What Kind Of Van Does American Pickers Use?

If you've regularly checked in with History's hit reality series "American Pickers," you've likely marveled at some of the bruised, battered, and beaten antique treasures Mike Wolfe and his team have discovered over the years. You've likely also watched in disbelief as they shelled out big bucks for unique artifacts like that futuristic bubble car. Whatever the case, if you're a regular "American Pickers" viewer, you've undoubtedly witnessed Wolfe and his co-stars clocking mile after mile in the comfy confines of an Antique Archaeology branded utility van.

As for the branding, Antique Archaeology is the name of Wolfe's brick-and-mortar operation, which now boasts storefronts in both Iowa and Tennessee. Regarding the famous Antique Archaeology van, well, the freeway is often the best route for the "American Pickers" team to get to the more out-of-the-way destinations in which Wolfe and company prefer to search for that rusty gold they so covet.

Wolfe and his pals have logged many a mile indeed behind the wheel of that Antique Archaeology van over the years, and for the first few seasons of "American Pickers," they did so in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. That's not entirely surprising, as Sprinter vans are generally regarded as some of the more durable and reliable utility vehicles around, with the 2023 build even earning the SlashGear seal of approval. According to our team, the Sprinter even makes for one heck of a good camper if you're on the road and in need of cover.

Of course, diehard fans of "American Pickers" know the Sprinter is no longer the vehicle of choice for Wolfe and company. In fact, they've now spent more than half of the series's decade-plus run on History behind the wheel of a decidedly different sort of vehicle, the American-made Ford Transit.

That vehicular switch seems more than suitable, given the general All-Americanness of the series. It has been reported, however, that the move was made, at least in part, out of necessity, as Wolfe and his various co-stars had logged more than 200,000 miles in the Sprinter by the time it was retired. Given that "American Pickers" was at the height of its popularity when the Sprinter was retired, Wolfe and company were clearly not looking to retire from the road themselves, so a new van was needed. Per Wolfe's own comments, the Transit replaced the Sprinter because it better suited their needs in terms of fuel economy and durability.

More specifically, the "American Pickers" host noted that he was "looking for real estate on wheels," so he could maximize the number of antique treasures he could stow away while on the road. As it was, the switch to the Transit and its 500 cubic feet of cargo space was made ahead of the 2015 season, and the "American Pickers" team has been driving one of those Ford vans ever since.