Ride Quality of Sprinter versus Transit

ron.dittmer wrote:
If you study the photos from the link I provided higher up of the Sprinter cut-away chassis, it has a partial uni-body. The front cab is not bolted onto the chassis frame like a conventional Ford E-series or Chevy. The front cab "IS" the frame up front. The Transit seems to be the same as the Sprinter as one of my pictures indicates. It would have to in order to set the cab so low to the street.

From the cab on back, both the Transit and Sprinter have box frames. The Sprinter is comprised of two thin gauge "U & n" channels glued together at mid-point flanges. The Transit has one "U" channel with a top flat stock steel plate glued on it to complete the box.

In both cases the strength of their frames are critically dependent on maintaining their shape. RV Outfitters are not allowed to extend the frames because any extension will deform the original frame in some manner. Outfitters are not even allowed to drill a hole in the frame of the Sprinter. They must used the holes provided.

Some years ago I recall reading that the Sprinter frame is made of a thin gauge hardened steel which heat from a welding torch will severely weaken and deform. That is one reason why cutting & welding the frame to change the wheel base is not allowed. I also wonder if someone did cut the frame, maybe it would just fold up given it's strength comes from it's shape.

The Sprinter & Transit box frame are fine as long as they remain undisturbed. A good dent in the thin steel in a bad place could be ripe for a catastrophic failure, and repairing the frame seems to be very risky.

I work on lots of old vehicles with the need to heat up bolts to remove them. What harm does that do to the thin gauge hardened steel Sprinter frame? It could cause the steel to warp or buckle.
Then what?

I am very comfortable with my E350...happy to have it's thick steel "C" frame supporting our Phoenix Cruiser. My wife and I plan to keep our rig for the rest of our driving years which is 35+ years. I feel a conventional frame is the better choice for our situation. If you like to trade in your motor home as some people do on a regular basis with their cars, then I could see a Sprinter or Transit being a non-issue.

With what I understand, I recommend anyone buying a 10 year old Sprinter should thoroughly inspect the frame for any deformation or repair. The hardened steel should rust at a slower rate so surface rust would not easily penetrate, but still should be addressed as with any solid frame or uni-body. Don't just let it ride.

Thanks tons for the very informative response and the picts...

If you study the photos from the link I provided higher up of the Sprinter cut-away chassis, it has a partial uni-body. The front cab is not bolted onto the chassis frame like a conventional Ford E-series or Chevy. The front cab "IS" the frame up front. The Transit seems to be the same as the Sprinter as one of my pictures indicates. It would have to in order to set the cab so low to the street.

From the cab on back, both the Transit and Sprinter have box frames. The Sprinter is comprised of two thin gauge "U & n" channels glued together at mid-point flanges. The Transit has one "U" channel with a top flat stock steel plate glued on it to complete the box.

In both cases the strength of their frames are critically dependent on maintaining their shape. RV Outfitters are not allowed to extend the frames because any extension will deform the original frame in some manner. Outfitters are not even allowed to drill a hole in the frame of the Sprinter. They must used the holes provided.

Some years ago I recall reading that the Sprinter frame is made of a thin gauge hardened steel which heat from a welding torch will severely weaken and deform. That is one reason why cutting & welding the frame to change the wheel base is not allowed. I also wonder if someone did cut the frame, maybe it would just fold up given it's strength comes from it's shape.

The Sprinter & Transit box frame are fine as long as they remain undisturbed. A good dent in the thin steel in a bad place could be ripe for a catastrophic failure, and repairing the frame seems to be very risky.

I work on lots of old vehicles with the need to heat up bolts to remove them. What harm does that do to the thin gauge hardened steel Sprinter frame? It could cause the steel to warp or buckle.
Then what?

I am very comfortable with my E350...happy to have it's thick steel "C" frame supporting our Phoenix Cruiser. My wife and I plan to keep our rig for the rest of our driving years which is 35+ years. I feel a conventional frame is the better choice for our situation. If you like to trade in your motor home as some people do on a regular basis with their cars, then I could see a Sprinter or Transit being a non-issue.

With what I understand, I recommend anyone buying a 10 year old Sprinter should thoroughly inspect the frame for any deformation or repair. The hardened steel should rust at a slower rate so surface rust would not easily penetrate, but still should be addressed as with any solid frame or uni-body. Don't just let it ride.

IMHO, a real frame versus unibody construction is a deal breaker with respect to carrying around a loaded RV coach on - and sometimes off - typical U.S. roadways.

Unibody is cheaper to produce, but skimping that way on vehicles intended to be used on long trips (as opposed to urban delivery use) in "heavily loaded truck type applications" - like RVs - is not how I would want to spend my money. I'm aware of all the strength-of-materials arguments against unibody strength fears - but use of them for trucks just does not sit right w/me.

jrobe wrote:
I can't remember seeing a thread with so much misinformation. The last post is the only one that is accurate.

x2

You have to be very careful about what you read here at times. Do your own research.

OP - As far as ride goes, a DRW Transit Wagon rides much smoother than a DRW Sprinter Wagon. But the Sprinter has a higher GVWR so that's almost expected.

The suspensions are so similar, it probably comes down more to the individual coach (cheaply built coaches make more noise, so the perceived ride is worse), weight distribution, and remaining payload.

SideCarFlip - This is a Ford Transit Cutaway. It has a "box-beam" full frame similar to the Sprinter and is very much RWD. Only Europe even is offered the FWD option. USA is RWD only, and 4WD with a conversion through an up-fitter (QuadVan or Quigley).



The Transit Connect shares nothing with the Transit besides the name. Honestly, Ford should just call it the "Connect" in North America to reduce confusion. In Europe, the Transit is a Sub-brand, with multiple platforms and sizes.

SidecarFlip wrote:
Interesting. My wife has a new Transit window van and it's front wheel drive and has no frame.... Next....

It's a Transit Connect if it's front wheel drive. Full size Transit vans are rear wheel drive.

Please remember the first Transit to reach our shores was the small Transit Connect, and it's sub-minivan-sized with FWD. It entered but didn't win, the NYC Taxi bidding, to replace Crown Vics.

Transit (without Connect in its name) replaced E-Series and is RWD.

I was at the Chicago auto show 1.5 years ago. There they had a Sprinter cut-away chassis with nothing on it's back. They also had a Transit cut-away but it had a utility module on it's back. I got to compare them in good detail, though never drove either for obvious reasons being an auto show. CLICK HERE to see the pictures I took of each. One thing I noticed right away. That was the height of the cabs. The Sprinter was tall like an E450. The Transit was low like a Dodge Caravan. I observed a lot more but don't want to write book here.

tatest wrote:
All U.S. market Transits are rear wheel drive. While the Transit van is a unibody (as are the Sprinter and RAM Promaster), to make a chassis cab or cutaway both the Sprinter and Transit put the cab from the van on a frame.

The RAM Promaster is not a rebadged Sprinter. It is based on the Fiat Ducato van, with changes for the U.S. market, and manufactured in this market. To make a RV chassis from a Ducato, a special RV frame is attached to forward part of the van. This configuration has been very popular in Europe because it allows a motorhome to be built much closer to the ground, for a lower profile, lower CG vehicle yet having adequate interior height. U.S. manufacturers building on the Promaster do not necessarily take advantage of this, they may build higher to allow for tankage and storage space below floor level.

Interesting. My wife has a new Transit window van and it's front wheel drive and has no frame.... Next....