Step 1: Need help choosing the right van for us

[TxBtravels]

Hi! I would like to start off by apologizing for making another choosing the right van thread, I don't want to buy a van only to figure out it is not the right one.  

To start let us introduce ourselves. I am Tyler and I will be traveling with my SO Brianna. Both of us love traveling and going on road trips and after talking about it for a while now we have decided to live out of a van full time, traveling and working as we go along . At first I thought that it was just a spur of the moment "that sounds like fun" decision, but neither of us have been able to stop talking or thinking about it. Now we have decided to take the first step towards our dream, buying the van.

I have been stalking the forums for a while now reading up on build ideas, hygiene, solar power, stealthing etc. So I have an idea of what we are looking for what is a must and what we can do without. We would primarily be traveling around the country and would see a mixture of boondocking as well as city parking.
I have looked into buses, step van, box vans and class B RV's. While they are all super spacious, they are too big, would be harder to park in a city and stick out a lot more. That is why we are mainly looking for conversion vans. A conversion van already has windows which we want, blends in fairly easy, requires less work than a cargo van, and is also generally cheaper with lower miles than a cargo van. 

Some of the vans we are looking at below:

1984 G 20
https://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/6037865803.html
She really loves this one, and it is growing on me. I like the sliding door, it is extended slightly and while it doesn't have a "high top" it is better than a standard van. The top is flat and would be easier to mount a solar panel to. The windows all open. The price is great and there is no rust other than the dent on the left rear that I can see, plus no rust surprises hiding under the carpet either. We both like the look of the older vehicles as well, I work as a mechanic so I know the dangers of buying an older vehicle but I also have the ability to work on them. 
Is this too old to be considered reliable?

1994 FORD ECONOLINE 250 HIGH TOP VAN
https://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/6048731476.html
Love the high top, but would that kind of top be too high with solar panels? I am 6' and I could probably stand up in this one. It has a fan already installed and is newish.

2001 Dodge Ram Van
https://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/cto/6075822399.html
Extended and hightop! Biggest thing keeping me from this one is the price

Thoughts on the vans posted above? I would love to hear back with your opinions and personal experiences. Is an extended high top worth the extra cash? Is the first one just too old?

 

[Gary68]

hands down the ford,i like the dodge too but the price is crazy

 

[steamjam1]

The hightop is the way to go.. Especially for two peoples.

 

[Dgorila1]

The Ford if it checks out mechanically. Looks like either tranny fluid or oil on the transmission pan. Take a close look to see if that's anything serious. Being a mechanic should make fixing things much cheaper for you though. Good luck.

 

[dr_nelson]

Welcome to the forum! Great that both of you share the same goal.

Out of these three, I personally would start shooting the shit with the dodge owner to get the price down. Anything above $7000 and I go look at the Ford. I am not sure, but that one might NOT have the "common Ford spark plug issue", which is good. Also, have Brianna drive the Ford and follow from behind and observe whether it is 'crab-walking/dog-walking' while going straight. Almost every Ford van I see does that. Also check whether the "key" to lower the spare tire is missing. I would try and get the Ford down to $4200.

I would get a full high top in a heart beat. Mine is only of medium height and my back hurts after working in it for a while, and I am only 5'7.

Yeah, the design of older cars has so much more character. I am with you. I am mechanically not super-able, that's why I ruled out the first one. But if I had your super-power, why not have a look at the first one and go from there.

If I had to bet, it's gonna be the first one. You both seem already in  :heart:  with it. On the other hand, having that extra 2 feet in an extended van may come in handy for both of you.

Looking forward to see which van you choose. Maybe there is another better van waiting for you, if you give it time.

 

[hepcat]

Go for the high-top Ford. You'll thank us all later. As a '94 it has the 351W engine and the E4OD trans... an excellent, pretty much bullet-proof drivetrain. The spark plug issues are in the later Triton V8 and V10s.

 

[steamjam1]

No Spark plug issues with 351W Fords. Rock reliable engine and the E40D its probably connected too is a decent transmission. Its a tad clunky tho compared to the Dodge 46RE. Just install a big transmission cooler...

I have a hightop Ford as well. I'm 6"2 and that hightop is a back saver...

 

[ArtW]

Ford hi top

 

[Dennis]

Ford for me too. I would be talking with the owner of that.

 

[closeanuf]

The Ford.  Price is good love the hightop, barn doors are a plus.  Chevy with the mid top and sliding door is not to my liking and the Dodge is WAY TOO pricey.  I don't like the side doors on the dodge; they seem like they would be hard to seal.

 

[Almost There]

If you can get the price way down on the extended body fine, the extra space that the extra length gives you is wonderful when there's two people and their stuff.

If you can't get that down to a reasonable price then the Ford would be the next best thing.

Skip the Chevy - too old, no high top and a sliding door would put that one on the 'don't bother' list.

 

[Ballenxj]

OMG! What has the person with the Dodge been smoking?
The Chevy is way too flashy for stealth. Starsky and Hutch are out.
I have to agree with the rest here, the Ford is the winner of the three.

 

[TxBtravels]

Thanks for the input! So a hightop is definitely the way to go, that is what I was thinking. I love the looks of the Chevy, but like you all said it is on the old side and sticks out. I will probably go take a look at the ford and maybe search the surrounding areas for other candidates. If I can get an extended hightop like the dodge at a reasonable price, I think that will be best.
Will I run into issues mounting solar panels on the ford hightop?

 

[ArtW]

You might need to use some creativity
And stay out of parking garages

 

[TxBtravels]

How would the ford do in cities? I know parking in cities is more about being smart and choosing the right place to park, but would it attract more attention?
I have also thought about class B RV's a bit, but what I don't like is all the wasted space. I guess there is always the option of buying a class B, gutting it and starting from scratch.

 

[Almost There]

Will I run into issues mounting solar panels on the ford hightop?

That depends on whether you're willing to mount them on the hightop itself or whether you want to add a really long legged rack system to the van. Mounted directly can be done, just need to make sure you use something under the fiberglass to reinforce the bolt hole.

Me, I didn't want either so I use a pair of 100W Renogy Eclipse panels as portable solar but then I'm living in forested areas for at least 6 months of the year. Rooftop solar didn't make any sense to me given my annual schedule and locations.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I'd go with that Ford for sure. I'd avoid anything with sliding doors, i've yet to see one that hasn't become a PIA at some point, if it isn't already.
My dad bought a 1994 Ford E250 extended body with the 351 brand new. It had over 250k on it and was still going strong when somebody ran a redlight and bent the van in half. We were both bumming, loved that van. It's a rock solid drive train and with that low mileage i'd be all over it.

 

[user 37446]

Welcome and you have gotten great endorsements for the Ford, so start there.

Stealth in the city can be a real misnomer, as some threads under the "stealth parking" subforum on here insist that there's no such thing. LEO's can recognize a van dweller, nosy neighbors figure it out quickly etc...  Other threads discuss "hiding in plain view" as being the thing to do, while a third group (I'm in this one) feel that the less conspicuous your van is (that's why the Chevy was not good) and the more often you move, and the less light you show will keep you out of trouble (mostly).  Look on UTube under the "Vandwelling" search and then find the videos that discuss this. Same with the LEO (police) enforcement, usually the Utuber admits to having done something that drew the LEO's attention, such as parking where it was posted not to, staying in one spot too long, having camping gear visible, fogged up inside windows, food smells, obvious things like that.

For mounting the solar, (I'm not trying to raise up my own flag here), I had found a couple who did a very complete conversion of their mid-top van, and posted the link for people to view. It's on pg 2 of this Van section, and it's called: [font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]One of the best conversion descriptions I have read[/font]

Hope this helps.