1996 Ford E450 ERV 4x4 conversion-$60k

[motofreak0592]

CHASSIS:
1996 Ford E450 with 53,470 miles
7.3 PowerStroke (pre smog)
UJOINT OFF-ROAD 4x4 conversion professionally installed at 49,709 miles
08+ front clip and doors
Diamond Eye 4” exhaust
Bellowed up pipes
35” Mickey Thompson Baja Boss tires
Custom 17” wheels
Edge CTS3 monitor
215 amp alternator (new spare included)
Dana 60 front axle
Dana 80 rear axle
4 wheel disc brakes
Plenty of exterior lighting

INTERIOR:
6’2” standing height
Full size folding bed
Dometic fridge/freezer
Jackery 1500
Large sink
Portable toilet
Plenty of storage
High elevation 5kw diesel heater
Upgraded driver and passenger seat
Will also include a portable air conditioner that works great if you have hookups


What could be better:
-The exterior paint is a little rough but has been low on the priority list as I was quoted $15k to have it painted how I wanted and since the box is aluminum I wasn’t too worried about rust.
-The interior “build” was super low budget but we wanted to use it and then decide how to build it, just never got around to tearing it down.
-The radio never worked but we just used a Bluetooth speaker.
- The parking brake had to be removed for the 4x4 conversion, we use a wheel chock when parking on hills now as I couldn’t justify purchasing a new rear axle just to have a parking brake

I love this van and hate to sell it but we’re looking for something bigger for our family. I have built this to go anywhere and it has yet to disappoint. It is registered in California as a motorhome and since it is a 1996 diesel it does not need to be smogged. Im a hobbyist mechanic and enjoy understanding how things work so I have all the possible manuals available for this van. I’m asking 60k but am willing to negotiate. This is the lowest mile 7.3 van that I have seen in a long time and I spent a lot of money on the 4x4 conversion as I wanted it to be reliable and long lasting. If you’ve never heard of Ujoint, check out their YouTube. I also have it posted on Craigslist and Facebook marketplace in Hollister, CA. I rarely see my messages on here so please be patient or get ahold of me on Craigslist or Facebook. I’m sure I’m missing info but check out Instagram @7.3van and the build page. https://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/red-cross-erv-4x4-camper-build.229548/
Feel free to reach out with any questions.

 

[TheRenaissanceTinker]

Hey a couple of questions...

Did you ever address the different gear ratios between the axles?
What type of front seats did you upgrade to?
Are there two airbags up front?
Did you go with the big brake stage 3 Front axle from Chris?
What transmission is in the 450? An E4OD? Was it rebuilt when you did the transfer case install?
Was the transfer case rebuilt before it was installed?
How large is the fuel tank?

I sold my V10 e350 short body earlier this year and have been on the lookout for something a bit bigger. We were thinking Sprinter but I do love me some low miles 7.3. - Jud

 

[motofreak0592]

Did you ever address the different gear ratios between the axles? I did not, I spoke with Chris at UJoint about it and also asked the shop who did the install and they said it would be fine since it was less than a 2% difference. I just took their word for it and haven’t had any issues.
What type of front seats did you upgrade to? I just got some nicer cloth seats with arm rests from another econoline
Are there two airbags up front? Not that I’m aware of
Did you go with the big brake stage 3 Front axle from Chris? Nope, stage 2 axle with drw spacers and Ssbc brakes. According to Chris the ssbc brakes have the same stopping power as the larger rotors. I wanted the drw spacers so I could have the same wheels on both axles so that’s what I went with.
What transmission is in the 450? An E4OD? Was it rebuilt when you did the transfer case install? Yes, E4OD. The E450s have a 4x4 transmission already in order to attach the driveline parking brake so a rebuild was not needed. I have receipts from a previous owner that states that the transmission was rebuilt in 2018.
Was the transfer case rebuilt before it was installed? Transfer case was inspected and my mechanic said it didn’t show signs of needing a rebuild. I just changed the fluid in the transfer case and I didn’t see any metal shavings so I feel like it’s still going good. Front and rear diff also got changed. Amsoil full synthetic.
How large is the fuel tank? 55 gallons to my knowledge but I haven’t let it get that low. Just below half a tank is about 30 gallons.

 

[TheRenaissanceTinker]

Did you ever address the different gear ratios between the axles? I did not, I spoke with Chris at UJoint about it and also asked the shop who did the install and they said it would be fine since it was less than a 2% difference. I just took their word for it and haven’t had any issues.
What type of front seats did you upgrade to? I just got some nicer cloth seats with arm rests from another econoline
Are there two airbags up front? Not that I’m aware of
Did you go with the big brake stage 3 Front axle from Chris? Nope, stage 2 axle with drw spacers and Ssbc brakes. According to Chris the ssbc brakes have the same stopping power as the larger rotors. I wanted the drw spacers so I could have the same wheels on both axles so that’s what I went with.
What transmission is in the 450? An E4OD? Was it rebuilt when you did the transfer case install? Yes, E4OD. The E450s have a 4x4 transmission already in order to attach the driveline parking brake so a rebuild was not needed. I have receipts from a previous owner that states that the transmission was rebuilt in 2018.
Was the transfer case rebuilt before it was installed? Transfer case was inspected and my mechanic said it didn’t show signs of needing a rebuild. I just changed the fluid in the transfer case and I didn’t see any metal shavings so I feel like it’s still going good. Front and rear diff also got changed. Amsoil full synthetic.
How large is the fuel tank? 55 gallons to my knowledge but I haven’t let it get that low. Just below half a tank is about 30 gallons.

Cool thanks. Chris is a great source of info. I had him on speed dial when I was doing my conversion. I was reading through your build thread. Did you end up selling those extra 350 springs on Holister or Gilroy CL? I think I tried to buy them but missed by a few days. I'm actually still looking for a set of springs for a 7.3 type two ambo project I have on the back burner.

Just a few more questions: Have you had any issues with the motor other than the HPOP failure? Has anything been done to refresh it? (replacing valve cover harness, high-pressure fuel lines, fuel bowl rebuild or delete, etc.) Low miles are great but after 26 years hoses and gaskets start to hit the end of their lifespan.
Would you feel comfortable driving this van across the country as it sits now?

 

[motofreak0592]

I haven’t had any other issues besides the hpop and I haven’t replaced anything in the engine bay besides the up pipes when noticed they were leaking a little. The rubber fuel lines between the mechanical fuel pump and fuel bowl do have some cracking of the outer sheath so I had plans to rebuild the whole fuel system. I have a new mechanical pump, new rubber lines with hose clamps, an edge eas fuel pressure sensor, and a complete new bowl with an upgraded fuel bowl heater to eliminate the possibility of shorting in the future. All parts are brand new oem, but life happened and now I have a newborn and I just haven’t found the time to install the new parts. I also have new intake plenum boots and an upgraded air intake boot that I had planned on installing while I was in there. I also have a ford e fuel pump that I collected as well in case I decided to go that route one day.
I wouldn’t hesitate to drive the van cross country but as I learned with the hpop, strange things can happen. Especially for how little the engine has been ran over the past 26 years.

 

[motofreak0592]

And yea I sold the springs

 

[motofreak0592]

How large is the fuel tank?

I went to Ford today. Per the VIN (1FDLE40F9THA61245) it has a 50 gallon fuel tank.

 

[motofreak0592]

Bump. We found an rv that we like so I’m very motivated to sell.
I can also arrange for it to be painted for the buyer but obviously that would minimize how much I’m willing to negotiate on the price.

 

[motofreak0592]

Price drop to $53k