Promaster Mod ?

[sadarahu]

I just checked 2017 Promaster at the dealer lot. I liked everything (especially the cargo size, the cab etc.) except one thing and it is at this moment a deal breaker. Want to give a second though about modifying it.
The problem for me is suspension, or more precisely ground clearance. I measured the rear to the ground and it is only around 7" in the middle. For people who travel 90% of time on a pavement it wouldn't be an issue but I need something to go a little bit off the pavement and not to be in fear to get stuck in the middle of nowhere (especially I'm planning to travel a lot alone).  For the guy like me it is asking for trouble.

Wonder if there are any known modifications to make it at least as high as the front (which is still low but much better than rear)  ???

Art

 

[John61CT]

Look at the Nissan nv3500.

Wheelchair converters really beef up the suspension, likely get some lift that way.

 

[TexasWoman]

Maybe something like this?

(Might need a stepladder to get in it)

:heart: :heart: :heart:

 

[frater secessus]

Look at the Nissan nv3500.

Agreed;  the full size NV has  8.1" of clearance.  Sprinter and Promaster are 6.9".  Transit is 6-6.1", depending.

Some PM folks have gotten another inch of clearance with bigger tires.  Check out the promaster forums for info on that.

The departure/approach angles may also figure into your calculation.

 

[accrete]

I just checked 2017 Promaster at the dealer lot. I liked everything (especially the cargo size, the cab etc.) except one thing and it is at this moment a deal breaker....

Greetings,
OK i'm going to dive in and all this is first hand i own a 2017 Promaster AND an awesome set-up-for-off-pavement lifted, modded, larger-than-stock full size Chevy AWD Van conversion...
First things first, yes, the Promaster has ~7" of ground clearance because of the rear axle as seen in this photo:

what is shown here from a stock photo ( i had one of our van when i was driving behind it but it got deleted , ( but the rear end looks just like the picture!
The rear axle is quite robust and could take some beating i can imagine. I did measure mine and it is at 7" above pavement.
and this picture i took down at the beach of our Promaster the other day:

OK, now a photo i took of our Chevy lifted/etc van we've taken on forestry roads and off pavement for over 7 years without issue... 
Drum roll... yes... wait for it...

[img=600x674]http://accrete.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/AccreteChevyAWDrearend-e1505491910466.png[/img]

see all that _stuff_ below? guess what, it is a whopping 8" of ground clearance! That's after a ~3" lift to get the largest tires able to fit in the wheel wells... that yielded raising the rear-anti-sway bar from > > 7" of ground clearance to > > 8" of ground clearance. Of course the van does look totally rad! but still peeps... look at the lowest place on any lifted van, it will be something like what you see above or the front/rear dif housing.

here is a then (stock when we bought it in 2010) and now... maxed out and ~$30K+ worth of mods:

Seriously folks, if you want to go off road with a toilet, shower, bed, bath and beyond... get a jeep and load it up with your camping gear on the roof rack.

I will have no problem taking the Promaster on forestry roads and places mindful peeps would take their family rolling home-on-wheels. We will sell the AWD once the PM is built up and have a great time traveling where we desire in the US on pavement and groomed forestry roads.

: ) Thom

 

[accrete]

...Wonder if there are any known modifications to make it at least as high as the front (which is still low but much better than rear)  ???

Oh, and once you load it up with all those rolling-what-makes-it-your-home items the rear will be level with the front : )

And yes on what frater secessus said on the larger tires on the PM... but at a cost IMO. I did swap out the tires the first week (ah what's another 1K in the mod right?) but i kept the stock tire size of 225/75r16 because the van will be my daily driver in our very wet road conditions which also see some snow. The larger tires that are fitting without much issue are the 245/75r16 (which would add ~3/4" clearance) and the wider track to weight ratio i did not like due to possibility of hydroplaning in standing water on roadway (yes, it has happened to me with an older rig and not fun to experience). And really... most peeps are putting them on purely for looks as they are wider.

Tall skinny tires will get you safely to places other styles will have issues. The only time fat is better is on sand IF you have not aired down your tall skinnies ; ) OR if your purpose in life is getting the girls in your lifted fat tire beyond-wheel-wells rig < < some girls go for that look.

 

[sadarahu]

Maybe something like this?

(Might need a stepladder to get in it)

:heart: :heart: :heart:

I love it, but it seems it is Renault - correct ?

 

[sadarahu]

by looking at this Promaster image looks like it is lifted. Can you temm more preciselly what did you do ? and what your final clearance is ?
Fo me investing $30k into a van makes not much sense because then I would prefer to buy a truck+camper with much bigger ground clearance. The Dodge model I was had about 24k miles and priced around $19k. Although this is still high for my budget it is acceptable.I looked up some videos on line about NISSAN NV. I also talked to one fellow who owns it. The V8 is very gas hungry so it eats a lot. I'm eventually considering V6 version as an possible alternative to Promaster. I think I can get used Nissan with 80k miles for about $15k. So far I was not able to find official MPG info for both of those vans (anybody knows) ?

AFAIK Nissan has some special drivetrain feature but not sure what it is and how it works (would be glad to learn). The V6 model (on one of the YT videos showed 22-23/mpg - really nice), but V8 model showed 16-17/mpg.

Art

 

[John61CT]

Forget gas mileage, fully loaded with gear, maybe solar on the roof is totally different, your driving style makes more of a difference than what you're driving.

The Nissan reco was all about ground clearance, vs Sprinter, RAM and Transt.

 

[accrete]

Greetings,
The picture i took of our PM is stock as far as suspension goes (and the typical ~7" clearance at rear axle that i'm not in the least concerned about!) I picked it up new from a lot on 9/1/2017. What i've done so far is swap the stock throw-away highway tires for a set of 5 stock sized BFG KO2 all terrain mountain snowflake tires so we do not have to chain up when/if road conditions call for chains as these tires are considered traction-devices in Oregon where we live full time for now.

The other mods were having an installer put scotch brand security film on the cab windows, white perforated vinyl on side and rear windows (can't see in from outside, but from inside it looks like you are simply looking through a tinted window) and then paint-protection-clear-wrap on hood.

I will be building the interior in mostly 80/20 or T-slot aluminum extrusions over the next year. Build will be in same "Light Overland Vehicle" design/thought as our current AWD van's build. Simple, yet fully functional home-on-wheels.

: ) Thom

PS, on mileage for our rigs... the loaded AWD with 5.3L v8 typically gets 15mpg town, 17mpg highway. PM to soon to tell though on the ~100 mile trip from the Portland dealer to our home on the Oregon Coast i got ~20mpg empty.

 

[John61CT]

Side note, other T-slot makers besides 8020 and MiniTec?

Looking for a range of dimensions ideally 1/2" to 4"

 

[sadarahu]

Thom - thanks for sharing. I just looked over the new/used Nissan NV. Visited the dealer and since the new one was locked and I could not get in I was going to leave but the I found one in the shop and the mechanic let me look and get inside. The rear was loaded with parts (part delivery van), and it was 2014. I allways preferred Japanese cars over US but these days many US cars are build better and better. I think Nissan interior is much better designed than Dodge PM but Dodge still is my opinion quite impressive.
When I looked under the van, under the hood everything looked exactly I would want it. The cab as well very well thought out. Then I looked in the rear and woooow! So little space. The height is perfect. The width is not enough to sleep sideways (so that eliminates some solutions). On the right side where the door is there is not enough room to fill full length bed along the wall, OR the bed would stick out of the open sliding door. For some it might be an advantage. I liked the front and rear short overhand so this van will have no problems hitting the ground while going down//up steep roads. After looking up on line offers I think one can get 2500 model with 60-100k miles for about $15k. The V8 is rather out of the picture because of terrible MPG (15-17 empty). V6 is rated about 20 MPG empty. Generally many of the specs and features are similar with Dodge PM. The main area where Nissan beats PM is the groun clearance. with biggest possibly tires it will be about 3" taller.
In my opinion most of the van liftings are illusion. It makes no real benefit to lift the van while having the axel still on the same level. One benefit is to strenghten the suspension for bigger load but this will not help much ffor even minimal off-road travel.

Well , ding this research made me even more confused ;-)

 

[xNateX]

I really wanted AWD or 4wd but the available options didn't work me. And the low axle on the promaster made me nervous. But when all was said and done, I ended up with one.



And just transferred my small street legal dirtbike inside my new ride. Presto. Off-roading in ways these big ol' promasters could never achieve.

Definately not everyone's cup of tea... works for me beautifully.

(old ride)

 

[accrete]

If i drove a Nissan NV i would be forever single. No amount of "Candy" would get girls i know inside the van (and those words are theirs!).
OK enough of the silly honesty... YMMV

Cari and I took a road trip from Astoria to Hood River and back ~370 miles... She drove ~250 of it... She is so in luv with the driving manners of the PM... even over her "Bad Ass" as our kids call it...Chevy AWD conversion. And we got 19mpg!

Thom

PS...Welcome to the PM club xNateX

 

[ColdBrook]

I ended up with a promaster after searching for a vehicle for 1 1/2 years.  What sold me on it was how it handles.  Absolutely love driving it over any other type I test drove.  Just my personal opinion.  Good luck with whatever you choose.   

Cold Brook

 

[sadarahu]

This is very hard decision. I like Nissan NV a bit better but I think I really need an indoor shower and that would be impossible. I know people have those installed in PM. The choice is A-no shower but higher clearance B-low clearance and shower. One thing I'm starting considering is "the girls". I'm single - so perhaps I could plant for a partner in a van.... and I do not have OR eat candies, so must find another way to attract ;-)

I was thinking about motorizing my bicycle for off road tracks, but perhaps carrying a light dirt bike would be better so I could go for 2-3 days trips with the tent. What would you recommend ? (weight and ability to load a small tent, gear etc would be my concern). ?

 

[xNateX]

Thanks for the welcome, Thom!

Sadarahu,
As far as what I recommend in a small lightweight dirtbike... I think it depends on how tall you are. A yamaha 250wr is probably the best lightweight dual sport. Still, I ended up with a 2009 Honda crf 230 L. They were only made in 2008 and 2009. They don't have the higher performance of the 250wr but that makes the seat lower and overall easier to ride. I spend half of my life or more at sea and leave my toys with my siblings and my nephews and nieces to enjoy so I needed something compatible for the greatest number of people. Mine worked out really well. It's very lightweight, about 275 pounds, and it's small size has enabled me to stay upright and keep from falling numerous times and in numerous "adventurous" situations.

I have a lot of toys. It's one of the things I love most about Life; play: and the dirtbike is my favorite. I never saw that coming. But it allows me to explore so much breath taking terrain, places I would hike to before and end up sweaty, and dirty, and stinky, and eaten alive by mosquitos, and carrying not tasty food with me... Now it's a beautiful ride.

 

[xNateX]

 

[RetiredNomad]

I just checked 2017 Promaster at the dealer lot. I liked everything (especially the cargo size, the cab etc.) except one thing and it is at this moment a deal breaker. Want to give a second though about modifying it.
The problem for me is suspension, or more precisely ground clearance. I measured the rear to the ground and it is only around 7" in the middle. For people who travel 90% of time on a pavement it wouldn't be an issue but I need something to go a little bit off the pavement and not to be in fear to get stuck in the middle of nowhere (especially I'm planning to travel a lot alone).  For the guy like me it is asking for trouble.

Wonder if there are any known modifications to make it at least as high as the front (which is still low but much better than rear)  ???

Art

   I felt the same , so I went with the Nissan 2500 hightop , truck chassis [Titan] no problem going to all my hidden spots ...

 

[John61CT]

Is that as long as say an extended Express?