The estimator for the last roofing company we hired used one of those type ladders, I don't remember the brand. He was very happy with it and the fact he could do his work using a compact car. I was surprised how heavy it was but it could have been 20' or taller. Iirc the side poles were hexagonal, not round. I was interested in getting one for the camper until I realized it would have been $300+ for a 10'.
I’ve pretty much decided to put in an order for a 136in wheelbase, low roof Ram Promaster 2500 as my daily driver, with plans to have a cargo floor and removable rear seats (and maybe a couple of other items) added at Freedomvango in Jacksonville.
Good news, the 2023 Promasters are now available for order and they’ve updated them to make a ton of improvements in terms of driver experience. Lane assist, wireless CarPlay, 360 cameras, remote start, etc. I also like the blackout package and some of the other new options.
Bad news, it appears that they’ve removed the options for any sort of added windows, other than rear doors, from the factory on the low roof models. They also appear to have Eliminated the driver’s-side sliding door. That last one was at least part of my reasoning for going with the Promaster to begin with. Not having factory window options also means more cutting vs simply replacing the factory glass with operable aftermarket’s. Something I’m not too keen on for a brand new van. I suppose the cameras will make up for it? But cameras aren’t going to make the same rear-passenger experience as windows.
Does the above offend? If you have paid to be here, you can click here to put it in context.
Hmmmmm.... I have been following this thread because I have thought it would be fun to have a road trip van someday, probably with a minimal build out, but I never stopped to consider one as a daily driver.Originally Posted by rob_s
Right now we have the F-150 that we love, and the Focus ST that I love (she likes it pretty well also), and when we can get FMC to take our money we plan to get a 2 door Bronco. We need a tow vehicle that is 4WD/AWD for snow (I will get a snowmobile again someday) and slippery boat ramps, and the F-150 is great, but it doesn't fit in the garage (250" long). The Focus is a buttload of fun, but I am starting to contemplate that a guy that works from home and might not leave the house some days could probably get by without a car and a truck and two motorcycles.
I always envisioned a high or mid roof 148"WB, but a low roof would park inside and a 130"WB would feel like a Miata compared to the 163"WB truck. I would gravitate to the Transit, and I did go peek and it let me Build/Price one with AWD and the 3.5EB...
If you think you *might* want a van next year, go put in an order now (just make sure it's refundable). I wish I'd done that. If I had put in my order at the beginning of this year I might have a van under my ass right now instead of still in my dreams. AND I'd have a 2022 that had the factory windows I wanted instead of now having to get a 2023 without them.
shocking, I know, but I have a chart that might help with the dimensional issues. My 2016 Crew Cab Ram 1500 pickup is 229in long, and a Transit with a 129in wheelbase (only available in Crew and Cargo, not "passenger", configurations now) is shorter than that, as is the 136in wheelbase Promaster. Medium roof Transit is ~99in tall, while the Promaster is ~92in.
Of course, if you need the AWD then that takes the promaster out of the running.
The Sprinter is also changing for the new model, rumored to be going from 4WD to AWD, but I don't know that anyone has seen one in the wild yet. and "current stock" appears not to be a thing...
Does the above offend? If you have paid to be here, you can click here to put it in context.
Only a couple of days ago this scheme transitioned from Maybe Someday to Why Not Now?, so not a big rush yet. First I have to finish deciding if I am ready to take one for the team and give up two things I really love in trade for one thing that would probably be better overall. If we already had a Bronco it might be easier to accept the idea of giving up my car, but if we ordered a van now we would have it sooner than a Bronco, and it is almost a lateral move financially with equity in both the car and the truck.
And yeah, I do like the idea of the Transit Crew with the windows.
I am planning to trade the two motorcycles for one, and I got my own spreadsheet...
Part of this was a casual comment the other day from my wife, she has a 148"WB/238"L/LowRoof Transit for her business (wide format printing) that she owns but rarely drives. But a couple weeks ago it was parked in the way of a weekend activity and she brought it home and drove it around a little bit, and mentioned that it drove well and was comfortable. But a main motivation is getting a vehicle out of the driveway, so it cannot be any higher than a low roof, and it doesn't need to be very short, it just needs to be 2-3" shorter than the truck. But if it were a daily driver (of mine...) it sure would be handy to go back to the 130", plus that makes for more motorcycle/ATV/tool room in front of the thing.
The FWD is intriguing, might be adequate on a boat ramp, but this would be our Adventure Van, and living here sometimes adventure means going north instead of south.
Interesting times in the Sprinter segment. There is a safety recall, related to the transmission, and all new 22 Sprinters are covered. (The new 23 with new 4 cylinder engine with 9 speed transmission is not part of the recall). Apparently when you open the driver's door, with the transmission in gear, it automatically shifts to park. Amazon drivers with regularity, reportedly have been opening the door as they glide into parking spaces, and with repeated cycles, have damaged the transmission, such that the vehicle can roll away if the parking brake isn't set. As of now, there is no fix, and Mercedes says it could be months for a fix. ALL new Sprinters are covered and can not be delivered to customers. Used vehicles can still change hands, which may temporarily inflate used vehicle values.
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
so a convenience feature has been abused, causing damage to the transmission, and it's mercedes' fault? not that I have any love for Big Auto, but still this doesn't seem to me to be their fault, if the facts presented are true.
Maybe. If this feature was on an airplane, there would be a conspicuous placard advising you of this and the consequences. Despite having owned two Sprinters, I was never aware of this before now. Still haven't received official information on it, just second hand info from people in the know. We have all taken off at some point, and not fully closed our door. Imagine if if you are going 10 miles an hour, and realize your driver's door is slightly open, and open it to close it properly, and activate park?
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
I would think that the "problem" could be easily fixed with a software change as the transmission is electronically controlled. I'm pretty sure that this has been a "feature" for several years as my 2014 E250 will do it. I've had it happen when pulling out of the garage and opened the door to make sure I could see where the dog was wandering around.
Maybe the software revision has to go through a test cycle before it is released.
It is good to hear that they are re-releasing the 4 cylinder turbodiesel!
-Seconds Count. Misses Don't-
Reply With Quote