Which Sprinter do you recommend??

[regjames]

Hi guys...im new here!!

I have got a 2 tonne, 18 foot long catering trailer which I currently tow with an Isuzu Trooper. Although the Trooper easily has enough power to pull it along (3.1Turbo Diesel) because it is short the van snakes very badly when being pulled over 45mph which is obviously a nightmare on the motorway!

When I took it to a food show on the weekend my brother had to follow me in his LWB Renault Master van as I had loads of stock to carry which just wouldnt fit in the trooper.
I soon realised that I would be better off towing the trailer with a van as I would have the added carrying space and as the trailer is huge (see pic) a van would stop the wind having such an effect on it.

I like the idea of a Sprinter as they look pretty cool for a van and also I have lost count of how many times I have been flashed out the way on the motorway whilst doin 100mph....god they go well!!

The only problem is I really dont understand all the models. There seems to be loads although the most common would appear to be the 311cdi??

Can I please have some advice as to what you guys would recommend? I think i want a long wheel base as you can never have too much space but i dont really want a twin wheeled van.

Also are they good for towing??
I have attached a pic of the trailer so you can see my problem with the size

Thanks

 

[cyps]

Forget a sprinter you need one of these !

 

[regjames]

lol i think you might be right!!

 

[dava]

416 cdi **** of a shovel speed limited to 105mph.

 

[mister_cee333]

Here's a rough breakdown of the models.

208, 211, 213 cdi's - The 2 means it can carry about a ton.
308, 311, 313, 316 cdi's - The 3 means it can carry about a ton and a half. (You'll find the 3's are more expensive.)

In all models the 08 means it has 80 BHP.
The 11 has 110 BHP.
The 13 has 130 BHP.
The 16 had 160 BHP.

You can pretty much get all vans in all sizes, short (about 9 feet inside length I think), medium (about 11 feet), or long (4 metres) wheel bases. The high roof (the ones you can stand up in) I think are only available on the medium or long ones. They all have single rear wheels.

The 08 is a bit under-powered, so I'd avoid it for towing. The 11 has a fair balance of fuel economy, power and price. The 13 has plenty power but they are rarer and more expensive. All these vans have the same 2150cc cdi engine with different tweaks. The 16 has the 2.7 litre engine shared with the M Class 4x4. Obviously it's a rocket, but is rarer and dearer again to buy and run.

If you are constantly running at pretty much maximum train weight (combined weight of van, load, and trailer weights) then maybe a 13 or 16 would be the best choice. The 11 would run along nicely but you may feel the power dropping off a bit if on your max weight. It shouldn't be too slow tho.

Hope this shines a bit of light for you.

 

[dolmen]

mister_cee333 Great post, very informative!

Thanks

 

[regjames]

That has made things far clearer, thanks for your help!!

 

[mister_cee333]

Glad to be of help