Whats better is in the eye of the beholder, adaptations needed and ten years to put it to the test. Sprinters have a high body and can be outfitted for a wheelchair passenger without a floor cut or raised roof. If you need to drive from your chair in an ez lock...........this van wont work. Now, if you can transfer good enough to an installed transfer seat, this van could be driven by a quad or para driver, hand controls are nothing to install. The reason why dodge minis work so good for wheelchair drivers is they have a 10 inch floor drop or more and there are at least 3 companies that adapt these vans on an assenbly line with a full warranty. One thing that sets these assembly line adapted vans is they dont void the warranty on the van itself...............you take the van to dodge for standard items and to the vendor that sold you the adapted van for work on the handicapped items. I will mention that Toyota and Honda also make a version of the assembly line handicap van. In the old days a person would pick out a regular van off a lot and send it to a local adaption place and get the floor cut out, doors raised, possibly a raised roof and a host of other items. Your van was only as good as the people that did the cutting and let me tell you sometimes they were junk. Horror stories of being able to see the ground, electrical failures and many other things. Once you bought you were at the mercy of some hack at a local handicapped shop. also you standard warranty was void. Ron Pracht
________________________________ From: RONALD L PRACHT <[email protected]> To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, June 30, 2013 3:14 AM Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] Sprinter Whats better is in the eye of the beholder, adaptations needed and ten years to put it to the test. Sprinters have a high body and can be outfitted for a wheelchair passenger without a floor cut or raised roof. If you need to drive from your chair in an ez lock...........this van wont work. Now, if you can transfer good enough to an installed transfer seat, this van could be driven by a quad or para driver, hand controls are nothing to install. The reason why dodge minis work so good for wheelchair drivers is they have a 10 inch floor drop or more and there are at least 3 companies that adapt these vans on an assenbly line with a full warranty. One thing that sets these assembly line adapted vans is they dont void the warranty on the van itself...............you take the van to dodge for standard items and to the vendor that sold you the adapted van for work on the handicapped items. I will mention that Toyota and Honda also make a version of the assembly line handicap van. In the old days a person would pick out a regular van off a lot and send it to a local adaption place and get the floor cut out, doors raised, possibly a raised roof and a host of other items. Your van was only as good as the people that did the cutting and let me tell you sometimes they were junk. Horror stories of being able to see the ground, electrical failures and many other things. Once you bought you were at the mercy of some hack at a local handicapped shop. also you standard warranty was void. Ron Pracht ________________________________ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Sent: Sunday, June 30, 2013 12:47 AM Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] Sprinter So a sprinter should be better? Dana In a message dated 6/27/2013 7:51:20 A.M. Central Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: Diesel engines last longer then gasoline engines. While gasoline engines are ready for the junk yard at 100,000 miles, a diesel engine is just getting broken in. Mileage actually improves as the engine gets older. Just ask anyone who owns a Mercedes. >Best Wishes > >In a message dated 6/27/2013 2:17:54 A.M. Central Daylight Time, >[email protected] writes: >Dana, >> >>The Sprinter is a diesel with a turbo on it, I think its 5 cylinder. The >>fuel mileage would be good, my guess would be 20 or a lil more highway miles >>per gallon. Problem with any diesel is very expensive to maintain as they >>get older. I have a chevy express with the 6.0 liter gas engine and I >>bet............knock on wood that engine will run 200,000 or more without >>any major work it. I personally dont think the money you save on fuel in a >>diesel will offset the cost of the repairs and general maintenance. >>Everybody has their preference though. I learned about diesels from my >>friend with an asphalt company. He bought a 06 ford f250 with a 6.0 turbo >>diesel. It will pull 22,000 pounds but b4 it reached 100,000 miles he had to >>pay to have the cab removed to work on the engine and replace the turbo and >>some other parts at a cost of 12,000 dollars. The initial cost of the truck >>in 06 was 35,000. I dont see any advantage he got from the diesel other than the ability to tow heavy things. Are wheelchair users hauling 20,000 pound trailers? >> >>Ron >> >> >> >>________________________________ >>From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> >>To: [email protected]; [email protected] >>Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2013 12:23 AM >>Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] Sprinter >> >> >> >>Hi Ron, >>I thought that is Sprinter use diesel fuel and was much more expensive than a full-size van. I don't have a dropped floor on my Chevrolet express. I had thought about getting a Sprinter Van. I wonder what kind of mileage they get? That was an awful experience for your friend. Isn't that horrible that Dodge will not service, and he had to drive two hours. >>Dana >> >>In a message dated 6/26/2013 10:34:18 P.M. Central Daylight Time, >>[email protected] writes: >> >>>The sprinter is easy to convert for wheelchair passenger due to its tall >>>stance. no need for raised roof or dropped floor. >>>Ron >>> >>> >>> >>>________________________________ >>>From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> >>>To: [email protected]; [email protected] >>>Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2013 7:54 PM >>>Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] Sprinter >>> >>> >>> >>>I like the Sprinter van. So easy to convert and back on the road for a >>>rider unit. As a driver unit I have no knowledge. Not all Dodge Dealers >>>are Sprinter Dealers. FreightLiner, also services those vans. >>>Best Wishes >>> >>>In a message dated 6/26/2013 7:09:54 P.M. Central Daylight Time, >>>[email protected] writes: >>>A guy I know at the YMCA bought one to replace his old Ford van. He paid >>>over 50,000 for one with just a lift in it . He told me the turbo went out >>>on two vacations and Dodge wont service the van. He has to drive two hours >>>away to get warranty work done. Hes stuck with it now and is very unhappy. >>>I believe he said the air conditioning went out to,. >>>>Ron >>>> >>>>________________________________ >>>>From: RONALD L PRACHT <[email protected]> >>>>To: TheBlueBox <[email protected]> >>>>Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2013 7:08 PM >>>>Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] Sprinter >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>A guy I know at the YMCA bought one to replace his old Ford van. He paid >>>>over 50,000 for one with just a lift in it . He told me the turbo went out >>>>on two vacations and Dodge wont service the van. He has to drive two >>>>hours away to get warranty work done. Hes stuck with it now and is very >>>>unhappy. I believe he said the air conditioning went out to,. >>>> >>>>Ron >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>________________________________ >>>>From: TheBlueBox <[email protected]> >>>>To: [email protected] >>>>Cc: TheBlueBox <[email protected]> >>>>Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2013 4:50 PM >>>>Subject: [QUAD-L] Sprinter >>>> >>>> >>>>Hello, >>>> >>>>Does anyone own or know someone who has a wheelchair accessible Mercedes-Benz sprinter? >>>> >>>>Lester >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >> >>
