A new 2026 Mercedes sprinter cargo vans (no side windows) with the high roof and 170” (longest) wheel base, has an MSRP around $60k. Cheaper if you get it used.
I follow a couple van-adventurers. Their experiences don't align with your own. "We've got another EGR code. It's in limp mode again." "The screen for the backup camera/radio isn't turning on. We've turned it off and on a few times. Nothing." "Shop says the parts for transmission are a month out. So we're stuck."
Which is a damn shame, as the platform itself is superior to Chevrolet, Fiat (Promasters), and Ford.
They're definitely run into the ground by delivery drivers.
And plumbers.
And carpet layers.
And anyone who hauls small cargo that needs to be kept dry from the rain.
I love work vans, but used ones are often very used. This isn't granny going to church every Sunday. This is Mike the electrician going all over town every day to fix faulty wiring in people's houses.
Our first minivan ended up being a POS. It was used for local flower delivery. So many things went wrong on it...because the delivery drivers probably didn't care and treated it like crap.
I've been surprised by the used price of these, given how expensive everything else is.
They're unreliable. I used to work next door to a M-B dealer and the model year when these joined the lineup they quickly became the number one towed in vehicle on the lot.
Be better off getting a Ford Transit $50K. I've got a 2020 transit I use for work and in 120k miles it's never had an issue outside of tires and brakes.
Check out your local surplus auctions, you'd be surprised what your city just tosses out for cheap. My brother in law just bought a 2020 van with 80k miles for $2600. Inspection only found the tires, passenger seat, and a side mirror needing replaced or repairs. It was so cheap cause the city was replacing all the vans with newer ones, even if the old worked perfectly fine.
Nah my mom recently bought a 2026 camper Bauer edition and she got a loan for 96k and that had all the van had after they finished building minus the canopy part on top still way too fucking expensive but if she got that at 96k I’d say the van probably 50-60 then everything they did roughly another 100k
Edit: she is not wealthy either just throwing that in there she works at a grocery store
my buddy and me have the exact same van, we both bought is for roughly the same price, he put in 12k for interior and everything and i put together some whacky contraption for a couple hundred bucks for electronics (solar and battery)
He hasnt used it once, i have been to more than half of all europe (more than half a year onthe road in total) in my little shitbox.
Shit can cost cash, but it doesnt have to, i never understood those people who buy a 400k home on wheels just to watch tv and cook in a proper kitchen on a campingground.
You're my hero and this is exactly what I'd do. 100k+ RV's tend to be more for prestige. I lived for a few months out of my opel astra h stationwagon. Some electronics, mattress, good sound system, was finishing my PhD in the Italian alps during covid this way (: Some of the best times of my life. Been dreaming of van life eversince. Alas I have a job that I love.
dang finishing your PhD in the alps really sounds like a dream. oh i wish i had that thing ready as a camper during covid already, would have been way nicer than sitting at home.
And if it’s their job they already have the equipment, no how, and can write off a lot of this build as both advertising and spec to sell. A lot of people love to hate (not saying you were, Dank).
Lol, the choices aren't brand new or "rotten". You could get something 3 years old which is still pretty new but avoids a good chunk of the depreciation.
Yeah if you shop around, you can get decent 2nd hand vans that are similar. I would go for a Japanese built one personally for reliability and ease of getting parts, but those Mercedes sprinter vans are quite common. Just need to be careful that you aren't building in one that has been driven into the ground already.
Yeah my father got a cheap Mercedes sprinter for it and it worked out well so far. They have it for 5 years(?) And went a few time up the Norwegian cost and back down again without much problems.
You can get that van for 40K after two years of use or so. Nobody buys them for 85.
The way German car manufacturers operate now means that usually new cars are leased out to business customers and then sold as used.
People interested in the budget version of this should check out foamies or converted enclosed trailers. Diy rv trailer basically. Still need something that can tow a few thousand pounds and the knowledge for electrical/plumbing stuff but making a sprinter into an rv is probably the most expensive way to go about it.
Mostly all wheel drive and the ability to use normal parking lots. My mom bought herself one as a retirement present and has been living out of it for the last three months while working at a national park. Hers is also 4 seasons rated with no modifications, so we’ve taken it to the mountain before for snowboarding.
300k seems silly for this because my moms is made by Winnebago and she got it at the end of the year for 150, that’s about 70 off of msrp.
I have a ford transit that was converted into a campervan. The real win, is that they are much nicer to drive, you can navigate most US forest service roads, and a much better MPG. It serves as a daily driver for our family of 4 in a pinch as well.
Mine is not nearly this nice, but all in was about $45k. $30k for the van brand new, and $15k build out. That was back in 2018, so would probably be more like $60k today.
Yes, but the appeal of these vans is that you can take them off-roading to spots you could never dream of taking an RV. That’s assuming you get the 4WD version. Raise it a bit and throw on some large off-roading tires to have good clearance then upgrade the suspension and you can take it on truck trails to spots most people can only access if they’re willing to hike for days at a time.
If I had one of these, I could park it at my house and occasionally use it as a tow vehicle for my little trailer. It’s even small enough that I could use it as a spare vehicle if my daily went down for a couple days.
Ironically, I do have a shitty RV (that I hate) and wouldn’t dream of parking it at my house or using it for anything beyond its intended purpose. But I bought it in a moment of weakness when I should have bought a pop top minivan.
The RV technically has a full kitchen, bathroom and more space. But it sucks at everything else.
Also 4-7 mpg means I don’t drive it anywhere.
And it’s an RV, so I can’t get to the cool campgrounds that are cheaper. Or just park it on the road for a stealthy sleep.
And it’s so wide, it’s a pain in the ass to drive in traffic or construction.
And when it breaks down (because it’s a shitty RV that I bought in a moment of weakness) it’s too big for car dealers to look at, so I have to hunt for a shop that’ll touch it. And I have to pay for the big tow trucks.
A newer one would probably suck much less, but given the choice I’d rather have the van.
Yep, I've seen videos like this that debate a lot more about prices and the economy of it, the idea is that you're either have a lot to spare and do this completely because you want it, or you really are just homeless or about to be and instead of trying to ever own a home you own one of this and make it look as good as you can cause it's the only home you're going to get.
Something like this is cheaper than even the crappiest houses but it's also just not a house and it's a whole different lifestyle.
That's because you didn't work hard for your cash since you were 14 and coincidentally have millionaires as parents which is completely unrelated whatsoever forget I mentioned it focus on the working part.
Connection doing this kind of modification in Greece would get yourself jail time, your car removed from streets permanently and pay a ridiculous high amount of money.
In fact if you have a motorhome and it can expand once you park police can fine you a large amount for being extra cm bigger than the original vehicle size.
Recently a guy for riding a horse got fined for driving some alcohol and took his driver license for driving a vehicle (the horse) the whole greece gone in uproar with this stupidity of the police and prosecutor decision.
Spouse and I transformed our Sienna - the kids are gone and we no longer need a people hauler. We went more modular so the van can still be used as a people wagon if necessary.
V0.1 trip was last year (US coast to coast)- we are working on v0.2 for next year (NE to SW probably). Lots of State Parks along the way.
In the UK, these are actually pretty cheap to make. You can find yourself an old work van with like 70k miles for under £10k, and slowly build it over time.
An old colleague just moved into his 2 weeks ago at the age of 24, doing minimum wage jobs.
4.6k
u/InternationalRead925 16h ago
I'm guessing that cost a bit of cash.