Out with the old in with the new! Van build for the fam

[expedition4x4]

My new van story started a few months back when The wife and I were running the Colorado Backcountry Discovery route and just realized our rig that we built for crossover between offroading and overland travels was just too bloody small

so out with the old section was our well built poptop jeep was to have a forsale sign on it at Overland Expo East this year (we were vendors) however while I was in Asheville someone saw the jeep with the sign and suggested I come by his place of business and we had a good discussion about the mods and how to transform it from this


to this


But enough about my last build! you didnt come here to see jeeps you came to see a van amiright?

When I sold it that Monday I had a list of vans I had been considering and settled on one in New Jersey
went to the airport and purchased a ticket to the closest major airport and flew to Philly! took a cab over to the little town in Jersey and was at the dealership first thing in the morning

Then I saw my new van early tuesday






Everything seemed good it drove well and had no issues, the interior was in great shape, the frame and undercarriage had no rust!

So I paid the place 6400 bucks cash and figured I had made it out with the best deal in the nation

that feeling ended about 150 miles away as I started smelling diesel fuel inside the cabin, pulled over and diesel was bubbling out of the coolant overflow bottle... eek


took it to a shop in Baltimore to get the bad news (looks like an injector cup is cracked)

Well I'm in a pickle then! Life is definitely an adventure

so I leave it with them and get a ride to the airport and rent a vehicle to get back down to Asheville, NC for the Expo and all my stuff that was in a little storage location!

spend a bit of time at Ujoint Offroad that Thursday and got to see and ride in some of the great vans he has built!




Was really excited to get cracking on this thing but first needed to man our booth at the Expo, go to the Vanlife rally in Asheville and had no idea how much the "fix" was gonna be
Few vanlife rally pics from Asheville just to sate your appetite

 

[expedition4x4]

So while I am at the Expo I learn that the van had at least one cracked injector cup and needs to be checked out thoroughly because diesel was in the coolant system

the shop has to pull the body and start replacing items

ugh that's gonna take a week or more...

Lemons! so we throw an after happy hour campfire at the Expo with coordination with Ninkasi Brewery, Stay The Trail Colorado and Expedition Colorado




Sunday drove the rental truck back to Baltimore and sadly booked a flight home to Denver the following day, stopped by shop and threw all my camping gear/tools/campfire in a can etc in the back of my broken passenger van and flew home.

Van has to be completely gone through, diesel in coolant at minimum is injector cups but if you are pulling the body to do that you might as well get heads checked and replace any part of the coolant system that has rubber...

so cups, radiator, water pump, all hoses are to be replaced and its gonna take a couple weeks to accomplish

meanwhile I found a local Colorado place that parts out F250's and F350's

me and a buddy head down with his car hauler and pick up a sterling 10.5, Dana 60HD, and a 271 Transfer case for a grand

setup in garage for tear down and rebuild!


About a week later I flew back out to Baltimore and drove the van 1300 miles in a weekend home

was a good trip and I'm excited for this build!

Will be doing the Ujoint 6" kit, new paint (Desert Khaki) and then interior build

 

[Bikersmurf]

Does the dealer have any sort of warranty? I'd be wanting some money back if they sold me a van that was broken at the time of purchase.

 

[expedition4x4]

I'm working with them legally now


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ujoint]

Good stuff, ready to see it all come together!

 

[Bikersmurf]

Hopefully things will go smoother from this point forward.

 

[expedition4x4]

Oh yeah! since Im driving to LA next week I am working now to get the Ham Radio, AVMAP, and Navigational IPad mini installed this weekend. Also picking up a gaucho Couch from a member here.
Running a 6 blade blue sea fuse box in the center console to feed all the comm gear pictures to come this weekend!

 

[ExplorerTom]

That thing is so big! Can't wait to see it progress.

As I get older, I find myself enjoying larger vehicles. But I'm not quite ready to give up my 4wheeling capabilities just yet.

 

[mjs3350]

Excited to see your progress!