kevman
Observer
Build thread update:
Meet Albert, A raised roof Class B van
I don't normally name things but we bought this van off a nice old man named Albert and it just fit.
Albert will be replacing our old Combi Camp.
The Combi Camp was great. Easy to tow, 480lbs, easy to set up, very spacious inside and a very comfortable bed. While it was a strong set up in the summer, tents and winter don't mix as well.
After a few RV ski trips we knew a van was required.
Shameless self promotion 2017 trip: https://youtu.be/4lvRGwvBa-0
Shameless self promotion 2013 trip: https://youtu.be/0HlZLlbo7s8
Like everyone our search started with 4x4 sprinters. After doing the math and being exhausted with home reno's it was decided that a full from scratch build out was not in the cards. We wanted something nice but for the price of a Sprinter we could easily stay in hotels for the rest of our outdoor lives. :Wow1:
Enter used Class B vans. There will still be no shortage of things to do to get it set up the way we want but it will have a very usable starting point. Because winter camping was a primary goal the van needed to have a comfortable space to hang out in. We also wanted a separate sleeping/living area so that we didn't need to fold up the bed every day. At 6'1" I needed to be able to stand up comfortably while cooking or moving about. A winterized water system is important for livability during long trips. However, our previous RV rentals never had a functioning bathroom in the winter so we're comfortable without that. After a ton of research and a year and half of looking we settled on a used Okanagan VC3 for it seemed to check all the boxes.
Fun stuff starts around page 5.
Original Post:
So I found a van and have a few questions. Sorry if most of this has been covered before.
The van I'm looking at is a raised roof bubble top Okanagan Ford van. Like this but not this exact one:
It checks a bunch of the boxes I'm looking for. Standing room for a 6'1" guy, bed always ready, ford chassis with tons of aftermarket options, hard top for winter, etc.
I do however have a few concerns.
My plans if I pull the trigger are to gut the rear bathroom and make a gear storage area instead. The bigger tires with fresh suspension components should give me the clearance and stance I'm looking for. I'll keep the option of 4x4 in my back pocket in case I ever need (want) that in the future.
All insight is appreciated. Thanks.
Meet Albert, A raised roof Class B van
I don't normally name things but we bought this van off a nice old man named Albert and it just fit.
Albert will be replacing our old Combi Camp.
The Combi Camp was great. Easy to tow, 480lbs, easy to set up, very spacious inside and a very comfortable bed. While it was a strong set up in the summer, tents and winter don't mix as well.
After a few RV ski trips we knew a van was required.
Shameless self promotion 2017 trip: https://youtu.be/4lvRGwvBa-0
Shameless self promotion 2013 trip: https://youtu.be/0HlZLlbo7s8
Like everyone our search started with 4x4 sprinters. After doing the math and being exhausted with home reno's it was decided that a full from scratch build out was not in the cards. We wanted something nice but for the price of a Sprinter we could easily stay in hotels for the rest of our outdoor lives. :Wow1:
Enter used Class B vans. There will still be no shortage of things to do to get it set up the way we want but it will have a very usable starting point. Because winter camping was a primary goal the van needed to have a comfortable space to hang out in. We also wanted a separate sleeping/living area so that we didn't need to fold up the bed every day. At 6'1" I needed to be able to stand up comfortably while cooking or moving about. A winterized water system is important for livability during long trips. However, our previous RV rentals never had a functioning bathroom in the winter so we're comfortable without that. After a ton of research and a year and half of looking we settled on a used Okanagan VC3 for it seemed to check all the boxes.
Fun stuff starts around page 5.
Original Post:
So I found a van and have a few questions. Sorry if most of this has been covered before.
The van I'm looking at is a raised roof bubble top Okanagan Ford van. Like this but not this exact one:
It checks a bunch of the boxes I'm looking for. Standing room for a 6'1" guy, bed always ready, ford chassis with tons of aftermarket options, hard top for winter, etc.
I do however have a few concerns.
- It appears to have the 4.6L engine. I'm not worried about reliability but how is this thing for power? I have no ambitions to tow but mountain passes are a big deal and I plan to put 265/75/16's on. Can the 4.6L handle the aerodynamics of a bubble top with the bigger tires? All of my research shows that 265/75/16's should fit.
- It has a sliding side door. In my experience most of these vans have dual swing out doors. My concern is the sliding door rattling like my buddies sprinter. Should I be concerned? How about insulating the side door vs. a double door?
- Anything notable that is prone to failure to look out for in a 2004 E250? It only has 69,000km (43,000 miles)! and is as rust free as I've ever seen a vehicle in Calgary but I'm worried it's in too good of condition to be true. Haha.
- Cruise control. It doesn't have cruise control. Can this be added after? It seems like it shouldn't be a deal breaker but if I'm going to be under powered I better at least be able to simply relax in the slow lane with cruise control.
My plans if I pull the trigger are to gut the rear bathroom and make a gear storage area instead. The bigger tires with fresh suspension components should give me the clearance and stance I'm looking for. I'll keep the option of 4x4 in my back pocket in case I ever need (want) that in the future.
All insight is appreciated. Thanks.
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