Nikki and I have been debating on the Sprinter’s capabilities as a vehicle for our South America trip since we started thinking about the trip in the first place. Most other people seem to be doing this in 4×4 vehicles (Land Rovers, 4Runners etc.). We know that it’s possible to do the trip with pretty much any car, but the question was whether a 2WD camper will prevent us from seeing some hard-to-reach places. While we still don’t know, our conclusion so far is that the off-road capabilities of the Sprinter are much greater than our off-road driving skills. The ground clearance is pretty great and we’re planning to be on paved and dirt roads (not actually off-road). The disadvantage of the Sprinter is in muddy conditions, so we’ll see how much we encounter of that. For peace of mind, we’ve invested in all-terrain tires – if nothing else, they make it a lot more comfortable to drive. We also carry an air compressor (to deflate / inflate), recovery strap, and comealong to get us out of trouble. Worst case, I have put Nikki on a strict workout routine (and high-protein diet) so she can push the van. Just kidding. But not really.
Also, if you’re a good driver you’ll be able to do some awesome things with this car:
Source: sprinter-source.com