Overland Storyteller - Upgrading to Beast

[Casual Dreamer]

Hi all. I am a complete newbie and will pick up a Stealth Overland Storyteller. We want to make some changes, starting with improving the suspension and sway. The goal is to expand the kind of terrain available to us, smooth the ride, and remove worries about getting stuck in the desert? What are the options? Where should I start in terms of educating myself?

 

[Buddha.]

It’s a 9,000lb 4x4 Sprinter van. I would guess the weight combined with the relatively small tires are your biggest problem.
I’d start with a good air compressor to air your tires back up after going off road and a kinetic recovery rope so someone can help you if you get stuck.
Do you have tow recovery points front and rear?

 

[Casual Dreamer]

Thanks, Buddha, much. I don't think it comes with stock tow points.

For starters, I'm hoping to focus on off-road capability that keeps me from getting stuck in the first place. From my green / newbie POV, that seems like improving suspension with products like this: https://agileoffroad.com/product-tag/sprinter-sts/. They have similar "stop the sway" kits but I'm not sure how that differs from beefing up the suspension.

i'm also wondering if I should get bigger tires when / after getting this kind of product. It comes stock w/ "265/60R/18 tires," and I can't pretend to know what those numbers mean...!

I do know that their "beast mode" model, which is consistently well-reviewed in terms of off road capabilities, comes with tires that are one-inch bigger.

 

[ericvs]

I have a stock height 170 sprinter and I recommend the skid plates right away. van Compass makes a full array for your van. I am sure there are others. The front end on those vans are super delicate and they are pretty low so you will be hitting a bunch of stuff once you take them off the pavement.

I am looking at either the VanCompass Stage 5 or up kit or the agile offroad RIP kit. Both seem really good and worthwhile and about the same price. The vancompass kit allows for 35" tires. I am unsure at this time about the size of tires for the agile kit. Your stock tires are 31.5" tall. (Here is my favourite online tire size conversion/comparison site: https://tiresize.com/comparison/ ) this will help a bunch too. Airing down and airing back up is key for most offroad stuff. VanCompass and agile both make an onboard air kit for your van. You will also want a shovel & some traction matts. Maxtracks/go treads/other... these will help too

The front of the van has one OEM tow eye attachment, but you might think about doing the van compass front receiver which gives you a sturdy recover point up front. get a kinetic rope or winch (per budda) and you should be somwhat set. Obvs it is a heavy van with small tires and something that wasn't meant to travel too far offroad, so be aware of that. VanCompass and @more.van.ever push their vans pretty far offroad.

 

[nastav]

Hi all. I am a complete newbie and will pick up a Stealth Overland Storyteller. We want to make some changes, starting with improving the suspension and sway. The goal is to expand the kind of terrain available to us, smooth the ride, and remove worries about getting stuck in the desert? What are the options? Where should I start in terms of educating myself?

van compass stage 4.3 if you want no increase in ride height but better handling in all conditions.
you are limited to 275/70r17 (or 275/65r18 ) tire by your adaptive cruise control.
if you want 2” of additional lift get 5.3 or 6.3 Van Compass suspension.
recovery points, traction aids and on board air all are nit bad things.
the $40,000 price difference between the the stealth and beast modes are easily covered by the aftermarket for less money.

 

[luthj]

Drop Van Compass an email and tell them what you are looking for. They have a variety of suspension changes available to dramatically improve the factory ride on heavy vans. They have recently changed some of their offerings, so I can't recommend anything specific.

 

[gvb40]

Thanks, Buddha, much. I don't think it comes with stock tow points.

For starters, I'm hoping to focus on off-road capability that keeps me from getting stuck in the first place. From my green / newbie POV, that seems like improving suspension with products like this: https://agileoffroad.com/product-tag/sprinter-sts/. They have similar "stop the sway" kits but I'm not sure how that differs from beefing up the suspension.

i'm also wondering if I should get bigger tires when / after getting this kind of product. It comes stock w/ "265/60R/18 tires," and I can't pretend to know what those numbers mean...!

I do know that their "beast mode" model, which is consistently well-reviewed in terms of off road capabilities, comes with tires that are one-inch bigger.

Your off road capabilities once you have installed a suspension pkg like Agile Offroad RIP are only as good as your judgement. Which comes with experience. i had air bags on my 2017 4x4 and when Agile did my RIP they took them off so “ beefing” up the suspension is a matter of who you want to believe. I like my rip ride.

 

[simple]

The available suspension and tire size upgrades aren't going to make a huge difference as to how far you can go without getting stuck. You may be able to improve the pavement handling characteristics via tuning your suspension. The previous suggestions regarding airing down, recovery points and not getting in over your head are the best place to start. It doesn't matter how bada$$ your rig is, everything is relative and there will always be a track or some obstacle that is either impassible or halts your forward progress. Knowing when to keep pushing ahead and when to throw in the towel is the hard part especially if your stubborn or have gone past the point of no return.

 

[alanymarce]

I had a look at the specifications (manufacturer's website) and noted that there is no mention of approach & departure angles and breakover angle, or even ground clearance. That tells me that the vehicle is not being marketed at people who are interested in these.

Just looking at the pictures I am guessing, building on buddha's comments, that the geometry of wheel size and wheelbase, coupled with what looks like limited ground clearance, will be limiting factors in terms of "the kind of terrain available to us" and "worries about getting stuck in the desert". I agree that your first step should be a good compressor, to air down and up for sand (and a repair kit to allow you to use the compressor to inflate tyres after puncture repair). Also to help when you venture into the desert you would benefit from sand ladders (recovery tracks) and a lightweight shovel.

If I were to start with this vehicle I think that I wouldn't spend money on suspension upgrades, in terms of products like the Agile kit mentioned. I would look for a simple way to improve clearance, with a small lift perhaps, and with slightly oversize tyres, however you're still limited by the basic geometry.

If you stay well within the GVM then you don't need any kind of heavy-duty upgrade.

I reacted to the tyre size with the sense that your sidewalls may be lower than is ideal for sand driving - you may be better off going down to 17 in rims (or even 16 in rims). Depending where you go this will also help you find replacement tyres if you need them.

To echo comments of others, the key to avoiding getting stuck is to know the limits of your vehicle and drive within them. If you're crossing dunes or a river walk them before driving them (yes I know that this may be more of a challenge if the river had crocodiles in it...).