You’d have to be blind to not have noticed that, over the years, more and more Sprinter vans have been crowding up all our climber campgrounds. It makes sense. They get great gas mileage, they handle really well, and the engine is solid and can go for 300,000 miles (i.e., 50 trips from the Northeast to Yosemite and back) without blinking an eye.
The only problem with the Sprinters is how poorly their rear-wheel-drive handles in snow and off-road conditions. Plus they’re expensive as shit! Who are these impostor dirtbags with 40 to 60 grand to blow on Sprinters?
Aside from the price, which is sure to go up, it seems that in the next couple years the biggest shortcoming to the Sprinter could be addressed with the addition of 4×4 capabilities (including low gear). Mercedes-Benz has announced a 4×4 Sprinter in Europe as early as next year.
“The Sprinter 4×4 should arrive in U.S. showrooms no later than 2015, according to an Automotive News report. As with Mercedes’ other Sprinter models, it will also be marketed under the Freightliner brand”
Is it true? Who knows. Either way, it won’t affect me. I’m sure I’ll still be sleeping in my $20 children’s tent from Wal-Mart … but a guy can dream, can’t he?
Actually, I’d say the only problem with Sprinters is that they’re made by Mercedes, which means that service isn’t exactly cheap unless you can find a good non-Mercedes mechanic who knows them. Buy my Sprinter gets about 20mpg, compared to my old Dodge camper van that got about 8mpg!
Also, used Sprinters can be had for $10-20K, unlike the flashy new models. I’ve got lots of climber-built DIY Sprinter camper vans, many built from cheaper older Sprinters, on my DIY Gallery page: http://www.sprinter-rv.com/diy-gallery/
Greg