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.
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.
If you're going to renovate/improve it like these videos show, the trick is to find one where the interior is beat to hell but the company can provide good maintenance records for the engine and body. Way cheaper to replace a few panels, apply some new paint, and maybe re-upholster a chair or two, than it is to replace the entire engine of a work truck.
(But either way, avoid delivery vans specifically. Plumbers and other tradesmen probably haul stuff and beat up the interior, but chances are they actually shut off the car when it's not being used, so the mileage is a pretty good indicator of the engine's run time. Some delivery vans might legitimately spend more time idling than actually driving, and the driving they do is much more stop-and-go as opposed to coasting/highway driving.)
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u/InternationalRead925 17h ago
I'm guessing that cost a bit of cash.