Kitchens on Wheels was named an approved food truck upfitter for the Sprinter by Daimler Vans, according to a Mercedes-Benz announcement Feb. 8.

Sprinter Preferred Upfitter Program

Kitchens on Wheels is a Texas‐based company that has become the first Preferred Upfitter for Sprinter‐based food trucks. The Preferred Upfitter Program is designed by Daimler Vans to ensure the quality and safety of all modifications.

To become a Preferred Upfitter, several Sprinter specialists review each upfitter's plans, visit their facility while work is in progress and inspect finished vans. Approved upfitters get advance product information, exclusive access to certain options and ship‐through service.

Each upfitter also receives special programming of the electronics system that is tailored to the customer's need and vehicle functionality.

"Although we are experts in upfitting food truck kitchens, the Sprinter specialists who work with us have provided many helpful tips," said Kitchens on Wheels president and CEO Felix Eliorriaga. "For example, they showed us where frame members are pre‐drilled, so we no longer have to drill extra holes, and they taught us the same technique that's used on the Mercedes‐Benz assembly line to bond metal sections together without drilling or welding."

Kitchens on Wheels has experience building a wide range of custom‐designed vehicles, including some unconventional ones. For example, they installed a ten‐keg beer system in a restored fire truck, and they even fitted another fire truck with a four‐ton, woodfired pizza oven and a two‐keg beer system.

The company is especially proud of an emergency food truck they built years ago for a Red Cross operation near Washington, D.C. As soon as it was completed, the truck went to New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina relief, and it was recently spotted in New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy.

Kitchens on Wheel has also built a number of prototype food trucks for franchises that are internationally known for their brick‐and‐mortar food operations.

The Sprinter

With its BlueTEC diesel engine, the Sprinter gets higher fuel mileage than its competitors, while its high roof and large door openings give the van class‐leading cargo carrying ability, Mercedes-Benz said.

The Sprinter cargo van features a best‐in‐class payload capacity of 5,415 pounds and cargo capacity of up to 547 cubic feet. The van also boasts the largest side‐ and rear‐door openings as well as the lowest load floor and step‐in height of any full‐size van.

The Sprinter has been sold in the U.S since 2001 by Freightliner, a leading manufacturer of medium- and heavy‐duty trucks in North America, and through select Mercedes‐Benz dealers since 2010. Both MBUSA and Freightliner are divisions of Daimler AG.

All Sprinters come with a number of Mercedes‐Benz safety features — ADAPTIVE ESP stability and rollover control, ABS anti‐lock brakes, Brake Assist and traction control. The driver and front passenger seats are equipped with standard multi‐stage front air bags, and side curtain and torso air bags are optionally available. Standard equipment includes a five‐speed automatic transmission and four‐wheel disc brakes.

All Sprinters are powered by a 3.0‐liter BlueTEC diesel engine that attains 24.9 miles per gallon on the highway. Marking the first‐ever use of super‐clean BlueTEC technology in the commercial van market, the BlueTEC diesel engine is as clean as a modern gasoline engine, according to the automaker. A Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) injection system reduces nitrogen oxides to harmless nitrogen and water in a downstream catalytic converter.

More information on Sprinter vans can be found at www.sprintervansusa.com.

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