The high-ride motorhome is based on a medium-length 3.5-tonne Sprinter 319 CDI van, shod with cross-country tyres and a snorkel allows it to breathe while fording deep water.
Meanwhile, internal features include rugged flight case style units, a large fridge and freezer, a slide-out bed, an Eberspacher heater and dual solar panels, installed by Coastline Campers, of Canterbury.
The bodybuilder also added a bespoke, back door-mounted spare wheel carrier, while the Sprinter’s roof rack was custom-designed and fitted by Patriot Products, of Bedford.
“I’ve made a few 4x4 trips, some with friends, others on my own, including one to Lapland. Now I’m looking at Morocco and the Black Sea, although I also want to take the Sprinter across to Scandinavia,” says Blunden, who is a member of the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen Club and also owns a Sprinter 4x4.
The latter model is sold by all Mercedes-Benz van dealers: it has no differential locks, relying instead on traction management via the Mercedes-Benz 4-ETS (electronic traction system), integrated with its Adaptive ESP anti-skid technology.
The permanent four-wheel drive system used by Oberaigner for its conversion features a crawler gear for off-road driving and another for travel with heavy loads or on gradients, as well as three (longitudinal, front and rear) mechanical differential locks.
“When the going gets tough, my new Sprinter certainly gets going… The off-road performance is fantastic, while I also like the fact that there’s nothing ‘fluffy’ about the design,” states Blunden.
Surrey and Sussex dealer Rossetts Commercials is the sole UK agent for German all-wheel drive specialist Oberaigner.