Germany causing serious delay
CONCLUSION
The Sprinter has some incredible features and is very popular in the van life community. This makes it really easy to find layout guides and videos on conversions saving you several hours during your build. The 4×4 Sprinter is awesome and Ford does not offer this in the Transit as of now. They also have been making Sprinters for years which means you can find older models for a pretty good initial price.
However, these vans do need a lot of maintenance and even with that maintenance, prepare to spend thousands on repairs. You may get lucky and not it, but I highly encourage you to make sure you have a good savings ready for a break down and a pricey repair. Most problems have to be fixed at the dealerships because the software and parts are all exclusively owned by Mercedes. The dealerships (knowing this) charge astronomically more money than standard mechanics.
My personal opinion and advice: Sprinters are great if you can afford a brand new(-ish) one. My first van (2011 Sprinter) along with many others that I know, required thousands in repairs even after necessary general maintenance. When I broke down, it was also very difficult finding a nearby dealership because we were in the middle of the mountains which meant towing it hours away.. Before spending 3 weeks at an Airbnb while it got fixed, and then being hit with an $8,000 bill. This entire issue cost close to $10,000 in total.
RECOMMENDED CONVERSION BOOKS
FORD TRANSIT
Cargo 130" Wheelbase
Medium Roof:
Interior Standing Space- 6′ 0″ tall
Cargo Volume- 315.2 cu. ft.
High Roof:
Interior Standing Space- 6′ 8″
Cargo Volume- 404.3 cu. ft.
Cargo 148" WB
Medium Roof:
Interior Standing Space- 6′ 0″ tall
Cargo Volume- 357.1 cu. ft.
High Roof:
Interior Standing Space- 6′ 8″
Cargo Volume- 404.3 cu. ft.
Cargo 148" WB (Extended Length LONG)
High Roof:
Interior Standing Space- 6′ 8″
Cargo Volume- 487.3 cu. ft.
PROS:
- High top is extremely tall inside at 6'8"
- Much cheaper for newer van than Sprinter
- Can be repaired anywhere by any mechanic
- Inexpensive parts allowing for cheap maintenance and repairs
- More square physical shape allowing for easier measuring and loss of space for conversion
CONS:
- Older years are not available because it's newer to the US market
- If you prefer Diesel, there are options but most are gas
- Only 17 MPG (varies but stays low)
- Not as common in van community so more difficult to find layout guides
CONCLUSION
The Transit is a newer van to the US market and just starting to make an appearance in the van community. They are slightly bigger and quite a bit taller than the Sprinter which is nice if you are looking for more space. Transits have pretty cheap parts and can be serviced by any local mechanic allowing for really inexpensive repairs on the road. The slightly square shape offers an easier conversion process with measuring and you don’t lose as much space around the edges when framing.
The biggest downfall with the Transit is that you have no choice but to purchase a newer van because of it being new to the US. So if you are looking for a pretty inexpensive van (under $20k), you may not be able to find a Transit with a high roof in your budget.
My personal opinion and advice: I went with the Transit this time because I would prefer to finance a more expensive van upfront than have the risk of another $10,000 repair. Both vans are great for conversions which is why they are getting more and more popular. It all just depends on what works best for you.
BOOKS AND FORUMS
We had a Sprinter and experienced everything you me took with regard to maintenance. Also not all Mercedes dealers even work on Sprinters. We lived 15 min from one but had to drive to another dealer an hour away to have our wallet drained.
We have 10k miles on our Transit and LOVE it!
I already follow your Insta and private FB community/group, then I happened to come across this blog post when Google-ing further van info – feeling confident now that I made the right choice with financing my new Transit! Thanks for the specs and insight, Sydney! Can’t wait to start building soon. 🙂
What is the facebook private group link? Please share so that I join
Nothing negative on Ram you say?
Ram is front wheel drive only and can’t tow a thing. Not much ground clearance for off-road or snow and can’t haul that much. Other than that, they’re pug ugly.
And the RAM (FIAT) is junk & breaks down often.
I recently inquired about the ram with a delivery fellow driving one. He explained it was top heavy. Especially on turns. Recommended the Ford. His parent Company had both Ford and Dodge dealerships.
2011-2013 Sprinters were the beginning of DEF for Sprinter. 2011 is NOT a good year to buy. So do not judge by the assessment of that year.
One of Ontario’s biggest cities is dumping all the turbo diesel powered Sprinters … not just 2011-2013 for all the reasons Sydney stated. The Ford turbo diesel can be purged by the owner in 20 minutes vs the MB that needs a shop service ($500-2000) for the same issue. As on mechanic told me…. if someone gives you a free 5+ year old Sprinter; it’s because they don’t like you. Thor makes the Gemini with Transit vans and they are $40k+ less than comparable MB powered motorhomes
John,
Nice. Can you let me know which City is selling them? Is there a website listing for it?
Much appreciated
Coleen
WOW just what I was searching for. Came here by searching for blog
It’s interesting to see that the 170″ high roof Sprinter is pretty much the same interior cubic feet of space as the 158″ high roof Transit, but with the Transit you get 4 more inches of roof height; which allows for better insulation. Of course, the holy grail, at least in my opinion is the 170″ high roof Sprinter Extended, which is humongous; but the caveat of that particular van is that dual rear wheels would be pretty much a necessity to handle the weight of a camper van build.
The extended Sprinter turbodiesel with dualies gave us a great drive. Tons of power very good mileage but the dealers’ service people treat you like second class citizens as they eat your wallet.
As the debate over the Mercedes Benz sprinter VS ford transit would have either roomy enough to be converted into a home on wheels without feeling cramped as the sprinter was made long enough to find cheap units when those also heard about the ford econoline when those had heard they could fine one inexpensively. The sprinter had the advantage for north America to be outfitted from the factory with 4WD when there is conversion companies claiming to offer a 4WD conversion for either of the ford full sized vans when a kit would be available for GM’s full sized vans along with Nissan’s NV. The company offering the conversion had claimed to retain the unaltered parts of the factory warranty when they would offer a warranty for the conversion.
Have you driven the 4×4 Sprinters”? Thoughts if you have. How much longer is your trip?
Not arguing as I dont know anything about the sprinter but it s important to inform everyone the transit with tiptronic gear box is truly and absolutely.to avoid due to a problem in hydraulic pump which cost in australia over 3000$ to recondition. This problem is very common on this specific model.
The problem start which lights on the dash flashing when trying to start, then does not change.or pass the gear and finish to stop totally the van. Sometime it will restart sometimes not at all.
So if this comparaison is relevant, avoid still the tiptronics.
Thank you beautiful Sydney for all of the helpful info. Please tell me what do you think about the box vans? Ford E350 for example. They look even more stealthy and well boxy which means even more space of straight shapes, but there are almost no videos on youtube about box vans. There must be a reason for that which I’m not aware of, right?
I appreciate your insight and advice. I am about 8 years from retirement. Divorced, and looking to do van life for a few years. Your comparison of Sprinter and Transit was extremely helpful. Thank you.
I was really surprised that Ford offer petrol (gas) transit van.
Press them to offer the diesel options that they offer in the U.K. then you’ve got yourself a seriously robust vehicle.
Also so much better as a work van for trades vs a pickup truck
Have you not heard of Ford’s optional Eco Boost twin-turbo V6 that dwarfs the horsepower and torque of any diesel available in a Class B RV? A real screamer at 17mpg. Now with a 10 speed auto-trans (2020).
My transit is the 148 mid roof, 3.5 liter dual turbo, AWD, 10 speed automatic, drives like a car and is absolutely the bomb! Very, very reasonably priced. Ford dealerships are everywhere! They look good and get very reasonable mileage and flat out can accelerate at slow or freeway speeds. They can tow, run on gas (which is nearly always cheaper than diesel) AND the engine doesn’t cost anywhere near that of a diesel! Buying a domestic vehicle like a FORD is an absolute no brainer.
I would like to know more about the source of the van conversion items like the kitchen appliance and bathroom items for my information. Thank you
Best Regards,
ALWABIL
I go in depth on most of the items through my “Build Your Van” page! You can find each item in the correct category and see all the details there! Let me know if you need help with any specific items 🙂
Great pros and cons, makes sense about the expense of a Mercedes and dealer only service centers⁉️ Thanks for the tips, we’re looking but still a few years away from a commitment. What’s your experience with the Ram van?
I don’t have any personal experience living in a Ram van, but I do have many friends that travel/live in them! I haven’t heard any negative opinions on them and I know you can find them pretty inexpensive, so that’s always awesome! I think mechanically they are pretty good and definitely cheaper to fix than any Mercedes would be.