Hi. I’m a new member seriously considering purchasing an RV to live in full time. Fully outfitted ones are too expensive. I’m currently looking at used Transits with AWD as I like to go off road in the mountains when the weather is nice.
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eDJ_
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Welcome to the Van Living Forum ! You'll find plenty of good information from experienced people in this forum.
I wouldn't go off road or into the out back without AWD either.
I wouldn't go off road or into the out back without AWD either.
bullfrog !
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Welcome! Treat the van as a steel tent and just use it as a sleeping area to begin with. Getting a good nights sleep makes solving any other problems easier in the morning!
rruff
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Transits have only had awd since 2020, so it won't be very old. They also have terrible ground clearance.
Get a 4wd pickup and camper instead.
For going off road? Wouldn’t that make the center of gravity excessively high? Thank you in advance.
twomountainlions
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Huh, low mileage large cargo van will cost the same or more as RV or truck/trailer even before you build it out, vans are ridiculously overpriced.
If you want real off road get a 4x4 truck plus RV topper camper.
If you want real off road get a 4x4 truck plus RV topper camper.
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bullfrog !
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You can’t have ground clearance without raising the center of gravity but you can keep heavy items lower.
twomountainlions
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Truck campers are designed by engineers specifically for off/rough road travel with proper center of gravity in mind
twomountainlions
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Yes, stuff like tanks and main storage is all in the lower part. Even the empty one got center of gravity designed to be in proper place, filling the tanks and loading stuff only makes it all even more stable
rruff
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Not at all. Why would it have a higher CG than a van?
The camper I built is over 9' long plus a cabover sleeping berth, 76" high inside, and the weight of the shell plus mounting parts, bumper and step... minus the original bed and bumper that was removed, comes to ~550 lbs. I have no cabinets up high, only clothes in hammocks. Nothing on the roof either. Heavy stuff is on the floor or under it, and far forward if possible.
Tip-over is a very overblown concern anyway. Mostly when it happens it's because someone was stupid. Driving too fast and turning up a hill for instance. We get worried about it long before it's an actual danger... unless we do something stupid.
I love F-150’s but am concerned about not being able to get into the cab quickly if I need to escape.
rruff
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From what?!
twomountainlions
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Highly unlikely situation...unless you are urban camping in big cities, but for that you def dont want a truck camper anyway
twomountainlions
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Pretty much all stock vans have lousy ground clearance, 6-7", 8" in the best case. Transits can have more than Promaster depending on the model. Then you can generally safely add a couple of inches to that, which still doesnt amount to a lot. Crazy mods for even more clearance... not sure how reliable and safe the stuff is. Trucks just offer better clearance options.
twomountainlions
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One drawback of stock RV truck camper as I see it is having to climb pretty high up to enter the living area. With a van you have more flexibility as how to position your tanks and storage and its not as much climbing. That's one of the reasons I didnt go with truck camper as I enter/exit vehicle gazillion of times a day and carrying stuff too
bullfrog !
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You still have steps in most campers no mater what kind. Even vans have one or two. Modern technology has made light weight staircases that go from side to side behind the truck and lift gates as well as accommodating handicap lifts but they are expensive for most applications. I saw one aluminum one that folded down to make a rear deck then unfolded again to make a stair case 4 or 5 steps high. Yes the high living area can be a problem if you have mobility issues.
twomountainlions
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I dont have mobility issues but I like to "live" outside, which means I carry heavy water canisters and stuff like pots/dishes outside, climbing narrow stairs with that gets old quick. Nearly fell off recently. And Iiterally go back and forth in and out dozens of times a day, thats my style of camping. Dont want no high stairs, too easy to fall, especially in the dark. Just a consideration to account into decisions
rruff
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Transits are listed at 5" (rear shock mounts), and though Promasters are listed 6.9" I don't believe it.
On my truck the rear diff is the low spot at about 12", but it's relatively easy to maneuver around rocks and it's also much more robust than this tube hanging down on the Promaster.
I definitely think tall stairs are a hazard, besides being in the way. My deck is ~40" high, but I only have one fold down step along with 3 places where I can grab ahold for stability. My only door is a big rear hatch, so if I'm carrying stuff I just set it down inside on a shelf at the end of the couch.
rruff
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You might consider a Ram 1500 instead. They can be had with either a V6 or V8 NA engine that lack the modern longevity and reliability killing features. I mean... I'm not that fond of either brand, but the only non-turbo engine you can get in the Ford is the 5.0 and I think I'd prefer the 2.7 turbo over that.
Also, if you will doing fairly mild offroad, ground clearance is the most important thing, and a 2wd will do fine. If you buy a new truck you can order it with lower gearing and a locker too. If you have the money then 4wd and low range are nice.
Also if you are handy with building things you can make your own camper. It isn't hard... just resist the urge to make fancy curves and facets like I did on mine!
There are a few place in the US now where you can order good sandwich panels to build your own, or have them build the shell, or get one equipped to your specs.
