Road clearance concerns

[Syd]

Hi everyone! Newbie here.
I’m buying yet another class, after going without for years.
I love the unplaced roads and wonder if anyone has thoughts or info on better than some bclass vans?
Looking at the Banff Carrado, or maybe better are the older Roadtreks, say, ea ly 2000s?
Any and all input is very much appreciated! Thank you.

[Syd]

I mean to say UNPAVED roads!

[Phoebe3]

Others here can address things like lift kits, 4WD, bigger tires, etc. I can only point out that given the same undercarriage clearance, a shorter wheelbase will reduce the chances you will bottom out. We could not buy the 170" wheelbase Sprinter because we could not get it into our sloped driveway - the angle changing from the road to the driveway was so great, the van would center in the middle of the transition. The 144" wheelbase on the Transit (and anything shorter) would handle it just fine.

[JohnnyFry]

Well, I for one have had it with the silly front "Ground effect" airdam. It is coming off as soon as I get to warm weather!

[User1213]

I lifted my 2006 Roadtrek 210 Popular, my build thread is HERE

[Syd]

Thanks to you, and I and I admire your technical skills! Well done.

[mlts22]

One reason I like the Transit is because it is higher off the ground. You can get a third party 4x4 upfit from Quigley or Quadvan. It adds 14k to the price of the vehicle, but might be worth it. The ironic thing is that the Sprinter's 4x4 option is only around $7500 more, so if you want four wheel drive, a Sprinter might do the trick.

Rough guesstimates, make a Sprinter around $65-70k for 4WD, and with the 4x4 upfit done by a third party, a Transit is almost as much. Add a diesel engine, and the Transit and Sprinter with 4x4 can easily overlap in price ranges.