[Shop-talk] Better construction vehicles?

[Jim Franklin]

Thanks for all the great ideas. My Impreza has towed my enclosed 4x8 trailer
for years with no issues, but I'm a bit on the lazy I mean impatient side and
would rather keep all my tools in the vehicle easy to access. The trailer also
hauls motorcycles, and manipulating the wheel chocks and remembering 2x4s to
elevate sheetrock above the floor D-rings gets tiresome. Plus the torsion
suspension is sacked out and needs replacing.

Good notes on the mini van. If I got one I'd not use it for people, but the
transmission failures I hadn't thought about.

But the more I think about what I want to do and how I want to go about it, if
I'm going to get a special-purpose vehicle, a Sprinter is the only option. I'd
really like to be able to work inside the vehicle, for when it's crappy out or
working inside the customer's home is a not an option or will result in
excessive cleanup (see lazy comment above). SPrinters are tall enough to stand
up in and have a bench with chop saw, all my tools in labelled containers, and
gets 20 something MPG.

Initially it'd be cheaper to get a big trailer and tow vehicle, and that setup
might never reach the cost of a new Sprinter (haven't seen many used), but the
convenience can't be ignored.