Sportsmobile Sprinter Prototype (?)

[mhiscox]

kcowyo wrote:

That's a rocking set up Mike. What's with the turret up top?

Thanks for the compliment. The dome thing is a satellite TV antenna that can be hooked up to a DirecTV or Dish Network receiver. Works pretty well when you're in the open, predictably poor when under heavy trees.

Of course, the best thing about it is that half the population thinks you're some sort of surveillance vehicle. (Then there was the guy who was convinced we we're doing surveys for an oil company.)

 

[Christian P.]

well the guys at Salem Kruger (?) have started doing 4x4 conversions for Sprinter. He sent me a picture of a 2007 that had been converted.
I'll try to find it. Around $12K.

I am actually on my way right now to see a 2006 that has been converted by GTRV in Vancouver - a friend of mine has been acting as "liaison officer" between GTRV and the local client.

 

[mhiscox]

Salem-Kroger Sprinter 4x4 conversion

Well the guys at Salem Kruger (?) have started doing 4x4 conversions for Sprinter. He sent me a picture of a 2007 that had been converted. I'll try to find it. Around $12K.

Salem-Kroger, in Red Bluff, CA. They have a prototype 4x4 Sprinter and have been track testing it. People have seen it, it exists, and information has been disseminated. Here's the story from Salem-Kroger that's been posted since February on the Sportsmobile forum:

Salem Kroger has been quietly converting over 3,000 new and used, gas and diesel vans and class A, B and C motorhomes to 4x4 while improving ride quality, handling and safety for almost 20 years. We are registered with the US D.O.T. and do not void your factory warranty, we cover the entire conversion with a 3 year 36,000 mile parts and labor ltd. warranty, excludes abuse and neglect.

To keep the 4x4 conversion simple to live with we install a 2 speed NV271 manual shift transfercase ( 2008 Ford F350 ) and a Dana 60 Super mono-beam front axle ( 2008 F350 ) with manual hub locks and a set of 7,000 lb. disc brakes. The steering is all F350, the front suspension is coil. We upgrade front and rear sway bars and install Rancho RSX99900 adjustable shock absorbers on the front and rear axles. The converted Sprinter corners flatter, stops faster and has more ground clearance than a stock Sprinter. Because the 4x4 front brakes are so big we must upgrade the tires and wheels to at least 17 inch to fit over the rotors. Our conversion lifts the Sprinter 4 inches and can fit up to a 33 inch dia tire.

Options are still rather limited, ltd slip differentials, different tires and wheels, skid plates, bumpers, winches and driving lights. Price including a set of Toyo Open Country A/T tires on aluminum wheels, 3.73 or 4.10 gear ratio axles is $17,172 plus options and applicable sales tax.

Now the question is whether they're are actually prepared to take your $17,172 and give you back a 4WD Sprinter. As of early April, they weren't. If anyone has later news, let us all know.

There have been 4WD Sprinters--most notably Sportsmobiles's--that have not passed into production. It's not an easy thing to do, as MBz does not want you to make an aftermarket 4WD Sprinter and it is not, as with Ford and Chevy vans, simply a matter of swapping components widely known to work in a 4WD pickup into the matching van.

Also, don't forget that there are Federal rules dealing with some of these modifications, as well as the liability taken on by a company doing the vehicle modification. It'd be all too easy for someone who didn't tighten their lug nuts to sue the 4WD converter who, even though blameless, would expend a fortune defending the case.

All in all, there are a lot of pitfalls associate with doing the Sprinter conversion and I, for one, have given up on seeing mine converted. Still, I've got the money hidden in the sock just waiting to convert Mog Junior as soon as you guys can tell me where to send it.

 

[Motobueno]

Fed Rules

Mike what are the fed rules you mention.If I do my own conversion do they apply?
Thanks Tom

 

[mhiscox]

Mike what are the fed rules you mention.If I do my own conversion do they apply?
Thanks Tom

It's a little complicated (OK, so that's an understatement), but the essence of it is that the manufacturer has to make the vehicle conform to all of the NHSTA, EPA and DOT regulations in effect. The regulations cover everything from emissions to color of taillight lenses. A Sprinter van would be in this classification.

The alternative is to make an "incomplete vehicle," which is then given to someone for final finishing. A Sprinter cab-and-chassis unit fits in this category. The secondary manufacturer's additions (like the truck body) has to also meet all of the regulations AND cannot--without great difficulty--undo any of the things the primary manufacturer already got certified.

Thus, when a company decides to do an axle swap to make a 4x4, they theoretically have to submit the paperwork to demonstrate that the change didn't do anything to the vehicle's compliance with the regulations.

On the other hand, changes of this sort are made all of the time to off-roaders. Wheel and tire changes, for example; bumpers; tire carriers that block lights, etc. As a private owner, you can modify your vehicle in whatever ways you believe you can get away with under your state laws. It might, however, be a trickier issue if you made a change, sold the truck, and then the truck crashed because your modification had failed. A lot of what is involved is liability in case things go wrong. The federal approvals are a considerable protection and companies that "undo" them could open themselves up to liabilities if sued.

So, short answer . . . probably not a problem for you if you still meet state requirements, maybe a problem if you start selling kits to do modifications, probably a big problem if you start selling Sprinter 4x4s to all comers.

One last note. Be sure to remember how easy it is to get the Sprinter's computers in a funk. The reason we don't have lots of 4x4 Sprinters running around already is likely because of the difficulties in making everything run right after the conversion.