Questions on an 89 Ford camper van...

[Hokie]

So the camper van bug bit me a while ago and we have been searching for the right rig that falls into our budget. I may have found one but there are some issues.

Here is the ad:

Ford E350 Conversions Van--RUNS & STARTS GREAT !! Has high raised roof, also known as a CLASS B MOTORHOME or Camper Van.
Nice one ton van-complete with kitchen, sink, stove, microwave, fridge, 110 and 12 volt, propane water heater. Flush toilet combo with stand up shower stall.
Holding tank & fresh water tank and hot water heater. Also set up for direct pressure water hose while camping. Propane tank is FULL. Good size double cupboard/ closet. Overhead cupboards in kitchen and rear. Overhead lights galore.

Center seats, tinted windows. Rear dinette make into a comfy bed. Newer dual batteries plus auxiliary battery which runs all the interior lights. Tinted glass.

Diesel engine purrs- starts easy....runs great. Completely gone over, new starter, new fuel filter housing and step up motor will give much improved mileage. Two fuels with a switch for rear or
front tank. Entire front end has been rebuilt along with new front brakes. Heavy duty hitch.

Needs a small portable AC unit that will fit above rear doors- three sided hood provided protects the AC unit from weather.
NO Generator is included--there never was space provided for one. Odometer is beyond its mechanical limits (reads 5000+miles). Awning does not open.




First off, my usage will be for 2-3 nights of camping away from a camping site with hookups. It would be me/wife/child or me/wife. It would mainly see highway/interstate travel but there would be some dirt roads and some light off road, but nothing that a locking or limited slip diff couldn't handle.

Pro's:
Diesel engine (I am assuming the 6.9)
Four seats up front, kitchen & bathroom in the middle, dining booth/bed in the very back. My preferred layout as we would travel with 3-4 people.
Looks clean for a 20+ year old van

Con's:
Needs an A/C unit in the back.
No generator

The lack of a generator is what concerns me. If I read the ad correctly, it has dual batteries for the engine and an auxillary (deep cycle I assume?) battery for power when parked.

1. How much life can I expect out of this auxillary battery? Yes, I know this is horribly vague and I don't have enough details here.
2. How much trouble would it be to add a generator? The ad says no space was provided, but I don't know if that means there is physically no room for a generator or if the entire undercarriage is already full of "stuff".
3. Assuming adding a generator is an option, what kind of options are out there for a diesel generator? It would be nice to pull fuel off the existing diesel tanks.

(Sorry to be vague but electricity is (one of my many) areas where I lack a good understanding.)

This van has been on the market for a while and the price just dropped to fall within my budget. I have not gone to see the van yet. It is a couple of hours from me so if I do go look at it, I want to go prepared.

Questions, comments and/or thoughts on the electrical set up on this van or on the van in general?

 

[xped]

I wouldn't worry about a generator, really the only reason to have one is for the A/C. If you do decide you need one just get a Honda EU2000 for a small window A/C or a EU3000 if you go with the larger roof mount type. These generators are super quite and the 3000 has remote start. If you don't buy this van please send me the info it looks nice.

 

[rockbender]

Ditto what xped said about the generator. Plan on changing your lights over to LED's and you'll run for a few nights no problem. Your fridge and stove are likely both propane powered, and if you have a furnace it will just need to power a fan which will probably draw 2-3 amps. Unless there is an inverter and a very good capacity auxiliary battery you won't be running the microwave unless you are plugged in to shore power.

An '89 is likely the 7.3 IDI engine - more or less the same as the 6.9 with slightly more displacement. If you are serious about this rig, read up on SCA's for the coolant to prevent block cavitation. If the transmission is an E4OD, the good news is that you have overdrive. The bad news is that this era of tranny didn't always have the longest lifespan. Not to say that this one won't be just fine, just an observation to make when taking a test drive to see how positive it shifts and how the fluid looks. If it is a C6 tranny, you've got a fairly bullet proof cheap to rebuild tranny but it is a bit archaic - no overdrive and no lock up torque converter.

If you go to test drive, make sure that you are starting a cold engine. I would specifically request that it was not started earlier in the day to verify the health of the glowplug system and how well it does on cold starts. Feel the engine to verify you have a cold start, and if it is warm I would certainly inquire why.

Depending on price, it looks like a great way to get the family out. Good luck!

 

[Hokie]

Thanks for the info xped & rockbender.

For more "touristy" trips, I would probably need a generator. I could go with the portable type, but it sure would be nice to have an integral diesel generator. Maybe a project down the road if I do wind up with this van...

Thanks for the info on the motor and tranny. I was assuming 6.9 with the C6 so I will be sure to take a close look at both to see what is actually there.

The price is good so hopefully the rest of the van is as clean as the pics that were posted. Buying any 20+ year old vehicle is risky enough as you will never really know its history, but more so with an RV and all its plumbing & electrical systems.

I will keep you posted!

 

[rockbender]

For that price (just saw the ad) I'd probably roll the dice on it, especially because it has a floor plan that you are looking for. The four captain chair arrangement in a class B isn't the most popular one. Sounds like you'd be be ready to roll! You are absolutely right about the risk of buying a 20 year old RV, but if you are handy enough it hopefully won't add too much expense if you have a few little projects.

Immediate concerns would be things like tires - that will kill $600-800 fast if it has weather checked or otherwise poor tires.

I'm still not sure what you need a generator for? I guess being in Georgia it would be to hook up and run an AC unit while parked?

The interior looks a bit worn, so you'd need to evaluate that in person and determine how important that is to you to.

You could probably find a full size RV for the same price, but most of those see less use and as a result have more issues of being in storage. Vans are great because you can still park in normal areas and aren't so intimidating to drive around. You'll WANT to go for a road trip.

Also, make sure the cab AC works... you're sitting right on top of that diesel engine and it puts out a bit of heat on its own.

 

[Hokie]

Rockbender,

Yes, this arrangement is not the most common so it's been a challenge to find one that is in budget. If you saw the price, then you understand my interest. At one point, he was asking double this amount but the ads were short and vague at best.

As far as use - I would be using it like most people on this site would use it. I want to go out off the beaten path and nowhere near civilization or even a campground for 2-3 days. However, this will be a joint purchase(or investment, more likely) between me and my father. He will use it as more of a traditional RV and want to run a TV, AC, etc for extended periods while on 1-2 week trips or to visit my brother at his trailer/beach campground. That's where the generator part comes in as that's one of his requirements. I should have put that info on the original post but I didn't want to kill with detail.