lmfao woaOWoh am I the cranky guy that just picks up people, again ? Or did Barack Obama, he made history on Neptune in 1965, when he was on an Island and saw the sunrise with an airplane out over by there ?
My uncle bought a Promaster for his business and it's been great so far, hauling merchandise and wrapped in the company artwork. Glad the guys reviewed a real work van and not some "van life" thing.
I feel the same way and then some about the $700 plywood DIY “van life” builds, complete with obligatory FanTastic roof vent, unvented Mr. Buddy CO generator-sorry, heater-and dodgy solar panel/inverter setup. Hopefully they remember to build a discreet place to stash the pee bottle.
The Promaster, like the Sprinter and Transit, is available in multiple lengths and roof heights. Size isn’t the issue. It’s people who don’t know what they’re doing building death traps with unsafe wiring and open combustion in tiny enclosed spaces.
Ah the Fiat Ducato, the one van guaranteed to have it's check engine light on before it leaves the rental lot. I once had to drive one in limpmode all the way back from the wrong end of Germany to the UK with the engine cutting out every time I went over 50mph
I watched this video at a local coffee shop, just as the video ended, a Promaster backed into the parking spot in front of me, completely blocking my window view outside. Quite poetic really... couldn't be more fitting.
Used to know a guy that lived in one of these when I worked construction. Would stay on site and just plug in to the generators. He was the kinda guy where I would smell weed at work look over and just see him nonchalantly hitting a joint.
I haven't worked a construction job, pool construction, in about a decade. We had a guy like that on the crew. He worked really hard day in and day out. However, when working alongside some other contractors, he got ratted out by other companies' foremans a couple time and the boss hated catching smoke (pun intended).
So I drive for Amazon in a Promaster, and the one thing I will give it over the Transits that our fleets also have is the ergonomics, specifically of moving from the cabin to the cargo area over 100 times a day. The Transit's seat is so low it's a lot more effort to haul oneself out and into the cargo area. The Promaster, by comparison, is basically just standing up and turning around.
hey tell your upfitters to quit drilling screws into the factory harnesses & trying to get it covered under warranty lmao got one this week that keeps calling the police cause they shorted out the SOS call button circuit in the pass. a-pillar.
Jesus Christ the more I watch US Car reviews the more I realise how many Euro Cars have to be sold under US Names there, otherwise they'd be seen as Foreign and wouldn't sell well.
Branding and badging is everything to the US. That's why most of Cadillac's and Lincoln's lineups are rebadged Chevy's and Ford's. People care about the image so much, and I don't know why
It's also that a lot of European brands just don't have their own US branches period. So it's cheaper and easier to slap different badges on their cars and let their US sister companies handle it than shell out the extra money and try to build up a market presence nearly from scratch.
I don't know how I feel about the editing. To me watching an RCR car review is like eating a really good hot dog. There are other channels like Savagegeese and Throttle House that produce beautifully edited gourmet content. But sometimes all I want is a simple, great, hot dog. That's RCR to me.
@@PianoBlackTrimRep. Yes, I see your username. No, I don't like piano black finishes. Gimme a basketweave texture any day. It looks a lot better with age and wear!
Amazon in my area is slowly transitioning to Transit vans and thinning out Promasters as they wear out, and renting Promasters from Penske instead of buying them. Quite the story of it's merits.
I always dreaded getting this van when I was delivering for Amazon, the seating position is so awkward for someone my height and none of the touch points are ergonomic. They rolled out some bigger and longer versions eventually but the cab remained the same, these things are peak FIAT is how I explained to newer drivers. Luckily I was the only driver that prefered the Sprinter, because we only had one.
Ford Transit was my least favorite van. Can’t walk between the seats easily unless your really small. I would take a Mercedes Sprinter or Chevy/GMC van if I didn’t need the extra space that day.
@@Marklin15transit definitely drives the best and is quick for a van, but getting in/out of it is a damn pain. Also the sliding doors and rear door are junk, can’t stand them.
The only good thing about the pro master was the front wheel drive, which made it a lot better to drive in snow then the RWD vans. That being said I also hated them. The driving position is awkward as hell. You feel cramped and somehow still struggle to reach the steering wheel and bottoms,
@@_zigzakI can’t wait for us to get the electric vans. They seem like a healthy medium for the step vans and transit vans. I used to be a step van driver. Great for suburban routes, terrible in rural routes.
Preferred the promasters until we got brand new 23 Transits, those cabs are nice. The sprinters always had transmission issues and side doors would jam constantly, and when I’m opening and closing the side door 200 times a day, I need a door that works. Can’t speak for the new Rivian EVs since I left before our DSP got them but I’m an Amazon warehouse associate now and I’ve heard from the OTR guys the batteries are dying before routes are finished, especially since it’s getting cold now.
Not gunna lie, the " it's an Amazon dildo, not a genuine Bad Dragon" line got a big chuckle out of me. Former Amazon driver here. At least you didn't have to review the pre-"facelift" versions of these. Those things are absolute dogshit.
@@chepesantacruz777 (woosh)... Look up Ted Bundy. The Silence of the Lambs did the same thing. When you see a plain white work van and a sketchy character that give you creep vibes asking for some help, decline the offer.
Here in Estonia these are 2.2 liter diesels with a 6 speed manual and they are good vans and fairly popular. and people like it beacause in that config they are reliable.
Fiat Ducato. The official van of delivery courriers other than GLS, always tailgating you and running red lights. The official van of extracting every single bit of power from the turbodiesel engine powering it. The official van of "well, there were some issues, it's going to take a few more days to complete"
@@XiaOmegaX toyota has had a platform sharing agreement with PSA (now stellantis) for over 2 decades now. Peugeot/Citroen needed a small city car, Toyota needed work vans.
@@XiaOmegaX its an extension to their previous deal with the citroen jumpy that gave them an euro 5 compliant van without the R&D costs of making the hiace euro 5 capable
I'd say this van in Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer or Citroen Jumper guise is backbone of at least half of European businesses. They are everywhere, leased in fleet's of tens and always completely ran into a ground. They are all diesel get stupidly good fuel economy and are fun to trash around. They come at least a bit broken from the factory (drove one with 700km on the clock which already had door latch problem). Oil get's replaced every "boss felt like it" and after 100-200k km they are completely rusted with some type of engine or electronics failure. One's that get more love run till around 500k km and then get used as litteral storage units in public markets. Having driven other vans like mb sprinter/vw crafter and transporter this one felt the best honestly, it's honest to hell, no-frills, dispossable metal can that will get job done even if you refuse to take care of it.
@@JK061996 by a massive margin, around 2/3rds of the campervans sold in europe are fiat ducatos, 80% of the campervans sold in germany are either fiat ducatos or rebadged versions of the ducato
@@DimensionN87they are not great. However Ducato/boxer/whatever are infamous for having headlights on level of average car's driver eyes, and being stuck ahead of one during night is a nightmare.
You bring up a good point with them being easy to drive. I've driven a late model ford transit (big boy size), and honestly they're so much easier to drive than the Chevy Expresses and Ford Econolines of the past. Where you had a van based on a truck, you now have a dedicated van/car platform and its a lot easier.
I remember my old workplace had one of these as a Fiat, or Peugeot. Every morning it needed like half a gallon of coolant. Nobody knew where it went. It didn't leave a puddle, or smoke.
holy shit, never expected my work van would be on this channel. mine is for an hvac company, so it has ladder racks on top and shelves and drawers for tools and parts, and holders for refrigerant tanks
The Fiat PSA Stellantis whatever van, a permanent sight on eastern european roads, surprised to hear its running a Chrysler V6 and not a JTD 2.3 Diesel engine from Fiat, this is the type of van to overtake you on a blind uphill corner with 3 fine gentleman in the bench seat, discoloration on EVERY panel and a ton of lumber in its bed (they sell these as pickups here)
I once rented the Fiat Ducato panel-van version of this rig to move house from a small apartment on one side of Paris to a slightly-less-small apartment on the other side. It was persistently, aggressively acceptable. Assertively okay. It was much, much easier to street park than I expected to be, so there is that.
@cya1noNo, it's not a Scudo. Maybe in some markets they call the smaller variants of the Ducato a Scudo, but the Scudo was a rebadged Peugeot Expert at the time of this van and still is now. The van in the video is very clearly just an H1 Ducato.
Just saw one of these at a Wine & Liquor Outlet here in NH. People from PA and NJ come here all the time to load up on much cheaper booze and often go back with a van full of it, often to resell it at a profit back home. After this video I understand how that occupation suits a ProMaster owner... always looking for a hustle.
I love the FIAT DUCATO..!! You can recognize them from behind- because they are perfect squares..! This van is truly EVERYWHERE in Italy (its homeland) and sold all over the World in whatever variation that country prefers..! Many Upfitters in the US sell these as luxurious mini-RV’s for couples or small families…which I think they will excel at…I love to see ProMaster RV’s, and I always think they must be having the time of their lives..! (I have to say- I’ve been tempted…because deep down, I still have a heart for FIAT..!!) If I do go into VanLife territory…I’m sorry, I’m going with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4…case closed..!! I REALLY want to build a Custom Micro RV…because I have crazy Wanderlust and I haven’t seen the Lower 48 anywhere near enough…and I retired early, so I need some shit to see..!
Well, even mighty Toyota will have a rebadged one next year, so… it can’t be too bad, plus a decade of refinements makes a difference. Other than the Sprinter, the Ford and Ram are both disposable, ok work vans. Both are built to a price. Both falls apart quicker than their B-series, and Econoline vans that existed before them.
Yeah, I thought that was a weird omission. Although I appreciate knowing about the others, the Fiat Ducato was the only other variant I’d ever heard of as an American.
The storage indent on the dash fits sunglasses, and they generally stay put unless you do a full panic stop. The missing storage cubby is actually a clipboard to hold those invoices you mentioned, but I'd rather have a storage bin with USB.
I didn't even know these came with a V6! In the EU you usually see these in white with the diesel 4 banger, manual transmission, rust and a polish license plate
The diesel is (or was) available in the states, but it had not the manual, nor the automatic, but an “automated” transmission that was deservedly hated. It was extra slow, and it drove like someone who’s not very good at driving a stick. It didn’t help that it was more expensive to boot. The “Pentastar” (Chrysler) V6 with the 6-speed auto was the popular choice because it was already used in other Dodge/Chrysler cars and vans, had plenty of power (even if it’s pretty well maxed out in this application), wasn’t too troublesome (for a Chrysler product), and it does its job without being weird for no reason (like the automated abomination).
@@Thegonagle That sounds painful, I've driven the mercedes version of an automated manual and that already felt annoying. Kinda sucks they don't offer the Pentastar in the EU version, we just get diesels. 280HP in that box could be kinda fun
Its all thing to all working men in Europe. You fix tower cranes? You wire up housing? You fix HVAC? You deliver tobacco and soft drinks? This. This moves Europe's economy. It is the shining beacon of prosperity for the uneducated. It is all things to all working men.
Produced from 2006 in the same generation and they're still refreshing it with facelifts for all the family members next year AND slapping a Toyota badge on one with the Proace Max.
The 9hp48 transmission is a 9 speed, hence the 9. Which is available on the new (2023) promaster. Everything before used the 6 speed 62te transmission, including the one In this video.
@@FonDrakon yes, the 62te should have never been put in the promaster. Too weak. The 9 speed in these feels great. We will see how they really feel once some miles is out in the new ones
@@bryanmortensen8527so far not as robust as the 8hp45s, a small handful of torque converters that "arent serviceable separately" per stellantis but I'm sure ZF disagrees. You'll see those on the Pacifica and most of the transverse FCA stuff as well. The longitudinal 8 speeds set an awfully high bar.
My best friend is an EMT. The majority of his ambulances are Promasters, with a few being AWD EcoBoost Transits and some dually Powerstroke E-series. He's been an EMT for six weeks and has already had a transmission blow up on him. That and when he drives a Transit hard everyone is comfortable but when he drive the Dodge everyone gets thrown around cause the suspension is that bad
I drove a couple of these for work before moving to box trucks. The 2014 Diesel (they only made a small number of diesels because it was technically Mercedes still) with the auto manual (there was no park gear so you had to use the hand brake), was pretty fricking fun to ring out and drive. 500 miles on one tank was pretty nice and the torque from the diesel was super fun rowing out the 6 gears in manual mode lol. It was the high top 3500. Cruising rural roads doing parts deliveries was fun!! All the doors sucked ass tho
I drive this model and a brand new model promaster for work. The new model seems to have taken every good feature about the 2016 and made them better imo. The old one at my work has no cruise control and 60mph sits right at a spot where the auto transmission will constantly change gears if you're not no super flat ground. Even though I've only been driving them for 4 months, they do pick up speed easily from a stop. It's been a good work van.
I've dubbed them the "disposable van". They're the equivalent of plastic utensils or straws. Something to be used for a short period of time and tossed without a second thought.
The Element would have been fine for delivering cakes and jewelry, but not much else. Honda does make a viable delivery vehicle - my brother used Odysseys as delivery vans for a good decade. He loved how comfortable they were and car-like to drive, as it was his only vehicle. The loads weren't so massive or heavy as to require a van like this. He just replaced the transmissions after about 75k miles, and when the second one failed would buy a new Odyssey. He now has a third one, but is running his own business, so isn't wearing it out.
We had an element and it was quite handy and decent space for its size, I feel like lengthen it a few feet and it would be pretty darn handy for a lot of things.
FWD makes sense here in Europe. You can make the whole thing smaller and lighter while maintaining the size of the cargo space. Also you can make the floor lower, because you don't have the whole drivetrain taking up space. Also they mostly use smaller turbodiesel engines here.
Don't forget the magical cracking plastic Oil filter/cooler housing on the 3.6 Pentastar that WILL break and dump oil all over the block and down the transmission.
just wait till it fails internally and turns your coolant into something resembling diarrhea while all your rubber hoses swell & sweat oil. definitely an achilles heel
I drove one of these (a citroen jumper) for a few weeks in the UK, with a 2.2L diesel engine and a 6 speed manual. Honestly, I really liked the way it drives. The interior is extremely fussy and cheap (there's no where to put anything?) and the mirrors are awful but the clutch, throttle response, steering... all fantastic. I loved driving it. Then I got a VW Crafter and life was much better.
When I arrived in the US and saw these things I was perplexed by the fact that these Peugeot and Citroen vans were also here under the Ram badge. I expected a trades vehicle here to be some sort of suped up version of a Ford truck or a van-truck abomination. I felt that things like that would appeal more to the american market, but I guess that Ram saw these busting around every euroean street corner and went with the " if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality.
The older American vans had poor space efficiency and low rooflines. When the Sprinter showed up it ate their lunch. Ford eventually responded by selling the same Transit they already had in Europe, and Fiat-Chrysler started selling these here. Nissan tried, too, but with limited success.
@@markmiller3279 And GM is still cranking out the Express/Savana with its 1990s platform. If it ain't broke, I guess. Either they're still selling well enough that GM keeps them around or GM doesn't want to spend the money to develop their own high-roof van. Ford is still selling the E-Series but only for cutaway applications.
@@bwofficial1776GM doesn't have an European division to pull a tall unibody van from anymore, plus they have the 10,000 lb tow capacity van market all to themselves now that Nissan has dropped the NV, so I think they're in a good spot.
@@bwofficial1776 I'm kinda surprised that Ford still sells the cutaway E-Series, since they also sell a cutaway Transit for the same applications. I can't really think of any benefit to the E-series for that - maybe they're just keeping it around to give some transition time for the truck body builders to adapt to the different frame / body shape / roofline height?
@@kepstin It will be a sad day when Ford finally kills the E-Series. The Transits are hideous, especially cutaway models. We're probably going to be stuck with 'em for 30 years much like the E-series. I personally never really cared for the E-series, but I have to admit I miss those boxy bastards.
When looking for Dodge build quality, as you said at the start, this is a European van. Depending on which generation of ‘Movano’ you look at (I’m mainly familiar with the Vauxhall) the whole thing is based on either a Renault design or a Fiat design. In Europe we’d mainly be driving a four cylinder turbo-diesel with a manual gearbox. Not quick, but might be better for towing. Commercials tend to be abused so I guess interior quality is never a priority in the design, when they’re going to accumulate junk and dust and never be cleaned.
Dodge Promaster, it's when you upgrade from the work caravan. As a mechanic, I see them as a really big caravan with FIAT wiring. As long as you don't tow, do regular maintenance, and use Synthetic Oil (I recommend not using 0w20/5w20, use 5w30 or 10w30). Other than that, they eat brakes, radiator leaks, radiator fan failure, headlight bulbs (especially if their not installed correctly), rear light bulbs, and random doors handles inop due to the cables poping out of the bracket.
Absolute maintenance nightmares. Door panels crack, A pillars crack, the oil cooler leaks in the valley, trans pans leaks, and the power steering lines are run under the right front motor mount, so when that breaks, it takes them out.
It's weird how easy work vans are to drive. I have not driven this one, but I have driven some of the competitors offerings. I had less issues with them than a jeep grand wagoner.
It's not that weird. Body-on-frame vehicles like a grand wagoneer have become significantly more car-like in their driving dynamics over the last twenty years, but they are still very "trucky" when compared to anything unibody.
I have a 16 promaster work vehicle with 98000 miles. Can confirm the squeaky brakes, disappearing and leaking coolant issues. A cam was replaced at 65k miles due to engine clatter. New engine was put in 7k miles ago because the old one was knocking bad. If you’re 6’ tall or larger, it is impossible to get comfortable in it as the chairs are mounted way tall and upright. The main drive wheel is front passenger so it will wear that tire much faster..oh, and no grip in snow and wet because of it. The best solution I’ve found was to install all terrain tires for better traction.
I work for a company that runs a bunch of Ford Econoline and Transit vans. My general take is this is almost on par with the Econolines, and playing in AA when the Transit in a bench player in the Major League.
Gonna be honest here: As a long time viewer of many years, I feel that the editing and sound effects are too much. I like to listen to these videos at work and even when watching it's very nice just having the voiceover and jokes. Hearing the same 2 dinging and bubble pop sounds throughout the whole video makes this feel like a tiktok/jingling the keys in front of us to keep our attention. I love yall tho, keep on keeping videos and making us laugh!
those diesel fours make the same amount(2.3) or way more(3.0) torque than the pentastar at a far lower RPM, the US market only got the petrol V6 because diesel availability in the US market is way worse than europe
If you want to find a modern Dodge that you can kinda get along with, I highly recommend doing a 2013-16 Dodge Dart at some point, just because I feel like you’d knock the storytelling behind the car’s background out if the park and find a way to combine it with literary or cultural analysis of the 2010s
Nissan never figured out how to sell their vans. A lack of truck-focused dealers probably had a lot to do with that. They certainly had their fans. That said, I've always liked that these are fwd. That makes so much sense for efficient packaging, and it's not as if the traction will be an issue.
@@markmiller3279the NV had real power for it class with the 5.6 - loved it. Absolutely ran our fleet through the wringer with 3-4K lbs a day. Never had an issue. The transits and promasters on the other hand, yikes. Front wheel drive is terrible for heavy applications.
Where they lose coolant is the oil filter housing/oil cooler under the intake manifold leaking. It sits in the engine valley, and that'll hold a half gallon before it spills out. You can tell if you see the top of your transmission is wet/oily
RAM ProMaster, because you couldn’t afford a Ford Transit. Rented one of these for a bit for work, and when the rental company switched it out for a brand new Ford Transit I was astonished at how much better it was. Everything from the ergonomics, the electrical systems not being broken, and the assist features. It was great for the rest of the time doing that job.
In eu this van is everywhere with badges from fiat, citroen, peugeot and older models with opel badge. I see them everyday, drove a longer version to a rave and did afterparty in the back. They are indestructable
The non profit i work with had a meeting to discuss the new van they were going to pick up - we sat around a table looking at printed screenshots from the ford and dodge websites. My co workers all said they didnt care .. and i was the only one trying to convince the director not to buy a promaster .. soooo we got the cheaper one - with a 2.4L four banger set up as a wheelchair accessable minibus ... my goodness what a heap. I wanted a long wheelbase transit so bad
in Europe the Ducato/Boxer/Jumper were allways second fiddle to Renault master, which is the pioneer of "van, feels like a car". Ducato made more for its name in the campervan market.
Also, for even more fun, you can cut the rear end off of one of these things right behind that gas fill, and still have an entirely functional drivetrain. Don't even have to screw around with the fuel system.
I live along the Brennero corridor that connects Italy with central Europe and I often see trains full of Ducato half cuts heading up North in order to become motorhomes
I daily drive one of these for work as a TV news “ENG” vehicle. In the past two years, I’ve suffered countless little failures, and it’s only at 85 thousand miles (though probably a lot more hours than miles) The oil pan rotted off, spilling Dino juice all over the ground. Same with the bottom of the radiator where it meets the hoses. Coolant disappears regularly. Plastic is coming apart everywhere you look. One time the license plate holder fell clean off onto the street while driving and our local PD had to return it… the transmission shit the bed and had to be replaced, and that was a big expense. That said, it’s spacious. Slow, but rev happy. Drives well for how large it is, and I can even parallel park it in the city. My work has two of these. One is sitting dead in the corner of the parking lot, and the other is finicky but functional. Admittedly we work the hell out these vans, but I’ll be damned if we aren’t getting our moneys worth out of them.
Former Amazon driver* Amazon also uses the Ford Transit alongside the Promaster. The Ford is nicer to drive while the Promaster is way easier to work out of along with a better turning radius... rear door latches always broke. Turn up the BASS on those stock speakers and it will shake the doors off.
And here in Brazil we got it in 3 different forms: Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer and Citroen Jumper. The same vehicle, the only difference is the company badges and that's all.
As an older gen Z who drove an amazon van like this with only 4 years of driving experience (Ha, if only I had 4 years of experience) when I was hired, I definitely think that from a driveability perspective, the promaster was probably the best van we used. The mercedes vans were my favorite by far for *so* many reasons, but in terms of visibility and turn radius, the promaster was perfect.
I bought my 2016 Promaster 2500 159" high roof because it was cheap. I do over the road cargo expediting and haven't had any problems in my first three weeks of work driving a few thousand miles already. Although in my first trip through the Blue Ridge mountains the transmission malfunctioned big time, but after a night to cooldown it was fine.
I run a fleet of Sprinters for my Appliance Repair Company. I considered the Promaster a non starter so I was between the Transit and the Sprinter. Ended up going with the Sprinter because: 1 Lower Operating Costs for a nominally higher purchase price. The base MB Sprinter and a Ford Transit with equal options were only $3500 different in price so When you are spending as much as you do on a new vehicle what's $3500? 2 The Standard roof 144" wheelbase Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has more cargo capacity than the standard roof Ford Transitof equal size. 3 Amazing image for the company.
I know a guy who bought one to live in. The motor self-destructed when the oil pressure sensor started leaking, eating all the cam lobes in the process. New-ish rebuilt Mopar engine was the best they could do for him, and he bought it used so no warranty. Cost? Too much for a Doge van ...
Use code REGULAR50 to get 50% off your first Factor box at bit.ly/3RhkQdu
50%?!
never frozzen ?!?
I would once again like to state that I will always call this the Ram Prolapser
lmfao woaOWoh am I the cranky guy that just picks up people, again ? Or did Barack Obama, he made history on Neptune in 1965, when he was on an Island and saw the sunrise with an airplane out over by there ?
My work calls then prodisasters. Engine light comes on every week for misfires. Gets a new catalytic converter every year
@@evanbrillhart8178new transmission every 20k miles too
Nice
Pronmaster
Ummm that's a Fiat... also a Peugeot, maybe even a Citroen
and maybe a bit of renault.
@@mx_nana_bananadid it ever wear a Vauxhall/Opel badge too?
also a toyota now
Americans: Fiat? Fix It Again Tony!
Also Americans: THIS IS A DODGE IT IS STRIOOONG.
It's indeed 'rebadged' into many brands...
Ram Promaster, because you're not Slavic enough for a Mercedes Sprinter
funny enough that before FCA Dodge had Sprinter as one of their van models
@cya1noNo, that wouldn’t make sense. Your comment would apply if the Sprinter was more Italian than the Promaster. reread the original comment
Ram ProMaster, because you're not British enough for a Ford Transit
Ram Promaster, because you are not German enough for a Volkswagen Crafter.
@@ShitHappensRLYyep! Mercedes even made a diesel for it for a couple years, pretty fun!
My uncle bought a Promaster for his business and it's been great so far, hauling merchandise and wrapped in the company artwork. Glad the guys reviewed a real work van and not some "van life" thing.
The obligatory 150k hotel on wheels got old quick content wise I’ll give you that.
I feel the same way and then some about the $700 plywood DIY “van life” builds, complete with obligatory FanTastic roof vent, unvented Mr. Buddy CO generator-sorry, heater-and dodgy solar panel/inverter setup. Hopefully they remember to build a discreet place to stash the pee bottle.
The pro master is too small for van life. Your best bet is a sprinter, ford transit, or preferably on old step van.
The Promaster, like the Sprinter and Transit, is available in multiple lengths and roof heights. Size isn’t the issue. It’s people who don’t know what they’re doing building death traps with unsafe wiring and open combustion in tiny enclosed spaces.
I mean it ain't called Regular Car Reviews for nothing but yeah I 100% agree
Ah the Fiat Ducato, the one van guaranteed to have it's check engine light on before it leaves the rental lot. I once had to drive one in limpmode all the way back from the wrong end of Germany to the UK with the engine cutting out every time I went over 50mph
Came here to make a comment like this lol
Oof
The wrong end of germany is what we dutch people refer to as belgium.
Luckily the engine is slightly different in the USDM.
I think I have driven the Peugeot equivalent of this last year. 🤔
This guy was a good sport and looks like alternate reality tradie Mr. Regular.
I watched this video at a local coffee shop, just as the video ended, a Promaster backed into the parking spot in front of me, completely blocking my window view outside. Quite poetic really... couldn't be more fitting.
Used to know a guy that lived in one of these when I worked construction. Would stay on site and just plug in to the generators. He was the kinda guy where I would smell weed at work look over and just see him nonchalantly hitting a joint.
The best kind of co-worker
I haven't worked a construction job, pool construction, in about a decade. We had a guy like that on the crew. He worked really hard day in and day out. However, when working alongside some other contractors, he got ratted out by other companies' foremans a couple time and the boss hated catching smoke (pun intended).
i bet he was fire on the forklift!
Hence the owner of this one had the silicone cap for a 510 vape in the cupholder to fit the stereotype 😅
So I drive for Amazon in a Promaster, and the one thing I will give it over the Transits that our fleets also have is the ergonomics, specifically of moving from the cabin to the cargo area over 100 times a day. The Transit's seat is so low it's a lot more effort to haul oneself out and into the cargo area. The Promaster, by comparison, is basically just standing up and turning around.
hey tell your upfitters to quit drilling screws into the factory harnesses & trying to get it covered under warranty lmao
got one this week that keeps calling the police cause they shorted out the SOS call button circuit in the pass. a-pillar.
@@barfoomIs that standard procedure for their upfitters? Major safety hazard.
Jesus Christ the more I watch US Car reviews the more I realise how many Euro Cars have to be sold under US Names there, otherwise they'd be seen as Foreign and wouldn't sell well.
Branding and badging is everything to the US. That's why most of Cadillac's and Lincoln's lineups are rebadged Chevy's and Ford's. People care about the image so much, and I don't know why
It’s been going on for over 40 years. Once we had one vehicle with seven badges, and it was made here.
It's also that a lot of European brands just don't have their own US branches period. So it's cheaper and easier to slap different badges on their cars and let their US sister companies handle it than shell out the extra money and try to build up a market presence nearly from scratch.
And Europeans eat up badged American cars, like the Dodge Journey and Chevy Volt.
@@JohnSmith-wx9wj I love how you've listed like two cars I've literally never seen on the road in Europe.
I don't know how I feel about the editing. To me watching an RCR car review is like eating a really good hot dog. There are other channels like Savagegeese and Throttle House that produce beautifully edited gourmet content. But sometimes all I want is a simple, great, hot dog. That's RCR to me.
Hot dogs are one of the most RCR meats you you can eat. 🌭
As a truck driver, I live for the chance to enjoy a Costco hotdog and an RCR review! :)
Dude, Savagegeese is always bitching about cars having too much piano black in them.
@@PianoBlackTrimRep. Yes, I see your username. No, I don't like piano black finishes. Gimme a basketweave texture any day.
It looks a lot better with age and wear!
@@Deschain-um7jz schmeat
The fart at 12:49 basically sums everything up beautifully.
Amazon in my area is slowly transitioning to Transit vans and thinning out Promasters as they wear out, and renting Promasters from Penske instead of buying them. Quite the story of it's merits.
I didn't expect the lower decks call out
Wait, when?
@@theothertonydutchEarly on in the video. A call out to lower Decks and fanfiction about Dr. T'Ana
I always dreaded getting this van when I was delivering for Amazon, the seating position is so awkward for someone my height and none of the touch points are ergonomic. They rolled out some bigger and longer versions eventually but the cab remained the same, these things are peak FIAT is how I explained to newer drivers. Luckily I was the only driver that prefered the Sprinter, because we only had one.
Ford Transit was my least favorite van. Can’t walk between the seats easily unless your really small. I would take a Mercedes Sprinter or Chevy/GMC van if I didn’t need the extra space that day.
@@Marklin15transit definitely drives the best and is quick for a van, but getting in/out of it is a damn pain. Also the sliding doors and rear door are junk, can’t stand them.
The only good thing about the pro master was the front wheel drive, which made it a lot better to drive in snow then the RWD vans. That being said I also hated them. The driving position is awkward as hell. You feel cramped and somehow still struggle to reach the steering wheel and bottoms,
@@_zigzakI can’t wait for us to get the electric vans. They seem like a healthy medium for the step vans and transit vans. I used to be a step van driver. Great for suburban routes, terrible in rural routes.
Preferred the promasters until we got brand new 23 Transits, those cabs are nice. The sprinters always had transmission issues and side doors would jam constantly, and when I’m opening and closing the side door 200 times a day, I need a door that works. Can’t speak for the new Rivian EVs since I left before our DSP got them but I’m an Amazon warehouse associate now and I’ve heard from the OTR guys the batteries are dying before routes are finished, especially since it’s getting cold now.
The owner could me Mr. Regular's stunt double.
Not gunna lie, the " it's an Amazon dildo, not a genuine Bad Dragon" line got a big chuckle out of me.
Former Amazon driver here. At least you didn't have to review the pre-"facelift" versions of these. Those things are absolute dogshit.
Try driving an european spec Opel Movano or Peugeot Boxer. Makes the dodge seem like a rolls royce 🤣
This one is a pre facelift
@Marklin15 I realize that after watching. I did the dumb thing and commented before actually watching.
2016 Dodge Ram Promaster: The official vehicle of "Can you help me get this couch in the van? Yes, get in and lift your side."
So you expect a single dude move a whole ass couch into a van on his own? Get a grip.
@@chepesantacruz777 (woosh)... Look up Ted Bundy. The Silence of the Lambs did the same thing. When you see a plain white work van and a sketchy character that give you creep vibes asking for some help, decline the offer.
PIVOT!!
Don't feel bad if nobody under 40 gets that reference!
@@84gssteve I know...I know...and now I feel really old!!! 😁😁😁
Here in Germany we call it "Fiat Ducato" and it sux :D (also Peugeot and Citroen Badge Engineering)
Und Toyota ProAce. Den hast du noch vergessen.
@@DschoermaenRetrodaddlerToyota Proace Max only, the Proace (not max) is a Peugeot Expert/Citroen Jumpy rebadged, not a Ducato. Different size.
@@shroomyesc
Whoops, I made a mistake.
You're right, sorry.
damn the editing went above and beyond for this one
A little bit too much even I'd say!
I lowkey love when they up the editing out of nowhere. Like the VW bus episode that was like a movie.
Hired someone to edit for me this time
@@RegularCarsngl your editing is actually better.
The fart made me think it was original
Here in Estonia these are 2.2 liter diesels with a 6 speed manual and they are good vans and fairly popular. and people like it beacause in that config they are reliable.
I love this experimental arc of RCR. The new edits make it feel new but with old RCR
Fiat Ducato. The official van of delivery courriers other than GLS, always tailgating you and running red lights. The official van of extracting every single bit of power from the turbodiesel engine powering it. The official van of "well, there were some issues, it's going to take a few more days to complete"
And now Toyota offers it as the ProAce Max in Europe in full EV.
Boggles the mind toyota would put their badge on this.
@@XiaOmegaX They probably have one, tore down in a Toyota research facility, and trying to see if they can replicate it for similar costs.
@@XiaOmegaX toyota has had a platform sharing agreement with PSA (now stellantis) for over 2 decades now. Peugeot/Citroen needed a small city car, Toyota needed work vans.
@@XiaOmegaX I think they just did it to fill their EV quota (dunno if gov mandated or just self mandated)
@@XiaOmegaX its an extension to their previous deal with the citroen jumpy that gave them an euro 5 compliant van without the R&D costs of making the hiace euro 5 capable
The upper glove compartment is designed to fit a win bottle perfectly on its side
or a vb long neck
I'd say this van in Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer or Citroen Jumper guise is backbone of at least half of European businesses. They are everywhere, leased in fleet's of tens and always completely ran into a ground. They are all diesel get stupidly good fuel economy and are fun to trash around. They come at least a bit broken from the factory (drove one with 700km on the clock which already had door latch problem). Oil get's replaced every "boss felt like it" and after 100-200k km they are completely rusted with some type of engine or electronics failure. One's that get more love run till around 500k km and then get used as litteral storage units in public markets. Having driven other vans like mb sprinter/vw crafter and transporter this one felt the best honestly, it's honest to hell, no-frills, dispossable metal can that will get job done even if you refuse to take care of it.
It's also the most popular campervan platform
@@JK061996 by a massive margin, around 2/3rds of the campervans sold in europe are fiat ducatos, 80% of the campervans sold in germany are either fiat ducatos or rebadged versions of the ducato
In Europe the official cheap van of never leaving on time. Glued to a rear bumper on a B-road at 6 am, making dimmable rear view mirrors a necessity.
This.
You mean the headlights are actually good on these things in europe?! In the us they’re terrible. Cant see shit at night lol
@@DimensionN87they are not great. However Ducato/boxer/whatever are infamous for having headlights on level of average car's driver eyes, and being stuck ahead of one during night is a nightmare.
You bring up a good point with them being easy to drive. I've driven a late model ford transit (big boy size), and honestly they're so much easier to drive than the Chevy Expresses and Ford Econolines of the past. Where you had a van based on a truck, you now have a dedicated van/car platform and its a lot easier.
I remember my old workplace had one of these as a Fiat, or Peugeot. Every morning it needed like half a gallon of coolant. Nobody knew where it went. It didn't leave a puddle, or smoke.
holy shit, never expected my work van would be on this channel. mine is for an hvac company, so it has ladder racks on top and shelves and drawers for tools and parts, and holders for refrigerant tanks
The Fiat PSA Stellantis whatever van, a permanent sight on eastern european roads, surprised to hear its running a Chrysler V6 and not a JTD 2.3 Diesel engine from Fiat, this is the type of van to overtake you on a blind uphill corner with 3 fine gentleman in the bench seat, discoloration on EVERY panel and a ton of lumber in its bed (they sell these as pickups here)
The 2.3 is an iveco engine
I once rented the Fiat Ducato panel-van version of this rig to move house from a small apartment on one side of Paris to a slightly-less-small apartment on the other side. It was persistently, aggressively acceptable. Assertively okay.
It was much, much easier to street park than I expected to be, so there is that.
@cya1noNo, it's not a Scudo. Maybe in some markets they call the smaller variants of the Ducato a Scudo, but the Scudo was a rebadged Peugeot Expert at the time of this van and still is now. The van in the video is very clearly just an H1 Ducato.
On,y thing about the pro master that I like is it has the best steering ratio compared to the other cargo vans.
@cya1no the promaster city was a doblo, the promaster is a ducato, none of the variants of the promaster are scudos
Just saw one of these at a Wine & Liquor Outlet here in NH. People from PA and NJ come here all the time to load up on much cheaper booze and often go back with a van full of it, often to resell it at a profit back home. After this video I understand how that occupation suits a ProMaster owner... always looking for a hustle.
8:50 Don’t forget the rubber cover for the threads of a vape cartridge.
Official van of “you got a rental today bro, no cameras 😏”
I love the FIAT DUCATO..!!
You can recognize them from behind- because they are perfect squares..!
This van is truly EVERYWHERE in Italy (its homeland) and sold all over the World in whatever variation that country prefers..!
Many Upfitters in the US sell these as luxurious mini-RV’s for couples or small families…which I think they will excel at…I love to see ProMaster RV’s, and I always think they must be having the time of their lives..!
(I have to say- I’ve been tempted…because deep down, I still have a heart for FIAT..!!)
If I do go into VanLife territory…I’m sorry, I’m going with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4…case closed..!!
I REALLY want to build a Custom Micro RV…because I have crazy Wanderlust and I haven’t seen the Lower 48 anywhere near enough…and I retired early, so I need some shit to see..!
I have the Ram van that came before this, a ‘98 B1500 that I’m building into a ‘Dajiban’ 😎 do a search if you’ve never heard of them, they’re awesome!
Dajiban!
I love those vans, so cool
Ooh nice, hope your Dajiban project goes well!
@@leadfoot8593 hell yeah! 🔥🔥
@@barrio773 thank you so much! Gonna go for a mix of black and purple, and it’ll have plenty of go under the hood too 🚗💨
i actually drive these Promasters and Ford Transits both for Amazon Delivery, and i actually prefer these for their excellent turning radius
Well, even mighty Toyota will have a rebadged one next year, so… it can’t be too bad, plus a decade of refinements makes a difference. Other than the Sprinter, the Ford and Ram are both disposable, ok work vans. Both are built to a price. Both falls apart quicker than their B-series, and Econoline vans that existed before them.
Lists names of the various models...misses the most common, the Ducato
Yeah, I thought that was a weird omission. Although I appreciate knowing about the others, the Fiat Ducato was the only other variant I’d ever heard of as an American.
The storage indent on the dash fits sunglasses, and they generally stay put unless you do a full panic stop. The missing storage cubby is actually a clipboard to hold those invoices you mentioned, but I'd rather have a storage bin with USB.
I didn't even know these came with a V6! In the EU you usually see these in white with the diesel 4 banger, manual transmission, rust and a polish license plate
The Pentastar six had decent reliability, and gasoline is usually a lot cheaper in the US.
The diesel is (or was) available in the states, but it had not the manual, nor the automatic, but an “automated” transmission that was deservedly hated. It was extra slow, and it drove like someone who’s not very good at driving a stick. It didn’t help that it was more expensive to boot.
The “Pentastar” (Chrysler) V6 with the 6-speed auto was the popular choice because it was already used in other Dodge/Chrysler cars and vans, had plenty of power (even if it’s pretty well maxed out in this application), wasn’t too troublesome (for a Chrysler product), and it does its job without being weird for no reason (like the automated abomination).
@@Thegonagle That sounds painful, I've driven the mercedes version of an automated manual and that already felt annoying. Kinda sucks they don't offer the Pentastar in the EU version, we just get diesels. 280HP in that box could be kinda fun
Its all thing to all working men in Europe. You fix tower cranes? You wire up housing? You fix HVAC? You deliver tobacco and soft drinks? This. This moves Europe's economy. It is the shining beacon of prosperity for the uneducated. It is all things to all working men.
Produced from 2006 in the same generation and they're still refreshing it with facelifts for all the family members next year AND slapping a Toyota badge on one with the Proace Max.
The audio enhancement for the food ad at the beginning ... classic.
The 9hp48 transmission is a 9 speed, hence the 9. Which is available on the new (2023) promaster. Everything before used the 6 speed 62te transmission, including the one In this video.
The 9 speeds feel so much better. Hope to see they're reliable too.
@@FonDrakon yes, the 62te should have never been put in the promaster. Too weak. The 9 speed in these feels great. We will see how they really feel once some miles is out in the new ones
@@bryanmortensen8527so far not as robust as the 8hp45s, a small handful of torque converters that "arent serviceable separately" per stellantis but I'm sure ZF disagrees. You'll see those on the Pacifica and most of the transverse FCA stuff as well.
The longitudinal 8 speeds set an awfully high bar.
sooo much better than the 62TE though. The compounder recalls have been gravy though.
@@barfoom I 100% agree with you, the 8 speed is one of the best transmissions that exist in my opinion.
Just did one of those today, soooooo gravy
Never in my life would I have expected to hear a vine boom in an rcr video, I guess this meme on wheels warrants it.
I dunno why but the vine boom always makes me do a lol
"drives like a car". Yes, this is a usual design principle for most EU vans.
My best friend is an EMT. The majority of his ambulances are Promasters, with a few being AWD EcoBoost Transits and some dually Powerstroke E-series. He's been an EMT for six weeks and has already had a transmission blow up on him. That and when he drives a Transit hard everyone is comfortable but when he drive the Dodge everyone gets thrown around cause the suspension is that bad
I drove a couple of these for work before moving to box trucks. The 2014 Diesel (they only made a small number of diesels because it was technically Mercedes still) with the auto manual (there was no park gear so you had to use the hand brake), was pretty fricking fun to ring out and drive. 500 miles on one tank was pretty nice and the torque from the diesel was super fun rowing out the 6 gears in manual mode lol. It was the high top 3500. Cruising rural roads doing parts deliveries was fun!!
All the doors sucked ass tho
I've always noticed these because the headlights don't line up with the grille, and that really annoys me.
I drive this model and a brand new model promaster for work. The new model seems to have taken every good feature about the 2016 and made them better imo. The old one at my work has no cruise control and 60mph sits right at a spot where the auto transmission will constantly change gears if you're not no super flat ground.
Even though I've only been driving them for 4 months, they do pick up speed easily from a stop. It's been a good work van.
We have some of these at work. Such an unremarkable piece of equipment. That pentastar tho
I've dubbed them the "disposable van". They're the equivalent of plastic utensils or straws. Something to be used for a short period of time and tossed without a second thought.
It’s van like these that makes me happy my company still uses 2008 for econoline 2500s
If only Honda continued with the Element, they could have provided a solid option for independent contractors other than these hot piles.
The Element would have been fine for delivering cakes and jewelry, but not much else. Honda does make a viable delivery vehicle - my brother used Odysseys as delivery vans for a good decade. He loved how comfortable they were and car-like to drive, as it was his only vehicle. The loads weren't so massive or heavy as to require a van like this. He just replaced the transmissions after about 75k miles, and when the second one failed would buy a new Odyssey. He now has a third one, but is running his own business, so isn't wearing it out.
We had an element and it was quite handy and decent space for its size, I feel like lengthen it a few feet and it would be pretty darn handy for a lot of things.
FWD makes sense here in Europe. You can make the whole thing smaller and lighter while maintaining the size of the cargo space. Also you can make the floor lower, because you don't have the whole drivetrain taking up space. Also they mostly use smaller turbodiesel engines here.
Looks like someone had fun editing this week!
Don't forget the magical cracking plastic Oil filter/cooler housing on the 3.6 Pentastar that WILL break and dump oil all over the block and down the transmission.
just wait till it fails internally and turns your coolant into something resembling diarrhea while all your rubber hoses swell & sweat oil. definitely an achilles heel
Oh, so is that why every single van at my amazon company smells like an oil refinery after driving uphill for 2 minutes? Lol
I drove one of these (a citroen jumper) for a few weeks in the UK, with a 2.2L diesel engine and a 6 speed manual. Honestly, I really liked the way it drives. The interior is extremely fussy and cheap (there's no where to put anything?) and the mirrors are awful but the clutch, throttle response, steering... all fantastic. I loved driving it. Then I got a VW Crafter and life was much better.
@cya1no I think it depends on specification. Most have sensors but not all. Not all have a camera, either.
When I arrived in the US and saw these things I was perplexed by the fact that these Peugeot and Citroen vans were also here under the Ram badge. I expected a trades vehicle here to be some sort of suped up version of a Ford truck or a van-truck abomination. I felt that things like that would appeal more to the american market, but I guess that Ram saw these busting around every euroean street corner and went with the " if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality.
The older American vans had poor space efficiency and low rooflines. When the Sprinter showed up it ate their lunch. Ford eventually responded by selling the same Transit they already had in Europe, and Fiat-Chrysler started selling these here. Nissan tried, too, but with limited success.
@@markmiller3279 And GM is still cranking out the Express/Savana with its 1990s platform. If it ain't broke, I guess. Either they're still selling well enough that GM keeps them around or GM doesn't want to spend the money to develop their own high-roof van. Ford is still selling the E-Series but only for cutaway applications.
@@bwofficial1776GM doesn't have an European division to pull a tall unibody van from anymore, plus they have the 10,000 lb tow capacity van market all to themselves now that Nissan has dropped the NV, so I think they're in a good spot.
@@bwofficial1776 I'm kinda surprised that Ford still sells the cutaway E-Series, since they also sell a cutaway Transit for the same applications. I can't really think of any benefit to the E-series for that - maybe they're just keeping it around to give some transition time for the truck body builders to adapt to the different frame / body shape / roofline height?
@@kepstin It will be a sad day when Ford finally kills the E-Series. The Transits are hideous, especially cutaway models. We're probably going to be stuck with 'em for 30 years much like the E-series. I personally never really cared for the E-series, but I have to admit I miss those boxy bastards.
the home depot track day special, many fond memories
Would love to see a series just roasting work vans
When looking for Dodge build quality, as you said at the start, this is a European van. Depending on which generation of ‘Movano’ you look at (I’m mainly familiar with the Vauxhall) the whole thing is based on either a Renault design or a Fiat design. In Europe we’d mainly be driving a four cylinder turbo-diesel with a manual gearbox. Not quick, but might be better for towing. Commercials tend to be abused so I guess interior quality is never a priority in the design, when they’re going to accumulate junk and dust and never be cleaned.
Dodge Promaster, it's when you upgrade from the work caravan.
As a mechanic, I see them as a really big caravan with FIAT wiring. As long as you don't tow, do regular maintenance, and use Synthetic Oil (I recommend not using 0w20/5w20, use 5w30 or 10w30).
Other than that, they eat brakes, radiator leaks, radiator fan failure, headlight bulbs (especially if their not installed correctly), rear light bulbs, and random doors handles inop due to the cables poping out of the bracket.
Absolute maintenance nightmares.
Door panels crack, A pillars crack, the oil cooler leaks in the valley, trans pans leaks, and the power steering lines are run under the right front motor mount, so when that breaks, it takes them out.
It's weird how easy work vans are to drive. I have not driven this one, but I have driven some of the competitors offerings. I had less issues with them than a jeep grand wagoner.
It's not that weird. Body-on-frame vehicles like a grand wagoneer have become significantly more car-like in their driving dynamics over the last twenty years, but they are still very "trucky" when compared to anything unibody.
I have a 16 promaster work vehicle with 98000 miles. Can confirm the squeaky brakes, disappearing and leaking coolant issues. A cam was replaced at 65k miles due to engine clatter. New engine was put in 7k miles ago because the old one was knocking bad. If you’re 6’ tall or larger, it is impossible to get comfortable in it as the chairs are mounted way tall and upright. The main drive wheel is front passenger so it will wear that tire much faster..oh, and no grip in snow and wet because of it. The best solution I’ve found was to install all terrain tires for better traction.
How did we go from 9 minute reviews to half hour roast a thons?!
I always knew this van was always front wheel drive when i saw that rear axle one day
I love skipping ads
I work for a company that runs a bunch of Ford Econoline and Transit vans. My general take is this is almost on par with the Econolines, and playing in AA when the Transit in a bench player in the Major League.
Gonna be honest here: As a long time viewer of many years, I feel that the editing and sound effects are too much. I like to listen to these videos at work and even when watching it's very nice just having the voiceover and jokes. Hearing the same 2 dinging and bubble pop sounds throughout the whole video makes this feel like a tiktok/jingling the keys in front of us to keep our attention.
I love yall tho, keep on keeping videos and making us laugh!
It sounds like someone who just started to make videos and is copying what others do without quite getting it.
Ive been subscribed to him for like 10 years, if the next vid is like this,im unsubbing and never watching a video of him again.
yeah i hope he doesn't do that again, the sound effects are very unnecessary and honestly annoying
What a drama queen@@chepesantacruz777
How fragile do you have to be?
wow, you guys get auto v6 powertrains on these? we have to make do with diesel fours and manuals and we still tow full trailers with these in europe!
Thats europe standard.And loaded full and get 35mpg
those diesel fours make the same amount(2.3) or way more(3.0) torque than the pentastar at a far lower RPM, the US market only got the petrol V6 because diesel availability in the US market is way worse than europe
If you want to find a modern Dodge that you can kinda get along with, I highly recommend doing a 2013-16 Dodge Dart at some point, just because I feel like you’d knock the storytelling behind the car’s background out if the park and find a way to combine it with literary or cultural analysis of the 2010s
love the turn radius on the pro master
The van your company buys used because “they aren’t made of money.”
I’ve been a fleet manager for 15 years and these B L O W.
Nissan NV 3500 was so amazing in its time. Rip.
Nissan never figured out how to sell their vans. A lack of truck-focused dealers probably had a lot to do with that. They certainly had their fans. That said, I've always liked that these are fwd. That makes so much sense for efficient packaging, and it's not as if the traction will be an issue.
@@markmiller3279the NV had real power for it class with the 5.6 - loved it. Absolutely ran our fleet through the wringer with 3-4K lbs a day. Never had an issue. The transits and promasters on the other hand, yikes.
Front wheel drive is terrible for heavy applications.
Where they lose coolant is the oil filter housing/oil cooler under the intake manifold leaking. It sits in the engine valley, and that'll hold a half gallon before it spills out. You can tell if you see the top of your transmission is wet/oily
Seen these for like 2 decades here in Europe, with Italian or Frechie badges. Eyesores.
RAM ProMaster, because you couldn’t afford a Ford Transit.
Rented one of these for a bit for work, and when the rental company switched it out for a brand new Ford Transit I was astonished at how much better it was. Everything from the ergonomics, the electrical systems not being broken, and the assist features. It was great for the rest of the time doing that job.
In eu this van is everywhere with badges from fiat, citroen, peugeot and older models with opel badge. I see them everyday, drove a longer version to a rave and did afterparty in the back. They are indestructable
But we don't have v6 and automatic. Most of them have diesel and 5 speed
Interestingly a gasoline version was available until 2006, when this generation was introduced
Nowadays Opel badge again since Opel got bought by PSA who then merged with FCA.
There’s no Dodge in the title. Ram is a separate Marque
The non profit i work with had a meeting to discuss the new van they were going to pick up - we sat around a table looking at printed screenshots from the ford and dodge websites. My co workers all said they didnt care .. and i was the only one trying to convince the director not to buy a promaster .. soooo we got the cheaper one - with a 2.4L four banger set up as a wheelchair accessable minibus ... my goodness what a heap. I wanted a long wheelbase transit so bad
Do. More. Bike. REVIEWS! Please 🥺
in Europe the Ducato/Boxer/Jumper were allways second fiddle to Renault master, which is the pioneer of "van, feels like a car". Ducato made more for its name in the campervan market.
Also, for even more fun, you can cut the rear end off of one of these things right behind that gas fill, and still have an entirely functional drivetrain. Don't even have to screw around with the fuel system.
It's sold that way, and used for making motorhomes. The low floor is attractive for that.
I live along the Brennero corridor that connects Italy with central Europe and I often see trains full of Ducato half cuts heading up North in order to become motorhomes
I daily drive one of these for work as a TV news “ENG” vehicle. In the past two years, I’ve suffered countless little failures, and it’s only at 85 thousand miles (though probably a lot more hours than miles) The oil pan rotted off, spilling Dino juice all over the ground. Same with the bottom of the radiator where it meets the hoses. Coolant disappears regularly. Plastic is coming apart everywhere you look. One time the license plate holder fell clean off onto the street while driving and our local PD had to return it… the transmission shit the bed and had to be replaced, and that was a big expense.
That said, it’s spacious. Slow, but rev happy. Drives well for how large it is, and I can even parallel park it in the city.
My work has two of these. One is sitting dead in the corner of the parking lot, and the other is finicky but functional. Admittedly we work the hell out these vans, but I’ll be damned if we aren’t getting our moneys worth out of them.
Former Amazon driver*
Amazon also uses the Ford Transit alongside the Promaster. The Ford is nicer to drive while the Promaster is way easier to work out of along with a better turning radius... rear door latches always broke. Turn up the BASS on those stock speakers and it will shake the doors off.
4:35 "No its mostly Fiat" while showing the most Fiat Multipla front end I've seen on any car other than a Fiat Multipla 😂
And here in Brazil we got it in 3 different forms: Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer and Citroen Jumper. The same vehicle, the only difference is the company badges and that's all.
That's a Fiat Ducato lol
Or Peugeot Boxer
Even a Toyota ProAce.
@@damilolaakanni*ProAce Max. Regular ProAce is a Peugeot Expert
The Roman's t-shirts:
"Oh my my, oh hell yes"
RIP Tom
As an older gen Z who drove an amazon van like this with only 4 years of driving experience (Ha, if only I had 4 years of experience) when I was hired, I definitely think that from a driveability perspective, the promaster was probably the best van we used. The mercedes vans were my favorite by far for *so* many reasons, but in terms of visibility and turn radius, the promaster was perfect.
I bought my 2016 Promaster 2500 159" high roof because it was cheap. I do over the road cargo expediting and haven't had any problems in my first three weeks of work driving a few thousand miles already. Although in my first trip through the Blue Ridge mountains the transmission malfunctioned big time, but after a night to cooldown it was fine.
I miss Express vans. Drove like a truck, looked like a van, and some were 4wd with Duramaxes, so that’s cool.
The pic of the cupholder and the fact that you can go somewhere in it are the only high points of these.
I laugh more with these videos than watching them. The reviews are that good. 😂
I run a fleet of Sprinters for my Appliance Repair Company. I considered the Promaster a non starter so I was between the Transit and the Sprinter. Ended up going with the Sprinter because:
1 Lower Operating Costs for a nominally higher purchase price. The base MB Sprinter and a Ford Transit with equal options were only $3500 different in price so When you are spending as much as you do on a new vehicle what's $3500?
2 The Standard roof 144" wheelbase Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has more cargo capacity than the standard roof Ford Transitof equal size.
3 Amazing image for the company.
I know a guy who bought one to live in. The motor self-destructed when the oil pressure sensor started leaking, eating all the cam lobes in the process. New-ish rebuilt Mopar engine was the best they could do for him, and he bought it used so no warranty. Cost? Too much for a Doge van ...
amongst the coins and man juice, there lies a single silicone cap from the threads of a 510 vape cart.