My name is Keven and I’m the owner of Gear For Experiences. I was born and raised in southern France. My French father, who’s a big fan of sailing, embarked on a solo 1 year journey when he was 27yo across the Atlantic from France to Florida to reunite with my American mother. Together, they embarked on an adventure, navigating the ocean on a 36-foot aluminum boat using traditional tools like sextants, compasses, paper maps, and the stars as their guide. This was back in 1985, before GPS and Starlink were around. This was the environment and the stories I grew up hearing while spending months living on a smaller boat every summer. When we weren’t boating, motorcycles became our preferred mode of transportation in France. Those thrilling rides allowed me to explore the breathtaking landscapes of the Pyrenees, where I would hike, ski, and swim in natural hot springs while valuing quality equipment to get there. These experiences played a significant role in shaping my upbringing and taught me valuable skills like working with 12v electrical systems, the importance of proper gear, and meticulous planning for water tank usage and weather conditions.

After moving to Utah in the United States, I immediately felt a sense of familiarity with its breathtaking outdoor scenery, reminiscent of the landscapes I grew to love in the Pyrenees but mixed with the mystical Far West wilderness. At the time, the ideal vehicle for exploring the remote American landscapes was a pickup truck, particularly the reliable and versatile Tacoma. I owned two of them, equipping them with what was various cutting-edge innovations in suspension. This was the beginning of compact campers with the first rooftop tents that revolutionized “glamping” and overlanding, before the term became popular for multi-day off road trips. After exploring Iceland in a Defender 90 camper, I can say that a compromise between off road capabilities and comfort is something everyone should consider.

After earning my B.S. in Emergency Services and M.A. in Linguistics, my wife and I needed to spend more time in nature exploring to offset the long hours in front of a computer; my interest shifted towards 4×4 vans, captivated by their ability to provide heated shelter, privacy, and immediate comfort when harsh weather conditions struck. That’s when I discovered the Ford E350 and learned about Agile’s 4×4 conversion suspension upgrades for off-road adventures. However, the availability of factory 4×4 in Sprinter vans started to grow as Agile Offroad (AO) played a major role in the R&D to make those vehicle trail worthy by enhancing their suspension capabilities beyond their original design. Consequently, in 2019, I made the decision to sell my last Tacoma and purchase a Sprinter 4×4, knowing that Agile would be my first choice for a suspension upgrade.

In 2020, I had the pleasure of meeting John Brindell and installing Agile’s Ride Improvement Package (RIP kit), which included adding Bilstein coil-overs to the factory struts. AO was also one of only two companies to introduce brackets for an auxiliary Fox 2.0 front shock and a Fox 2.0 Reservoir in the rear. Agile Offroad earned my respect by recognizing the value of coil-over struts and that a weight specific full leaf spring replacement outperformed the competition add-on leaf options. I appreciate AO’s dedication to providing the best solutions for road and off-road enthusiasts like myself. Over the past three years and 40,000 miles, I have pushed the limits of my van, embarking on thrilling adventures across unpaved roads, conquering water crossings, tackling rocky trails, navigating sand dunes, and triumphing over snow-covered landscapes. Agile’s products have proven reliable and capable of improvement to push the boundaries with those vehicles.

After a few years, this hobby became a part-time job and I founded Gear For Experiences, which covers the Sprinter 4×4 van industry latest innovations. Aware of the competition, I still decided to keep enhancing my setup even further using AO expertise. After three years, I replaced the secondary strut bracket with an upgraded version which offers improved shock alignment. Additionally, I invested in Agile’s Wheel Speed Sensor Guard since mine was almost ripped off crossing frozen ice on a trail in Utah. I also added the Double Shear Bracket for the rear strut to reinforce the mounting points on the van’s unibody and improve the bump stop mount gave me huge peace of mind. Agile’s collaboration with
renowned brands like Bilstein and Koni resulted in more robust off-road strut replacements, addressing concerns with the failing OEM struts in older vans. As such, I replaced my leaking factory strut, keeping the coils with the Bilstein version. If you have a particularly heavy van, you can also now add in the Agile Fox 2.5 Rear Shocks.

As competition in the market intensifies, I remain confident in Agile Offroad’s ability to innovate and deliver the best solutions. Their personal experience with these vans and their extensive background with 20 years of off-roading racing gives them a unique perspective and a wealth of knowledge to draw upon. Having released the first air locker for Sprinter through partnership with the highly respected ARB, which I can’t wait to get installed, continues to give
me trust in Agile’s ability to keep pushing the limits of those vans. I’m glad to see that Agile is continuing to expand their knowledge across the whole community by offering suspension upgrades for the new AWD Ford Transit and 2023 Mercedes Sprinter. Where will we go? What will we need? Who knows, but I am confident that AO will come out with a solution for us to keep exploring the path less traveled.