A super nice van that I built a few years ago is for sale, BlueTraveler. Here's a pic of when I finished it, and check out the listing info below:
BLUE TRAVELER IS FOR SALE!!!
Our situation and plans have changed (several times) and now Blue Traveler is for sale.
E-350 - 4x4 - 7.3L Diesel / Non-Turbo - Standard body
Price: $14,500
Mileage: 110K
No Rust - Virginia Van
Never Been Used In 4x4
Never Been Off-Road
Never Towed The Trailer It Was Purchased For
10k Miles Since Conversion - 6k highway/4k local
I searched for eight months before I found this van. A former government mobile office with 100k miles on the odometer. Government fleet vehicles have a mandatory maintenance schedule and having been employed as a mobile office in Virginia, this heavy-duty 7.3L diesel was barely used. Spending its time south of the snow belt, it had no body rust.
It has a standard, non-extended body, which I knew was perfect to tow our 34' trailer. The hitch-point fulcrum should be as close to the rear axle as possible. We were living in Oregon and I wanted a 4x4 van to handle the mountain snow, or ocean beach sand. I researched and contacted several 4x4 van conversion companies and UJOR came off as the best by far. The van was located in Richmond, VA.
Chris did an awesome conversion job and in August of 2010, my wife and I flew out and drove the van back to Oregon. I upgraded the grill and headlights, had the tool & fuel storage box built and the 10k lb. tow hitch and Prodigy brake controller installed. I also had an engine block heater put in.
Our trailer was being refurbished, so the van was used for local errands. Around this time, my wife's parent's health started deteriorating and we made plans to be closer to them. In May of 2011, we sold the still unfinished Airstream and moved to Indiana. I thought we'd hang on to the van, since there is great camping in Michigan and Minnesota, but since our move, we've been very busy establishing ourselves and fixing up our old house.
So. . .
Of the 10k miles put on the van since the conversion, 6k were the cross-country highway miles and 4k miles were a mix of highway and local miles. The van has never been off-road. Other than me test-engaging it one Sunday in a parking lot, this vehicle has never been used in 4x4. We sold our trailer before we had a chance to tow it with the van. The bed (very comfortable) has been used eight times. A no-rust Virginia van, it spent a year in no-salt/no-rust Oregon and last year (known locally as "the Winter that wasn't") in Indiana. As you can see by the pictures, it's very, very clean.
Oil has been changed every 3k miles and the transmission tow package re-build had its oil & filter changed after 1k miles. At 70 mph, the van gets 15 mpg on the highway. More mpg at 65 mph. Around 12 mpg in the city, depends on your driving. Burns no oil whatsoever. No leaks.
This is an opportunity to pick up a very clean, very powerful 4x4 van done by one of the most respected companies in the conversion business, that's never been off-road, or even used in 4x4 for a great price. The upgrades that have been added are capability upgrades and it's still a blank slate for your personal customization. The upper compartments in the topper and space under the bed make for a ton of storage and the 4:10 gears and heavy-duty hitch are 10k lbs. tow-ready. The ability to stand up in the van. . . priceless.
As John Lennon said, "life happens while you're making other plans."
Our plans have changed and now someone can snap up a great deal on a super-clean 4x4 van for far less than the price of the conversion!
Many More Pictures Available at:
www.septaudio.com/vanforsale-01.html.
All pictures were taken 09.15.12
ADDITIONAL VAN UPGRADES:
• Prodigy Brake Controller & 10k Lb. hitch installed by Accessory Outfitters - Beaverton, OR $960.29
• (3) 124032 Carr Super Hoop XM3 $387.00
• (4) Tirechain.com V BAR TRUCK CHAINS (Never Used)
(2) l2WBR03 V-Bar Truck Tire Chains one pair INCLUDES CAMS
(2) 16$250.322SP-2 Truck/SUV spring adjusters (32" tall tire and smaller) $347.11
• (2) Sheepskin Express Deluxe Superfit sheepskin covers in (Dark Silver) for the front two seats in a 1993 Ford E-350 Van @$239.00.
(Underneath the custom-made sheepskin covers, the vinyl seats are perfect. No rips or tears.)
• Discount Van & Truck Van Sofa Bed/Dutchess/48x52'' Encore Charcoal + shipping $827.00
• Tools & Fuel Compartment and sofa/bed installation $300.00
(Tools & Fuel Compartment interior has epoxy coating)
• Block Heater & Installation $265.00
• Billet Grill $158.55
• Rampage Headlights $104.41
• Front Channel Window Vents (smoke) $59.00
