So, you’re thinking about buying a cargo van and trying out #vanlife? So were we just a few short months ago! Shopping for the best van for vanlife was a little intimidating, but generally pretty exciting. But then financing, registering, and insuring the van all turned out to be trickier than we anticipated. Now that we’re on the other side of the process, here’s a quick summary of our Sprinter vs. Promaster vs. Transit research, along with a few things that would have been helpful to know upfront.

Priorities: What Do You Need Out of Your Van?

Before any of the research, we took time to examine how we planned on using our van and, therefore, what we would need out of it. In our house, one of us is well over six feet tall. That helped us narrow down our choices early on. After many #hotelement trips, Joe’s one request was that he be able to stand up straight. So, although there are a lot of van sizes and options out there (Ford Econoline, VW, etc. etc.), our search was limited to vans with a high roof option.

In the US, that pretty much means we had to choose between a Mercedes Benz Sprinter, a Ram Promaster, or a Ford Transit. Also, we knew that we might be travelling for work. We wanted the ability to show up at the jobsite(s) showered and ready for the day, so we planned to build a bathroom. That meant we would be looking at the longer wheel bases, or maybe even the extended versions, of all three vans. Last, we wanted our van to be as temperate as possible, so we did not look at any passenger or crew vans – too many windows.

In today’s post, we’ll focus on the specifics of three high roof, full size cargo vans: Sprinter vs. Promaster vs. Transit. Then we’ll cover why we went with the van that we did as well as some of the post-purchase things we needed to know.

Sprinter vs Promaster vs Transit: Pros and Cons

Mercedes Benz Sprinter Cargo

There are a lot of benefits to owning a Mercedes Sprinter. They have a reputation for lasting hundreds of thousands of miles longer than other vans and retaining their resale value better as well. They are mostly, if not all, diesel engines (although a gas option was recently introduced).

On the flip side, Sprinters have a higher price tag than a RAM Promaster or a Ford Transit. Their parts also tend to be more expensive, and there are fewer mechanics willing or able to work on them. If you break down, you’re likely going to need a tow into a bigger city. Also, Sprinter bodies are a little more round and those curves make it a little more challenging to build.

Sprinter cargo vans come in two roof heights: low and high. With the high roof, there are three length options. When it comes to interior cargo height (ie: how much space you’ll have to stand up in), they run in the middle of the three vans – not the tallest, not the shortest. The Sprinter 170 Extended has the longest available cargo space. It’s close, but Sprinters tend to have the highest payload (note: payload is the maximum amount of weight that can be safely add to your van. When planning for your build weight, don’t forget to consider your own weight, your passengers, and the things you will travel with, like water).

2021 Sprinter Cargo High Roof Specs:

• • Interior Cargo Height: 6’ 7”
  • Interior Cargo Width: 5’ 10”
  • Length Options:
    • 144” Wheel Base (11’ cargo length)
    • 170” Wheel Base (14’ 5” cargo length)
    • 170” Extended (15’ 9” cargo length)
  • Max Payload:
    • 1500
      • 144” (Gas) – 3865 lbs
    • 2500
      • 144” – 3748 to 4365 lbs, depending on 4WD, diesel or gas
      • 170” – 3417 to 4034 lbs, depending on 4WD, diesel or gas
      • 170 Ext – 3318 to 3726 lbs, depending on 4WD
    • 3500
      • 144” – 4488 to 4554 lbs, depending on dual/single rear tires
      • 170” – 4135 to 4201 lbs, depending on dual/single rear tires
      • 170 Ext – 4058 to 4124 lbs, depending on dual/single rear tires
    • Technically also available in 3500xd and 4500, although we’ve not seen these for vanlife purposes

Source: MBvans.com 2021 Specs (always make sure to check and double check your own specs and measurements!)

RAM Promaster Cargo

The benefits of owning a RAM Promaster start with price. The Promaster is the most affordable option of the three vans we’re reviewing. Promaster parts also tend to be more affordable, and you’re more likely to find shops willing to work on Promasters in any size town or city.

However, Promasters have a reputation for not lasting as long. Most Promasters have gas engines, although there are a few used diesels out there. We shopped extensively for a diesel Promaster, and in our research found several owners complaining of engine problems (the diesel option was discontinued in 2019).

The Promaster comes in two roof heights. With the high roof option, there are three lengths available. The Promaster has the shortest interior cargo height of the three vans we looked at, and also the shortest length. However, it has the widest side-to-side cargo measurement and a boxier body body. Building in a Promaster is slightly easier. If you’re shorter, you could easily sleep side-to-side in a Promaster instead of front-to-back, which will save space. At 5’ 3”, sleeping side-to-side probably would have worked for me. Joe, who is 6’ 4”(ish), determined it was a no-go for him.

2021 Promaster Cargo High Roof Specs:

• • Interior Cargo Height: 6’ 5”
  • Interior Cargo Width: 6’ 3”
  • Length options:
    • 136” Wheel Base (10’ cargo length)
    • 159” Wheel Base (12’ cargo length)
    • 159” Extended (13’ cargo length)
  • Max Payload:
    • 1500
      • 136” – 3760 lbs
    • 2500
      • 136” – 4130 lbs
      • 159” – 4010 lbs
    • 3500
      • 136” – 4580 lbs
      • 159” – 4430 lbs
      • 159 Ext – 4330 lbs

Source: RAM Trucks 2021 Specs

Ford Transit Cargo

The Ford Transit Cargo van comes in a wide range of configurations. It has multiple lengths and, of the three vans we’re reviewing today, is the only one that offers three roof heights: low, medium, and high. We only looked at the high roof option. Like the RAM Promaster, parts for the Transit tend to be more affordable and there are more auto shops willing to work on them.

On the other hand, the Ford Transit is close in price to the MB Sprinter but does not have the reputation for lasting as many miles nor retaining its resale value. As of 2021, the Transit is only offered with a gas engine. However, used diesel options are out there. The last con when it comes to buying a Transit, at least according to Joe, is that they’re ugly. His words, not mine. To me, a giant white van is a giant white van.

The Ford Transit has the tallest interior cargo height, but a generally lower payload.

2021 Transit High Roof Specs:

• • Interior Cargo Height: 6’ 9”
  • Interior Cargo Width: 5′ 10″
  • Length Options:
    • Long (11’ 11” cargo length)
    • Long EL (14’ 4” cargo length)
  • Max Payload:
    • T-250
      • Long – 3360 to 3680 lbs
      • Long EL – 3160 to 3480 lbs
    • T-350
      • Long – 3800 to 4110 lbs
      • Long EL – 3590 to 3910 lbs

Source: Ford.com Explore 2021 Specs

In addition to the requirement that Joe be able to stand up, our van shopping priorities also included that the van be used (hello, we’re un/underemployed and not made of money over here!) but less than 5 years old and have less than 50,000 miles. We were confident in our ability to build within the van, but we had (and still have) minimal automotive experience. It was really important to us to get a van that was newer to offset that lack of knowledge. We also decided that we would only look at vans that were accident free – we didn’t want to worry about frame issues creating problems during the build or having general accident-related problems later on.

Van building blew up during the pandemic. All vehicles, but especially vans, were hard to find. We stuck to sites like AutoTrader and Edmunds because we had almost no luck finding vans locally. We drove to California and spent time talking to dealers all over the country – Oklahoma, North Carolina, and even Rhode Island. Although we didn’t want a new van, we even tried looking for a few of those at one point – everything was on backorder for months. During this time, we found vans that we knew we wouldn’t purchase but we test drove many of them to get a feel for how each handled (sorry, salesfolks, it had to be done).

After a few test drives and a ton of research, we felt that our best bet financially would be a Promaster. However, every time we found one that fit within our parameters, it was bought out from under us. At one point, we even found a perfect Promaster in town, but between calling to ask about it and showing up at the dealership, it was gone.

And that is how, even though it was not what we planned, we ended up with a 2017 Sprinter. It popped up locally, which meant no shipping fees or plane tickets, and it fit all of our parameters except price (of course). Because vans were going so quickly, we jumped on it. And that’s how we blew our budget from step one.

Sprinter vs Promaster vs Transit Quick Comparison Chart

The Admin Side of Buying a Sprinter, Promaster, or Transit

Camper Van Financing

Because we ended up spending more than initially planned, financing the van was a necessity. However, loans for cargo vans are a bit different than your typical auto loan. Despite talking to many lenders and being very clear upfront about what we were doing, we continued to run into problems. One of the biggest issues with lenders was the fact that we were trying to use a traditional auto loan to purchase a vehicle with only two seats. This specific issue was a problem with multiple banks – many classify vehicles with only two seats as commercial vehicles, and as a result they would not finance us. Bank after bank pre-approved us, only to pull their offers at the last minute. I would recommend that you shop extensively for loans and be very clear that you’re buying a cargo van, but not for commercial purposes.

Despite spending weeks shopping for loans, we ended up going through the finance department at the dealership where we purchased our van. They ran into similar issues and had to try several banks as well, but eventually they made it work. Financing a cargo van is possible – but don’t be surprised if it gets tricky. If you’re fortunate enough to be able pay cash for your van, this is a hurdle you’ll get to skip. You lucky van owner, you!

Camper Van Conversion Insurance

Insurance can be another obstacle in the van purchasing process. Not every company will insure a cargo van, nor will every company insure the build once it’s complete. We lucked out here – State Farm is known to be camper van conversion friendly, and we had already been State Farm customers for years. Adding the van to our policy was simple, and they’ve told us that once the build is complete, there will be a list of documents they’ll need to create a rider that covers our build. We’ve kept careful build records for many reasons, this being one of them.

Because our build has taken awhile and we’ve been travelling in the van along the way, we did an insurance update at our halfway point. Once our appliances and electrical system were installed, we sent our agent an itemized list of materials and appliances, receipt copies, and photos of all the important components. She was able to create a rider and add it to our plan. In our experience, this was not a quick process – it took several weeks for our rider to get through underwriting and be fully approved.

Camper Van Registration

Registration is the last administrative part of purchasing a van. In general, it will probably be cheaper to insure your van if it’s registered as an RV. It is possible to transfer a cargo van title to an RV title. However, each state has a different process and different requirements. In Nevada, as of 2021, an RV title transfer requires an inspection to verify the following five things:

• • A bed
  • A dining space with table and seating
  • A stove or means of cooking
  • A sink with running water
  • A toilet with black tank

Our van has all of the above except the black tank – our toilet is a cassette toilet and we don’t have plans to change that. As a result, we were out of luck when it came to a title transfer. Once we decided to give up on the RV title transfer and register our van as a van, the process was super easy – in Nevada, you follow the same steps as if you are registering a passenger car. One thing to note for registrations after your first (because the first smog check is usually covered by a dealership), getting a diesel engine smog check is different than your every day gas vehicle. In Las Vegas, only three garages will do it – make sure to call your regular smog place and check to ensure they can smog a diesel.

Back to registration: rumor has it that the state of Vermont doesn’t require residency to title a vehicle, and that their RV title transfer requirements are lax (ie: no inspection?). Although I’ve read about people using this to their advantage for an RV title transfer, we have not taken that step (yet). Let us know if you have though!

Camper Van Roadside Assistance

An added, but not necessary, step on the admin side of buying a van is looking at roadside assistance. Seeing as that we purchased a Sprinter and that we knew a breakdown could mean a lengthy tow to a bigger city, we decided roadside assistance was worth the piece of mind. Although the roadside assistance that comes with our auto insurance would have offered some coverage, we’ve heard horror stories about the differences between getting service for a car vs. getting service for a camper van. In our experience, the most straightforward RV/van roadside assistance comes from either AAA or Good Sam.

AAA has multiple plans, but most are automobile only. They do offer a Premium plan with some level of RV coverage, starting at $119 per year.

Good Sam deals mostly with RVs/vans, although they do offer automobile coverage. They have three RV plans ranging from around $70 – $250 per year. We went with Good Sam. Our coverage cost less than $200 (we caught a sale) and covers tire changes, battery jumps, unlimited towing, and service in the US, Mexico, and Canada – totally worth it to us.

So that pretty much sums up our purchasing process. A lot more research and work went into it than we thought would be necessary, especially the post-purchase knowledge required to finance and insure a camper van. If you’ve purchased your own Sprinter, Promaster, or Transit, especially if you’ve done it a few times, what has been your experience? Definitely feel free to share in the comments!