Sprinter as Tow Vehicle

[heretolearna]

Hi everyone!

I am new here. I have a Sprinter Van (Long/Tall) and am looking for info on how well it handles a trailer. I have towed a 10' 2800lb cargo trailer with it (extensively) and it handles just fine.

But now I want something bigger (about 18 - 21 feet) with a shower! Do any of you have experience using a Sprinter van like this? Thank you in advance!!
Heretolearnalso
yetanothereader@hotmail.com

[uwe]

Originally Posted by heretolearna

Hi everyone!

I am new here. I have a Sprinter Van (Long/Tall) and am looking for info on how well it handles a trailer. I have towed a 10' 2800lb cargo trailer with it (extensively) and it handles just fine.

But now I want something bigger (about 18 - 21 feet) with a shower! Do any of you have experience using a Sprinter van like this? Thank you in advance!!
Heretolearnalso
yetanothereader@hotmail.com

Forum member lewster uses a Sprinter van for towing a CCD Bambi 19. He reports good results.

[herrgirdner]

We have a "Sprinter" forum. I think there are more members using the Sprinter as a TV than Lewster.

regards

[scottanlily]

Hello heretolearna, check the threads for lewster the RV guy ,he does tow
with a sprinter and so i figure he the one to ask and get feedback from .I think it works good from his experiences .

Scott of scottanlily

[robert claus]

I have a Sprinter, 118"wb passenger van. Recently finished our first trip pulling a 19' Bambi, with no problems or issues. Illinois to Arkansas and back, through the Ozarks. No equalizer or sway control, and never needed, it seemed. Lots of twisties, taken exhuberantly - scrubbed the corners of the front tires pretty well, and the trailer tracked well. Installed a Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller, and kept backing down the setting as the trailer was so light it didn't need much brake. I usually average 23-24mpg, and with the trailer i saw 16-18. You'd feel the weight on hills, but the little diesel always had sufficient, but certainly not overwhelming, power. The tongue weight just leveled the van out, and made it ride nicely. We did not carry water, but always filled the tank at our destination if there was no hook up, and emptied it through use and dumped the rest. We always dumped the waste tanks, too, before leaving any campground so as not to carry any extra weight around. The longer 140" wb could only be even more stable. The Sprinter/Bambi combo seems to be a good one.

[robert claus]

Forgot to mention - I aired the rear tires to the 70psi max, and the fronts to 55. I believe that helped make the handling very good.

[SmokelessJoe]

LEWSTER has taken his Sprinter-Airstream CCD combo from Florida to Oregon (and back again, I think) with good reports enroute.

My black Sprinter Cab and Chassis dually will haul the Mini Cooper below while pulling my 76 Argosy 24, after the trailer is painted to match the MINI.

No real world reports yet but everything is within design limits.

I expect the Sprinter to perform well, based on what it routinely does in Europe and many other parts of the world.


Sergei

[plowboy]

Check out the latest edition of Trailer Life magazine. They did a road test with a nicely equiped Sprinter van towing a SOB trailer. The Sprinter did very well towing, according to the article.

I was wondering how you Sprinter Van owners think of your vans overall?
Do you have to fight the steering wheel in windy condtions?

Paul

[Davydd]

The Sprinter is a joy to drive. I'm not sure why. Maybe it is the sitting up high with the exceptionally large windshield and panoramic view. It handles well. We encountered strong winds and they seemed no more troublesome than driving my pickup. The only complaint I have is the noise on acceleration. After getting up to cruising speed it is OK. Since ours is badged as a Freightliner and not a Dodge, we seem to get a lot of casual passerby positive and thumbs up comments about that--Mercedes Benz disguised as blue collar cool.

We get an honest 22 mpg average on the freeways. Traveling the blue highways will boost the average to 23-25 mpg. Towing I suppose would drop that down.

This towing possibility is encouraging. We take the Sprinter everywhere so don't need a toad. But we have to always stay together. So I can imagine buying a Bambi or Base Camp and towing that on longer vacations where we might spend more time in one place. As it is now, we travel fast and rarely spend more than two nights in one spot.