The 4×4 Mercedes Sprinter has been available in Europe for a long time, and rumors had it that we would soon see 4WD Sprinters here in North America. However, Mercedes nixed both Sportsmobile’s and Sportsvans’ deals with Oberaigner in the fall of 2010 (see my earlier post 4×4 Sprinters in North America, an Unattainable Dream?) .
So I was pretty excited to learn just a few weeks ago that two American companies have taken the initiative to produce their own 4×4 Sprinter conversion designs – that’s Whitefeather Conversions and the Sprinter Store.
With the demise of Salem-Kroger, Craig Jackson (a former engineer at Salem-Kroger) sensed an opportunity, and started Whitefeather Conversions with partner Jim Bageman. Craig has over 25 years of 4×4 conversion engineering and design experience, and has been involved in building over 3,000 vehicles shipped to 46 countries to North America, Africa and Europe, starting in 2007.
So what does Whitefeather do for their Sprinter 4×4 conversions? Here’s the details from Craig: “We are now offering 4×4 conversions for NCV3 (2007+) Sprinters, completed in our shop in Red Bluff, CA or soon at our second location in Colorado Springs, CO. We build them with brand-new North American parts, certified by the D.O.T, and our conversions retain your Mercedes Sprinter warranty, as well as our warranty on the conversion itself. In our conversion, we:
- Raise the Sprinter about 4.5 inches to give the new 4×4 suspension enough room to move, providing a comfortable ride and increasing ground clearance. We also widen the front and rear axles for a more stable stance, upgrade tires to higher-load-rated all-terrain tires mounted on steel or forged aluminum wheels for maximum strength, upgrade front and rear sway bars, and replace the stock shocks with Bilstein front shock absorbers and adjustable Rancho rear shock absorbers. The end result is that a Whitefeather 4×4 Sprinter handles and corners better than a stock Sprinter or any other conversion.
- Replace the stock front sub-frame with our very strong welded, powder-coated steel assembly which can take years of 4×4 abuse. Our sub-frame connects the engine, transmission, transfer case and front axle to the body and extends forward under the body to mount an optional 9,000-lb. winch or a front receiver. With our conversion, you don’t pull from the Mercedes body, which would be easy to damage.
- Retain the stock programming and safety features. Sprinters are very smart and safe – all factory safety features remain fully functional at all times. And all programming remains stock, so our conversion is diagnosed at any Sprinter service center just like a stock 4×2 van.
- Include a remote-mounted high and low range transfer case connected to the back of the stock transmission with a short computer-balanced driveshaft. The torque split is 50/50, all four tires get the same power. Some conversions change the transmission housing and sensors to parts not available in North America – what happens when you need service? If the transmission in a Whitefeather Conversion ever needs parts or service, any Sprinter dealer can service or replace it, without even removing the transfer case.
- Replace the stock front axle with a Dana 60 Monobeam on comfortable coil suspension for years of trouble-free on- and off-road service. Manual hub locks are standard. The new front axle brakes are so large that they require a 17-inch wheel to fit over them, over 30% more stopping power than stock Sprinter brakes. Front differential options include limited-slip and air lockers for maximum off-road traction.
- Include a 120-item written signoff inspection (the customer receives a copy) and a 7-mile test drive, and our 3-year, 36,000 mile parts and labor limited warranty. We do not offer a do-it-yourself kit, since the conversion is so extensive. The 4×4 Sprinter conversion costs about $21,000.
Whitefeather Conversions can be contacted at 719-227-7436, [email protected] or soon on our new Web site at http://whitefeatherconversions.com.”
And how about the Sprinter Store? As I wrote in my post last fall, the Sprinter Store completed one prototype 4×4 Sprinter in conjunction with the South African firm Sportsvans, but after the Sportsvans offering was nixed with no signs of future change, John Bendit decided to design his own NCV3 Sprinter 4×4 conversion. I asked John to comment on the progress of their 4×4 Sprinter conversion. John: “We are currently designing our own kit that will include independent front coil suspension and a front locking differential. This will allow us to make a heavy duty version to meet military specs. Initial highway testing of the prototype is complete and we hope to have more detailed information during the summer of 2011.” When more details are available, you will be able to learn more about the Sprinter Store 4WD Sprinters at http://sprinterstore.com/sprinter_4x4.htm.
Gallery – 4×4 Sprinters by Whitefeather Conversions
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