My van plan

Thoughts ^^^

It seems the Promaster is prone to water leakage in the cowling over the engine/transmission. Likewise some of the Transits.

Debris collects in the drainage system and as you would guess, it leaks on the most important components of the engine/transmission/battery etc. These have to be kept clean of leaves, road dust that will accumulate and once wet become mud, and even deterioration of plastic parts from engine heat & time. This is when rain water can enter the vents to the transmission, air intake of the engine,
and even enter the passenger compartment. Likewise A/C drainage or blockage has in some cases caused some issues.

It's my understanding that the transmission oil cooler is independent of the engine's radiator. So the transmission oil is cooled in it's own separate air exchange radiator. (thus water may not be getting into the transmission thru that component)

The early Pentastar engines were the ones with problems that would be expensive to fix.

I have a 2022 Promaster 2500HT 159wb that I built out. My #1 must have in it was to store my MTB inside with only taking the front wheel off. It's on a 5ft slide out tray that hold 500 lbs which I also store stuff on.
The whole design started there...
Above about 1/2 of the van I have a 6" full size mattress and I sleep sideways with my 5'9" height. Perfectly fine and not touching the sides at all. Taller folks can sleep a bit of an angle if needed. The only issue for some is the height of getting into bed but I built out slide out storage steps which work great.
Like I said, for me... the bike had to go inside. That back area has all the electrical for solar/ invertor/ battrries/ and 25 gal water tank too. No space is wasted which you be thinking about too.

I suggest you figure out what your "must haves" are and design it as needed.

Have fun with it !!

eDJ_ said:

On the subject of the Promaster rear axle and clearance for off road travel, there are mods beginning to show up for that. But it can only provide so much as the axle would bang against the floor if raised much higher. (as you can see in the photo

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I think I'd extend it over to the spring perches as well... gives more ground clearance, plus a lift. The Transit has rear shock mounts that hang down too far, but that is an easier thing to fix. Transit also can be bought with AWD which might be helpful, but it lacks a low range which I think is a more important thing to have. If I had to buy one of these, I think I'd opt for the Transit 2wd with the non-turbo engine, swap the rear diff ratio for the lowest I could get, and install a locker at the same time. Then tires and suspension.

Juan Chacho said:

For budget, I'm shooting for $25 K but could go up. I'm thinking $15-20 K for the van, depending on miles.

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You may want to look at GM vans, too. Making and installing a high roof wouldn't be hard if you are handy. Paying someone will cost $5k I think, though. Based on my research I'd say the Transit and Promaster are both in the same ballpark for middling reliability.

For that matter, I don't believe that being able to stand inside is a big deal; you can set it up so you can do everything seated, and if you want to stand, you can go outside! That's the great thing about vagabonding in the west, it isn't hard to be in dry pleasant weather all year.

A buddy recently bought a used Transit low roof, non-turbo, 100k miles, for $20k. Cheap vans are hard to find...

Dirtrider said:

I have a 2022 Promaster 2500HT 159wb that I built out. My #1 must have in it was to store my MTB inside with only taking the front wheel off.

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Mine is in what used to be the rear seat area of the truck... along with 6 big storage crates of stuff, plus drinking water and tools, etc. Externally accessible storage is a great thing to have! The only door of the camper part is a big rear hatch where I can access a lot as well.

My first rig was an early Ford E-100 Econoline Van. Hightop's weren't really a thing then like they are today. I was just our of College and a young guy back then.

In my own experience.......I had installed foam backed indoor-outdoor nylon carpet and I found myself moving around the interior on my knees. If I didn't I had back pain from being bent over all of the time. Banging my head against the
roof ceiling wasn't any fun either.

I say.....to each their own. I like the hightop I have now.

Insulation:
Against the wall and ceiling, we mounted:
.. adhesive-back acoustic, a gap, then
.. one-inch pinkboard, another air-gap, then
.. two-inch foil-side poly.
.
The floor has one-inch pinkboard, then half-inch marine plywood painted on all sides to seal.
Our visual flooring is a bamboo perimeter with slate in the center.
Over two decades full-time live-aboard, that pink-board shows zero crumbling or degradation.
.
Our windows are 3010 (three feet wide by a foot tall) dual-pane sliders designed for a stand-still house.
We mounted these at our eye-level standing inside, about eight feet above pavement.
.
Windows near the ceiling reduces ceiling shadows and mimics natural sunlight.
"But but but LM!, small windows turns the interior into a cave!"
We do not live in our rig.
We live out of it.
.
We use a Wave 3 catalytic heater.
With our excessively obsessive insulation, we rarely run the heater above 40°f/4°c.
.
We always open two windows on opposite walls.
How does that look?
Maybe a quarter-inch on the lee, maybe a half-inch to windward.
Escaping warm air carries odors and humidity.
.
.
Our introduction with plenty of portraits, plus our reasons for our decisions:
https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/expeditionvehicle-build.44908/#post-576110

@LargeMarge That's great info for me. Thank you! I love a long term case study. I sense some "untrue common knowledge" in the echo chamber.

For walls/ceiling I've been picturing:

- Adhesive acoustic insulation where needed
- Thinsulate or something fluffy to reduce convection and air loops
- Foam board insulation, maybe polyiso, at whatever thickness leaves 6' height/width of interior space

Juan Chacho said:

@LargeMarge That's great info for me. Thank you! I love a long term case study. I sense some "untrue common knowledge" in the echo chamber.

For walls/ceiling I've been picturing:

- Adhesive acoustic insulation where needed
- Thinsulate or something fluffy to reduce convection and air loops
- Foam board insulation, maybe polyiso, at whatever thickness leaves 6' height/width of interior space

Click to expand...

Unless you are 5’10” or less you will probably want a few more inches space. My ceiling height is 6’ and with shoes and flooring my head occasionally hits. When sleeping in a 6’ space I cannot stretch out my toes when they cramp as well. Just my experience. I thought about a slide out drawer to expand my sleeping area and a pop top as well but ended up with bare floors and adding on to the length of the bed.

bullfrog ! said:

... My ceiling height is 6’ and with shoes and flooring my head occasionally hits. When sleeping in a 6’ space I cannot stretch out my toes when they cramp... and adding on to the length of the bed.

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.
Good point.
.
Semi-retired welder-fabricator here.
For deranged people like me, it is often easier to build rather than buy.
For the twisted amongst us, building is certainly more satisfying than ordering from a catalog.
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I stand 6'3"/191cm (barefoot, my preference) at 220#/100kilos.
2003, we lucked-out at the local-owned family-operated Heavy Truck dismantlers, Anderson Brothers in Eugene Oregon.
https://andersonbrotherste.com
They had the perfect size box.
.
The foot-end of our bed faces the saloon and dance-floor.
Zero cabinets nor footboard, zero obstructions to letting my tootsies wander for a nighttime breath of fresh air.
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Cramps?
I added magnesium glycinate tablets to my after-supper pre-bedtime routine.
One tab is my standard dose, although I can add a second or third hit if I get those indicative tingles.
About six fedbux at GroceryOutlet, about ten fedbux at NaturalGrocers.

Juan Chacho said:

- Adhesive acoustic insulation where needed
- Thinsulate or something fluffy to reduce convection and air loops
- Foam board insulation, maybe polyiso, at whatever thickness leaves 6' height/width of interior space

Click to expand...

I have an alternative thought... maybe just glue patches of outdoor carpeting to the interior walls? That would be simple, anyway.

If you can move with the seasons, then heating and cooling just ain't a big deal. I do think a white exterior is a good idea since the sun can be a ****** when it's hot out, but that and some ventilation should do the trick.

Mine is well insulated (1.5" PVC foam) but that's because it's part of the wall structure.

Nominal dimensions look good for my plan, but I'll mock it up when I get the actual van and see what happens.

I have a small fiberglass trailer that has a popup top area. I put my knowledge of “alternative “ but still a standard insulating material into use for an interior insulation on the ceiling surface. It is a closed cell but flexible foam. Keywords to locate it are “Landau Foam”. When sold by that names its use is for insulating the exterior top surface of automobile roofs. It goes on as the soft padding under the vinyl covered padded exterior roofs on those Cadillacs, Lincoln Town Cars, limousines, etc. it is easy to spray glue in place although in my installation I used the old fashioned brush on yellow contact cement which required a lot less gearing up of protective clothing and cartridge respirator than a spray adhesive. Being a closed cell foam it does not absorb moisture or odors or grow mold, no offgassing odor. It is also very effective at sound deadening. It is sold in a variety of thicknesses. eBay is a good place to mail order it from at lower cost. It is very easy to work with, not itchy, no smell, no messy little foam bits that cling with static, cuts with scissors or a utility knife. It is used for other purposes in automotive interiors as a foam backing material. It does not turn crumbly like some upholstery foams do.

Juan Chacho said:

...dimensions look good... I'll mock it...

Click to expand...

.
Semi-retired welder-fabricator here.
I save cardboard.
I constantly create cardboard mocks to verify fit and interference.
I think better holding a three dimension physical example compared to watching two-dimensional images on a screen.
.
For your interior, are you thinking of creating full-size mocks of your cabinets, bunk, and the rest of the usual lurkers skulkering in a home on wheels?

LargeMarge said:

For your interior, are you thinking of creating full-size mocks of your cabinets, bunk, and the rest of the usual lurkers skulkering in a home on wheels?

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I'll probably do some cardboard and some masking tape. I don't have big cardboard, and I'm probably to lazy to drive around to appliance stores.

I decided I wanted a van. I didn't rent one first. I didn't do cardboard markups. I did put a lot of time and thought into determining what chassis I wanted and how I wanted it equipped. All of which was for naught, due to market realities. I ended up with a chassis I hadn't even considered. Good thing I didn't spend any time fretting over layout...

After I bought the van, I made a list of features/systems that I wanted it to have. I did it in the simplest way possible, with minimal tools, time, and money. I wouldn't call it a "no build", because I used a drill, saw, tape measure. I also own a hammer, but I don't remember if I used it. I know it took less than 40 hours to build. And it cost about 4k. But it had everything that a factory built RV would have: bed, sofa, galley with running water, microwave, induction cooktop, toilet, table, and an electrical system. Done as simple as possible: the bed was a mattress laying on a sheet of plywood supported by metal pipes screwed into the plywood floor; as was one of the two tables; the galley was a sink base cabinet from Home Depot with a battery powered faucet connected to an AquaTainer; the electrical system was a power station.

A week after purchasing it, I hit the road. Over the past 3 years, I've made numerous changes, as my needs have evolved. But there was no way I could have anticipated them. So my advice is buy the best van you can afford (it can replace your daily driver). Do the initial build in the simplest manner that fills all your needs as you see them currently. Don't spend a lot of time or money before hitting the road and testing your hypothesis.

Bottom line: assuming you're not being financially reckless, don't overthink it, just do it!

I just noticed these Marada Driving Simulators on ebay. Several years ago o the MAKE site I noticed a guy designed and built one of these from scratch using some universal building tubing.

Again, if you have a seat & the driving hardware to put in front of a flat screen TV you could use Google Street view and drive all over the world.





To set up your wheel and pedals to work with Google Street View on a flat screen TV, you'll need a dedicated software program that can interpret your steering wheel and pedal inputs and translate them into navigation controls within Google Street View, typically through a PC or gaming console; you'll then need to connect your wheel, pedals, and computer to your TV to display the Street View imagery.

Choose a compatible software:

• PC-based options:
  • Dedicated Street View drivers: Some third-party software programs specifically designed to control Street View with a steering wheel and pedals exist, often available on platforms like Steam.
• 
  
• Gaming emulators: Some gaming emulators like "JoyToKey" can map your wheel and pedal inputs to keyboard commands, which can then be used to navigate Street View.
  
  
• Console-based options:
  • Check for compatibility: If using a console, verify if your wheel and pedals are officially supported and if there are available applications within the console ecosystem to control Street View.
• Connect your hardware:
  • Connect your wheel and pedals: Plug your steering wheel and pedals into your PC or console using the appropriate USB cables.
• 
  
• Connect your PC to the TV: Use an HDMI cable to connect your computer to your TV for displaying the Street View imagery.
  
  
• Configure the software:
  • Calibration: Most software programs will require you to calibrate your wheel and pedals to ensure accurate input.
• 
  
• Mapping controls: Assign the appropriate buttons and axes on your wheel and pedals to the corresponding actions in Street View (like steering, acceleration, braking, and camera controls).
  
  
• Access Google Street View:
  • Open Google Maps: Open Google Maps on your computer and navigate to the desired location using the mouse and keyboard.
• 
  
• Enter Street View mode: Once in the desired location, click on the Street View icon to enter the immersive view.

Important considerations:

• Software compatibility:
  Always check if your chosen software is compatible with your specific wheel and pedal model and the version of Google Street View you are using.
• 
  
• 
  
• Sensitivity adjustments:
  Fine-tune the sensitivity settings within your chosen software to achieve the desired level of control in Street View.
• 
  
• 
  
• Get to Street View in Google Maps (using Chrome Browser)
  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app .
  2. Search for a place or drop a pin on the map. To drop a pin, touch and hold a place on the map.
  3. Tap the thumbnail with a Street View icon .
  4. When you're done, at the top left, tap Back .

In time some Van Dwellers or Nomads may want to retire from the road and live back in the sticks and bricks. This may be a way to stay in touch with their old lifestyle and continue seeing new vistas. It may also be a way to entertain grand kids.

Here is a youtube video of a driving simulator in action. The operator actions are shown in the upper left corner. Although this is a Semi Truck, it would look very much like driving a big Class A. It says the highway is in Sweden.

The idea is to use a driving simulator such as Logitech offers (this one a 2000 vintage "Wingman Formula GP" which could be used on an old computer with an earlier operating system....or with software upgrades on 10 or 11)

In time many of us will retire from RV/Nomad travel and lifestyle and this may be a way to travel from the sticks & bricks to RTR or where ever. Then using a VR hood with a Cell and app's to join up with friends there.

I know this may sound a bit visionary, but old Logitech simulators & earlier computers are laying around for cheap now.

Take a look:

We had planned to just add a bed to our old unreliable mini van that I used to haul kidos around town for field trips. But it was really to small for what we wanted. We didn't want to get to much into the plans until we knew if we really wanted to or not. Then a friend who knew a guy who knew someone who wanted to get rid of the van his dad had sitting in a driveway somewhere pulled the thing up into our driveway and asked if we wanted it. Oh yea he is a mechanic and checked it out pretty good and told us what he thought it needed. And he also told us it was either getting sold to us or to the junk yard when he found it. It was a very very dirty but sound Dodge van with a high top already on it. Only $1,500.00 of course we bought it. Thoroughly scrubbed everything inside and out stripped out all the extra seats found the back bench laid down and with thick heavy duty foam mattress it made a very comfy bed. Good thing we are not to tall. I built my kitchen in the back which is what I wanted. Added a tiny fridge and microwave and a couple jugs for water the kitchen was done. There was a tiny TV already built in and we thought we might use it but so far not after the first night, so it is going away. After a couple trips with wrestling with the dog and trying to get our clothes out from under the bed I made some hanging 'shelves' up high so now our clothes are up off the floor, and we use a nighttime bucket, and we have our power station thingy with solar panels to keep everything charged. The van did need a new cooling system and it did need new brakes. It had a touring set up so carpeting and insolation was already there. So still all in we have about 4-5 K into it. Is it perfect? Nope. Is it pretty? Weeeelll not on bad days but I like it. The windows are huge, the bed has my own quilts on it and the kitchen is just what I wanted, everything we want fits snuggly so works for me. Though this year I found where the leak is around the back I think the rear light things are in need of new gaskets. The friend who sold it to us is also a NAPA store owner and has researched a bit says that seems to be common with this van so new ones are on order. Would it be what I would keep if I win the mega lotto no, but it would/will be what I enjoy until then.

When there is a simulator generation of someone cutting me off does it yell U £UKING A%#H@LE for me in a simulated way, too …….

jonny simulated

Well, the fender benders and collisions only require a click on the refresh button and yur good to go again !