I am totally new but have been saving up and trying to plan out my build. I would like to put a full bathroom in there but also want to go off road. my question is would a 170" extended high 4x4 Mercedes Sprinter be okay. the thing looks pretty cumbersome and was wondering if anyone has been using this for an off road overland build?
Greetings & Welcome!
I’m not sure that size or even 4x4 really matters, I’ve seen really big motorhomes so far off road that it really makes you wonder. I think driving ability and your rescue equipment and strategies make the biggest difference.
Once upon a time I used to boondock way off the beaten path… It really beats the heck out of your rigs, and then as you’re sitting there in the middle of nowhere you’re bored to death. The more experienced me will park somewhere that’s enjoyable, and take a rented dune/swamp buggy/snowmobile, or off road bike to do my exploring, and save the abuse on my rig, while being able to explore even better. If I find something really interesting, I might even take my camping gear and stay a while. If not, I can return to my comfortable rig at my base camp, and I’ll guarantee you that my base camp is likely a lot closer than the nearest civilization. Sometimes I’ll even rent a boat. With my hitch I can pull anything I choose, park where comfortable, and explore to my hearts content without beating my rig to death. If my rig does break down beyond my capabilities to repair, I can take the rental to town for help. All in all, it’s cheap insurance that also expands your possibilities.
I like my rig, and I figure renting something occasionally is probably cheaper in the long run than taking my own rig exploring rough country, or buying something to tow along when I don’t want it.
When I used to take rigs into the boonies, I carry a ground anchor (spare tire), rope, a heavy duty tow strap, and a come-along. Most often you can wrap the tow strap around a drive wheel, and use that to winch yourself out of trouble. If not, the come-along is slow and painful, but it will work. Add a crow bar to bend out any fenders that are rubbing against a tire, and a good shovel, and you should have a decent boondocking rescue kit. A tire plug kit is a good idea too.
Off road, sidewall punctures and mechanical breakdowns can become huge problems. Often you won’t have a cell signal to call for help. Off road vehicles are built to compensate for such rough conditions, on road vehicles, with the possible exception of Earth Roamer types, just aren’t built for it. A $100 rental could easily save you thousands in repairs.
Cheers!
“A smart man learns from his mistakes.
A wise man learns from others’ mistakes too.”
~ Never_2_L8_2_Learn
A wise man learns from others’ mistakes too.”
~ Never_2_L8_2_Learn
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I think it’d be fine, there are some really long extended cab trucks out there. Granted I’ve never seen them 4x4 through mud. I agree with @Van_Dweller that is you know what you’re doing and have the correct equipment it’s not an issue no matter what you’re in.
I would think on road too. Unless you’re off road all the time you still have to go to town. We have a 159 and I wouldn’t want to drive or park anything bigger. We’re also planning on adding a shower and a toilet. An option is to put the toilet in the shower as a sort of sit down thing. We aren’t going that route, but even with a shower, full bed and toilet we still have plenty of room for the kitchen.
IMO the AWD transit is a better option vs the sprinter if you’re buying new. I don’t know what lengths they come in. Interested to see what people do with them.
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Greetings!
It’s funny you should mention that, that’s exactly what I did, and I found that I prefer sitting on my closed toilet while showering. Even though I have standing height, when showering it felt tight, but while sitting, even though I’m technically taking up more room, it seems like I have much more room. Go figure…
Cheers!
“A smart man learns from his mistakes.
A wise man learns from others’ mistakes.”
~ Never_2_L8_2_Learn
A wise man learns from others’ mistakes.”
~ Never_2_L8_2_Learn
1 Like
Thanks so much for the reply this does seem to be the best bet. i want to have this van for the long haul so not putting the wear and tear offroading induces is probably a good idea!
thanks ill look into the transit so many people were saying sprinter sprinter sprinter so i was set on that but i have time till i have enough saved up so i can do plenty of research!