Sprinter took on one of the toughest rallies in the world at the Dakar Classic in Saudi Arabia – as a rolling test bench for chassis, off-grid and off-road technology. The project was implemented by the dealerships Sunmobil Cars and PowerCampers, in cooperation with Delta 4x4, WCS and WEINSBERG.
Adventure Without a Safety Net
Fine dust hangs in the air, the heat shimmers above the track, and day after day the route leads over gravel, sand, rocks and corrugated tracks: for decades, the Dakar Rally has been synonymous with adventure, pushing boundaries and uncompromising material testing. From 1 to 18 January 2026, the Dakar Classic in Saudi Arabia once again pushed drivers, teams and vehicles to their limits. Among historic rally cars and service convoys, one vehicle stood out in particular: the WEINSBERG X-PEDITION campervan.
The project was organised and executed by the dealerships Sunmobil Cars and PowerCampers. The WEINSBERG X-PEDITION did not arrive as a show car, but as a fully-fledged service vehicle in daily rally use. It was deliberately placed in an environment where nothing is spared. The goal was to use the campervan as a rolling test platform: for chassis components, off-road accessories, off-grid technology – and for the question of how much adventure a modern motorhome can really withstand. Not only does the WEINSBERG X-PEDITION look tough, it also proved what it is capable of at the Dakar Classic. On challenging terrain and under continuous strain, the X-PEDITION performed extremely well – with no breakdowns and no complaints in hard service.
In parallel, Delta 4x4 used the accompanying race car to test the new LODER AT #1 off-road tire in 16 inches and the matching Delta Klassik B rim under the extreme conditions of the Dakar Classic. The insights gained will feed directly into future production solutions.
Motorsports as a Consistent Testing Ground
Delta 4x4 has been using motorsport for years not only as a stage, but above all as a consistent development environment. The Dakar Rally is an almost ideal test for this: long daily stages, changing surfaces from hard rock to deep sand, and extreme temperatures create stress profiles that are hardly reproducible in normal driving conditions.
As part of the Dakar Classic 2026, the race car and motorhome were used in different roles, but were linked by a common goal. The race car served as an extreme test bench for new tire and rim solutions. The WEINSBERG X-PEDITION used by Sunmobil Cars took on the practical role of a motorhome in the tough everyday life of a rally service team. The campervan was presented as a near-series off-road configuration with raised suspension, reinforced rims, additional lighting, and an off-road lifting system from E&P Hydraulics, part of the AL-KO Group, and impressed with its high driving stability and reserves on roads, gravel, and sand. The self-sufficiency concept developed by WCS with powerful charge boosters, lithium batteries, inverters, and solar modules ensured a reliable 230-volt supply and enabled its use as a “mobile office” in everyday rally life. This allowed insights gained from the limits of performance to be specifically linked to experiences from a realistic motorhome scenario – with a view to driving comfort, robustness, driving safety, and everyday usability.
Final Verdict in the Desert Sand
The joint project at the 2026 Dakar Classic in Saudi Arabia impressively demonstrated how well motorsport and motorhomes complement each other. The racing vehicle served as an extreme test bench for the new 16-inch LODER AT #1 off-road tire and the matching Delta Klassik B rim. The WEINSBERG X-PEDITION used by Sunmobil Cars also proved itself as a practical laboratory for chassis, self-sufficiency, and accessories in real off-road use of a motorhome. Particularly noteworthy: despite the sustained stress over a period of more than two weeks, the X-PEDITION remained fault-free, confirming its robustness and build quality. At the same time, the test demonstrated that the WEINSBERG X-PEDITION combines this off-road capability with the comfort that travellers expect in everyday life.
Adventure Without a Safety Net
Fine dust hangs in the air, the heat shimmers above the track, and day after day the route leads over gravel, sand, rocks and corrugated tracks: for decades, the Dakar Rally has been synonymous with adventure, pushing boundaries and uncompromising material testing. From 1 to 18 January 2026, the Dakar Classic in Saudi Arabia once again pushed drivers, teams and vehicles to their limits. Among historic rally cars and service convoys, one vehicle stood out in particular: the WEINSBERG X-PEDITION campervan.
The project was organised and executed by the dealerships Sunmobil Cars and PowerCampers. The WEINSBERG X-PEDITION did not arrive as a show car, but as a fully-fledged service vehicle in daily rally use. It was deliberately placed in an environment where nothing is spared. The goal was to use the campervan as a rolling test platform: for chassis components, off-road accessories, off-grid technology – and for the question of how much adventure a modern motorhome can really withstand. Not only does the WEINSBERG X-PEDITION look tough, it also proved what it is capable of at the Dakar Classic. On challenging terrain and under continuous strain, the X-PEDITION performed extremely well – with no breakdowns and no complaints in hard service.
In parallel, Delta 4x4 used the accompanying race car to test the new LODER AT #1 off-road tire in 16 inches and the matching Delta Klassik B rim under the extreme conditions of the Dakar Classic. The insights gained will feed directly into future production solutions.
Motorsports as a Consistent Testing Ground
Delta 4x4 has been using motorsport for years not only as a stage, but above all as a consistent development environment. The Dakar Rally is an almost ideal test for this: long daily stages, changing surfaces from hard rock to deep sand, and extreme temperatures create stress profiles that are hardly reproducible in normal driving conditions.
As part of the Dakar Classic 2026, the race car and motorhome were used in different roles, but were linked by a common goal. The race car served as an extreme test bench for new tire and rim solutions. The WEINSBERG X-PEDITION used by Sunmobil Cars took on the practical role of a motorhome in the tough everyday life of a rally service team. The campervan was presented as a near-series off-road configuration with raised suspension, reinforced rims, additional lighting, and an off-road lifting system from E&P Hydraulics, part of the AL-KO Group, and impressed with its high driving stability and reserves on roads, gravel, and sand. The self-sufficiency concept developed by WCS with powerful charge boosters, lithium batteries, inverters, and solar modules ensured a reliable 230-volt supply and enabled its use as a “mobile office” in everyday rally life. This allowed insights gained from the limits of performance to be specifically linked to experiences from a realistic motorhome scenario – with a view to driving comfort, robustness, driving safety, and everyday usability.
Final Verdict in the Desert Sand
The joint project at the 2026 Dakar Classic in Saudi Arabia impressively demonstrated how well motorsport and motorhomes complement each other. The racing vehicle served as an extreme test bench for the new 16-inch LODER AT #1 off-road tire and the matching Delta Klassik B rim. The WEINSBERG X-PEDITION used by Sunmobil Cars also proved itself as a practical laboratory for chassis, self-sufficiency, and accessories in real off-road use of a motorhome. Particularly noteworthy: despite the sustained stress over a period of more than two weeks, the X-PEDITION remained fault-free, confirming its robustness and build quality. At the same time, the test demonstrated that the WEINSBERG X-PEDITION combines this off-road capability with the comfort that travellers expect in everyday life.
