Mercedes Sprinter

[Rye]

Does anyone on here drive a Sprinter? Just curious if there are any mods that need to be done to drive from a wheelchair. I'd prefer a low roof, but I'd do a high roof if it'd be possible to drive from my chair.

[Burgerman]

Yes theres a few mods. But relatively easy compared to the minivans.

I never drove one but have looked into it.

They use a side door lift. And a small floor/engine cover mod. Can be black glass,tons of options inc 4x4, auto, lifted, big tyres, and trimmed internally in spectacular fashion. So doesent have to look like a commertial van... And in grey you look as if you are going to war! You dont need high roof I was informed.

[Burgerman]

But you would need to buy an already raised, arches, interior trimmed, large wheel, dark glass modded one new or from one of many 4x4 converters, and then get it converted for wheelchair use. Because the normal sprinter van isnt anything like that pretty or tough looking. E.G one of a few converters. This place isnt cheap! https://www.paravan.com/product-solutio ... s-sprinter

[Rye]

Not sure why they charge so much to mod these vans. They don't require near what a minivan does. I was looking at buying an E350 (floor lowering process https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0_av6bNKRM), but if I could get and Sprinter with 4x4 (muddy around here), I'd save a ton of money! RollX want over 100k US for a lowered 4x4 chevy. I could get a nicely equipped sprinter for almost half that.

[Burgerman]

So whats stopping you?
It would also cost around half as much to run...

[Rye]

Because half that is still a lot of money...

[Burgerman]

Well being disabled isnt cheap. You have a choice. Go for it and have a life. Or use the bus and get deseases from muggers and old people while going to places when the bus decides and where it decides...

[rollingcowboy]

I was told that the Sprinter has the fusebox under the front driver seat making it very expensive to convert and drive in a wheelchair.
Even a transfer seat is difficult.
I have not seen this for myself - the guy that told me was in the business of selling vans.

[Burgerman]

Well they are relatively cheap conversions.

Heres an 8 year old but 11,000 miles one albeit quite low trim and rear door. Full floor lowered so you can see what they do. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-SPR ... SwvbRgCfID

7k miles better van too. Still rear lift though. I would want side door lift.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-SPR ... snow.co.uk

Best used one with ony driver side converted.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2017-17-MERC ... Sw~2FfY9aS

So several different ways to convert them. All much cheaper to do than the minivans or VWs from new.

[Rye]

I checked out a 2500 4x4 144" low roof Mercedes Sprinter today. Pretty much this van: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZIKVfk5uCk. It looks small in pics and videos, but it is massive! More like an RV than a van. It is about 8ft tall and almost wide enough to sleep sideways in. The slide door opens wide enough to fit a lift with room to spare.

The fuse box is under the drivers seat. The floor under the drivers seat inclines at a pretty sharp rate. The floor to ceiling height behind the seat was 64" and the floor to ceiling in front of the seat was about 62". The floor to steering wheel height was 24" (for reference the top of my knees sit right at 26"). The chassis battery is under a floor panel where driver rests feet. There are aftermarket swivel seats that are easy to install (easier than relocating the battery/fuse box and lowering the floor). The rear cargo area is a tiny house which almost allows for a normal standing height.

My overall impression is awesome and I want one! Not a van in my opinion and the 4x4 is not 4x4. More like oops we've wandered off the beaten path and we need a little help getting back. It's not made for continuous off road use in my opinion. It'd be very expensive to replace anything on this vehicle especially the 4x4 components.

[Burgerman]

Yes not small. My brothers lad has a 4x4 one for work. Hes self employed builder/bike racer/family man and it works for everything.

[Rye]

I've been trying to find a video of a lowered floor sprinter with no luck. Please post if anyone finds on. Swivel might be a best option on a budget and safer too.

[Burgerman]

Heres a very basic conversion. Not very pretty. I have seen much nicer ones. And microscopic wheels...


youtu.be/lYrbmzdOdMw

[Burgerman]

Extremely similar conversion but with some really weird controls that I dont like the look of...


youtu.be/dtLihjMjIic

[Rye]

Good videos. That first conversion looks like it was dropped under the steering wheel, but actually raised a couple inches where the seat used to be. Maybe reinforcement? Those hand controls look very expensive. I like simple. I use the MPS hand controls. Pretty cheap and less intrusive. If I get a sprinter, I would probably start out with the swivel seat and try and find a machinist that would look at dropping the floor. No way I'd pay through a mobility company. They would probably run up the bill to make the price comparable to the minivan full floor drop. The sprinter I looked at was basically a fleet model. Very vanilla with no infotainment, flat screen, brake assist, etc. The way I see it is if any of that crap malfunctions Mercedes has you locked in for constant repairs. I have a tablet and bluetooth speakers if I want that. The only thing I hate though is that they all come standard with built in LTE. After the US government bailed out GM back in the 2000's, all their models came standard with OnStar (a tracking device).[quote][/quote]

[Burgerman]

If my vehicle came with a tracking device I would rip it out. WTH!

[slomobile]

I'm going to test drive this one tomorrow https://www.peckdaniel.com/2018-mercede ... 15/7065432
No experience owning a diesel, a merc, or a wc van so any advice on things to look for in a used 130k mile van would be helpful. Is $39,500 an ok price? Better than $80k I was quoted for new minivan way to small. Braun ability century lift rating is within 50lbs of my actual chair/body weight. Is that a problem?

[Burgerman]

The lift is no problem. You guys pay rediculous amounts of money for what we in the UK would consider a worn out high mileage car.

So I am not in a position to say. Anything here with 80K on it goes for next to nothing. We consider that almost ready for the scrapyard.

Your new vehicles are cheaper than ours. Your used ones are not. Also rear door/entry means you are running over anything you put in the back.

£19k so offer 15. 6,000 MILES as new drive from chair https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224875952815 ... Sw8xRgqX8u

£14k you would get it for 10. Its done 12,000 miles.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224862716372

£19k so offer 15k. Again 15,000 miles. All these vans are drive from chair, fully lowered foor and as new to look at.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224850084416

19k. High mileage, 45k miles. Run away.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224853431029

Theres at least 12 more. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from ... &_osacat=0

[slomobile]

Biggest issue was opening and closing the hood which is required to fill the DEF(Diesel Exhaust Fluid). It is very fiddley for someone in a wheelchair.
The interior release handle is deep within drivers footwell and requires leaning forward a lot to pull. There are no hood springs so you have to lift the entire weight of the hood. The secondary catch release is in the center of hood where you expect, but the catch that holds the hood up is on the far left side as you face the hood to open it(right side of vehicle). It is not within arms reach from the center. In order to lift the hood high enough for the open catch to engage I had to raise the chairlift all the way to the top where the drive inhibits are engaged. This means holding the entire weight of the hood with one hand while the other operates the slow chair lift. If you drop it, it latches and you need to go back to the interior latch. If you don't have a chair with lift option, you will require a longish stick to push it up. Gook luck.
Lowering the hood requires driving over to the right side of the vehicle and getting close and somewhat high. I'm not sure lowering the hood is possible without at least anterior tilt or a small amount of seat lift. Lift the hood with right hand and hold, release catch with left hand, lower the hood carefully till you cannot control it anymore and drop it to latch. A strong right arm and at least somewhat dexterous left are absolutely required to close the hood. Despite that...

I really liked the Sprinter I looked at today despite 4 completely bare tires, broken windshield, fog light cover, left rear window, dents on 3 sides. The car lot has parts on order. They bought it from a leasing company and did not have info on what company leased it. I saw remnants of a fender sticker "23" probably a fleet vehicle number, and "This vehicle stops at all RR crossings" so certainly a former commercial vehicle. The WC lift had a counter at about 2500. Is that cycles up and down? My Permobil M3 only fit the lift if I swivel the rear casters or lift the footplates or lower them so far that drive inhibit kicks in. It only needs an extra 3/4" but without it, the roll stop wont lift and without that in place the lift wont operate.

The important thing for me was that it is exactly the right size for me to operate by myself and comfortably maneuver around inside, I can spin the wheelchair around inside without hitting anything. I can drop to the floor and crawl around on all sides to attack transport hooks. I can work on the chair from all sides inside the van. I can walk a few steps, so it was important for me to be able to step or crawl from the wc to the drivers seat without exiting the vehicle. This van has that clearance. It will be improved if I can replace the 3 position rear seat with a single position seat for my son. While loading it will also serve as intermediate transfer seat for me. The wc and lift in the back never interfere with side sliding door access and storage. Being 144" rather than the longer ones allows me a bit of extra parking space when using the rear lift in a crowded parking lot. I never need deal with someone parked too close on the side.

The only thing holding this up is finding the money and concerns about availability of service. On the way home I stopped at the local MB dealer/service shop where I counted 22 sprinter vans in the lot awaiting service and only one working mechanic inside. Ambulances, a postal metris van, FedEx, Amazon Prime, 4 Winnebagos, and a few regular cargo and passenger sprinters all neatly stacked and ignored.

[slomobile]

Ok, we are trying to buy the sprinter. It does not have automatic rear doors and that is something I want to add.

Is there a kit available for a 2018 high roof crew van?
Hoping for compatibility with the Braun Ability Century lift.

[swalker]

Here are a couple of things to think about.

1. I would not have a van I cannot operate independently. The full size rear entry vans I have looked at require that the doors be opened by someone who is outside the van. That means if I am alone inside the van I cannot use the lift to exit the van. That is a non starter for me. Some have had the lift controls placed where only someone outside the van can operate them. Stupid!

2. The US diesel sprinters have a reputation for requiring very expensive emissions repairs when they have somewhere between 100,000 and 150,000 miles on them. By expensive, I mean $10,000 plus. I have read accounts of folks who have spent over $10,000 and many trips to dealers and other repair shops without successfully completing the problem. Their only recourse was to sell the van, letting it become someone else's problem. This is something I recommend you thoroughly investigate before buying a Sprinter.

I think the Sprinter would make a very practical wheelchair van if it had a lift on the side and was gas rather than diesel. I want all wheel drive and the last time I looked those are only available in diesel (in the US). So, Sprinters are not currently on my list of vans to consider.

Steve

[slomobile]

Thanks!

1. That is the reason I want automatic rear doors. I've seen them on vans so assumed they were available, however I haven't been able to find a source.
Please let me know if you have any info on how to do that. I figured with a bit of time in my driveway I could at least figure out a way to open and close the doors with sticks and string and actuators. But a kit would be better. I'm waiting for a Braun Ability dealer to phone back with options.

I understand side lift is far more popular, but I really do not understand why. Maybe it is for people that live in the city and park on the street, but I rarely do that.
I have a driveway and vehicle driver side faces the house door. A side lift would put me in the grass on top of my well head at home.
Where I shop, there are parking lots. I have a hard time finding empty space to the side, but there is always room behind me, the way I pulled into the spot.
Its a hit hairy unloading into traffic, but I've never actually blocked traffic. And that is with the way I load it now, manually deploy 6ft folding ramp out the back of vehicle while sitting on the bumper, remove chair back and place on seat, lower arms, extend joystick to rear, drive up into SUV, secure straps, fold and stow ramp, shimmy along the roof rails like a monkey to driver seat. Reverse procedure to unload.
I had the paperwork to get a disabled parking hang tag, but got lazy and let it expire because I never use disabled parking. I just park way in the back where no one else wants to be. I have a reasonably fast chair. It is easier for me to get to the store from there than an able body walking.

2. Great tip on the emissions. I talked to a service manager and he said the number one preventative maintenance item is fuel filter. So I'll change that immediately. I've also learned that there are tell tale markers for overheating built into the heads and turbo charge tube. I'll try to check that before taking delivery. I watched an engine teardown on Youtube that showed massive carbon buildup in the intake just downstream of the EGR valve. I assume that is the emissions issue, or possibly cleaning the exhaust filter. Though I heard that can be DIY, just difficult and dirty. Not sure if any of my info is accurate.

[slomobile]

I found this helpful https://idpartsblog.com/2017/07/03/spri ... lty-parts/

[slomobile]

Just curious if there are any mods that need to be done to drive from a wheelchair.

I can't yet speak to driving from the wc, but I will be driving with the wc and found this mod which I intend to start as soon as I take delivery.
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/inde ... ads/37611/

After entering the van from the rear and securing transport straps. I'll take a few steps forward to use the OEM driver seat. This is possible with the 3 person 2nd row seat due to the gap between seat and sliding door, where the side entry step is. But it is difficult for me. It would be easier with more space. This guy shows how to cut down the 54.5" seat to 37", 40" including armrests making it a 6 passenger van. 2 front captains chairs, 2 rear seats, 2 spaces with anchors for securing wheelchairs.