Pics of your VAN! Post up!
- Thread starter adventureduo
- Start date
boardrider247
Weekend warrior anarchist
Thanks!
As usual I didn't ride as much as I had hoped. It I was able to pack some trail around the house and ride that some. Also the snowmobiles around here make some good trail:luxhello:
What the heck. It could be a van. Or a panel truck. Either way, we like it.
These things are ugly, but I can see advantages - they are practical and probably way more easier to work on than any other van...
Can you do a suspension lift on these things to make them more off-road capable?
dentedvw
Wire twister
Ugly, yeah. I thought so too, but eventually I grew to like it. It fit our needs better than anything out there. Opening the hood, you start to feel like you are looking at the new version of a 1970's Ford or Chevy, as much room as it's got and how much appears to be just wasted space. It really could have been streamlined a lot more. Maybe the next version. Reception for them has been lukewarm, owing largely to the looks, and most of that is the rejection of the panel truck look. Just too much out front. But, I spend most of my time with it inside, or out back so I don't notice it much. It drives much better than my new company F series, and feels more or less like any full size truck rather than a van when driving.
As you see it, it's lifted 3" front, and 2.5" rear. You can't hardly tell, but they are really short when you get them. Tiny bit taller tires, 32".
As for more lift, it's an expensive experiment. Nothing out there "fits" but it MIGHT be possible to make some Titan parts fit. UCA's might, or might not. Taller spindles might, or might not.
With no lockers available for it, traction goes pretty fast. I need to work on finding longer rear shocks, and extending brake lines and sensor wires. A 4x4 conversion would help, but at $11k, it's half the purchase price.
Another photo. I wanted to fill all the openings with windows, but some are on backorder, and my wife wants to leave the back two side panels solid for now. It would look better with windows, in my opinion, but that isn't really reason enough.
Having trouble finding suitable bumpers, and tire rack. Will probably end up fabricating them ourselves partly from something made for another vehicle. That would help lend it more of an expo rig feel, rather than drycleaning van, not to mention afford us some extraction capabilities. But, it works well for us, so far. Biggest wish is more traction.
As you see it, it's lifted 3" front, and 2.5" rear. You can't hardly tell, but they are really short when you get them. Tiny bit taller tires, 32".
As for more lift, it's an expensive experiment. Nothing out there "fits" but it MIGHT be possible to make some Titan parts fit. UCA's might, or might not. Taller spindles might, or might not.
With no lockers available for it, traction goes pretty fast. I need to work on finding longer rear shocks, and extending brake lines and sensor wires. A 4x4 conversion would help, but at $11k, it's half the purchase price.
Another photo. I wanted to fill all the openings with windows, but some are on backorder, and my wife wants to leave the back two side panels solid for now. It would look better with windows, in my opinion, but that isn't really reason enough.
Having trouble finding suitable bumpers, and tire rack. Will probably end up fabricating them ourselves partly from something made for another vehicle. That would help lend it more of an expo rig feel, rather than drycleaning van, not to mention afford us some extraction capabilities. But, it works well for us, so far. Biggest wish is more traction.
D
Deleted member 1276
Guest
Love those Nissans. The best kind of ugly!
I thought Aluminess was making bumpers for those...
Nice looking NV. How's the interior set-up?
Longer shocks just need to be researched. Try to get it twisted-up at some point and measure the distances between the shock mounts. I think at one time Rancho had a fit chart, either on-line or on paper that gave the collapsed and extended lengths of their shocks along with the end/eye types...I'll see if I can find a link.
I'd love one of these but I need 4WD (well, "need" is relative but it's nice). I do like the Sportsmobile conversion but with no propane for cooking or a furnace it's a deal breaker for us. There was one really well done custom model posted here a while back.
Thanks for posting. I'd love to see more of these on the road.
Nice looking NV. How's the interior set-up?
Longer shocks just need to be researched. Try to get it twisted-up at some point and measure the distances between the shock mounts. I think at one time Rancho had a fit chart, either on-line or on paper that gave the collapsed and extended lengths of their shocks along with the end/eye types...I'll see if I can find a link.
I'd love one of these but I need 4WD (well, "need" is relative but it's nice). I do like the Sportsmobile conversion but with no propane for cooking or a furnace it's a deal breaker for us. There was one really well done custom model posted here a while back.
Thanks for posting. I'd love to see more of these on the road.
Herbie
Rendezvous Conspirator
Seconded. Knowing how having a squashed nose on a "regular" van affects interior volume, I'm a huge fan of Nissan's approach. Now we just need 4x4...
Cole
Expedition Leader
But it makes for an overall shorter platform.
Here is an example. My Dodge pickup is the same length as this Sprinter but look at where the drivers seating position is by comparison. The Sprinter has WAY more cargo area from the drivers seat back. (even a sprinter with a second row seat)
Herbie
Rendezvous Conspirator
But it makes for an overall shorter platform.
Here is an example. My Dodge pickup is the same length as this Sprinter but look at where the drivers seating position is by comparison. The Sprinter has WAY more cargo area from the drivers seat back. (even a sprinter with a second row seat)
Now we need the same comparison with an NV. I think it's obvious that the NV "nose" doesn't protrude as much as a fullsize truck. I think it's a "happy medium" between platform length and interior volume tradeoffs.
Another related issue w/ front engine vans is footwell room and how that affects crash-worthiness. Vans are typically tight in the footbox and have the driveline offset to the passenger side to allow for pedal access, making the passenger's footwell even tighter. This is a comfort issue, but is also one of the areas where many vans have had trouble in crash tests, particularly front-offset.
Don't get me wrong, I love my van, but if I could magically grab the nose and pull things out 24" or so and free up some interior volume and foot room, I'd do it.
Cole
Expedition Leader
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Herbie
Rendezvous Conspirator
Not quite. It's like a "snub-nosed" truck, which is probably partly why more of the Titan stuff doesn't bolt up.
Isn't it basically the front of Nissans full size truck?
Safeway?
Reitman's?
CIBC?
Somewhere in Alberta?