Pre 2020 I had been looking at vans for quite a while. My Silverado 4x4 w/
topper plans were not going to work out as I needed more room.
Post 2020 all vehicles prices went through the roof so I thought I was out of the game
As luck has it I stumbled upon a local find and now the plans are back on track.
I found a 2001 Ford E-350 SWB passenger van that someone had turned into a work van.
All the rear seats were gone so basically a shell with a factory ceiling.
There are pros and cons so let’s starts there.
PRO’s
Cheap
7.3 diesel
Low mileage based on age
Very dry underneath
Good ground clearance as I can change the oil and get to the 2nd battery without ramps
Pretty steep front and rear approach angle with the 137” WB
Very little frame and body rust no structural issues
Great towing capacity
Receiver hitch
Large fuel tank
Drives good reasonably quiet (will get better with more insulation)
CON’s
No 4x4 and I’m going to miss it but 4x4 vans in Texas are rarer that hens teeth and VERY expensive.
Sliding track side door, I always wanted side barn doors.
All them windows so no cabinets to the ceiling.
Bad tires and no spare
Some scratches but not too bad.
Roof surface rust towards front but no holes.
Don’t like the spare tire location
It took about $1100 to get it road ready not counting initial purchase and registration.
Got a 55x72 frame mounted in the rear for sleeping with storage underneath.
12 volt AUX system with rolling / 110/solar charging options.
Still trying to work out the cabinet/kitchen/storage arrangement and entertainment system.
I know I’ll have limited access with the 2WD and getting a 5800lb vehicle stuck will be expensive
to extract so I’ll just plan accordingly and have a hi-lift, some blocks and tire chains.
You know at some point I'm gonna have to start taking pictures.
topper plans were not going to work out as I needed more room.
Post 2020 all vehicles prices went through the roof so I thought I was out of the game
As luck has it I stumbled upon a local find and now the plans are back on track.
I found a 2001 Ford E-350 SWB passenger van that someone had turned into a work van.
All the rear seats were gone so basically a shell with a factory ceiling.
There are pros and cons so let’s starts there.
PRO’s
Cheap
7.3 diesel
Low mileage based on age
Very dry underneath
Good ground clearance as I can change the oil and get to the 2nd battery without ramps
Pretty steep front and rear approach angle with the 137” WB
Very little frame and body rust no structural issues
Great towing capacity
Receiver hitch
Large fuel tank
Drives good reasonably quiet (will get better with more insulation)
CON’s
No 4x4 and I’m going to miss it but 4x4 vans in Texas are rarer that hens teeth and VERY expensive.
Sliding track side door, I always wanted side barn doors.
All them windows so no cabinets to the ceiling.
Bad tires and no spare
Some scratches but not too bad.
Roof surface rust towards front but no holes.
Don’t like the spare tire location
It took about $1100 to get it road ready not counting initial purchase and registration.
Got a 55x72 frame mounted in the rear for sleeping with storage underneath.
12 volt AUX system with rolling / 110/solar charging options.
Still trying to work out the cabinet/kitchen/storage arrangement and entertainment system.
I know I’ll have limited access with the 2WD and getting a 5800lb vehicle stuck will be expensive
to extract so I’ll just plan accordingly and have a hi-lift, some blocks and tire chains.
You know at some point I'm gonna have to start taking pictures.
