Ford E150 vs E250

[RV Van Life]

Am deciding on a van, would one van be more preferable over the other; Ford E150 or the E250? 
    Would the 250 be van build overkill? ,  would the 150, fully built, be stressed on a rough back road?

 

[highdesertranger]

"would the 150, fully built, be stressed on a rough back road?"

short answer yes.

I am more familiar with the trucks and the difference between a F-150 and a F-250 is night and day. a 150 has more in common with a T-Bird than a F-250.

highdesertranger

 

[Firtree]

250 frame, brakes, such, stronger to carry the extra weight. 3/4 ton vs 1/2 ton.
Had a 3/4 ton Chevy, loved it, now have a 1/2 ton and wish it was 3/4 so I didn’t have any worries, but the 1/2 was a good price, good, shape but we only part time and are light.

There’s all kind of weight limitations on the driver door frame of a truck. You have to decide how much you and passengers, dog, cat, clothes, water, bed, insulation, solar, food, on and on weigh vs limitations

 

[steamjam1]

Am deciding on a van, would one van be more preferable over the other; Ford E150 or the E250? 
    Would the 250 be van build overkill? ,  would the 150, fully built, be stressed on a rough back road?

It'll depend on what you define as "fully built". If that means a class-b like set up, then yeah. Your gonna want heavier duty suspension if you want to be on dirt roads.

 

[Beeps and eats]

On my E150 I added a helper spring to the rear and heavier coil springs up front.
Not that I was having problems with it but being on the road and finding out I can't take a trail to a campsite would be counterproductive and expensive to have repaired with lodgings and meals while waiting.

Sent from my Z981 using Tapatalk

 

[Jacksonricher]

Stick with a 250, the 150 is not designed for this lifestyle. I love the soft ride of my 150 I had but for this I need the 250. They are built different, frame up.

 

[Canine]

The 3/4 and one tons have the extended length option, but not half ton. A half ton is just fine if you are very light. Like if you haul marshmallows or helium. If you stock up on water, have a decent battery bank, have 3 St. Bernards, more than one solar panel, wood and metal shelving/bed/storage then you will need an E250 or E350. If you are truly a minimalist and use lightweight plastic, then a half ton would be a better choice. I like half tons, but prefer 3/4 because of what I haul [insert girlfriend joke here]. I also like how fast I can stop in a 3/4 ton! When I was younger, I used to like to see how fast I could go; now I like to see how fast I can stop. One tons are OK, but they are more expensive which is unnecessary. A 3/4 ton will ride nicely loaded and maybe slightly rough when empty. A half ton with weight will ride like crap unless you beef up the suspension but will ride nicely when empty. If you have ANY doubt, go bigger. If you think maybe you might possibly tow, go bigger. If you will load your van heavy and tow a heavy trailer at the same time, get a one ton or a 3/4 ton with a towing package. No matter what, a 250 is not overkill. A one ton could be. A half ton will likely be too small- maybe barely acceptable. It doesn't take much to squat a 150 or smoke the brakes.

There are a looooooooooot of trucks rated at 3/4 ton that are actually half ton. Do a search on the site if you want to learn more about that.