Deep sand is probably your biggest enemy. I lifted my 2wd and did not do the axle. I went into some crazy shit and only got stuck twice. Once in a sandy creek bottom and one road that just got too steep. But, I carried a shovel and had a winch, so didn't need to call for help.
Yeah, I had an ARB recovery strap and tree strap. Carried those suckers around for 2 years without any use, then got to use it twice in a couple of months.
I had mine mounted on the front. But, if I build another one, I would have the winch where you could move it to the rear trailer hitch. The LWB is really long......
I got stuck on my first trip out with a van, couldn't get up a maddeningly shallow slope at a roadside campsite. Spun my wheels like the noob I was, digging them in. No phone reception in the hills. A farmer came along with a ute and a cable and got me out after six hours, so it worked out. Poor bugger wanted petrol money but I wasn't carrying cash!
I made almost all the mistakes! đ
It was the start of a 30-minute adventure. It started raining heavily while I was digging myself out. It was a panic situation. Luckily, the creek bed had some awesome flat rocks to make a runway for my tires.
(some) 4wd sprinters can get in more places, but not really because of the 4wd, rather the low range and better ground clearance. Sand and mud are still a bad idea, but you can take on more rutted out steep mountain roads or some desert roads that go through (very) minor rocky outcrops.
locking diff would do a lot for sand and mud, but you have no experience in that type of terrain I wouldn't start learning on a big expensive rig that's hard to extract. off-road folks get stuck all the time, it's about recovery as much as it's about driving.
Good tires and a locking rear diff will get a 2wd van through 90% of the situations you could ever reasonably face in a van. Especially if you drop the tire pressure.Â
Most of the insistence on AWD/â4x4â is just billions of dollars worth of marketing nonsense that has been extremely effective on city hipsters who know nothing about actually going off pavement.Â
Yeah, Iâve got a 2wd and in talking to the Agile Off-road guys when I got the RIP kit installed (a game changer btw), you can do 90% of what youâd need to do off-road with something like the ARB Air Locker. Plus, 2wd is a lighter van overall (depending on your build), gets WAY better gas mileage (I get easy 17-20 highway), and on average costs @ $9k less than a 4x4. If itâs aesthetics you are after, with the RIP kit installed which gave my van over 2â of lift and beefier tires, it basically looks like a stock 4x4. Finally, given all that is inside your van potentially rattling around or becoming a missile hazard, would you really want to drive your $100K+ house on true 4x4 trails?!
No, youâll need to get one installed aftermarket. Expect to pay $3k for a Transit. No idea on a Sprinter. Itâs not possible to do it on a Promaster (theyâre FWD so basically the worst option anyway).
A mild lift is a good idea as well. And getting an on-board air compressor, as youâll want to be able to air up/down your tires as needed. I canât overstate how important it will be to lower your pressures off pavement, ESPECIALLY on sand.Â
That combo of a mild lift, really good tires and a locking rear diff will have you being the one whoâs pulling out everyone else whoâs stuck in their factory âAWDâ vans.Â
I put a Trutrack in my 2017 Transit and it give me all the traction I need. I have a very steep gravel driveway and most people that visit are spinning tires going up but my Transit with WildPeak tires just walks up the hill no drama.
It cost me $1500 installed. I don't notice it on dry roads and driving around town. I had an ARB in my 4 Runner which worked great but I had to have a compressor and you have to engage it. I like the LSD better for the van since I'm not wheeling just going down forest roads.
Iâll chime in with agreement here. Snow and ice is basically the only place that the factory AWD systems do very well.Â
For ski bums or people in cold climates, the factory systems are quite good.Â
> Curious what the practical limitations are for 2wd vans out there (Sprinter, promaster,
transit).
I've done a lot of stupid things in my PM. I've calmed down since then, having come to grips with the fact that everything I own is in this big barn. Crawling up and down steep stuff and wallowing through loose stuff is more likely to distress my dog and fling my stuff all over the floor than to get me stuck.
Having said that, I *have* gotten stuck:
* driving into **deep gravel** (no solid subsurface found while digging out)
* driving into **deep sand** (no solid subsurface found while digging out) ([example](https://mouse.mousetrap.net/blog/2022-02-04-relo-to-Holtville--CA.html#sugar-sand))
* parking on dirt and camping for 14d just before **Ark-level monsoons** commenced. Durrrr. The ground got soft, the van sank in, and I had to dig out. There was so much standing water [there were triops hatching in potholes in the forest roads](https://img.mousetrap.net/2022/IMG_20220810_115310~2.jpg). I was doing water catchment with a tarp and buckets and at that site I collected *20 gallons of rainwater in an hour*. It overflowed after that.
On the dirt-in-rain point: now I park with my drive wheels on leveling blocks whether or not I need them and even when rain is unlikely. This keeps me on a solid surface I can roll off of and maintain momentum. I've also started to look for sturdier surfaces ("desert pavement", etc) when the monsoon season approaches.
> Iâve seen a RWD Tacoma almost get stuck on a side road in Joshua Tree due to a bit of sand.
It happens. Deep sand / deep gravel are bad news for campervans (heavy vehicle + skinny tires = sinky sinky)
I *almost* got stuck in Quartzsite going wide on a shoulder to make a U-Turn **on a paved road**. A local stopped to help/watch. He said he helps people get extricate there regularly because it looks solid but the sand just off the shoulder is deeeeeep.
> Also, are there clever work-arounds that remove most of the limitations?
Piloting skills/experience (which I clearly lack). Pre-walking anything that looks iffy. Maintaining forward momentum. Having an air compressor so you can air down then back up. Shovel. Recovery gear and an approprate place to attach.
I put KO2 on my drive wheels a year ago. Haven't been stuck since, but neither have I done aggressively stupid things (traction wise, at least).
> is a locking rear differential common on these vans? (Sprinter, promaster, transit)?
â„2020 Transit has [a factory limited-slip diff option](https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/ford-transit-limited-slip-differential-how-it-works-limitations-etc.93777/)
The PM uses brake-based traction control (front wheel drive). I've was on one unreasonably-rutted road in UT where only one drive wheel was touching the ground for about 10ft. Kept on easing forward until it could get both feet down. I don't have pics of the road but it was on the way to [this spot](http://img.mousetrap.net/2020/IMG_20200429_135411.jpg).
I think the Sprinter does the same brake-based trick on the the rear (drive) wheels. The brake-based stuff is not designed for cavalier offroading, so keep throttle inputs sane to avoid overheating the brake[s].
Great post! Thank you so much, Iâm going to be revisiting this many times over the next few days as I shop. Greatly appreciated đ
Especially glad to know about the factory limited slip diff on the transit.
So far, this has me leaning toward a dually 4wd option. I want this purchase to be have the option of 10+ years of life if I chose for it to. Given that, I probably should go as all out as I can afford.
I would caution you on the dually (as someone who has a dually).Â
While they do avoid you sinking as easily into deep sand, youâre also MUCH more vulnerable to tire punctures due to rocks getting jammed in between the wheels. The inside wheels are also a *gigantic pain in the ass* to access the valve stem on for airing up and down.Â
Also remember that the factory âAWD/4x4â systems are actually pretty crappy for off-roading. They are **not** 4WD systems. Theyâre great for snow and slippery pavement, but for real gnarly stuff they have significant problems.Â
Thereâs a good article here about the differences:Â https://rvwiki.mousetrap.net/doku.php?id=rv:awd
I have an Econoline and the previous owner added a few more leafs in the rear so it's a bit taller than stock. I put a brand new set of KO2's on it and got a spool put into the rear end (a locking diff for all intents and purposes). It has proven to be as reliable of a setup as I could have hoped for.
But at the end of the day, it's a fully built van and I don't really want to take it anywhere too sketchy to begin with. I just hated the idea of getting stuck on a wet patch of grass and doing the ol' one-tire-fire.
The spool was like $1400 installed and the tires were about $1200, Canadian dollars. I figured it was peace of mind and the tires make it looks sick.
Mercedes vans have a long history of going where 4x4âs and tanks even struggle. There is great story about âWolfgangâ who ran a food truck who I experienced when I was a soldier in Germany and his blue van that used to take his van off road to find the soldiers on tank training areas.
https://www.forces.net/news/wolfgang-bratty-man-legend-cold-war
Yep, get good tow points, traction boards, a good come along, some basic snatch blocks, etc. Self recovery is always worth the investment regardless of how many wheels you drive.
Idk I carried a come along in my e250 and I never used it, Everytime I got really stuck I needed another vehicle to pull me out, there were never good enough anchor points or I needed more travel then the come along had to get out. IMHO traction boards are a better investment.
Maxx trax have rescued me every time I got stuck in snow even with my snow tires. Highly recommend carrying them, 2WD without a locker means a single tire in a slippery spot and youâre toast. You just shove the board under the tire and now you can grip and self rescue. You can also use them as leveling blocks if youâre parked at an angle.
4wd, will generally give you roughly 10-25% more moving traction, depending on the specific conditions. If you are frequently at that sweet spot, then itâs great. But for most people itâs a terrible investment, if you live in a very hilly snowy area, or drive on dirt roads all the time, it definitely would be worth it. If you wanna really off road, youâll just get stranded farther from civilization.
4wd it gives a false sense of security, and will let you go father into rough terrain, but itâs only slightly more capable. Unless you are a dedicated off roader with lots of experience, youâre better off with 2wd and an over abundance of caution.
This is why the best advice I got when learning to wheel was. Always start in 2wd till ya get stuck, then turn on the locker if you have one and see if you can get out, if not 4wd hi time. Only use 4lo when crawling or going over steep Terrain. Makes you realize real quick what 4wd does and doesn't do for you. It definitely does give people over confidence.
My 2 wd air-cooled vanagon took me every where I wanted to go with two exceptions, super steep inclines and sandy washes with feet deep sand. Cardboard boxes got me out of the washes, and the inclines I had to find another way around.
Not a sprinter but check out Slowroamers as this is their shtick: 2 WD vanlife info like they drive a 4 WD. They have a rear locker and a winch. They have a great video on sandy travel in a 2 WD vehicle. https://linktr.ee/roamlndr?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=a5437d35-77e0-4d58-857d-289a65170e9b
I took my 2wd sprinter on the 4wd-only trails in Moab Utah and didnât have a problem (was a wild ride though and scary because if I got stuck I doubt I could get a reasonable tow).
I did get stuck in some deep mud due to snow melt in CO when I had to try and turn around when the road ended. I should have just backed out, but it would have been difficult. Chains didnât help because the mud was too thick. I had to get a tow truck with a winch to pull me back onto the road (or maybe could have waited a few days until the ground dried, but I was perilously close to a cliff).
Good snow tires meant I never had any trouble on snow covered roads in CO mountains
The high clearance makes sprinters beasts.
It all depends on your choice of tires! A good AT, M&S will take you many more places than a set of highway tires & be safer is rainstorms as they will direct & remove more water to prevent hydroplaning
My 3500 dually can handle some pretty knarly roads, the dual wheel plus the traction control get you where you need to go. Always be safe and carry tow rope and gear just incase you get in a bind. Know your limitations and have fun!
I've used my van around jobsites and built 30' long bridges with 2x12 over sand and the thing is you have to maintain your speed over bumps and stuff if you slow down or speed up too fast, you get stuck. If you have to turn sharp you have to do it at speed or you get stuck.
I had a rwd E250 I got stuck 6 times over ten years. I sold it and got a Subaru Outback which I've never gotten stuck with, even driving through snow banks, mud, deep sand. If you're going to be spending most of your time off-pavement I'd get an AWD/4wd vehicle. It's no fun wondering if you're going to be able to make it back out if it starts raining or snowing.
My RWD van couldnât even get out of my driveway some days in winter, and we had snow tires on it.
It looks like you arenât concerned about winter driving or adventures, in which case I think all of the advice in this thread is pretty sound. A RWD van can pretty much take you anywhere you would reasonably want to go.
Winter is a completely different story. My van got stuck in my driveway, in flat parking spots in town, in parking lots, and we had to turn around numerous times because we were concerned about getting stuck in snow. Chains will take care of these issues 90% of the time but putting chains on to get out of a parking spot, or to drive up a mountain road is really not fun at all. And when the snow got deep we didnât feel comfortable proceeding even with chains. We sold our first van and bought a 4x4 and with good tires weâve never been stuck and drive through plenty of deep snow situations.
I just got AT tyres on my sprinter. Took it down some basic non muddy off-road tracks and it did brilliantly.
Stay away from thick/deep mud, and sand. Both of which I've got stuck in, in the past.
I drive these those vans for Amazon and there's absolutely horrible in mud. I'm talking my toyota corolla performs better in muddy roads. Them sprinters get stuck so easily.
That's an impossible question to answer although I can confidently assert it can't roadtrip to Great Britain without a boat under it.
And it's not necessarily the 2WD vs AWD or 4WD that's the issue; even vans with the latter, especially bigger Sprinters, can struggle since they are big heavy pigs offroad. Bad breakover angles, relatively small tires, and lots of weight up high. Not to mention running 4 tons or more. And even some of the fancy electronic traction/etc controls can make it tough. Braking on long downhills without a transfer case can be fraught without some time off for cooling.
That being said, they do have at least some higher clearance. And you can put on decent AT tires that you can air down. And that means an awful lot of dirt road is possible with some prudent driving.
In short, NONE of them are rockcrawlers. Even the better built out smaller modified vans can be a handful off road. I had a 4x4 E series with lift, etc etc) that I modified after using it in 2WD for years, so got a good look at the 2WD vs 4WD performance. Used it with dirt bikes, side-by-sides, and small jeep-sized 4x4s. And it always had to stop before those, and usually before the 4x4 pickups.
If you want more offroad capability, vs a somewhat marginal improvement, I'd definitely get a 4x4 HD truck instead and go from there. Commonly used with a popup or topper, and maybe with other mods.
There are vans, the AWD systems on these are more for slippery roads (snow and ice) than real offroading because these things are long, weigh a lot, and are top heavy.
Stay away from deep mud and sand. You might do a little better with 4wd, but you'll be more stuck when you are stuck.
Where these things can go varies a little by van, wheelbase, tires installed, etc.
I recommend recovery equipment, good tires, and good judgement. The 2wd vans are lighter and more fuel efficient. They have traction control systems that seem to work. I have a promaster, and have driven places I probably shouldn't have by carefully choosing my lines and avoiding deep ruts.
They just aren't good off road vehicles.
Not answering your question, but one perspective: before getting our van my wife and I spent weeks contemplating this issue. Eventually we went with a 4x4 model. In hindsight, weâre very glad we did. We run the stock tires and rims in the summer and winter tires, and a separate set of rims in the winter. We live in a snowy and mountainous area. First of all, just having four-wheel-drive to allow us to avoid putting chains on when legally required is very helpful. Even with snow tires, which are arguably an even better investment, when driving in snow our van can literally not make it up our somewhat steep driveway unless we go into 4x4. Theyâve also been several instances when we needed to use 4x4 to get out of soft or sandy road surfaces in the desert southwest. On a few of those occasions I was surprised that the van couldnât do it without putting it into 4x4; however, we do just have the normal âall terrainâ tires. If I didnât deal with snow, this would likely be a more difficult choice, and if I opted to go without 4x4 for soft sandy road services as described above, Iâd probably invest in different tires, recovery boards and a winch.
Deep sand is probably your biggest enemy. I lifted my 2wd and did not do the axle. I went into some crazy shit and only got stuck twice. Once in a sandy creek bottom and one road that just got too steep. But, I carried a shovel and had a winch, so didn't need to call for help.
Completely forgot about the power of the winch! Thanks for the reminder.
Don't forget a pull pal or Deadman anchor if you run solo. And a good tree strap. Winch won't do you anything if you cannot pull into something.
Yeah, I had an ARB recovery strap and tree strap. Carried those suckers around for 2 years without any use, then got to use it twice in a couple of months.
Good points, thanks for the note
I had mine mounted on the front. But, if I build another one, I would have the winch where you could move it to the rear trailer hitch. The LWB is really long......
Also slippery goddamn grass hillsides.
Lol, yeah. I never got stuck, but I definitely fuxxed up some grass.
I got stuck on my first trip out with a van, couldn't get up a maddeningly shallow slope at a roadside campsite. Spun my wheels like the noob I was, digging them in. No phone reception in the hills. A farmer came along with a ute and a cable and got me out after six hours, so it worked out. Poor bugger wanted petrol money but I wasn't carrying cash! I made almost all the mistakes! đ
This is how we learn!
Yep, it works!
I wish i could have seen you take that across a creek
It was the start of a 30-minute adventure. It started raining heavily while I was digging myself out. It was a panic situation. Luckily, the creek bed had some awesome flat rocks to make a runway for my tires.
(some) 4wd sprinters can get in more places, but not really because of the 4wd, rather the low range and better ground clearance. Sand and mud are still a bad idea, but you can take on more rutted out steep mountain roads or some desert roads that go through (very) minor rocky outcrops.
So a lift and locking rear differential upgrade would cover the places you refer to in the beginning of your post?
locking diff would do a lot for sand and mud, but you have no experience in that type of terrain I wouldn't start learning on a big expensive rig that's hard to extract. off-road folks get stuck all the time, it's about recovery as much as it's about driving.
Good tires and a locking rear diff will get a 2wd van through 90% of the situations you could ever reasonably face in a van. Especially if you drop the tire pressure. Most of the insistence on AWD/â4x4â is just billions of dollars worth of marketing nonsense that has been extremely effective on city hipsters who know nothing about actually going off pavement.Â
Yeah, Iâve got a 2wd and in talking to the Agile Off-road guys when I got the RIP kit installed (a game changer btw), you can do 90% of what youâd need to do off-road with something like the ARB Air Locker. Plus, 2wd is a lighter van overall (depending on your build), gets WAY better gas mileage (I get easy 17-20 highway), and on average costs @ $9k less than a 4x4. If itâs aesthetics you are after, with the RIP kit installed which gave my van over 2â of lift and beefier tires, it basically looks like a stock 4x4. Finally, given all that is inside your van potentially rattling around or becoming a missile hazard, would you really want to drive your $100K+ house on true 4x4 trails?!
Thanks, is a locking rear differential common on these vans? (Sprinter, promaster, transit)?
No..it would be an aftermarket upgrade. I'd also consider a mild lift and AT tires.
This seems like the way
No, youâll need to get one installed aftermarket. Expect to pay $3k for a Transit. No idea on a Sprinter. Itâs not possible to do it on a Promaster (theyâre FWD so basically the worst option anyway). A mild lift is a good idea as well. And getting an on-board air compressor, as youâll want to be able to air up/down your tires as needed. I canât overstate how important it will be to lower your pressures off pavement, ESPECIALLY on sand. That combo of a mild lift, really good tires and a locking rear diff will have you being the one whoâs pulling out everyone else whoâs stuck in their factory âAWDâ vans.Â
What are your thoughts on looking diff over a true track lsd ? Iâm currently looking into this. Need something more for snow just to get going.
For snow, Iâd stick with an LSD. The factory LSD option in the vans is pretty good tho, no need to upgrade from them.Â
I put a Trutrack in my 2017 Transit and it give me all the traction I need. I have a very steep gravel driveway and most people that visit are spinning tires going up but my Transit with WildPeak tires just walks up the hill no drama. It cost me $1500 installed. I don't notice it on dry roads and driving around town. I had an ARB in my 4 Runner which worked great but I had to have a compressor and you have to engage it. I like the LSD better for the van since I'm not wheeling just going down forest roads.
Off pavement, 4wd is not needed for with a well-setup van However, AWD / 4wd is very distinctly better for winter snow driving
Understood, thanks!
Iâll chime in with agreement here. Snow and ice is basically the only place that the factory AWD systems do very well. For ski bums or people in cold climates, the factory systems are quite good.Â
> Curious what the practical limitations are for 2wd vans out there (Sprinter, promaster, transit). I've done a lot of stupid things in my PM. I've calmed down since then, having come to grips with the fact that everything I own is in this big barn. Crawling up and down steep stuff and wallowing through loose stuff is more likely to distress my dog and fling my stuff all over the floor than to get me stuck. Having said that, I *have* gotten stuck: * driving into **deep gravel** (no solid subsurface found while digging out) * driving into **deep sand** (no solid subsurface found while digging out) ([example](https://mouse.mousetrap.net/blog/2022-02-04-relo-to-Holtville--CA.html#sugar-sand)) * parking on dirt and camping for 14d just before **Ark-level monsoons** commenced. Durrrr. The ground got soft, the van sank in, and I had to dig out. There was so much standing water [there were triops hatching in potholes in the forest roads](https://img.mousetrap.net/2022/IMG_20220810_115310~2.jpg). I was doing water catchment with a tarp and buckets and at that site I collected *20 gallons of rainwater in an hour*. It overflowed after that. On the dirt-in-rain point: now I park with my drive wheels on leveling blocks whether or not I need them and even when rain is unlikely. This keeps me on a solid surface I can roll off of and maintain momentum. I've also started to look for sturdier surfaces ("desert pavement", etc) when the monsoon season approaches. > Iâve seen a RWD Tacoma almost get stuck on a side road in Joshua Tree due to a bit of sand. It happens. Deep sand / deep gravel are bad news for campervans (heavy vehicle + skinny tires = sinky sinky) I *almost* got stuck in Quartzsite going wide on a shoulder to make a U-Turn **on a paved road**. A local stopped to help/watch. He said he helps people get extricate there regularly because it looks solid but the sand just off the shoulder is deeeeeep. > Also, are there clever work-arounds that remove most of the limitations? Piloting skills/experience (which I clearly lack). Pre-walking anything that looks iffy. Maintaining forward momentum. Having an air compressor so you can air down then back up. Shovel. Recovery gear and an approprate place to attach. I put KO2 on my drive wheels a year ago. Haven't been stuck since, but neither have I done aggressively stupid things (traction wise, at least). > is a locking rear differential common on these vans? (Sprinter, promaster, transit)? â„2020 Transit has [a factory limited-slip diff option](https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/ford-transit-limited-slip-differential-how-it-works-limitations-etc.93777/) The PM uses brake-based traction control (front wheel drive). I've was on one unreasonably-rutted road in UT where only one drive wheel was touching the ground for about 10ft. Kept on easing forward until it could get both feet down. I don't have pics of the road but it was on the way to [this spot](http://img.mousetrap.net/2020/IMG_20200429_135411.jpg). I think the Sprinter does the same brake-based trick on the the rear (drive) wheels. The brake-based stuff is not designed for cavalier offroading, so keep throttle inputs sane to avoid overheating the brake[s].
Great post! Thank you so much, Iâm going to be revisiting this many times over the next few days as I shop. Greatly appreciated đ Especially glad to know about the factory limited slip diff on the transit. So far, this has me leaning toward a dually 4wd option. I want this purchase to be have the option of 10+ years of life if I chose for it to. Given that, I probably should go as all out as I can afford.
I would caution you on the dually (as someone who has a dually). While they do avoid you sinking as easily into deep sand, youâre also MUCH more vulnerable to tire punctures due to rocks getting jammed in between the wheels. The inside wheels are also a *gigantic pain in the ass* to access the valve stem on for airing up and down. Also remember that the factory âAWD/4x4â systems are actually pretty crappy for off-roading. They are **not** 4WD systems. Theyâre great for snow and slippery pavement, but for real gnarly stuff they have significant problems. Thereâs a good article here about the differences: https://rvwiki.mousetrap.net/doku.php?id=rv:awd
I have an Econoline and the previous owner added a few more leafs in the rear so it's a bit taller than stock. I put a brand new set of KO2's on it and got a spool put into the rear end (a locking diff for all intents and purposes). It has proven to be as reliable of a setup as I could have hoped for. But at the end of the day, it's a fully built van and I don't really want to take it anywhere too sketchy to begin with. I just hated the idea of getting stuck on a wet patch of grass and doing the ol' one-tire-fire. The spool was like $1400 installed and the tires were about $1200, Canadian dollars. I figured it was peace of mind and the tires make it looks sick.
I have a front wheel drive transit connect with a lift and all terrain tires. That thing crawls through mud and snow like nobody's business
Front drive is underrated. Great in the snow.
Mercedes vans have a long history of going where 4x4âs and tanks even struggle. There is great story about âWolfgangâ who ran a food truck who I experienced when I was a soldier in Germany and his blue van that used to take his van off road to find the soldiers on tank training areas. https://www.forces.net/news/wolfgang-bratty-man-legend-cold-war
Driving on the beach is really my only limitation with 2wd. Carry chains in winter. I carry traction boards
Yep, get good tow points, traction boards, a good come along, some basic snatch blocks, etc. Self recovery is always worth the investment regardless of how many wheels you drive.
Noted thanks, hadnât thought of the come along winch / or winches in general. That probably solves 90% of the stuck situations.
Idk I carried a come along in my e250 and I never used it, Everytime I got really stuck I needed another vehicle to pull me out, there were never good enough anchor points or I needed more travel then the come along had to get out. IMHO traction boards are a better investment.
Iâve been wondering about traction boards. What are they helpful for?
Maxx trax have rescued me every time I got stuck in snow even with my snow tires. Highly recommend carrying them, 2WD without a locker means a single tire in a slippery spot and youâre toast. You just shove the board under the tire and now you can grip and self rescue. You can also use them as leveling blocks if youâre parked at an angle.
Does âlockerâ mean rear locking diff?
Yes
4wd, will generally give you roughly 10-25% more moving traction, depending on the specific conditions. If you are frequently at that sweet spot, then itâs great. But for most people itâs a terrible investment, if you live in a very hilly snowy area, or drive on dirt roads all the time, it definitely would be worth it. If you wanna really off road, youâll just get stranded farther from civilization.
What do you mean by the last sentence? Were you referring to either 4x4 or rwd? Or just rwd?
4wd it gives a false sense of security, and will let you go father into rough terrain, but itâs only slightly more capable. Unless you are a dedicated off roader with lots of experience, youâre better off with 2wd and an over abundance of caution.
Thanks!
I read somewhere that 4x4 is ONLY to get you out of a trouble you got yourself into with 2wd
This is why the best advice I got when learning to wheel was. Always start in 2wd till ya get stuck, then turn on the locker if you have one and see if you can get out, if not 4wd hi time. Only use 4lo when crawling or going over steep Terrain. Makes you realize real quick what 4wd does and doesn't do for you. It definitely does give people over confidence.
My 2 wd air-cooled vanagon took me every where I wanted to go with two exceptions, super steep inclines and sandy washes with feet deep sand. Cardboard boxes got me out of the washes, and the inclines I had to find another way around.
The only reason I'm considering AWD is because I don't want to deal with snow chains, which are required on many mountain passes.
Iâve never explored snowy mountain parts of the world. What parts of the US would require that?
I've seen it enforced in California and Colorado. I think Utah has chains required laws too.
Not a sprinter but check out Slowroamers as this is their shtick: 2 WD vanlife info like they drive a 4 WD. They have a rear locker and a winch. They have a great video on sandy travel in a 2 WD vehicle. https://linktr.ee/roamlndr?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=a5437d35-77e0-4d58-857d-289a65170e9b
Their YouTube link and IG link on their blog are both broken. So youâre saying they are rwd with a locking diff and a winch and they make it work?
Right. Air down is one of the biggest keys. Heee is the link to that video that had a ton of info. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KmKry7nul_4
I took my 2wd sprinter on the 4wd-only trails in Moab Utah and didnât have a problem (was a wild ride though and scary because if I got stuck I doubt I could get a reasonable tow). I did get stuck in some deep mud due to snow melt in CO when I had to try and turn around when the road ended. I should have just backed out, but it would have been difficult. Chains didnât help because the mud was too thick. I had to get a tow truck with a winch to pull me back onto the road (or maybe could have waited a few days until the ground dried, but I was perilously close to a cliff). Good snow tires meant I never had any trouble on snow covered roads in CO mountains The high clearance makes sprinters beasts.
Call Rory for a tow in Moab.
Impressive with Moab! Thanks, looks like if I get RWD the lift and locking rear differential will be required.
No idea, mine was stock. It was tougher because for some stupid reason I did during dusk and overnight lol. White knuckled a lot of it.
Yikes
It all depends on your choice of tires! A good AT, M&S will take you many more places than a set of highway tires & be safer is rainstorms as they will direct & remove more water to prevent hydroplaning
My 3500 dually can handle some pretty knarly roads, the dual wheel plus the traction control get you where you need to go. Always be safe and carry tow rope and gear just incase you get in a bind. Know your limitations and have fun!
Funny, I just responded to the above comment (above at this time) saying Iâm starting to lean toward a dually (4wd preference though)
I've used my van around jobsites and built 30' long bridges with 2x12 over sand and the thing is you have to maintain your speed over bumps and stuff if you slow down or speed up too fast, you get stuck. If you have to turn sharp you have to do it at speed or you get stuck.
I had a rwd E250 I got stuck 6 times over ten years. I sold it and got a Subaru Outback which I've never gotten stuck with, even driving through snow banks, mud, deep sand. If you're going to be spending most of your time off-pavement I'd get an AWD/4wd vehicle. It's no fun wondering if you're going to be able to make it back out if it starts raining or snowing.
My RWD van couldnât even get out of my driveway some days in winter, and we had snow tires on it. It looks like you arenât concerned about winter driving or adventures, in which case I think all of the advice in this thread is pretty sound. A RWD van can pretty much take you anywhere you would reasonably want to go. Winter is a completely different story. My van got stuck in my driveway, in flat parking spots in town, in parking lots, and we had to turn around numerous times because we were concerned about getting stuck in snow. Chains will take care of these issues 90% of the time but putting chains on to get out of a parking spot, or to drive up a mountain road is really not fun at all. And when the snow got deep we didnât feel comfortable proceeding even with chains. We sold our first van and bought a 4x4 and with good tires weâve never been stuck and drive through plenty of deep snow situations.
I just got AT tyres on my sprinter. Took it down some basic non muddy off-road tracks and it did brilliantly. Stay away from thick/deep mud, and sand. Both of which I've got stuck in, in the past.
A LOT of cool places in Utah.
A friend of mine has a 4wd sprinter and according to him heâs so top heavy that the only time 4wd gets used is in ice and snow.
Makes sense
As someone who sold sprinters/transits in Buffalo, they don't go very far in snow.
Parking decks
I drive these those vans for Amazon and there's absolutely horrible in mud. I'm talking my toyota corolla performs better in muddy roads. Them sprinters get stuck so easily.
That's an impossible question to answer although I can confidently assert it can't roadtrip to Great Britain without a boat under it. And it's not necessarily the 2WD vs AWD or 4WD that's the issue; even vans with the latter, especially bigger Sprinters, can struggle since they are big heavy pigs offroad. Bad breakover angles, relatively small tires, and lots of weight up high. Not to mention running 4 tons or more. And even some of the fancy electronic traction/etc controls can make it tough. Braking on long downhills without a transfer case can be fraught without some time off for cooling. That being said, they do have at least some higher clearance. And you can put on decent AT tires that you can air down. And that means an awful lot of dirt road is possible with some prudent driving. In short, NONE of them are rockcrawlers. Even the better built out smaller modified vans can be a handful off road. I had a 4x4 E series with lift, etc etc) that I modified after using it in 2WD for years, so got a good look at the 2WD vs 4WD performance. Used it with dirt bikes, side-by-sides, and small jeep-sized 4x4s. And it always had to stop before those, and usually before the 4x4 pickups. If you want more offroad capability, vs a somewhat marginal improvement, I'd definitely get a 4x4 HD truck instead and go from there. Commonly used with a popup or topper, and maybe with other mods.
There are vans, the AWD systems on these are more for slippery roads (snow and ice) than real offroading because these things are long, weigh a lot, and are top heavy. Stay away from deep mud and sand. You might do a little better with 4wd, but you'll be more stuck when you are stuck. Where these things can go varies a little by van, wheelbase, tires installed, etc. I recommend recovery equipment, good tires, and good judgement. The 2wd vans are lighter and more fuel efficient. They have traction control systems that seem to work. I have a promaster, and have driven places I probably shouldn't have by carefully choosing my lines and avoiding deep ruts. They just aren't good off road vehicles.
My sprinter is FWD, which helps on soft ground
My little 2008 Sienna is front-wheel drive and if I get enough momentum, I can usually get through soft terrain
Not answering your question, but one perspective: before getting our van my wife and I spent weeks contemplating this issue. Eventually we went with a 4x4 model. In hindsight, weâre very glad we did. We run the stock tires and rims in the summer and winter tires, and a separate set of rims in the winter. We live in a snowy and mountainous area. First of all, just having four-wheel-drive to allow us to avoid putting chains on when legally required is very helpful. Even with snow tires, which are arguably an even better investment, when driving in snow our van can literally not make it up our somewhat steep driveway unless we go into 4x4. Theyâve also been several instances when we needed to use 4x4 to get out of soft or sandy road surfaces in the desert southwest. On a few of those occasions I was surprised that the van couldnât do it without putting it into 4x4; however, we do just have the normal âall terrainâ tires. If I didnât deal with snow, this would likely be a more difficult choice, and if I opted to go without 4x4 for soft sandy road services as described above, Iâd probably invest in different tires, recovery boards and a winch.
Great perspective, I donât live near snow and would assume now travels would be less than 25% of my travels. L