94 Ford E150 conversion van road trip/get-away vehicle

[bpeck]

<p>Hey all, I've been working on my van off/on for the last couple months and now that I'm approaching my take-off date I figured I'd share a few photos. &nbsp;My goal for my rig isn't necessarily for me to be able to full-time in it, but rather for it to be a comfortable road-trip vehicle for 4-5 people, allow me to cook for a couple people and to sleep 1-2 comfortably. &nbsp;I am a skateboarder who travels and explores a lot so my van is a direct reflection of my needs.<br><br>First part was finding the van. &nbsp;I'm currently in Connecticut, where I was born and raised... also where cars like to get rusty and fall apart. &nbsp;Luckily for me, my dad was a used car dealer his whole life and retired to Florida, so we decided to search around him. &nbsp;After lots of Craigslist ads we found the one: a '94 Ford E150 high-top conversion by Mark III. &nbsp;Just over 100k miles, no rust and a strong running/well-maintained engine for $3000 - not a bad deal. &nbsp;My pops even drove it up to Connecticut for me cause he's such a good guy. &nbsp;Nice! &nbsp;Here's a photo of how it sat the day I bought it, right from the original Craigslist ad:<br><img rel="lightbox" src="" class="bbc_img"><br><br>So far I've only done some pretty basic stuff to the van as I'm trying to keep it simple. &nbsp;Fresh oil change to synthetic, new front brakes and new wipers is all the van really needed. &nbsp;I removed the running boards, added a ladder to the back door and took out the rear bench seat to make room for my almost queen size bed. &nbsp;Bought some important things like a Camp Chef camp stove, Mr. Buddy propane heater, a simple awning that attaches to the passenger side of the van and a nice Coleman cooler to make it a bit more "live-able." &nbsp;I'm going to be chasing the warm weather to Southern California so I plan on doing most of the cooking, cleaning, and hanging out OUTSIDE the van. &nbsp;Here's how she looked about a month ago after a light snowfall:<br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/ca6fbb1cc28f6872332094737d526244/tumblr_mh9ml0nWPn1s2e39po1_500.jpg" class="bbc_img"><br>I'm waiting for some warmer weather to bust out the Plastidip and paint the bumpers, grille and wheels black - not a fan of the chrome. &nbsp;Much prefer how she looks without the running boards.<br><br>Just this week I finished my bed. &nbsp;I borrowed the idea from a few DIY sites where I've seen pipe beds made for a home scenario, but haven't seen it executed in a van yet. &nbsp;There are two main reasons I went with the pipe bed: #1 no cross/side supports getting in the way of storage underneath - its simply the "outline" of the mattress and four legs. &nbsp;#2, the Speed Rail fittings that hold the whole thing together come apart with one tool, an allen wrench. &nbsp;So all I need is about 5-10 minutes and one simple tool to take the whole thing apart. &nbsp;Not bad! &nbsp;I have an 8" thick queen size memory foam mattress that I'm using, I had to trim it to 6 feet long to get it to fit into the space I'm working with. &nbsp;I'm exactly 6 feet tall so it ended up working out great! &nbsp;Here's a photo of the frame and recycled futon bed slats in the back of my van:<br><img rel="lightbox" src="" class="bbc_img"><br><br><br>I've got four captains chairs, a nearly queen sized bed and tons of storage space in a regular-length Ford van... sweet!<br><br>I also just got my scooter running which I am super excited about. I found a 2001 Honda Elite 80 on Craigslist, she's a little rough around the edges but I only paid $250! &nbsp;Getting 100mpg around town is a great way to offset the poor mileage of the van, especially when I have an awesome hitch hauler that fits the scoot perfectly!<br><img rel="lightbox" src="" class="bbc_img"><br><br>Hopefully I'll be back with more updates and photos soon! &nbsp;Let me know what you think <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></p>

 

[CrossCountryGal]

Sweet! &nbsp;I'm tweaking the interior of my bus and your pipe bed intrigues me. &nbsp;Would you share additional details and pics when you have a moment? &nbsp;Thanks

 

[bpeck]

<p>Hey CrossCountryGal - no problem! &nbsp;<br><br>Like I originally mentioned, I'd seen the pipe bed executed in homes before but never in a van. &nbsp;This how-to site gave me the most inspiration and best visuals for what I wanted to accomplish:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.simplifiedbuilding.com/blog/how-to-build-a-pipe-bed-frame/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.simplifiedbuilding.com/blog/how-to-build-a-pipe-bed-frame/</a> It also helped me realize how easy it could be!<br><br>The fittings are what make the whole bed come together and go by many names... The site I linked above sells them by the name "Kee Klamp," another company&nbsp;Hollaender sells them by the name "Speed Rail," and you can find them from industrial suppliers like McMaster-Carr (<a href="http://www.mcmaster.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.mcmaster.com</a>) as generic "Slip-On Rail Fittings" in both galvanized and aluminum. &nbsp;I got lucky and a friend of mine had some of the exact corner and tee pieces I needed made of aluminum in the 1" size, so I got those for free and designed the bed around that. &nbsp;The aluminum fittings are plenty strong and lighter than the galvanized ones.<br><br>I used 1" thick heavy wall electrical conduit for the pipe itself. &nbsp;Found it at an electrical wholesaler in 10ft sections and I think I got away with using 30ft in total. &nbsp;Because I want to use a queen sized mattress at 60" wide, I opted to run a "support beam" down the middle to keep my wood slats from sagging too much. &nbsp;Also used "floor mount flanges" as feet to help spread out the load over a larger surface area. &nbsp;<br><br>Here you can see the frame itself installed in the back of my van... installation is literally as simple as cutting the pipe, inserting each piece into the fittings and tightening with an allen key:<br><img rel="lightbox" src="" class="bbc_img"><br>Yes, there is a fourth leg hiding in that corner!<br><br>I made use of an old futon frame my family wasn't using for the hardwood bed slats. &nbsp;They were already ribboned together in three separate sections, I used some heavy twine and creative knots to attach the three sections to each other and they ended up being the perfect size. &nbsp;To keep vibrations and annoying wood-on-pipe rattles to a minimum, I installed foam weatherstripping on top of the pipe wherever the slats were going to make contact. &nbsp;The weatherstrip is simply a small strip of foam (comes in various sizes) with adhesive on one side, again very easy installation just peel and stick. &nbsp;I zip-tied the bed slats to the pipe to make sure everything was snug and it's literally silent! &nbsp;Couldn't be happier.<br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="" class="bbc_img"><br><br>The only problem I ran into during installation was the location of one "forward" legs - I didn't realize that the side step in and out of the van was going to be a problem until it was too late! &nbsp;Lucky an extra tee made the fix quick and easy. &nbsp;Here's a visual that's easier than me trying to explain:<br><img rel="lightbox" src="" class="bbc_img"><br><br>I definitely suggest the pipe bed frame. &nbsp;It takes up very little room and allows for maximum storage space while the frame itself remains minimally invasive. &nbsp;It's not amazingly light when its all together but it's not outrageously heavy, either. &nbsp;It's solid. &nbsp;I did the whole installation by myself quite easily, and the fact that breaking everything down is SO dang easy it really feels like cheating. &nbsp;Let me know if you have any questions or want to know anything more! &nbsp;</p>

 

[caseyc]

That's a pretty slick bed setup you have there! &nbsp;I'm not so handy, so I cheated and bought a twin size bed frame with head rest and an iComfort memory foam mattress. &nbsp;I have a van similar to years, except in a low top 1995 Ford E150 conversion van.

 

[bpeck]

Checking in from warm and sunny Southern California! &nbsp;My wonderful van made the 3,000+ mile trek from Connecticut to Los Angeles effortlessly and in style. &nbsp;It was sooo nice to travel with a queen size memory foam bed in the back and not have to worry about paying for a place to sleep!<br><br>Before taking off I did a bit more work on the van. &nbsp;Swapped my fixed side barn door windows out for ones that pop open for better ventilation. &nbsp;Swapped the dented chrome bumper for a nicer one I got for $50. &nbsp;Painted the grille, bumpers and rear door ladder black which I think matches the dark green color scheme MUCH better than chrome.<br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://distilleryimage3.ak.instagram.com/e2658190925211e2a9ed22000a1fb773_7.jpg" class="bbc_img"><br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://distilleryimage1.ak.instagram.com/53fe266c901a11e2895222000aaa0568_7.jpg" class="bbc_img"><br><br>First leg I did a quick drive from Hartford CT to Brooklyn NY, where my brother lives. &nbsp;He wanted to do the trek with me which was much appreciated, so I cruised into the city on a Friday night to avoid traffic. &nbsp;We left early Saturday morning and we made it from NYC to Tennessee, slept in the parking lot of a 24-hour gas station/diner right off the interstate which made for an easy &amp; convenient breakfast. &nbsp;Next day we did Tennessee to Oklahoma and slept in a Walmart parking lot. &nbsp;Day after that was Oklahoma to New Mexico, made a stop in Albuquerque to see some friends and poach a shower. &nbsp;That night was the only time we had a problem with our spot selection for sleeping: we pulled off a road that we thought was quieter than it was (the darkness of night can be deceiving) and tried sleeping in a dirt lot on the side, a few hours in we get a knock on the window - it was a cop answering a call that someone had phoned in, once we told him we were fine and just needed a place to sleep he told us we didn't even need to move. &nbsp;Not bad! &nbsp;Final day of driving was New Mexico to Los Angeles with a stop at the Grand Canyon on the way.<br><br>I'm super excited to be in LA where the weather is warm and skateboarding is abundant. &nbsp;Check out a couple more photos I snapped during my trip:<br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://distilleryimage5.ak.instagram.com/fde6d24c93ca11e290cd22000a1f90d7_7.jpg" class="bbc_img"><br>Stopped at a rest area, view of my scooter loaded on the hitch hauler. &nbsp;Guest appearance by my brother.<br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://distilleryimage1.ak.instagram.com/a2cd1eec940c11e2a82b22000a9f1408_7.jpg" class="bbc_img"><br>Took a detour off the interstate in Virginia and drove the Blue Ridge Parkway for a bit. &nbsp;Such nice views.<br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://distilleryimage11.ak.instagram.com/6a7d4700949911e2968922000a9f38c5_7.jpg" class="bbc_img"><br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://distilleryimage4.ak.instagram.com/4e4a172e956211e2a7d622000a9e298f_7.jpg" class="bbc_img"><br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://distilleryimage10.ak.instagram.com/b885b3d095c311e2bfae22000a9e0782_7.jpg" class="bbc_img"><br>Sunset on I-40 W, somewhere in Arizona I believe<br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://distilleryimage9.ak.instagram.com/1332b0ce96fc11e2820d22000a1e8b88_7.jpg" class="bbc_img"><br>View of the Grand Canyon<br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://distilleryimage10.ak.instagram.com/8127f12c970e11e289de22000a9f1406_7.jpg" class="bbc_img"><br>Made it to my destination in LA. &nbsp;My buddies are letting me pay to park in their driveway spot, super cheap, couldn't be happier!

 

[Seraphim]

Sounds like an interesting trip; enjoyed the photos. Hope things work out well for you in LA.

 

[joshua33]

..cool thread...