5 Best Off-Road 4×4 Sprinter Vans {& How You Can Build One!}

Sprinter van conversions are incredibly popular these days. And it’s pretty unsurprising why.

Their high roof, excellent gas mileage, mechanical reliability, and customizable interior make them top-of-the-line vans. 

All of those great features, combined with a 4×4 option, also leads the Sprinter to be one of the best vans on the market for off-roading adventures.

If you’re considering buying a van to take off-road, look no further than the Sprinter van.

We’ve gathered up the 5 best Off-Road 4×4 Sprinter Vans, right here, all in one place, and broken down the features that help make them so perfect for rugged vanlife adventuring.

Plus, if you’re serious about building your own 4×4 Sprinter Van, or even just wondering what it takes, we’ve included a ten-step guide on how you can do exactly that.

Let’s get started …

1. Serious Off-Road Sprinter Van

This incredible adventure van was created to have the best of both worlds- epic off-roading adventures and a cozy, comfortable interior!

This Mercedes Sprinter van conversion is fully kitted out.

It’s got upgraded tires just perfect for off-roading, as well as upgraded shocks and suspension.

It has a custom made roof rack with an awning as well as LEDs for those late night campsite arrivals. 

Plus, it’s got a ladder built onto the back door so you can easily access the top of the van.

While the exterior of this van is ready for extreme off-roading, the interior is warm and inviting.

With a fixed double campervan bed, massive fridge and freezer, and even a microwave, this van certainly doesn’t lack creature comforts.

Plus, with loads of power, storage, and even a Nature’s Head composting toilet, this van is ready to get off-grid.

2. The Ultimate Custom 4×4 Sprinter Van

This incredible off-road Sprinter Van Conversion is aptly named Bruce Banner, and ready for any type of off-road adventure.

The exterior of this van is easily one of the best all-terrain vans I’ve ever seen. It’s also one of the most popular van tours we have ever featured.

It has an upgraded suspension that gives it a whopping extra eight inches of ground clearance. It has special Falken Mt off-roading tires that can withstand even the most punishing of terrains.

Plus, that sweet green paint job? It’s actually a special Linex coating that is scratch proof to protect against bushes, tree branches, and flying rocks in its path.

Up top, this van has an impressive 375 watts of power. It also has three gear boxes, and a wifi box for getting service on the road.

The interior of this van is pure luxury.

For a more modern touch, it has a full-size stainless steel shower with a toilet. It also has a stovetop, sink, fridge, and a separate freezer! 

With double the cold food storage, this van conversion can stay off-grid for a while.

With the massive fridge and freezer combo, and all of that solar power, Bruce Banner can handle some serious off-grid adventures.

3. Unique Off-Road Campervan

This next adventure van conversion is a 4×4 sprinter van designed by a retired couple for full time van life!

On the exterior, it’s got upgraded suspension and all terrain tires for serious off-roading. 

It also has a sweet awning to provide some shade and a nice place to hang out outside the van.

The interior is homey and fully equipped for full time van life!

It has a fixed double platform bed, and an impressive kitchen with loads of counter space.

In this campervan, they opted for a chest style refrigerator.

These are great because they retain their coolness when opened, and are also easy to fit into a campervan layout by stashing it in a bench seat like they did!

They have one sink with running water, but also an additional water tank with a pump to fill up water bottles with ease for day hikes and adventures.

The extra water tank on the counter is really nice because it’s easy to refill for day to day use, and it’s nice to be able to fill up your water bottle on your way out the door!

A simple, single burner stovetop is more than sufficient to cook meals on the road. 

Plus, it’s removable, so they could cook outside of their van if they wanted to!

4. Luxury Off-Road Sprinter Van Conversion

This next 4×4 adventure van is one of the best 4×4 vans for anyone who loves a good combination of off-road travel and luxury.

This adventure sprinter van is ready to get off-road with a compass stage 4 lift kit, snorkel, and sweet all terrain tires.

The snorkel is great for getting clean air into the engine, and makes it a little safer for the van to cross over larger bodies of water than just a puddle.

Plus, the bumper, and roof rack are kitted out with LED’s for enhanced visibility while driving or parking at night.

This overland van has not one, but two ladders, as well as flares to extend the bed space in the van.

The ladders are key to access anything you might want to store on top of your campervan, from off season gear, to surfboards, to bikes. Or, to climb up there to watch the sunset!

The flares are great because they can allow you to sleep widthwise in an otherwise too-narrow campervan!

Plus, with this van’s sleek black paint job you can hardly even see the flares from outside.

The style inside this van is a modern mountain theme, with walnut tones and beautiful leather upholstery. 

The kitchen is sleek and functional, with a gas cooktop, sink, and large fridge.

There is plenty of overhead storage in this van, in addition to its large garage under the fixed double bed.

As an added bonus, the leather bench seats even fold out for a second double bed!

Not to mention, hanging right behind the cab is a projector screen for cozy movie nights. The projector can either rest on the countertop, or hang in the van for optimal viewing.

5. Cutting Edge 4×4 Sprinter Van Conversion

This 4×4 off-road camper van is a 144 Sprinter Van Conversion named Fran!

This van conversion is off-road adventure ready with its 4×4 setup and powerful lithium batteries.

The interior of this van is roomy and beautiful.

With lighter tones, the space feels nice and airy, and the white kitchen backsplash adds a nice touch.

There is also plenty of overhead storage at the foot of the bed, and in the closet unit across from the kitchen.

In addition to a cozy L-shaped bench seat that faces out the sliding door, the swivel seats and Lagun tabletop in the cab of the van offer ample seating areas in this overland campervan.

The interior of this van feels huge despite its 144 wheelbase. I love how they utilized the swivel seats to have more seating space, and slightly separated the bed from the kitchen for a touch more privacy in the van. 

Plus, with the swivel seats and Lagun table, there is plenty of seating space in the van without having to make the sacrifice of not having a fixed bed.

How to Build your Own 4×4 Sprinter Van

After browsing through these 5 sweet off-road camper vans, you may be wondering “How can I create the ultimate camper van for off-roading?” 

Well, we thought you might say that- so we’ve gone ahead and listed the top 10 ways to turn your vehicle into a 4×4 adventure camping van.

Use Off-Roading Tires

If you’re planning on taking your Sprinter Van on off-roading adventures, you’ll probably want to invest in some all terrain tires. 

Some of these Sprinter Vans opt for Falken MT Tires rather than stock tires to really handle overland adventures. 

With upgraded tires, you can feel safer taking your 4×4 Sprinter Van conversion through all terrains including snow, dirt, gravel, and more, all while maintaining better care of your precious vehicle.

Plus, high-quality tires will not only help your van drive smoother, but they will also increase your gas mileage.

Have a Massive Water System

A key component of any adventure camper van is having enough water to really get off-grid. You want to not only have enough water to drink, but also to cook with, wash your dishes, wash your laundry, and even shower with! 

Having a large water tank is a game changer. Not having to constantly refill, or worry if you can take a shower or not is true freedom.

If you want to take your off-road Sprinter Van (or any van for that matter) we really recommend a large water tank– around 200 Liters should do the trick.

And, if you find yourself with a little extra counter space wanting a little more water in your van, a Berkey water filter is also a great investment to really bring your campervan’s off-grid capabilities to the next level.

Invest in a Solid Refrigerator

While there are many different options on the market for refrigerators, if you plan to take your van off-road and off-grid, it is well worth it to invest in a high quality 12V refrigerator.

Then, when you’re off-grid, you can rest assured that you’ll have plenty of food that will keep fresh, and don’t need to worry about totally depleting your battery.

Isotherm makes amazing, fuel efficient refrigerators for outdoor van conversions.

Install a Mega Off-Grid Electrical System

This is one of the most important details when building a van conversion. 

Your power system is what’s going to run your fridge, lights, power all of your electronics, and more in your campervan, and you want it to be able to handle your off-road adventures.

To really beef up your van’s electrical system, consider buying a lithium battery. 

Not only are they incredibly light, but they also last for an incredibly long time.

And don’t forget to equip your van with loads of solar to keep that battery fully charged while you’re on the road!

Equip your Van with Wifi

While some people like to totally unplug while on the road, others need to be able to work remotely, or perform other important functions that require wifi (like watching Netflix!).

If you fall into the latter categories, you’ll definitely want to have Wifi in your van.

The best way to do this is to put your phone on a cell phone plan and make it a mobile hotspot, and invest in a signal booster so you can have service even in the most remote places.

Upgrade your Suspension

Another great idea for your conversion is to upgrade the van’s suspension, which will quite literally take your van off-the-road. 

When building your off-grid campervan, weight is an extremely important factor, and you want to be certain your van can handle all of the additional weight from your conversion upgrades. 

If your van is carrying more weight than it’s supposed to, this can make it more likely to roll and infinitely more dangerous to drive.

Additionally, without upgrading your suspension, your off-road sprinter van may be quite bumpy and uncomfortable to actually take off-roading.

Not only will upgrading your suspension make your campervan safer, it will also make it much more smooth and comfortable to drive in.

Van Compass currently does some of the best van suspension upgrades on the market. 

Light up the Night with High Beams

One of the best parts about having a 4×4 off-road Sprinter Van is the freedom to turn up and camp wherever you’d like, and the freedom to go where you want!

Sometimes, this includes arriving at a campsite late at night when it’s pitch black outside.

Installing high beam LEDs to your campervan will make driving at night so much easier, as well as light up your campsite at night.

For even more convenience, you can install LEDs on your van’s back doors, to help you see into the garage. 

I even know some van lifers who feel much more secure with their high beam LEDs. 

If they hear anything suspicious from outside their campervan, they simply turn on their super bright lights, and feel much more comfortable.

Shower and a Toilet

Having a shower and toilet in your 4×4 Sprinter Van can be the ultimate luxury. One of the cool things about building your own Off-Grid Sprinter Van, is that your bathroom system can be as minimal or inclusive as you wish.

You can either build a full separate campervan bathroom with an indoor hot shower, or set up a solar outdoor shower and a hidden sliding toilet system in your campervan. The options are endless!

One of the most popular options for a campervan toilet is the Nature’s Head Composting Toilet.

Not only are these toilets environmentally friendly, they also eliminate all smells, and can handle a ton of use. 

High-Quality Ventilation

One thing that’s going to keep your campervan conversion comfortable is proper ventilation. While air conditioning units are great, proper ventilation can work wonders in a small space like a campervan conversion.

One of our personal favorite combos for excellent ventilation in a campervan is a well placed window, and a Maxxair Fan to maintain steady airflow and ventilation.

Another option to have great ventilation in your campervan, is to let air in through the van doors! 

Equipping your van with a campervan door bug screen will allow you to keep your doors open to get awesome ventilation and airflow, without having to worry about letting bugs into your van. 

Security and Backup Cameras 

Last but not least, is keeping your precious Off-Road Sprinter Van safe. While window covers go a long way in terms of stealth camping, sometimes you want a little extra security for your van. 

Plus, in addition to the van itself, you’ll likely have all of your valuables stored in the van, and want to keep them safe. 

Reolink Go makes awesome security cameras that you can even hook up with an app to your phone, to check on your van from anywhere. 

A backup camera will also help protect your campervan from parking and driving mishaps. These long vans can sometimes be quite difficult to drive and maneuver, and a quality backup camera will protect your van from unnecessary dents and scratches!

Final Thoughts

I hope you found these adventure vans as impressive as we did, and are feeling inspired to get to work converting your own adventure van. 

If you’re looking for a little more guidance on how to build your own campervan from scratch, then you should 100% invest in the Van Conversion Guide, where I go in-depth on every step of how to build a campervan, with how-to guide videos and updates for life! 

The question is – are you ready to build your own off-road Sprinter van?

You might also like:

• How Much Does A Van Conversion Cost?