2015 4x4 Sprinter Planned for Fall 2014 (or not)
- Thread starter mhiscox
- Start date
michaeldorian
Member
RWD
Overland Hadley
on a journey
(In my Tacoma,) I have gone through many muddy/snowy-icy/washed out areas that would have probably turned me around if I had been in a 2wd vehicle. I have tried to get through as much as possible in 2wd to see what the limitations are. As Haven noted it is something like wet grass and terrain that puts the vehicle weight wrong that can make a vehicle stuck.
But, in my book, 8-10k is a ton of money. (well five tons to be exact) And for 1.5 grand you can have good tires and a set of maxtrax.
I guess a big question is, do you travel as a solo vehicle? That changes everything. Solo=4x4
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
A lot depends on how much you care about having to turn around. Winch, Maxtraxs and/or air out of the tires is likely to get a Sprinter out of an initial stuck. If your next thought is to turn around, you're a good candidate for making do with 2WD. If your're more of a "Got through that one; wonder what's next?" person, you might want to save up for the 4WD.
I wouldn't argue with this excellent advice, but I personally think that the situation has changed a bit for the sort of less rigorous travel you'd likely use a Sprinter for. I say this for two reasons. The first is that by taking along a satellite communicator like a Delorme InReach, you can summon help, either from your contacts or, if truly in peril, rescue groups. The second is that your Sprinter will likely (should) have substantial survival components, including considerable water, food, and heat. It's a little different than the situation faced by someone living out of the back of their SUV.I guess a big question is, do you travel as a solo vehicle? That changes everything. Solo=4x4
BajaSportsmobile
Baja Ironman
2wd or 4wd, your sprinter is going to get stuck because of NO GROUND CLEARANCE! 4wd will allow you to drag it through and over some things that 2wd will never be able to do, but thinking a AWD Sprinter is off-road capable is very... uh, where are they made?
Put a winch on each end of it and you can drag it almost anywhere though.
Put a winch on each end of it and you can drag it almost anywhere though.
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
You must have owned different Sprinters than I did. A stock T1N Sprinter has nearly 9 inches of ground clearance, about the same as a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Doing the standard upgrade to 215/85-16 tires picks up another 3/4 of an inch.
The approach angle is not great, and the departure angle varies from not great on the shorter ones to predictably abysmal on the long versions, but for the sort of place where you'd take a Sprinter, it's not proven to be a problem.
Anyway, my main point is that while there are lots of areas to criticize about a Sprinter's off-pavement capability, ground clearance seems an odd one for you to choose. For a van, the ground clearance seems exceptional, nearly 2 inches better than an E-Series.
All NAFTA Sprinters were/are made in Germany, with some South American vehicles having been made in a South American factory.
michaeldorian
Member
@mhiscox - If you were considering sending it to german, why not do the Whitefeather upgrade which gives you a true locking 4x4 solution? That surely would have cost less.
Everyone here makes some great points. 10K is a lot of money. Add in a few options and you're looking at a 60K OTD van.
Based on what everyone is posting here, I'm leaning towards the 2WD with a good set of tires. I wish both were out now. It would make the decision easier.
The videos on Youtube do really show how capable the system is though.
Everyone here makes some great points. 10K is a lot of money. Add in a few options and you're looking at a 60K OTD van.
Based on what everyone is posting here, I'm leaning towards the 2WD with a good set of tires. I wish both were out now. It would make the decision easier.
The videos on Youtube do really show how capable the system is though.
michaeldorian
Member
Yeah. This is actually a very compelling option. It also has a gas motor which is simpler to deal with. Less MPG though. I think the Sprinter does look better.
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
A fine question, but two things . . . The "send to Germany" investigation was early 2005, when I bought my first Sprinter. Whitefeather didn't exist, and even Salem-Kroger didn't do the conversions then.
And there are more detailed threads about it here but, briefly, the Salem-Kroger/Whitefeather conversion is a different sort of product. It has about a 6-inch lift and trades off quite a bit of on-pavement handling for better capability when doing serious off-roading. At over $20K, it's not such a good idea for a person like me who doesn't go looking for wheelin' challenges for the van. That differs some with my other trucks and bikes, but with the Sprinters, I'm content viewing its 4WD as a way to get you unstuck so you can proceed via an easier route.
While no bargain, and I wish it was less, $60K does not strike me as a bad price for a new diesel-powered 4WD overland truck that provides secure living quarters without making you build/pay for a cabin. Certainly everything new that I view as functionally-equivalent seems to cost more.
BajaSportsmobile
Baja Ironman
You forgot to mention the abysmal breakover angle. With the long wheelbase, your lucky to crest a small rise without getting hung up. My '08 with 265's that rub most of the time, can't even get up my driveway without dragging its rear. The 9 inches you boast is not where it counts.
Then there is the woeful lack of suspension articulation and flex. Ever notice that in every "off-road" video of a Sprinter they always look like a tripod - only three on the ground.
Exceptional for a sedan. The ground clearance numbers you use don't tell the real story. Just use your Grand Cherokee as an example - take them both on the same trail and see where that ground clearance comparison gets you.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy my Sprinter - but it sucks off-road. You are right, German and so Yourapeein.
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
Ah ha; there's our problem. Four-wheeling versus truck camping.
I'm not looking to drive my Sprinter on a "trail." If issues of suspension flex and articulation routinely enter into your consciousness, the Sprinter would not be an good vehicle. I am personally fortunate to have other vehicles for "trails," though none works as well as the Sprinter at providing spacious and comfortable accommodations for multiple people on a trip.
The gentleman is quite correct in every point he made. If you intend that your driving include anything beyond incidental "trails," do not buy a Sprinter. I would still highly recommend it for travel on things that could be classified as "roads," even, assuming you carry appropriate recovery gear, substantially unimproved ones.
michaeldorian
Member
This takes us back to that fact that you state a 2WD Sprinter with the right tires can go anywhere you would probably take a Sprinter Van anyways so it seems like the 4x4 is really just like you said, safety measures or those extreme weather days.
Overland Hadley
on a journey
Or six months of the year up here. Honestly, some roads are 100% covered in ice and snow for over four months.
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
There are quite a few posts about snow/ice use on the Sprinter Source, with the general consensus being that the van is pretty workable if you have winter tires and some weight over the back. Stock tires and/or an empty truck . . . not so good. 4WD will make it easier for sure.
FWIW, chains will fit on a Sprinter and not beat it to death, and that's a potential strategy for someone wanting to use a 2WD when they might hit traction problems. That's what I did on my first one, and the chains got me through in a couple of messy situations (one mud, one snow).