3 Options for 4x4 Cargo Van Enthusiast

We’ve talked you through the small cargo vans the market has to offer. We’ve given you detailed advice on how to find the perfect cargo van for your business needs. We've also walked with you through the minefield that is the cargo van vs. pickup truck predicament. You think there's nothing left for us to help you with? Well, you'd think wrongly, as there is one last piece of advice we would like to share with you if only to make your van purchasing experience a tad more difficult.

We kid because we care, but we feel that we are obligated to discuss one last type of cargo vans. Mind you, this is only for the most demanding of entrepreneurs, for those who crave the spacious, enclosed cargo area of vans, but still desperately need additional functionality so rarely found in vehicles of this type. This is for those who don’t mind to be a bit different, a bit on the unusual side. For those who want the best of both worlds, without compromises.

If you often frequent the unpaved roads, if your works often take you so far off the beaten path that it sometimes makes it difficult for you to find your bearings. If your vehicle has to be capable of traversing hills and unfriendly terrain, while still preserving every single piece of the precious cargo you are hauling in the back, then this strange beast of a commercial vehicle is exactly what you need.

Perhaps you’ve thought that the only adequate vehicle for some or all of the abovementioned purposes is the pickup truck, and that you’d be happy to overlook the fact that an open bed is not exactly suitable for you line of work. Well, we understand how you might have thought that, as the pickup is the most common vehicle capable of fulfilling most of your commercial needs, while maintaining competent off-road capabilities.

However, there’s one more, the Frankenstein of the hauling world, Mister Hyde among the regular passers-by, the Hulk of the commercial vehicle category. This is the niche within a niche, the specialized among the specialized, the jack of all trades – the 4x4 cargo van.

Yes, 4x4 vans are not among the usuals, the regulars, the common ones… A 4x4 van is not for everybody, as not all business mongers would be able to appreciate its unique design and capabilities. As we’ve already said, it is for those who want precisely that – a 4x4 van. And, as rare as those people occur, they are still out there, fighting the good fight, struggling with their needs, trying to find the perfect vehicle for them.

Well, the good news is we’ve heard you, and we’re happy to help. Even a miniscule market portion of 4 wheel drive vans offers some possibilities. Not everything is as dark as you think it, there are bright lights at the end of this tunnel. We are going to present you with three possible scenarios for becoming a proud owner of a 4x4 van.

You Can Buy a New 4x4 Cargo Van

Mercedes makes premium vehicles in virtually every class imaginable, and you can always depend on Mercedes to make good of their promises. They have also proven to be constant innovators of the motoring world. People of great automotive knowledge say that if you want to see where the car industry is going to be in ten years’ time, look to the current-gen S-class to solve all your potential dilemmas.

The same holds true for the cargo van market as well. Mercedes are the first one who has dared trespass into the pickup-supreme territory, offering the first and, to this day, only natural 4x4 WD van currently available for purchase – the Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 Cargo Van! It’s an odd-job, certainly, but it makes a lot more sense once you see it in action.
Mercedes have managed to create an unusual vehicle for the more demanding business people, while also succeeding in making it a perfectly comfortable and usable everyday city-hauling option.

The 4x4 cargo van that Mercedes offers comes with a V6 motor that produces 161 break horsepower, and 325 torques. It’s quite enough to tackle both quick city drives, as well as rough-terrain detours. The incredibly smooth automatic transmission boasting "just" five speeds also nicely keeps up with all the demands you might throw at it.

We have seen it in action, and we can tell you that we are, indeed, quite satisfied. You activate the 4x4 van capability with the push of a button, which we found especially well thought through, as it means you don’t have to use the 4 WD all the time, but when you need it.

It handles the mud and the snow very well, with some expected minor setbacks where even a Range Rover would be puzzled with the best course of action. It has increased ground clearance, it has a low range option, which means it possesses all the staples every capable four-wheel-drive vehicle should have.

For the rest of it, it’s just a regular van that looks like it’s been put on a couple of high heels. It will haul, it will tow, it will scamper about if you need it to, and, most importantly, it will provide a smooth drive and seamless terrain transition. It’s an excellent vehicle if you need a 4x4 van, and it’s still lonely among new 4 WD vans. If you want new, it’s your only choice, and it’s a good choice. But, there are intriguing alternatives.

You Can Perform a 4x4 Van Conversion

Some people found the perfect cargo van for all their needs some time ago. It's the perfect size for everything they carry, it can tow just the right amount of additional cargo, it's got enough power while maintaining good gas mileage, and its doors open just the way you like them. You wouldn’t want to change anything about it, but there is a problem.

The scope of your business has either changed or increased, and a need for a 4x4 van has arisen. You've become so used to your van that you would never want to replace it with one of all-wheel drive cargo vans Mercedes produces.

But, what can you do then? Is there a way out? Yes, there certainly is.
The 4x4 van conversion business is a solid one, and there are many professional firms in existence that would be more than happy to convert your current cargo van to a 4x4 van in minimum time, and with maximum results. Chances are that your van is going to become unrecognizable once it exits the chop shop, and that you would hardly be able to believe your eyes once you set them on your newly-finished 4x4 van.

All right, we admit we’re being a bit poetic about you not being able to believe your eyes, but, in truth, you won’t be able to believe just how different, more capable, more versatile your van will become after a 4x4 van conversion. You will be able to keep all the pluses your current van has to offer, while adding a gigantic perk of being able to take it as off-road as you want. And all that at a fraction of the cost of a new Mercedes Sprinter 4x4.

Although it does sound too good to be true, this is one exception that proves the rule. We could bore you with technical details of how precisely a 4x4 van conversion is done, but we’re not going to do that. All we are going to say is that people who actually perform 4x4 van conversions are professionals of the trade who really know their stuff. A 4x4 van conversion is in no way an easy task and professionals who do it take the utmost care with every vehicle that comes their way.

If you’re completely in love with your current van, but would also love to add the off-road capability to it, there’s nothing to fear. Your cherished van is going to emerge from the experience a bit different, but in a good way. The professionals are not going to botch the job, you can be sure of that. You can approach the 4x4 van conversion process with a peace of mind, and an eagerness of what is to come. And, as we’ve said, at a fraction of the cost of a new one.

However, there is one last affordable option when it comes to 4x4 vans, and it is now time we saw it.

You Can Always Find a Good, Pre-Owned 4x4 Van

Finally, the last option for all those looking to buy all wheel drive van, the pre-owned way. This for the people who would like their cargo vans to have an off-road possibility, but would neither want to spend an excess of $53,400 dollars for a new Sprinter 4x4, nor would they want to wait for the 4x4 van conversion process of their current hauling companion.

Buying a used vehicle doesn’t have to be the most uncertain of options. Yes, there are poor vehicles are present on the pre-owned van market, and yes, some of them have seen their share of motoring abuse, but the majority of them are, actually, in excellent shape.
This is, in our opinion, all the more true for pre-owned 4x4 vans. They are a small niche, and only those business people who truly need and desire them are ever going to buy one. And you can be sure that they have taken great care of it. Even though the mere notion of a cargo van going across rough terrain might imply that it has been beaten down and trodden upon, trust us, for the most part, it is not like that.

There aren’t that many four-by-four vans floating around the pre-owned vehicle lots, which means you will have to put some effort towards finding the perfect specimen. And, once you do find it, perform the regular checks and inspections only to make double sure it is in pristine working condition. If it all checks out, proceed with the purchase without any doubt. 4x4 van is a rare beast, especially those who are meant for business, but all the more awarding once you find a suitable one for you. Visit the more renowned dealers first, as they are probably going to have one or two at hand.