I have a 93 E150 with 5.0 engine. 380,000 miles. NO rebuilds of engine or transmission. One alternator, waterpump, one rear end rebuild (I overloaded it lots) one engine pan gasket (can be replaced without pulling the motor, I did it) just seized the air conditioner compressor. I'm impressed to say the least.
Synthetic oil in everything. Rear end, Tranny, engine and grease. It really makes a difference.
The engine still has factory compression and the tranny still shifts like new.
I hope my 2002 V10 E350 15 passenger van will hold up that well. I have 100,000 miles on it now and no problems. I didn't enjoy changing the plugs on it for sure, but I got it done.
No one is now offering a big block that comes close to the V10 engine. The chevy 6.0 lacks the kind of torque that the v10 makes.
I looked at the diesel van when I was shopping. The noise was horrible, the smell was worse, and I would have to drive the v10 and the diesel 300,000 miles to break even because of the incredible difference in price and maintenance costs.
No van is perfect and they all have their stuff to deal with but the Ford is the most thought out. The chevy 8.1 is no long available in their vans and there is issues with that engine and dodge is out from what I understand.
I can get 15 mpg out of the V10 quite easily and its is a kick to drive.
Just my experience.
Andrew.

 

I saw a couple years ago a group of college kids towing a lightweight trailer behind a Sprinter lose control of the vehicle due to the trailer and killed 4 of them. Even though it's rated for 5K tow capacity, it was not designed to tow as equipped. These kids were towing a couple go-carts to an SASE event.

Hauling a tractor ? No thanks, and I hope he doesn't tow on the same roads I have to drive.

Number #1 vehicle for depreciation last year; Sprinter. Gotta be a reason.

 

Yes, two of them. 1) Way overpriced to begin with. 2) Not designed with American driving habits or sense of interior style in mind. I have driven many miles in earler versions of Sprinters in Germany and while they were effective vans they feel anemic compared to what we are used to. Also, europeans don't expect commercial vehicles to drive like sports cars so they don't design them that way. The key for them is to get the most flexibility / capacity possible while also getting the best fuel economy possible. Utilitarian rules the day.

 

Yep, gotta agree. Sprinters are not sprinters. They are slow and anemic compared to most of its competitors. Efficient yes, but that's not the same selling point that power is. Yes you can tow/haul alot but you can't be in a hurry to get anywhere.

Steve
'95 Clubwagon XLT

 

I have a 78 E150 and if I ever need to replace it, it will be with another late 70's ford van. Prior to this I had a 79 E350 Super Wagon. That one had 365,000 on it when I gave it to a friend to use as a band hauler.

As far as why did I choose the E-line?
1.Simplicity...they are really easy to work on. If you can't fix it with common tools, you just dont' know what you are doing.

2. 351W....IMO one of the most important internal combustion engines of the last 100 years. My current truck has 295,000 mile and still pulls everything I can throw on the back(sometimes well over 3000 pounds) and gets 14 mpg on the highway doing it.

3. C6....It may not be overdrive but it is BULLET PROOF.

4. 9 Inch.....The king of semi floating axles.

5. Twin I Beam.....Again, simplicity wins out. It has fewer moving parts, and handles a heavy load better than any other van I have ever driven

 

Well every time I log on there's a notice I haven't posted for some time.
In 1975 I bought a Ford Mavrick V8 man trans. YaHOO! along with a 75 E-150 window van. Why Ford, well that was the year they made them classy compared to any other vans on the road, plus I got the best bargin at the Ford dealer. After they got high milage and a bit long in the tooth I sold them.

Last Nov. I bought a motorhome, built on a 2000 Ford E350 SuperDuty Cutaway Van. The reason why Ford was that the only chassis Peak Mfg used for their motorhomes.
It had 102000 miles on the clock, guess I was a bit concerned about that until I started reading these forums, acording to the posters here it's just a baby yet.
I'm still at a loss to explain the quality I've found in this vehicle. Even the brake lines are in show room condition as is the rest of the chassis engine and interior. Living in an area where rust is an every day occurance I had treated with "RustCheck" hoping to keep it in the same new like condition for many years to come. Although it's close to 6 ton in weight it is a pleasure to drive but a generous stopping distance between the vehicle ahead is a must. Anyway that's my story.

Cheers Willis