Just starting out

[sirhk100]

Picked up a '02 E350 with the 7.3L powerstroke a week ago. It's a blank canvas. I have zero intention to live in it per say like it seems like many/most here are but I do want to use it as a weekend get away type vehicle as well as support for some hobbies. I just stumbled on this forum this morning and it seems like an excellent source for ideas! I'm hoping possibly this summer/fall to do my full build out but that can't happen till I finish another on going long term project.

Anyways, goals for the van are a bed for two for sleeping, some storage cabinets and basically I'd like a built ice box essentially. I'm going to keep the electrical absolutely minimal, some additional accessory lighting and that's really about it.





The previous owner has already insulated and paneled the interior. It looks like they used regular home type fiberglass insulation though like you'd find inside the exterior walls of your house. I'm not sure that's the best material. What's your thoughts? Will I have issues with moisture? Granted, I live in Las Vegas and rarely get out of the southwest but if I'm better off doing something else, I'd rather suck it up and do it now rather then after it's built out.





For the time being the van is going to be used as a tow rig for my hobbies... In the week I've owned it, I've already learned the benefits of having a front hitch when pushing a trailer into a space with minimal clearance!



Like a glove!!!! Slide her right on in!!!






Curious, what other good online resources are there for planning a build out? I'm going to spend evenings on here just looking thru threads with titles that peak my interest but what else is there?


I'm my "perfect idea world" I'd love a bed that folds down allowing me to retain floor space up the center of the van. I could see some shallow'ish type cabinets partially down one side and an icebox with a built in drain thru the floor as well. Storage for small propane grill, tool box, etc would be nice too. Basically I'm looking to build it as a weekend camp rig/race support rig. Having the floor access provided by a fold down bed for instance would be nice for hauling pit gear.

Anyways, thanks for providing this resource of a forum! I've already stumbled on quite a few neat builds and ideas.

Khris

 

[caseyc]

Hi Khris,

Welcome to the tribe! Nice rig! I also installed a front tow hitch to my van. I've never used it yet, but it's interesting to see what others use it for. Have you ever thought of one day installing a winch and cable to your front tow hitch to get you out of a mud puddle jam?

Casey

 

[user 423]

Nice van. The green color and plain bumpers kinda make it look like it might have been a state or fed forest service van? That's a great idea for use of the front hitch. I always thought they were just for hauling a dirtbike up front on a carrier or a temporary mount for a winch or a vise mount.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[sirhk100]

Hi Khris,

Welcome to the tribe! Nice rig! I also installed a front tow hitch to my van. I've never used it yet, but it's interesting to see what others use it for. Have you ever thought of one day installing a winch and cable to your front tow hitch to get you out of a mud puddle jam?

Casey

I have actually thought about having a winch on a hitch type setup that I could secure front or back in a pinch. Have both ends pre-wired so I could simply slide it in and plug it in. I've already eyeballed 4WD conversions and while I'd LOVE one I just don't know if the costs would really justify the minimal usage I'd really probably have with the 4wd. The winch would be nice piece of mind at a much cheaper expense for sure! Not to mention having one that could be slapped onto the trailer to pull a broken race truck up onto it would 100% come in handy cause the truck isn't always guaranteed to drive on the trailer at the end of a race under it's own power! LOL

Nice van. The green color and plain bumpers kinda make it look like it might have been a state or fed forest service van? That's a great idea for use of the front hitch. I always thought they were just for hauling a dirtbike up front on a carrier or a temporary mount for a winch or a vise mount.

Welcome to the forum!

I'm not 100% sure the history of the van. I just picked it up for $5000 with 177K on it. Looking at the service records I'm lead to believe the gentleman I purchased it from bought it from the original owner in '10. I think the original owner used it as a work van of sort just judging by the records provided. The person I purchased it from bought it for 4 cross country trips he made over the past 4 years. Best part is he told me he just recently had it serviced... Looking thru the receipts he provided... In 2012 which was only 2500 miles ago on the odo, he put $4200 in maintenance into it. Talking suspension bushings. trans flush, rear diff oil change, oil seals, turbo seals, etc... The green paint is brand new, like 4 months old new and they did an excellent job ($3500) painting it in the fact they did all the jams and everything. I honestly haven't even been able to figure out what the original color was. New battery was installed just a month ago.




Funny thing is I purchased a new toy that was substantially more expensive then this van just 2 months ago yet I'm more excited about this van then I am the actual toy! Even not being built out yet, I'm already looking forward to my first weekend out with it. The amount of space in the rear is pretty mind blowing to be honest!

Oh and the fact I'm getting 22mpg with it is INSANE!!!! LOL My current daily driver is a Ford Exploder and it's only getting 15mpg!!!



So far, I've made it to page 8 of this section of the forum looking at what others have done and pictures and suggestions. The options really do seem limitless and the more I'm looking into this, the better it's getting! Budget wise, it looks like it may end up being much cheaper then expected. I'll be doing all the labor myself with the help of my pops most likely for any electrical stuff. That's my weak spot for sure!

---

Oh, forgot to mention, accessory wise, the van has a pretty decent stereo head unit already with nice door speakers front and rear. Built in GPS, back up camera system displayed thru the GPS when activated, onstar equipped mirror, alarm system with remote start and door locks. The van is power windows and doors.

One of the first mods I actually want to do is swap out the front seats which are the vinyl type service seats for something a bit more captains cushy type with a passenger side swivel.

I want to get some measurements done and sooner then later I may actually try to build out a folding bed setup and some simple cabinets for the time being as that would be pretty cheap and easy to knock out and be a great start to the project. I need to pull the interior paneling down though and check on the current insulation situation. That may be a deciding factor on when I do some minor things as I would like to do that "right" from the get go if what's currently done isn't acceptable. I also may suck it up and put sound damping material along the inside walls as well. Not sure how much that will really add but again, if I'm ever going to do it, now's the time before I get too far along I suppose!

 

[caseyc]

22 MPG? Wow! After you've loaded it down with all your toys and camping gear, let us know what your new MPG will be, haha! Joke!

 

[akrvbob]

Some thoughts on the insulation:

1) Fiberglass is fine with a van but many people compresss it to fit it in and that ruins its R-value. If it is compressed I would pull it out.
2) If it doesn't have a vapor barrier right behind the paneling, you could easily put one in and not worry about moisture causing rust.
3) My concern with fiberglass is that the vibration will cause it to sag and it will all end up at the bottom of the bay. I'd make sure it is stapled in or somehow can't sag.

If you don't have those problems, I'd leave it in. If it doesn't look good I would replace it with Polyiso from Home Depot. It is the highest R-value styrofoam; R-6 per inch.

I have a 1 ton chevy Express and I wish it were 4x4. But I am planning on putting in a Detroit Locker in the rear and I think it will do everything I want it to do. Get bigger, aggressive tires, air them down when needed, maybe a body-lift and a winch and you will probably be very satisfied with it off-road. It will never be a Jeep, but you don't need it to be.
Bob

 

[sirhk100]

Yeah, I was ABSOLUTELY blown away on the mpg on this first fill up!!! Will definitely be interesting to see how it does with a load in comparison! The mpg is good enough that thoughts of driving it daily are there a little bit even now but the overall size in a city like Vegas makes it a bit of a pain plus just getting it in and out of my driveway is a bit of a hassle in comparison to my daily driver. Essentially my gate only opens 7' without getting out and unpinning it to manually push it open further. Yes, it's a question of laziness but currently I just push a button to open and close it so well, yeah, call me lazy! LOL


Thanks for the feedback regarding the insulation! I'll definitely pull at least a panel and see how it's been secured. I understand what you're saying about it working it's way down... That never even crossed my mind so I'll for sure be checking into that! As far as a vapor barrier goes... I haven't had a chance to look into the dedicated section yet and I'm sure this is all covered in there but I'd assume some plastic or rubber sheeting along the walls would suffice if needed?

In regards to the locker. My daily driver actually has a detroit in the rear and 95% of the time I don't even know it's there. I've thought about tossing a locker in the rear and just a more aggressive dirt tire. My concern is this is my first diesel... I've grown up wheeling from dirt bikes to jeeps to dune buggies to offroad race trucks. My unknown is with that massive weight on the front end, would it just plow in say a wash or something. Generally, I would never be off a dirt road. My biggest "want" for 4wd is for having to get out to recover a broken race truck with the trailer in like a sand wash or something. Other then that, not having 4wd I don't think is an issue. The Detroit would work but the 5% of the time I notice it in the rear of my daily I'm not sure how it would react with a 6000-7000lb trailer in tow. If I go locker I'll likely look into an ARB or electric selectable just so I don't have to worry about road manners with something in tow.

 

[Bela's Mom]

There is a Sprinter van forum that I read that has some excellent builds with the folding beds that you are talking about. It is sprinter-source.com. Many of the guys on that forum have taken Sprinter cargo vans and built their conversions in such a way that they can remove all of the beds and cabinets in a short time to convert it back to their work vans. Others have made beds and such fold out of the way for their motorcycles or other sports gear. Lots of great ideas with lots of pictures taken as they progressed in their builds. It might give you some ideas if you want to check it out.[/b]

Great looking van! I know that you are going to enjoy it!

 

[gymrat]

The Sportsmobile forum is a good resource, they have a homebuilt section with some really great conversions

 

[sirhk100]

Thanks for the sources! I'll add those to the list of pages to take some time looking thru. Even just scrolling thru the threads for quite a while last night on this forum I've gotten quite a few ideas! The nice thing is I'm in no rush so time is on my side to do some planning and hopefully knock it out right for the first time for meeting my needs!

Funny, I'm while I won't be moving into mine when it's done, I am a bit jealous of the lifestyle it seems some of you have on here. I think in my perfect make believe world I'd have a home base with some toys to return to on occasion and just be a snow bird if I could... Ain't in the cards yet though that's for sure!

 

[Patrick46]

Hi Sirhk!!

Nice van!!, and 22 mpg's???......WOW!!!

We had a receiver on the front of our old class C motorhome, and it made fronting (can't say we 'backed' it) the boat down the ramp into the water, a snap!!

Welcome to the forum!!


btw...your 'toy' looks like a blast!!!

 

[Malibusurfer]

Jealous of your van!!!! Been looking for a extended E van with the 7.3 for quite a while... They are not easy to find in good shape!! You scored big time!!!

 

[sirhk100]

Hi Sirhk!!

Nice van!!, and 22 mpg's???......WOW!!!

We had a receiver on the front of our old class C motorhome, and it made fronting (can't say we 'backed' it) the boat down the ramp into the water, a snap!!

Welcome to the forum!!


btw...your 'toy' looks like a blast!!!

Thanks! I've always been pretty good at backing trailers but I've always had the luxury of clear line of sight out a back window. I suck at using the mirrors. This Van, well, windows aren't an option. LOL It's like cheating with that hitch up front!

And yes, I'm absolutely blown away at the MPG!!! I'm really hoping it wasn't just a fluke being my first fill up!

LOL, the toy is an absolute blast!!!! LOTS of work but a LOT of fun for sure!

On the news stands last month actually!











That toy technically isn't mine. It's 100% home built in my garage by me but it's a partnership deal with a friend that's in the air force currently stationed in London. The truck lives with me, maintained/prepped by me. He flys home, we race, he spends money, I create sweat and cuss words, we have fun! LOL

I'm in the process of building myself one solely as mine as well. It's the reason I'm only in the dreaming/planning stages with the van. I'm hoping to have it finished up this summer/fall and then I can get into the Van Build this Fall/Winter if things go well! Granted, I may knock out the insulation/moisture barrier check after our next race in late March and then if that's all good I may suck it up and at least build my bed sooner then later as a jump start on the van but I'd like to have a "grand plan" of sorts figured out before I start creating something permanent.

My current distraction...





I don't know a color yet, and in fact I may try and stick with the retro look and eventually paint it that factory two tone you can see on the back of the cab. But when all said and done it should look like an early 90's F150 similar to the one pictured below. The catch is under the hood is a brand new 6.0L out of an Escalade! I've always been a ford chassis lover and chevy powertrain lover so this in my opinion is the best of both worlds!





Off topic, I know... Funny part is I'm more excited about having the van built out and usable for weekend trips and added comfort on race weekends then I am building up my toy!!! Seriously, I'm beyond thrilled with this van purchase! I have a couple minor issues to fix on it like the blower motor switch for the heater / a/c but I've been looking for excuses to drive it in general! I'm still not used to the length of it... Parking lots are a bit intimidating for me still and backing up without the windows is still a bit scary to me. LOL But I'm loving it! Next week I'm going to have an excuse to haul the race truck across town, it'll be my first time towing with it so yet, another reason for excitement from my shoes! LOL

 

[Malibusurfer]

You'll barely feel towing with the 7.3!!

 

[AimlessWanderLust]

sirhk100,

Ditto to what others have said, it looks like you scored a great platform.

As a side note, I'm wondering if you might do me a favor and measure the height of the front hitch from the ground and the back hitch from the ground. I'm wondering if they are at all close in height? I've been trying to figure it out for a while, not having a van myself!

 

[sirhk100]

I'll try to remember to measure tonight for sure but I can tell you for sure they are not the same height. The front hitch is definitely higher then the rear one simply cause I pulled the trailer out with it hitched to the rear, loaded up the truck, then unhitched it to flip the van around. I had to raise the tongue a decent amount to get it on the front ball.

I'll try to have some actual numbers tonight or tomorrow though for you.

Khris

 

[AimlessWanderLust]

Ah, thanks. We carry around a TW200 on our truck's front hitch, and I'm looking at getting a different carrier, which (if I want to use it on either front or rear) would require the heights to be very close. I would want to use the same carrier on our next vehicle, whatever it may be. Thanks in advance!

 

[sirhk100]

I've been using a "Joe Hauler" for about 12 years now. 100% problem free, I've never once had an issue... This setup will occasionally be on the back of the van or even the front. (LOL, this picture is from late '06 when I bought my bike brand new, ignore those gas prices in the background! I'm not that lucky! LOL)

 

[Patrick46]

Ooooooo......Nice KTM!!!

(I'm a motorcycle junkee!!)

 

[sirhk100]

LOL, makes me cry seeing that picture as it once was!!! countless miles and about 7 years later, it's not nearly that shiny and BRAND NEW anymore! Still rides great though! Just not as sexy as it once was!





And, yes, I obviously have an offroad addiction! Hence the van!!!! Trying to make some comfort for my desert trips without taking the full plunge into a motorhome! The van route just seems about a million times more practical for me and my lifestyle.