So here's one option...

[BradKW]

I'd be interested in opinions regarding something that has the potential to fall into my lap, so to speak. Since I started paying attention to box trucks a few months ago, I noticed one that's been sitting unmoved around the shared warehouse. I was talking to its owner this week and asked what was up with it...he said the starter was bad and the "yard mechanic" couldn't get the new one to work, but he plans on getting it done soon. I mentioned I'd been looking at boxes, and he said "well hey, I'll sell you this one for $2000, I've gotten my use out of it..."

So.

It's a 1999 Ford E450 with a 7.3 diesel v8 that has about 240k on it. If the tranny has been replaced, it wasn't recent and isn't known. Basic cab, no AC.

It's a 16" box which is more than I wanted. I like the fact that the box is riveted metal, has a new roof and floor, and the pass-thru is enlarged to entire size of cab and framed in metal stud:

There's some rust, especially around cab doors/windows, but underneath looks solid:

It's a big truck. It's not really what I was looking for, but what I'm looking for will require financing so I still have the funds to do conversion. Part of the juggling act would be dealing with a vehicle payment while still paying rent while spending time/money trying to do conversion...the more I finance, the more stress gets put into that equation.

Advantages of this truck:
1) Cheap.
2) Comes with an undisputed parking spot.
3) Enables me to start purchasing components. High ticket items obviously would be easy to re-use in a different build in the future, either from choice or necessity.
4) Allows for more relaxed build schedule.

Disadvantages:
1) It's older and hasn't been used gently.
2) Assuming engine gets running with new starter, it's still got 240k on it.
3) A 16' box is just big...think it puts bumper-to-bumper at around 26' ...definately would want to keep my Jeep for around this small town.

Anyway...thoughts?

 

[SternWake]

How much you going to be driving it? I think Florida's flatness makes lives of transmissions easier. Is that one of ford's good diesels, or curse Ford from here to eternity's diesel's?

I'd enjoy building out that box for living, and solar

lots and lots of solar.

 

[BradKW]

The 7.3 is considered a good one, recent googling seems to indicate average life of 350k if well maintained...apparently oil changes are more critical with diesels. But prior maintenance on this truck is anyone's guess, and nobody is making any claims. Did find that a rebuild 7.3 runs around $5k ...I think that was installed.

And right on with the solar...8 feet wide, 16 feet long, and diamond plated battery boxed down each side

 

[Milk Hauler]

The 7.3 is the best diesel v8 ever made. Its in a van body though. There is a member here that told his story about his experience pulling a 7.3 from a van. If you can get it cheap enough, that may offset the expense of future work. Unless you are handy working around 7.3's, leave the heavy work to the shops.

We have a VERY abused shop truck with nearly 500,000 miles on it. I'm amazed it still runs. The mechanics idle it all day long during the cold Idaho winters, and pull start 40 ton trucks. I got stuck in some mud at a dairy one winter, the shop guys pulled me out. Was buried up to my axles. I was loaded at 108,000 lbs, and cringed when that poor 7.3 screamed for its life. It resembled one of those tractor pull competitions you see where the truck breaks in half. [emoji33]

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[Hippiechk]

From boxie experience...first purchase...back up camera! *smile*

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[Queen]

Hippiechk - LOL!!


I like it, it's hella big though so stealth isn't happening unless you're urban/industrial. But biggest question mark for me was no AC, can that be added? Cannot fathom FL without it.

 

[BradKW]

From boxie experience...first purchase...back up camera! *smile*

Oh yes, most definitely! Would really like the side view cameras as well...not sure if that's in the initial budget tho.

But yeah, even with my van that has no rear windows, I make use of my back-up sensor all the time. Its really a pretty good sensor, it issues either audio or kinetic feedback (sometimes both), and it's called a ball hitch...

 

[BradKW]

I like it, it's hella big though so stealth isn't happening unless you're urban/industrial. But biggest question mark for me was no AC, can that be added? Cannot fathom FL without it.

I actually think that box trucks are nearly as stealthy as you can get...once you start noticing them, you realize they are so ubiquitous that nobody notices them. They are "obviously" commercial/work related, and really can vanish in plain sight.

Having AC in south Florida is really a must (for me) for part of the year. Two options for stealth mounting: 1) "portable" unit that exhausts out a dry-vent-like hose through floor, or 2) section off back corner to create a (relatively) airtight area where window-shaker mounts, that sealed off area vented through roof with a floor intake.

For power I'm thinking a Honda or Yamaha 2000, undercarriage mount (somehow). I've seen some vids of people taking the already quiet generators and putting them into essentially a baffle-box and ending up with a VERY quiet power source. Access to refil gas, and/or perhaps an auxiliary tank are details I haven't figured out yet.

 

[Queen]

I was thinking, a rig that size I wonder if you could find a reefer housing at a junkyard? you could hid AC and a myriad of other things behind that and it would look perfectly in place.

 

[Hippiechk]

Okay...on stealth! It's just not happening in residential areas. Have you never seen the rubbernecking on the block when any 'delivery' truck rolls in??

As for your current back up situation... Bwahahaha!! I love it!!

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[ilovemyvan]

Hey Bradkw,

We spent a winter in our school bus in the Keys once. I wouldn't want to spend even the winter there without A/C.

You mentioned that the truck was parked at your warehouse. Any chance you can live in it as soon as you have the basic necessities? You'd save on rent and could put the money towards a pretty cool conversion and any expensive repair. Could you run your electric from the warehouse?

It'll be fun seeing what you decide.

Nicole

 

[Patrick46]

I like it, and I'd be all over it.

For the price, you can't go wrong.

And yeah, it's on the larger size...but it's not huge by any means.

 

[DannyB1954]

I had a ford p/u with the 6.9, (predecessor to the 7.3).
The starter wasn't working well either. Cracked cylinder. Water would enter the cylinder and there is very little room in the cylinder head. Water does not compress. Eventually it would turn over with water coming out the exhaust.
Diesels are wonderful, if they are still under warranty. In my case the replacement engine cost was more than the price of a good low milage used pickup.
Another big issue is insurance. Give the VIN number to your carrier and see if they will insure it. That is what stopped me from doing a commercial to rv conversion. I couldn't get commercial insurance because I was not a business, and non commercial carriers didn't want to give a policy on a commercial vehicle.

One RV company said once it was converted, they would take it, but they refused to tell me what that would cost for the policy. If you buy an old RV, you can modify it any way you like. make it 3 stories tall, and no problem getting a policy. It is all in the VIN number.

 

[masterplumber]

I'd buy it in a heart beat at that price. But I'm a diesel guy and love 7.3s in particular. For the price, consider it a starter home for a couple years, and try to build as much of it modular as possible so it can be moved to a newer van later. As for AC, I'd find some way to mount a window unit, either above the cab so it looked somewhat like a commercial refer unit, or completely inside but in a well ventilated box. Then have a generator set up like you described, and plug in at the warehouse whenever possible.

I have a friend with 2 7.3 liter Ford pickups he uses for work. One is pushing 300K and the other is pushing 400K. They both still run daily with the original engines, although the 400K one is starting to get harder to start when it's below freezing as the rings are starting to get loose. When I sold my '95 7.3 it had about the same mileage as that van. The engine still ran as good as new - just the rest of the truck was falling apart around it and I was driving 35K a year at the time so I didn't have time to work on it. Wish I still had it as it was my favorite truck of all the many I've owned over the years.