Time for a Replacement Van. Struggling...

[tx2sturgis]

Yep. I thought maybe the P.O. had removed the latches or levers etc. Worth a check.

 

[Happy Camper]

Might be that the vent window at the bottom was an upgrade option. So they used gasket and a non vent window bottom in it's place.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Fortunately getting older often brings an increase in patience with doing task. The motivation thing is entirely personal and not based on age range. There is no wrong time or right time other than what works for you as an individual.

Unfortunately I sure don't fall into that first line ya wrote I find older I get my impatience is worse as in I have patience for issues that I feel are adding to my life, but sure have none like waiting in a repair shop for days on end when they have to order the part or even have the time to get the work done....do any of us have big patience for that LOL Older I get the more I want life on my terms only, unrealistic probably, hence my impatience level LOL I strive now to put all my ducks in a row for my life and 'use of life' to work for me and not against me in any way......but like ya said, we are all diff. in our personalities and approaches definitely.

 

[Overland One]

Might be that the vent window at the bottom was an upgrade option. So they used gasket and a non vent window bottom in it's place.

Well they used a single large piece of glass with a trim piece placed horizontally. That trim piece is only on the inside of the glass so you can tell it is just a large single pane of glass by looking at the outside. You can see that trim from the outside and I seriously think they did this to make it look like it has a slider. All 3 of my large windows are the same way. (I just checked them all, again.) Seems strange they would do this.

 

[Happy Camper]

That's just sad. Maybe it was so the conversions all looked similar since they would have the same design cues.

 

[Overland One]

That's just sad. Maybe it was so the conversions all looked similar since they would have the same design cues.

Maybe. The conversion was done by Glaval. I will say they did a nice job on the insulation as the couple of places I checked were stuffed with fiberglass. I even got a Glaval Conversions book in the glovebox along with the owner's manual but, it was pretty generic covering many models or versions and mentioning some equipment mine does not have. Oh well, we can't have everything, right?

 

[Happy Camper]

We can have everything. Finding storage for everything is the trick.

 

[dreamrunnerjt]

If you are considering a brand spanking new van you have a few options I have not seen mentioned.
If ordering from manufacturer you can get one without the extra seats and possibly with windows that will open. Check the website for options.
Buy a chassis and have a custom box built. You can go to a professional box building business or try building one yourself. Yes that takes you out of the van and into the box truck arena but still worth considering.
Everything depends on money, skill and stamina. I wish you the very best in finding your new abode.

 

[jacqueg]

My van is 22 years old and has 267,000 miles on it. (When I bought it, it had about 190,000 miles.) Yes, I am sure the piper will be showing up in the foreseeable future to present a bill. Not sure what I'll do then, but I have surely gotten my money's worth out of it.

How the van has been treated matters FAR MORE than its age or mileage. And that is true for any vehicle that is more than around one year old. I don't drive fast, I don't brake hard, and I get an oil change every two months. I've replaced the brakes and shocks, and had some front end work. Due for more front end work I'm pretty sure, and I've also got a pesky oil leak.

If you wanna replace Old Faithful, go for it.

 

[VanFan]

The bare beginnings of a plan are evolving.

1. Identify the real issue(s) at hand (somewhat complex, surprisingly).
2. Continue to maintain and enjoy the current van. (It is probably more reliable than not at this point.)
3. Transition to the next vehicle over a period of time, with an eye toward having a minimal replacement at the ready before being forced to retire the '96.

I met an amazing person in a campground a couple of weeks ago who gave us a full tour of their van, even letting my husband try out a width-wise bed in a Promaster (nope). Their set-up was brilliant, but minimal, and really inspired me to consider an "interim" solution that would be campable while transitioning to something more complete but still very flexible.

For the first time ever, I am considering a self-build. (My set-up is an "unbuild".) I have no experience with "building;" my driveway is too steep to safely work in; a tall van (a possibility) will not fit in my garage; and it's hotter than blazes here for several months of the year. On the plus side, I have a supportive spouse, a mostly low traffic street side parking spot, time, and inclination.

In some ways, I find myself in the same place I was in in 2007, when I first came down with van fever!

 

[afblangley]

For the first time ever, I am considering a self-build. (My set-up is an "unbuild".) I have no experience with "building;" my driveway is too steep to safely work in; a tall van (a possibility) will not fit in my garage; and it's hotter than blazes here for several months of the year. On the plus side, I have a supportive spouse, a mostly low traffic street side parking spot, time, and inclination.

In my opinion, there is a big difference between "no build" builds and simple builds. Most no builds tend to be minimalist designs, hobbled together with flimsy, plastic structures. Whereas, simple builds are usually on a tight budget, but still have systems (albeit basic) using durable materials, with varying degrees of construction ability.

My construction skill level is so low that some Ikea furniture assembly can be above my pay grade. My van was built using only two power tools- saw and drill, plus a couple of hand tools- tape measure, hammer, wrench. The hardest part of my build was cutting 3 sheets of plywood to the contours of the van's floor. That process took an entire day, nothing else took more than a few hours. The kitchenette came assembled from HD, needing only the countertop and sink installed. That took half a day. I paid someone on TaskRabbit $200 to make a toilet box/ottoman, it took him a few hours (and required a few more tools and a lot more skill than I possess). The remaining furniture are "tables" that consist of a plywood platform with metal pipe legs screwed into the floor. One sized to create a couch, another for a bed, and another to support the fridge and microwave.

Creating a rolling work of art may require a lot of time, money and talent, but building a functional and comfortable van doesn't have to. Unless of course, that's what you want.

 

[VanFan]

I'm back (did you know I was gone?), having gone in lots of circles around the issue of our next travel vehicle. In the meantime, we've enjoyed some beautiful spots semi-close to our base and done a few more minor upgrades to the van. It's still very nice.

My explorations have taken me deep into the world of small trailers (mainly Casitas) and Chevy-based Roadtreks. We've eliminated both of those options, as well as a self-build, and are back (see?) to waffling between a full-fledged Class B or a new-ish sport roof, extended conversion van.

The conversion van route meets three of our priority items: 1) power seats; 2) the ability to continue to use our innerspring mattress in a north/south orientation, and 3) room for my husband to sit up in bed. I am seeing models with a sunroof that opens, and some have tip-out rear door windows, which helps just a bit with the ventilation concerns.

Re Class B's, the Promaster cab does not work for us, and we do not want a Sprinter. The only B on a Transit chassis that will accommodate our bed is a Pleasureway Ontour 2.2, and power seats are not available. We would need to remove the rear sofa and build a platform for the rear of the bed, which seems crazy given the price tag on an Ontour. Other deficits include: 1) 2' longer than we'd prefer; 2) inadequate storage for outdoor chairs and cooking items.

As of today (LOL), we are leaning heavily toward the conversion van, since it checks three of our biggest boxes. There are a number of things I don't quite know how to tackle, though, and I'd like to explore some of them before taking the plunge.

Should I ask for your input and help in separate threads?

 

[bullfrog !]

Probably be best here unless they are stand alone issues not needing knowledge of your particular desires. Outside or rooftop storage may be available. Pictures of your situation always help! Just out of curiosity how did you go about ruling out Casita trailers and Roadtrecks? Did you try them out? What problems did you find?

 

[VanFan]

Probably be best here unless they are stand alone issues...

Okay. That settles it: I'll do both.

We have all the storage space we really need in our 18' standard roof van. It's amazing, given what we carry. Rooftop is not an option with an Ontour. It's over 10' tall with the a/c. I seriously don't think the latest model could hold two chairs! With a 20' van, if we just had to (or wanted to for a particular journey), a hitch box could be added. With a 22', adding one makes it 24', which is just too long, IMO.

Casitas: I adore them. Relatively affordable and durable, compact, with simple, adequate systems, and clever layouts. Issues? Of course--they're RV's. For us the problems are: 1) no way to get a rigid mattress through the door and around the bend; 2) we have no place to park/store it when not in use (sloped, rear-entry driveway); 3) on our last few trips, I "imagined" having one in tow. We make too many U-turns and cafe stops for it to be practical. I also thought long and hard about having to hitch up in thunderstorms, and about my sometimes finicky back. Oh, and the refrigerator. We've been fine without one, but if it's going to be there, it needs to be effective. Three-ways seem to disappoint, and only one 12V replacement fits through the door (1/4" to spare).

Roadtreks: Sigh. My first love. I still have a brochure from 2007, when I bought my '96 van as a temporary measure. Availability on a Chevy chassis and the combination of lowered floor and raised roof has a lot of appeal (low clearance is a downside). What I learned, though, is that most repair shops can not/will not work on them because the weight is too near their maximum lift capacity. Access to the fuel pump (a common replacement after 1,000) is complicated by the under-chassis components, too.

Interior coach quality is very good, systems are basic but adequate for our needs, and they are cleverly designed. Issues: 1) driver's seat is too low for me, and does not lean back far enough for my husband in most models; 2) the Cool-Cat ac/heat pump is extremely loud, and the inevitable replacement is much more difficult than it first appears; 3) the outside storage/access panels are plastic, low to the ground, and difficult (if not impossible) to replace; and 4) (drum roll)... the bed. Most 190 Popular models are just barely long enough on the passenger side for our mattress. I can modify the driver's side enough to make it fit. However, the distance from the cushion platform to the bottom of the short cabinet overhanging a portion of the bed is 18", leaving 8" of clearance over a 10" mattress. My feet are about 8" long. Oh... and the fridge. I'd probably use it for a pantry, but then where would a 12V go?

Still, if a Roadtrek showed up at my front door, I wouldn't send it packin' (like I would some).

 

[eDJ_]

In the fifth post in this thread Sturgis post a images of two box trucks. One has a blunt box front which would be OK around town at lower speeds or short highway runs for say a carpentry or plumbing shop.
But out on the road full time that blunt front would require some extra fuel.

There are fiberglass/plastic wind deflectors that are "bolt on's" that may be worth considering if you look at a blunt box truck. Some sources exist for used ones.

If I were installing the one pictured I think I would flip it over for better air deflection. But the one in the photo may be for a semi truck.

Tarpstop com

Used source:

fpts.com

 

[maki2]

Sounds to me like it is time to go box spring shopping if the mattress is what is restricting your choice in RVs. For instance you can get a a ready to assemble box spring. Here is a YouTube video for one.

These things a solvable through investigation and innovation plus labor time and of course money. Assemble in place might get you to where you want to be. Flip flop your thinking, the door of the van is not limiting your choice. You are limiting the options for RVs by thinking your existing box spring has to fit through the door. Keep the mattress and change out the box spring. That is the easiest problem to tackle. IKEA also sells ready to assemble “box spring” mattress support options. Flat pack rules

 

[bullfrog !]

^^^I have had RV repair places suggest we remove/install windows in order to get items in or out of our motorhome as the entry door has a step well and is narrow. Maybe it is time to consider that sun roof!

 

[VanFan]

...you can get a a ready to assemble box spring. Here is a YouTube video for one.

Good thinking outside of the box spring, but it doesn't apply in our case. The innerspring mattress does not require a box spring. We have it on a simple metal frame in the current van. (Of course, a mattress-in-a-box would go through a Casita door, and be expanded inside.) Two of the floor plans will accommodate length-wise orientation, but if the bed is left up, there is nowhere to sit other than the bed end in the aisle space. We could deal with that, but the issues of storage/parking and towing/hitching remain.

 

[VanFan]

When we were still considering a Casita, we looked into putting the mattress in via the rear "escape" window.

 

[maki2]

Van Fan you sure do have a whole lot of restrictions. Some of them would require a big bull dozer and dump trucks to solve