It’s nearly noon and so hot the desert is shimmering. Three sprinter vans straddle the shoulder of a sandy road, and the throaty hum of ARB air compressors add to the ambiance. It’s early May and the drivers are in the process of airing down before embarking on an eight-hour route through California’s Anza Borrego Desert. This experience is part of an R&D/media trip for Outside Van. Brian Jagodnik, marketing & creative director for Outside Van, and his team are joined by their travel partners, none other than Agile Off Road cofounders, John Brindell and Jesus Hernandez. The Outside Van media team has followed them out to the desert with the goal of testing Slim Chance: Outside Van’s first fully built-out demo van on the new 2023 Mercedes-Benz 144 all-wheel-drive (AWD) Sprinter chassis.

Why an AWD Chassis?

Slim Chance is chocked full of features, making it the perfect platform to see what the new drivetrain has to offer. When Mercedes-Benz announced an upcoming transition to an AWD Sprinter Chassis back in 2022, it was met with equal parts excitement and skepticism by upfitters and vanlifers. The team at Outside Van is taking particular interest in this development since their model line will be built exclusively on the new Mercedes-Benz AWD Sprinter chassis. And this brings us to the question they’re seeking to answer: How does the AWD chassis stack up against 4WD?

They finish airing down and pack up the compressor hoses and quick deflators. John takes the lead and Brian follows behind him in Slim Chance. They motor through miles of tight, shallow canyons with off-camber corners, loose rock, and washes where the sand is notably deep. A wake of dust follows them deeper into the desert.

Upfitting Slim Chance Improves the Ride

Confidence in the AWD chassis increases with every passing mile. Brian notices the electronic steering feels snappier and more enjoyable to drive than the 4WD system. “Even in deeper sand, traction hasn’t been an issue at all,” Brian shares. “Heavier jolts are still noticeable, but the overall ride of the van is smooth and stable.” This is in great part due to the Ride Improvement Package that Agile installed the day before. The kit includes an auxiliary shock, strut, coil spring, leaf springs, rear shock, along with a few other parts. “The difference it [the kit] makes is astonishing,” said Brian. “A swaying, bouncy, overall sloppy ride is transformed into something more controlled, balanced, and confidence inspiring.”

Agile Off Road Roots

Later in the afternoon, John comes over the radio, “Hope you’re having fun back there. Listen, we’re about to come up to a more technical section. Just follow my line.”

Before leaving the Agile Off Road factory that morning, someone joked, “Be careful following John – he thinks his van is a Jeep.” And they are going to know the truth of that statement shortly. Both John and Jesus come from a Baja racing background, meaning they earned their chops designing shocks and racing Volkswagen buggies in the early days of suspension technology. Later they adapted their unique skillset to become industry leaders in the 4×4 conversion van market.

Pushing the Limits

They pass a few more miles of sagebrush and canyons before arriving at the base of the ‘technical section’. It’s a short hill, but a short hill complicated by deep sand and some overwhelmingly large moguls. By far the most complicated stretch they’ve encountered today. In a truck, Brian may not have hesitated, but here he is reminded of the weight and size of this vehicle. For the first time, he feels a hint of doubt.

John navigates the section quickly and, once at the top, radios that it’s now Brian’s turn. John hops out of his van and spots Brian’s attempt. Things are going well until, in the moguls, the tires on driver-side front and passenger-side rear are simultaneously off the ground. The van loses traction, digs into the sand, and its momentum is gone. Brian feathers the gas, but the tires spin and settle in deeper and deeper. He can’t get any forward momentum. His face gets flushed red and his palms start sweating.

John cackles from the sidelines – he’s loving this. He shouts, “Hah! Yes! I was hoping that would happen. You just experienced the only issue we’ve had with the AWD. When two tires are off it seems to confuse the system. That’s why we developed a rear locker option.”

“And there’s the upsell,” Brian laughs.

“You know it!” John says smiling. “Anyway, let’s have you back up and come over a little further to the right.”

Confidence in the AWD Chassis

Finally at the top, Brian gets out of the van and looks back down the sandy hill gnarled by moguls. “Hard to believe these vans were designed as delivery trucks and now we’re taking them up sand dunes,” he says in amusement. Despite his bruised ego, he’s impressed by how far they’ve been able to push the limits of these vehicles. At this point, Outside Van is thoroughly convinced that this new AWD Sprinter chassis will stand up to the demands of their customers and are grateful it’s the platform for their new model line.

To answer the question plainly: Does the AWD perform as well as 4WD? Yes. A resounding, yes.

Visit Outside Vans to learn more about their off-road and overlanding van conversions.