The vehicle
The W639 ran from 2003/04 to 2014/15, with a facelift in September 2010, and offered two roof heights. The high-roof W639 is a real UK variant and needs its own bar lengths and load ratings.
The current W447 arrived in 2014/15 with three body lengths — 4,895, 5,140 and 5,370 mm — and, unlike its predecessor, only one roof height, at 1,910 mm, with 1,391 mm interior load height on all three. By January 2024 the UK panel van range had contracted to the two longer bodies. Note that the two shorter bodies share a 3,200 mm wheelbase, so axle-referenced parts often carry between them but not to the longest.
The W447 code also covers the V-Class, eVito, EQV and Marco Polo. Suppliers treat Vito and V-Class as one roof family within a generation, which is very likely right, but we have no manufacturer statement confirming the points sit in identical positions — so a first fit gets checked on the vehicle.
What we fit and why
This is the best-documented roof of any van we cover. Fixing points sit in the roof ditch under plastic plugs, and there are two point types on the same vehicle: blind threaded holes you screw straight into, and through holes that need M6 by 20 mm screws with nyloc nuts done up from inside. Published load for a typical crossbar system is 100 kg on two bars and 120 kg on three or four, evenly distributed. Mercedes' own roof rails are rated at 150 kg, but only when supported by three carrier bars — the qualifier is part of the rating, not a footnote to it.
Here is the sharpest difference from the Sprinter. The UK Vito price lists carry no auxiliary or leisure battery option and no equivalent of the Sprinter's PSM pre-wiring, so 12V work on a Vito is an aftermarket install from the outset. The starter battery is under the driver's seat. There is a second, smaller battery under the front passenger seat — it supports stop-start and the electronics, and it is not a leisure battery. Hanging house loads on it produces auxiliary-battery malfunction faults, and it is a common and expensive misidentification.
One roof height on the current van makes awning selection simpler than on the Sprinter. Rail fitment is aftermarket.
A shorter, lower load area than the Sprinter, so lighting is a smaller job — but with no factory auxiliary provision, it still starts at the starter battery.
The rear door default reverses between generations. On the W639 a tailgate was standard and barn doors were specified instead of it. On the W447 barn doors are standard and the tailgate is a no-cost option — which is precisely why tailgate Vitos are common in the used fleet in both generations. Never infer the door from the model or the year. Ask, or look at the van.
A UK Vito 4×4 is usually not a factory vehicle. The factory four-wheel drive was left-hand drive only and was not offered through Mercedes' UK retailer network. UK four-wheel-drive Vitos were generally supplied by a converter using Oberaigner running gear. Ride height, underbody routing and driveline may all differ from any published factory dimension, so underbody-mounted kit on one of those is assessed on the vehicle, not from a catalogue.
Fitment
Table 1 — Fitment summary
| Generations | W639 2003/04–2014/15, facelift September 2010. W447 from 2014/15 |
|---|---|
| Body lengths, W447 | 4,895 / 5,140 / 5,370 mm. Two shorter bodies share a 3,200 mm wheelbase |
| Roof heights | W639: two. W447: one, at 1,910 mm, with 1,391 mm interior load height |
| Roof bar interface | Factory fixing points in the roof ditch under plugs. Blind threaded and through holes both occur |
| Roof load | 100 kg on two crossbars, 120 kg on three or four, evenly distributed. Factory rails 150 kg, but only on three bars |
| Rear doors | W639: tailgate standard, barn doors the alternative. W447: barn doors standard at 180 degrees, tailgate a no-cost option |
| Battery | Starter battery under the driver's seat. A smaller stop-start support battery sits under the passenger seat |
| Factory auxiliary battery | None listed in the UK price lists. Aftermarket from the outset |
| Related models | W447 also covers V-Class, eVito, EQV and Marco Polo. Marco Polo is its own fitment |
Every figure here comes from a manufacturer price list, a manufacturer brochure or an accessory brand's own fitment data. Where a figure could not be sourced, the row says so rather than carrying a number across from a similar vehicle. Roof loads are vehicle limits, not bar ratings, and the vehicle limit always governs — check your own handbook before loading a roof.
Opening October 2026
One email when the shop opens. Say which van you have and we will tell you what we hold for it.