So as the title states I’m looking at purchasing a high roof van for track duty rather than truck and trailer. I think I’ve pretty much ruled out the Mercedes due to cost. So what’s the general consensus on the ford transit vs the ram promaster? It will be getting used pretty much every weekend for either moto or road racing. Just curious who has experience with these and what issues did you have. Mostly shopping used at this point
This one or nothing, in my book. Also shag carpet removes about 1 sec/lap. So make sure it has shag in it.
I can't compare to Promaster as I've only had the Ford ('20 medium roof) but we're 3 yrs. in without any issues. Love the 10 speed transmission, tows well.
I used to sell RVs and though I was never a Dodge fan, the Promaster always held up well and the mileage it got was pretty damn good for a gas engine. And the Pentastar V6 is a damn reliable engine.
Ive got a 2021 2500 highroof promaster, and it is awesome except for when its not. I love having a van for all the obvious reasons. Things i dont like about it...its not very comfortable. Its loud. Everthing inside seems very cheap (it is a fleet vehicle though). Terrible fuel mileage, about 12ish mpg's. I read a lot of horror stories on the promaster forum about longevity, and reliability. I wont be keeping mine for a long time because of that. I still love my van though, and i do get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Also it's fwd compared to the ford being rwd if that matters to you.
@cav115 does a lot of fleet vehicle maintenance and a few years ago liked the Promaster. Hopefully he will be along with some updates?
My daily drive for the last 5 years is a transit connect cargo/panel van. I fixed the noise and heat problems by covering the roof, and wheel wells with Fatmat sound deadener. It kills sound, and has a heatshield layer. Then get the ceramic/heatshield tint for the windows. The front windows on these things are huge. I can talk on the phone with a headset, and it never gets crazy hot when parked. I live in the middle of SC https://www.amazon.com/FatMat-Self-...fos.17d9e15d-4e43-4581-b373-0e5c1a776d5d&th=1
I'm not sure of the dealer network in your area....but my neighbor has the Nissan high top.... he is a mobile home repair, do it all type fella. It's a bad ass van. Typically I buy big 3 as they are major players in my area but if you're not tied to them that Nissan is bad ass.
pic Loading out to head to Warner Valley. Ford transit w eco boost made running through the mountains easy.
If you change your mind and go with one, let me know what questions you have. This is my choice. I have a 2019 V6 turbo diesel, 170" WB Extended, High roof. Van is incredible so far. ~40K miles. Yes, maintenance costs are high if you want to use a dealer. (My personal choice there, as I want no questions when it comes to warranty claims.) Drives like a car, gets 20-22mpg loaded up with two bikes, toolbox, fridge, TV, AC on the roof, vent fan, and integrated loading ramp. I love mine.
My brother and 2 friends have all picked up used sprinters from a local company that uses them for their building maintenance fleet. All around 180k miles with maint up to date. All 3 paid $600 a piece for them. My brother sold the shelves out of his for $300 so he's only into it for $300.They have all deleted and tuned them and now we have the white van mafia. Get one.
Are they beat to death, and where do I need to drive to pick one up? I can afford to have another extra vehicle for that.
Not beat at all. Always maintained on schedule. I'm next in line. Gotta wait till one comes up for replacement.
The promasters use a fwd car transmission. Think about that for a minute, when comparing what its intended use is.