ADF Sprinter turns vans into adventure vehicles in the Simi Valley
Breaking away from everyday life
AFD Sprinter Simi Valley
© press-inform – the press office
The camping and mobile home trend is taking on more and more gigantic forms. The USA makes no difference to Europe. The ADF Sprinter company in Simi Valley, California, turns boring Mercedes Sprinters into real expedition vehicles for adventures on four wheels.
The inconspicuous building in a faceless industrial area of Simi Valley is not particularly noticeable and not even a company sign points to the unusual conversion company, which is barely able to keep up with the processing of the orders. The numerous Mercedes Sprinters and a few Vitos – sold here as Metris – next to the main entrance indicate that vehicles are being professionally tinkered with here. In the business space it looks like a move – camping chairs, dishes, brochures and walls with design boards suggest that the ADF Sprinter company only moved in here last week. But the conversion specialists – founded in 1987 – have been here for decades. “We used to convert imperials and suburbans for celebrities or athletes and armored Ford Excursions for people who were always on the move with a lot of cash. But since 2002 we have specialized in converting Mercedes Sprinters,” says company founder Ron Weaver, relaxed behind his Sitting at a desk. His son Jeremiah now has the reins in hand and juggles dozens of models between the individual work areas. “We’re not getting enough cars,” says Jeremiah Weaver, “we might have eight Metris in advance. After that, there will only be electric models for now. We have to see where we can get the vehicles from. Fortunately, we have good contact with them Mercedes dealers and work closely with them. “
The demand for electric vans that are then to be converted is manageable. Much more popular are Mercedes Metris and Sprinters with four- or six-cylinder diesels – ideally with all-wheel drive. Some of the customers have the models converted into commercial vehicles by ADF Sprinter. Sometimes it’s the successor to the former stretch limousines that go to Las Vegas on the Strip, sometimes it’s a mobile eye laboratory for schools or a mobile beauty salon. The demand for converted campers is growing all the time. “There are two trends here,” explains Ron Weaver, “some want the most affordable, practical campervan possible. They follow the vanlife trend.” That means, on the weekend or on a few days off, you can take a Mercedes Metris (Vito) to campsites, the beach or a national park. Here, during the renovation, you sometimes still do it yourself and customize it afterwards. A converted Mercedes Metris / Vito costs 80,000 to 110,000 US dollars; spend just half as much as fans of the so-called adventure life to turn their Mercedes Sprinter into a rustic off-road climbing maxi of the luxury class at ADF. Four-wheel drive, underrun protection with studded tires, pull-out tent, cable winch and LED beams all round turn a standard model into a spectacular adventure vehicle that could also come from a Jurassic Park strip from Hollywood Studios. “With that you can endure a few days or weeks in the wilderness,” smiles Jeremiah Weaver, “the demand is huge.” More and more customers are even selling their own house or apartment or are drastically reducing their size at home and moving their sprinters across America in everyday life of a different kind. The ongoing corona pandemic has accelerated the outbreak trend in North American nature again.
Adventure Life has long since taken place not only on the weekend or during the holidays, but also extends far into work and life. Freelancers and self-employed in creative professions like to get out of their off-road sprinters after a week of testing and ordering their own dream vehicle and live their new everyday life in the great outdoors. Wyoming, Nebraska, Maine or Colorado send their regards and there have long been entire clubs or apartment communities of entrepreneurs in the USA who roam the country and have forsaken all or part of the stationary life in the office. Here, when it comes to the equipment, no one looks at the money and the Adventure Sprinter is equipped with everything for US $ 200,000 or more so that new ideas can be sent to the customer via data transfer in the remote heights of the Rocky Mountains. In addition to creative work in the mobile sprinter office, there is skiing, climbing, exploring the area on a mountain bike or simply relaxing on a lake with a panoramic view.
Depending on how extensive the conversion of a classic Mercedes Sprinter or a small Metris is, customers often have to wait longer for their own dream van. “The conversion time itself is between 8 and 15 weeks,” explains Jeremiah Weaver, “depending on how special the special requests are and whether we have to wait for certain parts, but it can take a little longer.” ADF Sprinter in Simi Valley produces around 300 vehicles per year; 60 percent for commercial use and 40 percent as a camper in the Van Life or Adventure Life categories. If you are unsure, you can try out the models at ADF Sprinter and usually come back enthusiastic and with an order.
Those responsible for the ADF see the increasing trend towards electromobility quite relaxed. But with a range of less than 600 miles per battery charge, according to Ron and Jeremiah Weaver, hardly any customer would jump on the vehicles with a plug. Therefore, first of all, everything is about diesel engines and large lithium-ion battery packs, which, together with the solar panels on the roof, ensure the supply in the supposed wilderness. Fold-out shower, hydraulic bed that folds out from the high roof or a water supply of 175 liters – in the noble camper with a star, nothing is missing if you can make friends with the manageable dimensions of the interior. “The trend is getting bigger and bigger here and the urge for freedom is unbroken,” says Umbau veteran Ron Weaver, “as the basis of these campers and vans there are three models in the USA with Ford Transit, RAM Promaster and Mercedes Sprinter. We are indeed the ones most expensive, but people want and get a Mercedes. That makes the difference. “