Rescue team’s Sprinter 4x4 is a peak performer

Sprinter 4x4

An all-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz van has taken on a life-saving role with one of the busiest mountain rescue teams in the UK.

The Sprinter 4x4 is working as an ambulance/personnel carrier in the Lake District National Park, where it is on 24-hour emergency standby.

Supplied to Keswick Mountain Rescue Team by Carlisle dealer Ciceley Commercials, the specially-equipped van cost nearly £60,000. It has replaced a 12-year-old vehicle by another manufacturer that was becoming expensive to maintain.

The 47-strong team operates two other off-road vehicles, one of which would normally accompany the Sprinter ambulance to an incident, leaving the other ready to respond to a second call-out. Last year, the team attended 90 incidents.

Based on a Medium-bodied Sprinter 315CDI, with windows all around, the new Mercedes is powered by a 150bhp, 2.2-litre common-rail diesel engine and a 4x4 transmission that can be engaged at the touch of a button. The team also worked closely with the manufacturer to develop a special lower-ratio back axle and the right combination of all-terrain tyres to suit its unique requirements.

The 3.5-tonne Sprinter was equipped to ambulance specification by specialist converter Alan Smallwood, of Barnoldswick, Lancashire. It can accommodate a Bell Thomas stretcher as well as nine seats with three-point belts. The vehicle also has a towbar, so a boat can be towed to incidents in rivers or lakes.

JY Auto Electrics, of Rossendale, Lancashire, added a comprehensive package of communications equipment, including a Clark extending radio mast and GPS tracking, and additional lighting.

“We need 100 per cent reliability from our vehicles and are convinced this is what we’ll get from our new Sprinter,” says Mick Guy, who chaired the rescue team’s vehicle replacement group.

“Only one other manufacturer besides Mercedes-Benz produces an all-wheel drive vehicle of this size, so it quickly came down to a choice between the two of them,” he continues. “There was very little in it in terms of cost, but Mercedes-Benz was able to come up with the right chassis much more quickly.

“The Sprinter also had better ground clearance, although initially the demonstrator’s gear ratios felt uncomfortably high for safe descents on slippery uneven ground. Thankfully, the manufacturer’s technical specialists were able to work with us to produce a lower-ratio back axle and a combination of all-terrain tyres that satisfied our requirements.”

The Sprinter 4x4 employs rear-wheel drive under normal conditions but all-wheel drive can be selected when venturing off-road. Unlike conventional 4x4 vehicles that rely on mechanically operated differential locks to prevent wheel-spin, the Sprinter 4x4 uses a development of the existing Mercedes-Benz 4-ETS (Electronic Traction System) technology, which is integrated with the Adaptive ESP® anti-skid system to provide unrivalled traction management in operation.

Other key attractions for Keswick Mountain Rescue Team were the availability of the Mercedes-Benz Service 24h emergency roadside rescue and recovery service, and a free Service Package that covers the first five years or 60,000 miles of operation, whichever is reached sooner.

“We know the Sprinter is well built but it’s still reassuring to know we can call on a first class back-up service in the unlikely event that we need it,” says Mr Guy.  “Our vehicles don’t cover great distances – the old ambulance had only done 11,200 miles – but it’s really hard graft. They can sit around for days at a time, then suddenly be on the road doing 70mph, or being flogged up a forest track or hillside.”

Mr Guy was also impressed by the service he received from Ciceley Commercials and its van sales executive Andrew Kinnersley, who delivered the Sprinter 4x4 after work on a Monday and spent two hours with the team later in the week, explaining how the four-wheel drive system worked.

“Andrew was fantastic to deal with,” adds Mr Guy, “You can’t knock someone who is prepared to give up their own time to make sure the customer gets what they want.”

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team’s unpaid volunteers are available at all times of the day and night to assist people in distress on Cumbria’s mountains, lakes and rivers. They are responsible for the northern part of the Lake District, which includes England’s three highest mountains: Scafell Pike, Helvellyn and Skiddaw.

www.keswickmrt.org.uk/