First "vanlife" post...

[jsb223]

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.

 

[Rovertrader]

Solid winch mount and a good winch for extraction, possibly rear locker and you are likely 95% good!! Congrats, and pics of course ;-)

 

[MadMax321]

i had a rear locker in my e350, helped tremendously... also some cheap amazon traction boards...

 

[Scotty D]

A locking rear end, walking tricky portions of road before you cross them, and airing down your tires will get you to 90 % of the cool campsites in Baja
Those 4x4 sprinters are too worried about their paint to get to remote beaches.
I have an AWD chevy express with the G80 locker and I love it but I spent 4 months a year offroad camping
Most people would to great with a ford and a locker

 

[Raul]

Congrats. As mentioned already, a locker on the rear or LSD and good tires will help a lot. My first van was 2wd and with AT tires, slightly taller springs, and LSD in the rear took us to a lot of places.
A front hitch will allow you to install a winch for self-recovery.

You can block the windows and build over them, I've done I in all my vans.


You can check the winch and the siding on my built threads.

Where in TX are you? I'm The Woodlands (North Houston)

 

[texasnielsen]

Those 4x4 sprinters are too worried about their paint to get to remote beaches.

Seriously? That’s a pretty wide brush to paint that statement as factual. Having been to Baja more than a few times and seeing a fair share of Sprinters and not as many Fords (or GMs) I’d suggest that statement to be fake news not in keeping with our mutual respect of one another on EP.

 

[jsb223]

Things in my world always take longer than planned.

I decided to insulate and cover the back two windows and block them out from the inside
however, most of the windows are leaking.

Caught up on youtube the windows fix and ordered necessary supplies to reseal them
2 rear and 2 back doors windows for now. Ironically the pop out windows don't leak
or if they do it's not very apparent.

Insulated the floor, took down the factory ceiling as it was pretty ugly. Started the insulation
project last weekend.

The "kitchen" for lack of a better word was far more complex and I made some
bonehead mistakes along the way.

Setting it up more for a camping van than a "van life" rig. So no shower, water heater,
fancy cabinets, etc.

Bought a double crossbar gutter mount roof rack but it makes the van look more
like a painters van than an camper van. Maybe the canoe and the Thule storage box
will convince them otherwise.

Told myself that I needed more water storage than a 7 gallon camper jug so
I have a tank on the way.

The kitchen consist of a single burner propane stove, 12 volt fridge and a sink
(still working out grey water issue )but no running water at the moment.

The new tank initially won't be plumbed it until I'm satisfied with the kitchen
setup after a few test runs.

On the 12 volt system do most of you ground to the vehicle? Or do I need a separate
ground bus isolated from the vehicle ground?

 

[rruff]

Setting it up more for a camping van than a "van life" rig. So no shower, water heater,
fancy cabinets, etc.

If you plan on moving around with the seasons (will this be true?), then it's ridiculously easy to be comfortable with very little work. I lived in a 2wd pickup with an open diff for over a decade, mostly camped in the boonies far from other humans. Some advice...

#1 recovery item is a good pump, plus a spare pump. I've gotten stuck in sand more times than I can count (because I was too lazy to air down). I got out by airing down every single time. Add a tow rope, spare tire, and a good plug kit and you'll be in decent shape. If you want to get fancy, then good AT tires, suspension upgrade (small lift), and a rear locker, are where I'd spend money.

Keep it as simple as possible... and then go camp! Even in my new rig I don't have plumbing, a shower, toilet, fridge, heat, etc. Don't need any of it. I have electric and a laptop. Single burner propane stove. I put some lights in, but don't use them... always have a headlamp handy which is far better. Lots of storage and space.

Plastic crates and plastic drawers comprise most of my storage. With "hammocks" up high made from beach towels and bungee cords for light stuff like clothes.

I wash dishes and myself with water and vinegar, just a wipe with a piece of paper towel with dishes, and on my body I use a nylon mesh scrub. Works great, no rinsing and very little water.

A laptop is my entertainment system. I have an articulating table that is like lagun, only steel... can't remember the name. But it makes it convenient. Also a special wedge shaped pillow so I can recline while using it. I watch movies and play games like that.

BTW, I didn't ground my electrical, and it works fine.

All I can think of for now...