Help Me Get This Adventure On The Road

[1Girl1Dream]

Hi - brand new here so sorry if this is not the correct place to post this.

Losing my job somewhat soon and have decided to finally pursue my dream of living on the road for a while. Not sure quite how long I will be gone (maybe a year?) or when I will leave so I am still in the very beginning stages of this and am looking for input on vans. I have done a fair amount of research on vans and van conversions for camping but am still having difficulty deciding what will be the best fit for me.

I've been on two month-long cross country road tips by myself previously in my sedan so I am somewhat aware of what I would like....HOWEVER, those trips were solo but when I take my extended trip I will have my 65lb dog and cat (the cat isn't 65lbs ) with me so my needs will change a bit. I don't need something that is already converted as I'm planning on doing the design myself I just need a solid shell to make my own.

Reliability is going to be super important as I am not a car-wiz by any means and will likely be in areas with no cell coverage. Definitely do not want to be stranded somewhere with my pets.

Wants/Needs:

Reliable
Enough room for the cat and dog but still manageable up windy mountain roads, etc.
Needs to be able to drive through some **** - on my previous trip I did a lot of camping on BLM camp sites and have put my sedan to the test. I need something that I can take on rugged roads without scaring the **** out of myself and/or potentially breaking something
Price is important, obviously the more expensive the longer it will take me to save and I'd rather hit the road sooner than later. What's a happy medium?

Questions for You:
Opinions on makes/models that are the most reliable? (Ford, Chevy, Mercedes Sprinter, something else...?)
What will give me the most bang for my buck?
Is 4x4 necessary for going on rugged/dirt/rutted/mountain/rocky/etc. roads or would 2wd with a lift to give me enough clearance do the job?
Opinions on how certain models handle/maneuverability?
How many miles are "too many" on used vans?

I will probably have more questions but any input from you is GREATLY appreciated! Thanks in advance!

 

[EMrider]

Good luck on your adventure.

IMHO, the best van platform for cost adjusted function and reliability is the Ford E series.

Grab an 1997 or newer E series with the 5.4 Triton. They are readily available and relatively cheap.

The 5.4 is very reliable and good for 200-300k miles or more with regular care.

If you put a locking diff in the rear, you should be able to get most anywhere. 4x4 is nice to have, but expensive and not a necessity IMHO.

Have fun.

R

 

[BurbanAZ]

Good luck on your adventure.

IMHO, the best van platform for cost adjusted function and reliability is the Ford E series.

Grab an 1997 or newer E series with the 5.4 Triton. They are readily available and relatively cheap.

The 5.4 is very reliable and good for 200-300k miles or more with regular care.

If you put a locking diff in the rear, you should be able to get most anywhere. 4x4 is nice to have, but expensive and not a necessity IMHO.

Have fun.

R

Yea that's a good idea. The Ford vans are nice too because any dealership or mechanic shop will have no problem working on it and parts will be easy to find and affordable. Plus you have the added benefit of sharing most parts with the f250 and f350 trucks of the same years. They handle fine but anything with a solid axle is going to be a lot rougher offroad but you have added strength over IFS.

I'd prefer to have 4X4 but I'd also be happy with 2wd as long as I had a good winch and some good recovery gear and most important GOOD TIRES. I'd take 2wd and really good tires over 4X4 some chewed up mud terrains off eBay anyway.

 

[RMP&O]

I am a fan of the GMC Safari vans. I seen some real nice ones well under $10k and a buddy of mine picked up a super nice one a few months ago for $10k. All kitted out already and ready to go on an around the wolrd drive. That is a hard price to beat for a 4wd van already kitted out.

Keep in mind a van, especially anything tall with be sketchy in any off camber situations. It will feel very tippy and can flop over fairly easily compared to a normal SUV or pickup. Vans = top heavy. But they also provide one of the best living situations for the road traveler.

I tell every overlander I meet that they should know how to work on their own vehicle. It is like this, 150yrs ago would you have taken a horse across country if you didn't know a single thing about horses? Maybe you would but that in my opinion would be foolish. It really does not take a lot of effort or time to learn the basics of any vehicle, even modern computer controlled ones. A buddy of mine in the last year or two didn't know jack about cars, three weeks ago he and myself did a motor swap in his Land Cruiser. He has come a long ways in his knowledge of vehicles in the last year or so. His main reason for learning, he was tired of being taken for a ride by mechanics. He no longer needs to pay somebody $500-1000 to do a brake job on his truck, he can do it himself for much less cash and he knows it is done right. There is a lot to be said for this, piece of mind goes a very long ways when you are in the boonies. If you do have an issue, you will know what it is fast and more than likely be able to do something about it.

I been working on cars for over 20yrs but never rebuilt an independent front axle before, until a few days ago. Now I know it like the back of my hand. I am getting ready to drive my truck to South America, I needed to know all about my front end and now I do plus I am very confident it was rebuilt correctly and if I have any issues, I know what to look for and what to do about it. That is worth more than money to me. If you can learn how to use this forum you can learn how to fix your own vehicle. To me overlanding and knowing how to work on your own vehicle go hand in hand, but that is just me, not everybody agrees with this.

Cheers

 

[sgltrk]

Check out "My Solo Wanderings of the West" in this forum. KennyJ has been doing exactly what you are planning for the last two or three years. Read through his blog. I think you will find most of your answers.

SGLTRK

 

[rob2thec]

There are many platforms and it could spin you our trying to research all of them. I agree with EMrider. The E Series Vans are a solid platform even in 2wd. With an Air locker OR Limited slip you should not have any issues doing most mild and even "difficult" trails. The E series vans also have an I beam front suspension and I beams have been proven for years to be effective off road, and TOUGH!

There are a lot of options for the suspension systems and the van offers lots of space. Like mentioned they are also very easy to find parts for just about anyplace in the world.

 

[Abe Froman]

Van.
Probably Ford. Maybe GMC. Not sprinter because of cost of maintence and issues getting stuff fixed in BFE.
2wd with good tires, chains, and a lsd or locker and you're good.
Not from somewhere rusty.
A simple wood platform with a foam IKEA mattress and your good.
Easy to wash standard sheets in laudromat or on the road in 5 gallon bucket. It'll get funky smelling in there with human, dog, and cat.
Roof mount max air or fantastic fan.
Dark *** tint on windows and a divider between the cab and living space.
Litter box???????

 

[chilliwak]

There are many platforms and it could spin you our trying to research all of them. I agree with EMrider. The E Series Vans are a solid platform even in 2wd. With an Air locker OR Limited slip you should not have any issues doing most mild and even "difficult" trails. The E series vans also have an I beam front suspension and I beams have been proven for years to be effective off road, and TOUGH!

There are a lot of options for the suspension systems and the van offers lots of space. Like mentioned they are also very easy to find parts for just about anyplace in the world.

I beg to differ about the I beam front suspension. I have heard many owners complain about the constant need to realign the toe in and other front end settings while using I beam front end suspension. Also the front brakes are a big problem. Ford parts are also generally more expensive due to the fact that FoMoCo has a patent on them making aftermarket parts suplyers almost nill. The vans also have a long wheelbase making then not suited to off road driving. Maybe consider an all wheel drive GM safari van?

 

[danfromsyr]

what ever you do buy one from a non-salt the roads southern state..
the money you will spend in airfare (train/bus?) and the return roadtrip will be saved a few times over in rust repair/prevention work.
things like fuel lines, brake lines, wiring and the chassis components themselves fare better w/o salt & brine of northern vehicles

 

[cummins-overlander]

Hey! Very cool plan, I'm excited for you!

I think the answer depends on where you want to go. The answer is completely different between "staying in the US/Canada" and "Mexico, South America". The reason being that the two will be quite different in what parts you can get with reasonable ease and price. Realistically I have totally shifted my thought process from the totally prepared for anything, must be over-built and over-capable mindset into the mindset of JUST GET ME OUT THERE. Don't go spending a lot of money on your vehicle and setup. Spend an appropriate amount on something that is appropriate for 95% of what you want to do on your trip.

- Time is a good replacement for 4x4 or other offroad goodies. Bring a shovel. My truck is a 2011 Ram Power Wagon, which gives me skid plates, a winch, good suspension, rear limited slip and front and rear lockers. This is really cool and I use this setup to its max all the time, but these things also tend to get me stuck in more interesting places. I once got my 2wd diesel truck stuck on a cliff edge in a snowstorm. Solution? Hike out, hitchhike from middle-of-nowhere into ski resort town (Mammoth), buy 500lbs of quick-set concrete, gallon jugs of water, shovel, two 5-gallon buckets, and layout stakes. I used stakes and branches and dirt to "widen" the road, the shovel to mix concrete to pour a berm on said new "road"! In the rain. Under a tarp. And that's how I got out. Generally, time and a shovel will save your butt, 4x4 or not. Maxxtrax are nice, and also cost the same amount as 2 weeks of vacation time you could have had instead. Not worth it. Bring two small sections of cheap plywood instead if you really feel like it. Save your money so your vacation can be longer, not on lockers and crap you "might" need.

- Because I have 4x4, lockers, winch, blah blah blah, I can go about 3% more places than I could in any other 4x4. I can go about 10% more places than something with 2wd and ground clearance. I can go about 20% more places than a Prius. See the diminishing returns? Also, the places I use these capabilities are also the most stressful parts of my trips. Albeit these things get me places where usually not many other people are, and into beautiful places I otherwise would not have seen, and this is what makes it worth it to me.

- Don't plan your build too much. Get the vehicle and sit in the thing and feel what you want your home to be like before you go buying fancy "overland" gear. You have already started with the general concept of using a van, which I think is a great starting point! If you are staying in US/Canada, any US made vehicle should be good to go. A cheaper vehicle = more money for more vacation time. A more fuel efficient vehicle means the same thing. Older diesels tend to be good. Being that you are not innately familiar with diesels, I would avoid anything newer than 2010 like the plague, or ANY Ford diesel (Some people will argue this, some people swear by them, but even the "legendary" 7.3 has too many failures to be infallible). Anyways, it's cheaper to buy a used gas engine entirely than to fix most of the bigger problems Diesels see.

- Nothing can replace bare, open space inside a vehicle with which to build your home. Nothing can replace reliability and peace of mind.

- I love Mercedes/Ram Sprinter Vans with 4x4, but any variant of them is unreasonably expensive. Chevy and Ford Vans are sweet in terms of space, pretty reliable, pretty cheap these days, and very thirsty for fuel. Frankly I hope someone else can chime in on which vans to look at. I would suggest 2WD because it is common for 4x4 Vans to be far more expensive. It is possible to get a good deal on one though.

Really I would suggest something like this: A Toyota 4Runner or Sequoia, or a similar SUV. Newer is more expensive but tend to break down less often. 2WD is WAY cheaper if it says "Toyota" on it. These are much easier to find and more fuel efficient than a Van. Remove every seat except the Driver's. Pets go in passenger seat spot. Build your sleeping/inclement weather hangout spot inside. Plan to do most of your cooking and relaxing outside the vehicle. Don't go buying fancy bumpers for carrying stuff unless you really can afford it. Keep as much stuff inside as possible, keep the weight low, and don't put anything on the roof unless you have to. Minimize the amenities you take with you, but make life livable and enjoyable.

Best of luck
Marcus

 

[dar395]

I beg to differ about the I beam front suspension. I have heard many owners complain about the constant need to realign the toe in and other front end settings while using I beam front end suspension. Also the front brakes are a big problem. Ford parts are also generally more expensive due to the fact that FoMoCo has a patent on them making aftermarket parts suplyers almost nill. The vans also have a long wheelbase making then not suited to off road driving. Maybe consider an all wheel drive GM safari van?

I must say I disagree Ford vs GM as far as cost, I myself drive both makes and for the most part there equals. If you research engines and tranny the ford shines with one of the best 10 engines ever built (5.4L) the E350 with the Dana 60 axle and the 100HD trans (think) is a great traveler and the shorter wheel base over GM's long van makes it far better in cities and tighter turns such as mountains or forest fire trails. The GM has a little better ride and smoother engine sound/feel in low RPM's but kicks up to higher RPM's quickly when climbing the smallest of hills, but better MPG by about 3 per. The ford is easier to place walls and tanks, frame batteries in but the GM has better foot space in the drivers side, working on the engine and brakes about the same, working on the dash GM better, I'd take a look at www.Rockauto.com and price out a few parts for each and then use their ownership price to compare two van's and see how close they are. I myself tend to be an odd duck when looking at cost, I think my van was like $1,900 bucks with low miles, I do just drive 2wd but I do carry a winch on the front and I've been a long ways off the road. I do purchase all of my vehicles though the internet sales and have not seen one in person for many years before purchasing and Christ Sakes I've now drove for 40 years with out the vehicle costing me a dime! GM and Fords have repairs and parts available almost anywhere and both are great choices!