conversion of camper vans to 4 wheel

mlts22 wrote:
Mercedes has announced 2015 Sprinters with 4WD. Orders start being taken in May, then made in September,

Awesome info! Been waiting (forever) for this. Thanks.

Sportsmobileforum.com will have the answers you seek. It sounds like you just want to go down forest or desert roads and cut down your odds of getting stuck .There are are are several companies that will do conversions. It is expensive and it is possible you can get by with a lift kit. The guys on the forums will be glad to help you.

Shadow Catcher wrote:
More ground clearance means higher center of gravity, more parts that may not play well together. Possible alternatives, limited slip rear differential if not already equipped, a winch, skid plates engine transmission and rear differential.

My Tiger's "high clearance" is just that of a stock Chevy chassis. I was not recommending any lift or oversize tires. I do have a limited slip rear differential and it has been very useful, also have skid plates.

You want to keep the COG of your unit as low as possible, especially when off pavement. Some of that comes from having weight built as low as possible into the unit (tanks, batteries, etc.) and some is from correct loading (heavy loads go low, fluffy stuff in the higher storage).

Mercedes is merciless in removing authorization from any dealer who even thinks of upfitting a Sprinter to 4WD. I think there is one place that offers a conversion... but I've not seen them do any NCV3 Sprinters, only T1Ns.

Ford and Chevy... different story altogether. Sportsmobile has an excellent 4x4 conversion package, and Quigley has a separate conversion package that works well.

If you want to go off-road, I would wait until later this year. Quigley has promised a 4x4 upfit of the new Transit van, and I'm sure Sportsmobile will be nipping on their heels.

Also, Mercedes has announced 2015 Sprinters with 4WD. Orders start being taken in May, then made in September, so you might check with your local Mercedes-Benz or Freightliner dealer to see if you can order a 4x4 Sprinter. I'm sure Sportsmobile will be putting out upfits on this platform as well.

The Sprinter Store in Portland , OR is the only source of MB factory parts conversion for the older Sprinter chassis. Other secondary manufacturers like Quigley convert GM and Fords.

More ground clearance means higher center of gravity, more parts that may not play well together. Possible alternatives, limited slip rear differential if not already equipped, a winch, skid plates engine transmission and rear differential.

Sportsmobile West (Fresno) has several used 4x4 units for sale at various California locations.

http://www.sportsmobile.com/z-PO_calif.html

I've had my 4x4 Tiger CX for 7+ years and 60K miles. I use 4WD at least a bit on almost every trip. Sometimes I use it a lot, but mostly I need high clearance way more than I need 4WD. 4WD is used to get you out of the tough spots, not to get you into them!

check out sportsmobile.com They take Ford and Chevy vans, have them converted to 4wd and make a camper. you can make your own floor plan or use one of theirs

Most Class B's, like Rt, PW, etc., are not made to do much "off roading" the vibrations will cause a lot of things, like plumbing lines to break, and things to come loose. SM builds 4X4's especially designed for rougher roads.

Off-roading in a Class B takes a big risk in ripping out what hangs down from the chassis related to the conversion. My B ranges from 7" to 9" depending on the location under the van of ground clearance. I have to watch going over large bumps on a regular road or going down steeper than usual driveways that I not hit bottom. While there are companies that will do aftermarket 4WD conversions - Roadtrek used to offer this as an option but stopped - there has to be good clearance under the van to go into sand where your wheels might dig you down (especially considering the added weight of the van after conversion) or into mud, deep snow, and certainly over rocks. If you rip off your tanks, your generator, or your plumbing you are in for big expensive repairs.