Too Sketchy For A Van On This Trail!

[@Safariandy]

That’s my van….2023 AWD. Thanks Matt and all for the amazing assist! Calling for a pro was the smartest thing we could have done! For clarity, the ESP (anti slip), lane assist and Parktronic sensors were all disabled by me during my attempts to climb and when Master Matt took the wheel, but he was still having trouble with power. Matt did jump out a couple of times to check his climbing lines and if he turned off the engine (which it sounds like may have been the case) the sensors would have reset to the on position. We consulted the OnX trail app when planning the trip and the Honeymoon Trail is rated as ‘easy ‘…… very humbling experience but I gotta say I’m pretty pumped to be the first sprinter to make it to the top. Just needed Matt’s expertise and peanut’s guiding to make it happen. I’ll stick to the forest roads for the immediate future! Thanks again Matt and Happy trails everyone!

[@fritglassware9165]

Expirences like this are what help you avoid problems in the future. My 2020 4x4 handled every crazy place I took it till I tried to follow some tracks onto the salt flats without hopping out to walk the surface first. ended up stuck up to the frame immediatly 😅 Got pulled out by a pick up and always check surfaces now. That app really screwed you listing that as easy 😮 especially with how narrow the trail is in spots.

[@mattriley3550]

What did it cost you to get out of this pickle?

[@hiskingdomcome]

Out of curiosity, does your sprinter have low range gearing and was it turned on?

[@Safariandy]

@@hiskingdomcome the new 2023s have a new engine and while there is no ‘low’ gear to select, 1st gear tends to ‘hold’ a bit longer giving extra power and kind of mimics a low gear if that makes sense. I’m sure there is a better explanation….

[@wingnutbert9685]

Nicely done up to that point! 😁 I often watch van-life channels and see them go up sketchy roads blind. Road conditions being always a concern but also a spot to turn around can be critical. If it were me, I'd be getting a drone. Make quick work of scouting out routes and alternatives or just seeing if the drive up/down is worth the time, effort and risk.

[@jasonwtheis5921]

Matt's "Lower 48" confession at the beginning cracked me up. L48 is an Alaskan term to refer to the "contiguous US" since there are 48 states in that grouping, all of which are south of Alaska.

[@user-tb7rn1il3q]

Lower 48 of US = everything except Alaska, Hawaii, and Territories = 48 Contiguous States and DC between Canada and Mexico

[@mickm6309]

That is what I thought. I remember a show either on KZbin or TV where a group of drivers would were sort of racing in Alaska and they were referring to a team from Colorado or somewhere around there as being from the Lower 48.

[@bearmotel]

Not particularly Alaskan. Very familiar with the term being used here in Western New York.

[@kender1412]

Ummm... it's not an Alaskan term. It's a term that is mostly attached to travel and shipping. It costs more to go through customs to pass through another country and/or cross the Pacific.

[@SteelheadTed]

You missed the joke I think. Or, you are doing a masterful job of continuing the shtick

[@jesseleesamples]

Jake is an awesome addition to the team and the show, he’s such a happy positive guy with a can-do attitude and he never complains

[@applesbighatranch6906]

I have to agree. He's come a long way in a short amount of time with his on-screen delivery. Jake rocks.

[@NameNaameNameeNaamee]

If you had TC turned off, the only thing I can think of is that this van (like most modern vans) has a rollover protection embedded into the ESP and it's cutting power everytime the vans lateral movement and/or angle exeeds a certain threshold value. Or the TC can't be turned off completely, which then simply would be bad design.

[@buddy1155]

It is called ASR (anti-slip regulation) on a Mercedes, but he just had to turn that off. And a sprinter will become a mountain goat.

[@martinsv9183]

@@buddy1155 Its not certain that you can turn it completely off... Unless you are specifically familiar with that model. MB, like many others, has a certain fondness for "safety". Even when you dont want it. If you're going serious off road you should have mechanical diff locks in my opinion.

[@vsumak]

Both previous facelifted model of the Sprinter, as well as this one - you can turn off the ASR in the settings, but at some point it "intelligently" self engages.

[@rogereverett9095]

Thats a bit of operator error. If correctly set in off road mode if wouldn't do that. But actually the system is called 4ets, its switchable. Has brake sensors, motion sensors and angle sensors. t. In off road settings, the throttle response is controlled, no spinning wheels and would travel almost anywhere. However matt did a great job , I'm sure he doesn't have time to read the manual. The customer probably should have done though !!

[@martinsv9183]

@@rogereverett9095 There is an off button in all MB:s but usually it never completely turns off the intervention... Just lessens it. Questionable if the Sprinter is any different..

[@LeightonDPhoto]

The more offroad capable the rig... the further the recovery crew has to go to rescue you... great driving!

[@danielsnook5029]

Agreed, and only a rig equal to or more capable than yours can rescue you.

[@taylorhickman84]

As my coworker says, 4x4 just allows you to go further before you get stuck.

[@LeightonDPhoto]

@@taylorhickman84 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@thomaslongshore1295]

@@LeightonDPhoto, some truth to that.

[@22TACO]

Lower 48 (for New Zealanders) Has reference to the statehood of Alaska. Prior to this, the USA had 48 states. When Alaska became the 49th, the contiguous (ie touching each other) states were called the "lower" (ie further south) 48 in distinction from Alaska. Not long after, Hawaii became a state, giving us the fifty nifty United States Love the channel. We are huge fans!!.Hope to stop by the shop for a hat one day!

[@daveb3052]

From Kiwi's: We know. When you master the metric system, then you can start extolling your wisdom Taco.

[@JasonGunn418]

I agree with this thought, possibly a fact.

[@sw6188]

I'm a Kiwi (living in NZ) and I know what the 'lower 48' means.

[@NoNegotiations]

In simplest terms, Not including Alaska or Hawaii. Thats what lower 48 is. US has 50 States.

[@geoffmerritt]

@@NoNegotiations should be referred to as the middle 48 now...

[@sdkeil]

This is a a great example of two things being true at once. Just because you have an offroad capable vehicle doesn't mean it is designed to go everywhere, yet if you are an uber capable driver like Matt you can drive vehicles clearly out of their element "safely" through some crazy situations.

[@andrewk8636]

Spintera aren't capable at all. They are utter trash offroad. I tried pulling one out at the beach and they couldn't even get it to spin the tires at all

[@KNR90]

No. A Mercedes Van is meant to go on gravel roads. Not trails. They are luxury vehicles, not useful ones. That's why it was so miserable to do anything

[@fabik805]

​​​@@KNR90I mean a Sprinter is more of a utility vehicle.

[@sdkeil]

@@KNR90 I think you missed what I was trying to say. I totally agree the sprinter van does not belong there; however, if you put a super competent driver in a non-capable vehicle it is surprising what that driver can accomplish.

[@TheMormeltier]

You just need the right equipment and construction, standard cars rarely go trail riding, they are always equipped for the expected problems. In this case the diff-locks, suspension travel, low gear and ecu settings are missing. You will also have to place the weight as much as possible at the bottom so as not to become top-heavy, but that is difficult with a camper. Finally, it depends on the driver how far you get.

[@TheTgall11]

Rhett is AMAZING, certainly has acquired his Dads' mechanical talent!!😁

[@willbutler2639]

@carmineredd🤣🤣 he’s a major mouth breather but I’m the was same way. I physically have to tell myself to close my mouth. I don’t know why

[@TwistedQuestionMark]

​@carminereddBraces will do that although I don't see it at all.

[@shannonkoelbl909]

@@willbutler2639 I know how he feels. I've had sinus problems since an infant. Even after surgery, I was so used to breathing through my mouth that I still do today.

[@erictooke3850]

Something with MORR and not having the correct tools for the job.

[@Imurai]

Claw hammer always works.

[@cmorin543]

Hey Rhett, it may have already been mentioned in another comment, but any easy way to start those old HMMWV.s when the glow plugs aren`t working is to take a rag and cover the exhaust tailpipe while someone cranks it. The extra backpressure is usually enough to get it started. Worked overseas most of the time.

[@Treyorrrr]

This comment will one day save me in a zombie apocalypse

[@sk-wx1cf]

Well that was super sketchy! Another great job Matt! By the way, "lower 48" refers to the contiguous 48 states of the US, minus Alaska and Hawaii, because they are not touching the rest. Last week I did my first recovery, thanks to what I learned on this channel. I pulled someone's Jeep Cherokee out of a snowbank that they misjudged. It was sunk to the frame. Gave it a slow steady tug with recovery strap hitched to my Ram Promaster 1500 camper van and popped them out of there. It was very gratifying for me and the couple in the Jeep!

[@SAMMIEJONESJUNIOR]

Long story short, a van, no matter how it is marketed at the most, is good for very moderate off-road trails. I have noticed that between Matt and Rory, they have rescued high-end earth roamers all the way down to a storyteller. These over sized heavy vehicles are not built for the " go anywhere" sales pitch.

[@fullsendmountainbiker5844]

Agreed. If you want a ‘go anywhere’ camper get a jeep gladiator or Toyota Tacoma with a roof tent.

[@tk45440]

i think people confuse overlanding with off-roading and rock climbing

[@SAMMIEJONESJUNIOR]

@tk45440 I agree, and the manufacturer promotes that misread due to slogans like " this vehicle can go anywhere"

[@fullsendmountainbiker5844]

@@tk45440 yeah but these expensive off road manufacturers claim their vehicle can ‘go anywhere’ but that’s far from the case

[@SuburbaniteUrbanite]

That’s how they sell it to you… with lies. Same for any AWD vehicle. Legit most the vehicles recovered on this channel are often sold via lies.

[@gearforexperiences]

That problem on Sprinter with computer cutting power is unique to 2023+ part-time AWD models. Sprinter 4x4 2008-2022 have 4hi, 4Lo, and doesn’t behave like this off road. You can add an ARB air locker to the AWD models, which helps tremendously because computer thinks it has traction in rear at all times. Great job Matt as always! 🎉

[@stephenclarke9660]

Kind of, the 4Lo on the earlier models wasn't much of a true crawler gear.

[@gearforexperiences]

@@stephenclarke9660 true but it’s still had lower range on all 7 speed, and it was an all-time center locking diff activated 4x4, not AWD on a as-needed basis. If you saw what I’ve done with my VS30 4x4 Sprinter, you would understand my disappointment with newer gens.

[@stephenclarke9660]

@@gearforexperiences yes I get your point. I'm in a similar situation with my 2019 Quigley converted Transit, with its "old school" 4x4 system and LSDs. Unlike the newer Transits, I can turn my traction control completely off and have no problem when we hoist a wheel (or two) in the air.

[@gearforexperiences]

@@stephenclarke9660 Quigley 4x4 transit, that’s a nice Van setup! I wouldn’t buy an AWD transit or Sprinter. Price rises quickly when doing a custom 4x4 conversion, but it might the way to go nowadays, or get a pickup with flatbed camper.

[@stephenclarke9660]

@@gearforexperiences Thanks we love ours, it's got us home safely from some very remote and challenging situations - with little to no drama. Sadly, Quigley stopped doing Transit conversions after the 2019 MY, I got one of the last ones. They switched to offering a 2" lift for the AWD - which IMHO is a pale imitation of the real thing. I heard rumors that they may start offering true 4x4 conversion for the 23 and up though.

[@wendyfletcher8348]

We love Rhett! He has been a natural in front of the camera since his first time! Such personality. And the "new guys" are a great addition, too.

[@beanwithbaconmegarocket]

Respect to the sprinter van owner for knowing when he was in over his head and getting a more skilled dude to pilot his vehicle.

[@dax8476]

But, but but. He mis read the 'difficulty charts attempted a trip in an unsuitable vehicle and got stuck. Preparation??

[@WEOWNTHESKIES]

I've wheeled 2wd and 4wd sprinters more than most of the jeep lemmings in this comment section. They have their limitations but so did my first car the Honda Accord that we took to many places off off off road. I'm so sick of the sentiment that only jeeps can go off road, only trucks can tow a trailer, etc. where I come from, you get outside and run what ya brung for fun and if it aint working, its all good. props to this guy for exploring and pushing this van.

[@deborahabc4117]

Trail Mater rescued an Earthroamer. It was extremely tall and heavy. The road was collapsed under it from all the weight. It really was dangerous to take it to Moab on these trails.

[@geekazoid]

The automatic braking-based traction control was working (that's why the wheel in the air stopped, so the diff wouldn't slip) however you left the ESP stabilization on (there's a button on the dash) so it was fighting you. The owner should have known about that. Also I really wonder if you were in 4 Low. I've climbed in mine and it would just happily chug along in a super low gear. There is also a different approach to diesel crawling; you don't really ever get to build momentum like you do in a gasser. A lot of the techniques I see Matt using in his vehicles are really quite impressive to me because all my diesel crawling experience is slow and mellow. We rarely take a run at things.

[@jakep513]

The fact that the owner said it was AWD makes me wonder if it’s one of the new 2023s that don’t have a low range

[@geekazoid]

@@jakep513 This appears to be a Storyteller Stealth MODE AWD. So it doesn't have the same climbing/crawling drivetrain that my 906 4x4 has, I guess. However I would expect similar wheel lift with my limited articulation. I'm sure that he could have disabled the ESP but he lacked the gearing for steady climb. That van is for forestry roads, not crawling.

[@TobyCostaRica]

From what I’ve read the AWD first gear is equivalent to the 4x4 low range.

[@GregoryVeizades]

I dont have a sprinter, but i do have a 2013 GLK 250 diesel and i was just begging Matt to turn off the ESP. would have made it a relative cake walk.

[@sw6188]

I was sitting here thinking to myself that there was some kind of traction control behavior going on there. I'm actually surprised that Matt didn't go looking for the button to turn it off and the owner didn't tell Matt that it had that feature.

[@dougbarlow3010]

I’ve said it before, it just amazes me what kind of trail repairs you guys do. Amazing😊😊😊

[@lardo666]

"I'm cheap, lazy and I'm a pansy" and you're alive and uninjured running a 24/7 off-road recovery outfit.... I reckon these things might connected in a lot of good ways. Keep up the good work - there are people alive today only because you 'got them out'

[@cherylsibson2529]

As a Canadian, the whole 48 issues started in What we do know is that the term emerged around 1959 when Alaska became a state. Hawaii had not yet acquired this status. So, to Alaskans, there were only another 48 states, all of them lower down on the map. Or might not be related at all? Great driving skills there Matt!

[@Vagitarian01]

I know it's lost on a portion of his viewers, but he was being sarcastic. In the original clip, he was expecting his crew to answer, but no one was paying attention. That's why his response was "nobody knows". In this video, he realized his humor was lost on so many people so he doubled down because it was funny to continue the charade. 1:25 watch it again from that perspective.

[@periwinkle-dragonfly]

@@Vagitarian01 Exactly.

[@MajTom-wd2yt]

@@periwinkle-dragonfly You forgot C-eh-n-eh-d-eh it's part of the upper '48' eh?

[@periwinkle-dragonfly]

@@MajTom-wd2yt It's really not.

[@Chris_at_Home]

In Alaska when we travel to the lower 48 we will call it going outside.

[@TheLimberPine]

It’s cool watching Rhett grow in the recovery biz and Jake’s a great addition! Also, that Sprinter situation was Super Sketch! You ought to have a special tshirt just for those occasions 😉

[@johnphillips2426]

Jake is an idiot. Every video with him 👎

[@nateirvision9266]

Matt's frustrations with the Sprinter are the exact reason I sold mine. Can it go places a non-4WD will go? Sure... But not without fighting you the whole way.

[@martinsv9183]

Always need diff locks for serious off roading.

[@jimf8833]

You have to turn off the traction control on the Sprinters. It's overly aggressive and cuts the power.

[@llukas0906]

Probably helps if it’s a manual

[@Grokroot]

Sort of like trying to use a 3/8 ratchet to pound nails in

[@minekush1138]

​@@Grokroot there's never a hammer here always end using the side of a monkey wrench or something

[@Hybris51129]

The more I see of these "Overland" rigs the more I realize that a lot of them are little more than campers that can bomb down a dirt road without taking any major damage. Anything more than that like even a mild trail and you quickly get into a grey area of what they can safely handle.

[@jaredlancaster4137]

Absolutely. They're like as off-road capable as a regular car, which is a big step up from most motorhomes to be fair.

[@KriegerDelfin24]

the Sprinter ist off road capable. its just this one is made for the US Market so the Computer will be more safe, And this does not have a kit from Iglhaut or Archtleitner so its kinda sad

[@toddwilliams5905]

@@KriegerDelfin24 What do the kits do?

[@Hybris51129]

@@jaredlancaster4137 What really gets me is the platforms being used for a lot of these rigs are often lightweight rigs to begin with. A Sprinter or Transit are horribly light duty vehicles for on road applications let alone the weight and abuse of being off road.

[@TurboChecker12]

@@toddwilliams5905 they lift the Vans + lockers (mid and rear in the most cases) and they add underbody protection. Igelhaut is also modifying these Sprinters for the Austrian military and fire departments. If the customer wants they also got transfer cases with crawl ratios and so on.

[@pawel9625]

Bringing that ($200k+) campervan to the top of the trail was insane, Matt. Well done!

[@KNR90]

They should have spent the money on a capable vehicle instead

[@SaintNyx]

@@KNR90I’ll never understand why manufacturers use technology to artificially cripple a vehicle that would work perfectly fine otherwise.

[@TheOminousVoidWispers]

​​​@@SaintNyxl about control and tracking. The days of manual cars and linked steering racks are coming to an end. They want to see your speed where you are and want to be able to shut your car off whenever they want. I'll never give up my cars with manual transmissions and no built in GPS or onstar bs. I've got a GPS and a phone... stupid to have a expensive redundant system that can cause all kinds of electrical issues stranding you with a unfixable vehicle... I'm 100% against vehicle automation. Keep people driving and increase public transport. These van life fools who blow so much money on a van that can't drive up a slight hill is embarrassing. It's used to be about the destination not blowing 200k on a van ffs.

[@SaintNyx]

@@TheOminousVoidWispers You’re not wrong. Reminds me of I, Robot with Will Smith. Never thought I’d see the day when that future would be so close to reality.

[@BikeNewLondon]

You guys definitely nailed it. This Benz was clearly limited in capability by its own programming. Some wheelspin and more aggressive throttle control would have gotten it out much more easily. I see this same thing happen on my street every winter. A long uphill with a sharp bend. Every year, Honda Odyssey vans get stuck there like clockwork in the snow. Traction control off, and they finally go easily. Same issue, where what works for one condition is absolutely wrong for a different surface.

[@headers12]

Pro Tip for starting a HMMWV: Use a piece of cardboard, binder, etc. to cover the exhaust while cranking it, it creates a bit of back pressure that helps it starts. Idk why this trick that I was taught by a Staff Sergeant always worked, when I tried to start one that wouldn’t. Also, is very important to let the glow plug light turn off before starting any HMMWV.

[@Sjanzo]

When it has that little compression that it wont start in hot weather,, it might be time for an engine swap...

[@jeremyhanna3852]

Yep that back pressure spools the turbo faster works on most turbo diesel engines

[@Bovafett]

came to say the same thing. We also just used our old black army gloves to cover the exhaust with our hands

[@aarondraney7909]

Just said the same thing hahaha almost always worked 😂

[@badwerds]

@@Sjanzo rett literally said it wasnt hot

[@SOLDADITO76]

Typically the term Lower 48 is used for folks the live south of Alaska and East of Hawaii being that Alaska and Hawaii are the 49th and 50th states. That term is comely used in Alaska when referring to the lower states. You see this term a lot when dealing with shipping items, some times you will see "we ship Items to all lower 48 states, excluding Alaska and Hawaii".

[@jim4448]

Of course, None of the people at work for Matt off Road recovery . Has never lived in alaska or hawaii.. 😅😂😅

[@tetedur377]

@@jim4448 You don't know that to be absolutely true unless they've polled everyone.

[@Gedit]

hard to believe that they didn't know what lower 48 was, but ok :)

[@justinsane7128]

Lower 48 yeah that's where the majority of the sheeple live

[@Roger-O]

I couldn't have said it better. But I found it interesting that Matt used the term so easily without knowing the meaning or context. I'm sure there are terms that I don't know the meaning of.

[@LivingTheVanLife]

Interesting video to watch. And even MORE interesting comments to read. I have thousands of miles of off-road travel experience using both my nimble and compact 2WD VW Vanagon camper van as well as my giant oversized Sprinter 4x4 camper van. I have taken my 4x4 Sprinter van that is bigger and heavier than the van in this video thru much more rugged terrain. My entire Living The Van Life KZbin channel is built on documenting my off road adventures with my vans and getting them into places where camper vans SHOULD NOT be. I enjoy pushing the limits of myself and my vans. I have learned a lot from them. Is the 4x4 Sprinter a capable machine off road? Sure... within its limits. Is it THEE most capable off road machine? Absolutely NOT EVEN CLOSE. It's laughable to think it's even comparable. But for a vehicle that is very well suited for full-time living, with the right kind of driving and the right kind up upgrades, its amazing the 4x4 trails that I have successfully taken my full-time home on wheels up and through -where can your house take you? That being said... you can't expect the world from them. These are delivery vans turned camper vans. The issues illustrated in this video are definitely issues that hold most of these vans back from being MORE capable than they are. The power delivery issue is my biggest challenge as well. But I have learned how to work around these known issues and still get my Sprinter through MUCH more difficult and technical terrain than what is in this video. My sprinter is highly modified with suspension and drive train upgrades that helps these exact issues. Matter of fact... once I installed the rear ARB locker in my Sprinter van, I was able to do much more technical climbs in 2WD locked than what we see in this video and the power delivery was tremendously better in 2WD than in 4x4. Really it all comes down to knowing your vehicles capabilities and picking and choosing the right lines for the vehicle. Now I am interested to come visit the Honeymoon trail and try this trail in my Sprinter. I'm always looking for a good challenge -be on standby Matt! Keep on truckin!

[@garyjones6994]

I was wondering what your take was on this Chad. Do you have a full list of drivetrain mods on your van? Would love to. see them posted on your site. Great meeting you at Overland Expo in Flagstaff.

[@ljkemper]

Yeah, but your van has been modified to handle it and I love watching your adventures. But a stock van is a lot different!

[@Jamie.S.85]

To disable the ESP Traction control on the sprinter , press the home button on the radio unit twice and select ESP to off (this is how my European Model works). This will let you get the revs you want without the van killing the power.

[@Patrick.Weightman]

But like literally what is the point of the function

[@thephantom1492]

@@Patrick.Weightman You usually do not want to spin tires in the snow or sand, you will dig and get stuck. However sometime, like in this case, you DO want to spin or else you get stuck.

[@jackoalltrades5708]

does using manual mode to shift into 1st dis able traction control on that vechile, it does on some

[@123123boobies]

@@thephantom1492 a bit of speed and full throttle will work for just about everything. Traction control is worthless. Its never once helped me in the snow. All it does it keep you stuck.

[@Lray4x4]

​@@thephantom1492Traction control is nothing but garbage, I have NEVER been in a situation that it was useful but plenty where it was a hindrance.

[@AFloridaSon]

Matt drives a lot of people's vehicles out without hooking up a recovery vehicle. It's like he becomes one with the vehicle. Even the sketchy vehicles.😅

[@stephenclarke9660]

There is nothing wrong with taking appropriately converted vans up challenging trails. The problem here is that this is an AWD Sprinter not a true 4x4. It is a fantastic demonstration of the limitations of modern AWD systems that rely on individual braking and ECU power cuts for traction control. We take our Quigly 4x4 Transit through trails every bit as challenging as that. The difference being that our Quigley conversion is a true 4x4, which cannot spin all of its drive torque away through one lofted wheel, and our ECU isn't cutting power when we need it. The Sprinters infamous boost lag doesn't help. Whereas the 3.5 Ecoboost in our van has gobs of linear torque right off idle.

[@DOOODWDDDAD]

10-4 ---------- QUIGLY !!! ( MADE IN CHINA )

[@spencerjhog4429]

That was a real deal " Hey Y'all watch this" recovery. I was trying to decide between skilled or completely nuts and Matt is a 50/50 mix!

[@1a1u0g9t4s2u]

Today's victory pie flavor is black berry, my favorite. Matt earned a pass on the 'lower 48' as he in a previous episode shared why the northern part of AZ is called the 'Arizona Strip'. Sharing knowledge is a 'Win-Win' for everybody. Great job driving a vehicle out to a safe spot that is not meant to be on an off road trail let alone a gravel road. Great job Rhett on the trail repair. Thanks for sharing.

[@ripvanrevs]

I just got me a couple of those pies at Save A Lot. Deeelicious!!!

[@JohnLloydPhoto]

Lol that van's ECU was more scared than Matt was 😂

[@kingcosworth2643]

These 'smart' electronic protections are infuriating, "I own you machine, you do what I say, not the other way around"

[@DB-yj3qc]

@@kingcosworth2643 I'd damn near want to rip that S### out of my JT already. Especially when I'm backing a trailer up my driveway after or during rain.

[@wherethefugarwe]

Visiting the area (with a stop to meet everyone at MORR!) in a rented bone stock Wrangler we decided to drive up the Honeymoon Trail. After spending more time than I"d like with a wheel in the air we made it to the top. Now when I watch these videos I recognize the exact spots where I had to noodle my way through. This trail is no joke, and the fact this van made it up shows the skill Matt has.

[@morsumbra9692]

What an awesome learning environment for Rhett. Lotta father figures around and most of em seem to be able to comprehend that sensitive feelings mumbo jumbo stuff too. Legit encouraging to watch yall. Good leadership and comradery

[@EXPIOWA]

About rest: I was a very high performing airline pilot for 20 years because I had a work ethic similar to yours that would not allow me to rest. I felt guilty and horrible when I was not pushing forward. I became very successful until one day when my body said, “Enough” and had a stroke. I am fully recovered and should get to return to my job flying airliners again soon but it was a rough journey. Take time to rest. You have great people there who you can trust. It is fun being out there doing it but your body can make you stop completely in one minute if it is forced to. Getting back is way harder than taking a break once in a while. Allow yourself a certain amount of rest every day, at least every other. Eat well. Give yourself permission to actually relax. Love on your dogs as much as you can.

[@videoguy1981]

You have to go into the dash cluster to turn all the TC and VSC off. Then click it down to 1st gear. With the pervious gen of sprinters you have to turn TC off each time you switch from D to R etc and keep it locked in 1st.

[@perezjorbaorg6050]

Can't believe the owner that got that far did not know that

[@boilermaker1337]

I've heard that some vehicles actually come with a book that tells you how things like that work on the vehicle. 😀

[@acesonflush346]

That's stupid, why can't there be one freaking button that'll turn all that crap off.

[@BubblesTheCat1]

​@@perezjorbaorg6050I'm surprised Matt didn't know how to turn all the nannies off because he is very knowledgeable about vehicles😁

[@joshua43214]

@@BubblesTheCat1 He is pretty knowledgeable about vehicles that are over 25 years old. He simply refuses to have anything to do with modern systems, and often gets into messes like this when a few minutes with the owners manual would have made things better.

[@michaelc.3812]

Rhett, you’re turning into a darn good mechanic! Love the Rhett episodes- thanks Matt and Jefe!

[@diogoteixeira4263]

I have a spinter to but manual and i can garantee that it has a ton of power , i have seen my dad doing more sketcky stuff in it than in his nissan patrol , it just goes xd

[@BubblesTheCat1]

​@@diogoteixeira4263it's the electronic nannies that's keeping the thing from going

[@BubblesTheCat1]

Rhett is an awesome boy, and very good at what he is doing😁🙋‍♂️👍🏻

[@beewithay6226]

That lower 48 conversation had me cracking up! I love the lack of answers 😃

[@alcesspectre]

That "no fuel" feeling is how I feel about most traction control systems when I'm in the snow here in the northeast. Snow tires + fuse removal ftw

[@stephenclarke9660]

The difference between opn diff AWD that relies on brakes and full cut for traction v true 4WD

[@ScottHolderCrossPoint]

One of the best recovery videos ever! I was sweating bullets just watching that thing rock back and forth. I can only imagine what it was like inside.

[@dreadwing01]

As an Alaskan we call the lower states the lower 48. I believe I mentioned that on the video you mentioned. Awesome recovery.

[@1one3_Racing]

I believe it's also a joke. Everyone knows what the lower 48 is. I'm Australian and I know what I means.

[@robpeabo509]

The Sprinter certainly was in an area that it had no business to be in. It is a shame traction control could not be disabled, or if it could, the button should be in an obvious location. The owner said he had about 4 hours of off-road driving experience, he also had no business being on that track in any vehicle to be honest.

[@sparepart]

Matt, I was getting butterflies watching you drive on that camber. Appreciate your skill and courage to get that vehicle out there.

[@luckydogx2]

Taking that Sprinter up that trail was one of the scariest looking recoveries ever! Great job, Matt!

[@kwcluse]

Hi Matt, saw your recovered Sprinter van rolling down the freeway in PHX a few hours ago rolling steady! Great job getting it up that hill!

[@B4UClose]

Rhett is stepping up there and Jake is always a happy guy.

[@aarona5482]

Wow!! This is the first video I’ve ever gotten anxiety from watching. The Sprinter van community needs to remember, ITS A VAN!! Great job Matt!

[@UncleManuel]

That van is a perfect example of "because your vehicle has AWD doesn't mean you should drive up a Jeep trail"... 😜 But hey, these customers keep Matt busy... 😁

[@toddwilliams5905]

He said he had 4 hours experience off road! Learned his lesson i hope.

[@Sjanzo]

Ive negotiated tougher trails with a 2wd wagon than most AWD drivers dare.

[@davidtucker3579]

I grew up in Michigan and had 2 wheel drives, but as I got older, late teens to 20's muscle cars, 30's 4-wheel drive, mudding, snow, tank trails 40's 4-wheel drive, 50's same 60's motorcycle,4-wheel drive, only now it's trail riding and rock crawling you know priorities MOAB, Rubicon are on my bucket list for 70's still 4-wheel drive and hopefully Motorcycle life was given to us to live I want my body to go to the grave wore out from adventures not wasted wondering about them live them and if my life's not for you find your own way of enjoying what little time we actually have in this world, it was yesterday I got my license at 16. Now, I just renewed my license in Colorado at 60 time, goes rather fast, and the older you get, the quicker they go talking about the years

[@allenwurl6245]

@@Sjanzomost people don’t know that a 2WD is more capable in 2WD than a 4WD is in 2WD. Pay attention to when Mat engages his 4WD it’s often at the recovery location 😂. 4WD will always be more capable than 2WD but that doesn’t mean you can’t drive around a stuck 4WD in a 2WD truck 👍

[@mady383]

@@allenwurl6245 read the manuel. The ESP (electronic stability program) can be switched off in MBUX (augmented reality for navigation). Then you have full throttle control

[@fscottgray9784]

I hope Brad from Trail recon watches this. He is trying one of these out right now. No low range, no off road driving experience, what could go wrong.

[@813todd]

Good driving Matt! There’s some “safety Mercedes” items that need to be disabled to help with the accelerator problem, like all of them! Disable the DCS, lane departure and parking assist. They can all be seen from the van button on the dash. I did a video on it as well not to try and troll or piggyback. The vans can be more capable with suspension, tires and so on for sure. That’s a stock classic Storyteller mode. My beast does better along with a few upgrades :)

[@thebenson1983]

It's not the upgrades it's a Van. All the upgrades in the world will not change the computer traction control. Call Mercedes they will tell you same thing.

[@813todd]

@@thebenson1983 actually those traction control, lane assist, parking assist and other things can be turned off. Modifications help even more.

[@timjohnson67]

Excellent vid and a pleasure to see Rhett doing so well as such a young man. Best regards from the UK.

[@brucea822]

Sketchy is in most of your rescue jobs Never a dull moment

[@EnjoyFirefighting]

Although not for the hardest of offroad trails, a Sprinter 4x4 is actually not that bad to go offroad with. Sure, medium long wheelbase and high roof line make it a bit more sketchy than with the short wheelbase and low roofline, especially as it leans over quite a bit on such sections of the trails. It's a lot of electronic and automatic stuff going on in the Mercedes, and no low range etc. Takes a bit to get used to it. Here the Sprinter is used for just about anything. Work van for tradesmen, construction sites, fire & rescue and disaster management. They take them offroad as well and the plain normal 4x4 usually is sufficient to get through. Only few, very very few will buy it as 6x6

[@liamterry5301]

Matt, have to admit that was some awesome driving. I've been up that in a RZR. In awe you drive up in that. Badass driving!

[@johndoran3274]

When Matt got out of the driver seat with the front tire off the ground and it sprung up, I thought it was going to flop over movie style.

[@chrisgolding1259]

I always knew Rhett would take over this channel. He's got the juice good job buddy

[@BradleyBeeksAdventures]

I think Matt has a different definition of “lazy” than most people lol.

[@trfinley7076]

I think he's mixing up the L with a Cr when he says he is lazy. Top heavy and lifting the tire that far seemed sketchy as hell to me.

[@89.]

i wish jamie wasnt in any videos i dislike her so much!

[@BradleyBeeksAdventures]

@@trfinley7076 hahah true!

[@funkymedina2974]

I wish people would learn the difference between “then” and “than”. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[@bobsnedekers]

Word

[@cedricpieterse7280]

Try to pull the ESP/Traction Controll fuse out next time. Some vehicles will then give you all the controll and the computer does not cut any power

[@mady383]

there is no fuse. You had to cut it off in the MBUX (augmented reality for navigation).

[@bulletproofpepper2]

Thanks for sharing. Glow plugs and/or intake heater well, new it had them.

[@randycook7226]

matt and Jamie great rescue and recovery.... thanks for bringing us along and the journey...keep making great videos 📹 😀 and showing us your recoveries....I know peanut loves the trips... hey happy 4th of July and great videos 📹 thanks .....

[@tex_gil117]

When Jefe said "we got a call from one of our favorite tour groups who broke down take a guess". I immediately knew it was one of those damn humvees 😂

[@volvo09]

Same here! If I were them I'd add ball joints to a maintenance plan!

[@jeremymerrix6236]

@@volvo09 some grease would have saved a big bill lol

[@volvo09]

@@jeremymerrix6236 yeah, i'd be greasing those regularly, or installing greaseable ball joints. Those definately look unmaintained, or that terrain wears them out incredibly fast, I can't judge when I don't know... I actually installed my own grease zerks onto an unreasonable replacement ball joint set before, easy to drill and tap in. And I'll do it to my next set.

[@jeremymerrix6236]

@volvo09 yeah something like a rig like that for off road use should be greased every week at least. I would take my front wheel bearings out every time I got out of mountains and clean and regrease . (Had 1 fail at 2am on road 1time) never had problems with again and I was Baja though the mountains on forest rds in blue ridge Mt. 35-45mph road smoother at faster speeds lol

[@The_Opinion_of_Matt]

@@volvo09 I've come to the conclusion that the tour company doesn't do any maintenance on them other than oil changes and car washes. A simple inspection would have spotted that bad ball joint long before it sheared off.

[@johnmoran8174]

Nerves of steel! I would have been on pins and needles trying to get that thing to move up the hill with all the wheel lifting and such. Situations like that are where experience is golden!

[@joelellington8459]

That is pure driving skill. It's great that your companion is with you :)

[@marcondespaulo]

If Matt cannot drive a thing, the thing has not a motor. Even if Matt can drive a thing offroad, it does not mean the thing is offroad capable.

[@pof1857]

yup - Matt would be nothing without Peanut

[@ronluna2159]

Matts a vehicle wisper

[@craigluhr3034]

This video allows me to make up my mind about buying a sprinter. I will stick to my 2009 Toyota 76 Series Landcruiser. I am currently looking for a 78 Series Landcruiser Troopy. Maybe, the 70 Series is not as comfortable as a Sprinter, but it is far more capable.

[@johnwinkler6575]

That boy is going to be one good mechanic. And he’s right about the weather. It is July 5 in Wyoming and you think it was the end of September. The only thing we’re missing is snow.

[@TNSBUILT]

Just made my morning seeing this notification. Keep up the great work guys.💯❤️💪🏽🔧

[@stevenbaker8184]

To answer the question,the lower 48 refers to the 48 states that are actually attached to each other. Alaska and Hawaii not being attached get excluded.Oh and Matt remember that if you move the rocks you just might have to be putting them back.

[@jeremiahparkhurst5244]

it should be contiguous 48 states not lower

[@stevenbaker8184]

@@jeremiahparkhurst5244 technically you are correct. But there are quite a few people who use the term "lower 48" mainly in reference to the fact that Alaska is up and to the left of the rest of us. If you are facing due north.I would also say it kinda makes no sense in reference to Hawaii, it's to the left and down at an angle in relation to the rest of us.. The Map of the world not withstanding, because it would have you believe it's parallel to California, that would be midway and Guam. But otherwise you are correct. Just an old term some people use.

[@procatprocat9647]

​@@jeremiahparkhurst5244americans would be even more confused because they don't understand our English words such as contiguous.

[@timeforpistolero45]

Puerto Rico too

[@JamsCarAudio]

Lol. Duh

[@robertreynolds1044]

I drove part of the honeymoon trail in a lifted Honda Civic thirty years ago, no problem. My name is Bicycle Bob and I approved this message.

[@johnbooth6477]

Kudos to Rhett for paying attention. (although I think the bolts are upside down) he knoe the where the important parts go. Keep at it and you will be a Cracker Jack Mechanic as well as a Jack of all trades.

[@raychat2816]

Somehow I can feel Matt fighting the traction control for actual control of the vehicle …

[@russbell6418]

@raychat2816 Need weird space music… “The slipped transmission creature of the Southwest”

[@OrbPlasmatic]

Cotter pins: 14:01 Here in the rust belt we just spin the nut off and let the castle nut cut it in half. Bend the ends down as needed to get a socket on the nut. The threads and cotter are going in the trash anyway. A small punch or drill works great If we're reusing the ball joint and need to get what's left of the cotter out.

[@random-person1]

If ever there was a time for a victory pie, this would have been it. Well done for doing the impossible yet making it look easy.

[@dgmills5351]

Good job fixing the ball joint on the trail Rhett and Jake! I wonder if the "roll over" fuel switch got activated somehow?

[@george_KC1TQF]

The Sprinter traction control is a major PIA. To disable it you actually have to get to the settings in the radio. I have had to disable it during several New England winters in the two wheel drive Sprinter that is my service van. It does exactly what you were saying it does. It limits overall power once you start spinning the tires. It also alternates the brakes to stop the wheel spin. If there is excessive spinning it will stop you dead in your tracks.

[@andrewpeterson5003]

Got to love ABS and traction control... 100% not an offroad vehicle

[@jakobfisher76]

Matt asking questions he knows the answers to in order to get more comments. This man's a genius. LOL

[@scottkaiser8589]

Kudos to Matt for that crazy drive down the hill and rett for the trail fix

[@daneast]

You have to admit, that's pretty impressive to drive a motorhome up that under its own power in any case.

[@malaw514]

Peanuts spotting ability low key the most underrated talent on the entire crew.

[@jjohnson8977]

I'm taking my 40 foot winnebago up there next week. Salesman said big tires are the trick

[@timfilipiak975]

He doubled down on the not knowing what the lower 48 is 😂 Guy is trolling the comment section lol

[@tetedur377]

Even though I'm old, and I know stuff, I wasn't going to say anything. I was digging the trolling.

[@nodrogstacey7813]

He's picked up the KZbin game pretty quickly. Statements like that will drive engagement because people will flock to the comment to "correct" him. More engagement means higher rank in the algorithm and video gets shown to more people

[@who2u333]

It's good to know that, although the 4x4 sprinter looks like it can do off-road, the ECM won't really let you.

[@thomassummer7478]

the 'inFOtainment center' was flashing...Danger, Danger Will Robinson

[@mjwbulich]

You can easily disable the traction and stability controls. My buddy has the Sportsmobile conversion and it can follow my Tacoma just about anywhere. This guy just didn't read the owners manual.

[@patrickJC6510]

You the best and your wife is a sweetheart! And wise up camper driver: choose your road carefully!

[@jeffreycox363]

Matt calling himself a “drama queen” is like Michael Jordan calling himself an “average basketball player”

[@kylancook3477]

​@carminereddI believe it!

[@WalkSkyWalker]

@@kylancook3477why would you believe that? They died like 3 and a half years ago

[@Globbs]

@carmineredd Did you go visit their gravestones?

[@BitBuhkit]

@carmineredd Right next to JFK?

[@dweiss1]

So, Matt is the King of drama queens? I disagree.

[@laylawnyify]

That kind of driving pumps through Matt’s blood. I was watching in New York and felt the anxiety. Well done Matt sir. You guys are a breed of your own. Happy Belated 4th to you, your family and the Crew 🇺🇸

[@macking104]

I saw that due to heavy rains, some wheel chair accessible trails in New Hampshire are now not even passable by any of these off road rigs.

[@keithholzer6593]

😅😅😅😅

[@keithholzer6593]

4:50

[@randallsmerna384]

The Lower 48 are the 48 US states touching - AKA "contiguous" states, (minus Alaska and Hawaii).

[@pvavmnpls]

Excellent driving Matt, awesome recovery, very scarry to see the wheel off the ground that often in a top heavy vehicle, well done sir.

[@amadensor]

It's amazing what you can achieve with perseverance and poor judgement.

[@gregpallett1839]

There’s gonna put that on my headstone.

[@Buckbuster88]

16:46 so if you ever have this problem again. Have someone put their hand over the exhaust. HMMWVs are notorious for not starting

[@mountainmikefabs8143]

Thanks Matt and crew !

[@kiersplat]

Matt calling himself lazy is always so funny. *After 3+ jobs over 12 hours* I don't wanna get out and change it because I'm lazy

[@billsimmons7754]

Matt is what I call constructively lazy. Some people with out this talent will work their buts off but don't get as much done as Matt does. It is not how hard you work but what you can accomplish. Unfortunately, some jobs don't lend themselves to working smarter.

[@MikeBaxterABC]

3:37 .. I'm in Northern Canada here :) .. I run snow tires on all corners all year long .. all my vehicles are 4 wheel drive .. if they have Locking Hubs .. as soon as I buy them I lock the hubs in .. and LEAVE them locked 365 - 24 / 7 .. If I need 4X4 .. I need it ASAP from the cab!!

[@chuckster6513]

Hey MORR, Having Jamie along on so many of the jobs now is a great thing. she just ads so much to the video. Matt must have cojones made of iron ! Some may think he has no fear, fact is he has since enough to have fear and reacts to the situation appropriately. Rhett is fast becoming a major asset to the crew ! Matt & Jamie should be proud of him. Just leave it, the owners can go get it sounds a bit crass, but MORR did what they were called to do. Sometimes a reality check is needed. Celebration Pie, Yes ! Good video Gang. Work Safe, Be Well Enjoy Life

[@seanmays7551]

Always a good day when a video drops.

[@gldgti]

Maybe a little explanation about modern offroad traction control is in order. Theres not much fancy going on in terms of sensors here, but the behaviour experienced by Matt in this one is typical of a modern traction control system doing its job - if the TCS was turned off completely, theres no way the vehicle would have gone up that hill. This van looks like it might have a rear LSD or perhaps locker, but the front diff is definately open, and relies on the traction control system to brake the lifted wheel so that torque can be transferred to the wheel on the ground. However, with a large, heavy vehicle, relatively low power engine, it means that while the TCS is braking the lifted wheel, the ECU is also limiting torque when it detects the onset of wheelspin (this all happens using the abs sensors at each wheel) in order to "catch" the spinning wheel. With a more powerful engine, its not so noticable, but in this case it will feel like you dont have the power to do the obstacle (and indeed in some cases, like modern CVT equipped subaru's, the vehicles do not have the torque capacity to really be able to crawl with 1 or more wheels lifted). This kind of TCS works well on more powerful SUV's (and ones with big brakes) such as the VW Touareg, Porsche Cayenne etc. Or as is the case with this van, you just need to carefully pick your line and keep your foot on the accelerator, and give the engine time to develop the torque (remember its turbodiesel, so boost can take a few seconds to build) to overcome the braking force and crawl you way up the obstacle. Its a different kind of driving!

[@camdenp23]

cheers Matt and the crew!!

[@AJNpa80]

July the 5th be with you! Happy 4th my fellow Americans and other freedom-loving kingless peoples.

[@jacanadyful]

I'm sure other people have already commented but the "Lower 48" means the 48 states below Alaska (not counting Hawaii). Really enjoy tour channel!

[@randallsmerna384]

When you've got more dollars than sense (cents).