Van Anaylis Paralysis

[Fat Ray]

I'm suffering from analysis paralysis over choosing a van.  This thread is going to be long.... sorry everybody...

A little about me:  

-The van will be occupied by both my wife and I.  I know Bob says that's a no-no but my wife and I work well together
- We plan to mostly spend time on BLM land but I would guess 20-30% of the time we may need stealth in a city.
- We have a pretty good amount of money to spend, maybe $50K-$60 for the entire rig?
- We will have a good income stream on the road
- I'm a mechanical engineer by trade with heavy hands on experience
- I will build out the van.  I feel like I need a van to get away (a little bit) from everybody else.  
- For sure want a queen width bed, I'm 5' 10" and my wife is 5'5" or so
-I pretty much have things like solar, heat, AC set in my mind

OK, here we go.  This is my thinking so far with regards to specific vans.  Let me know if I'm off-base on any of this

Promaster- Seems to be a good van for the price except it's a unibody Fiat.  When I sit in one I feel like the steering wheel is too low or... I don't know it feels weird

Sprinter- Can't even imagine how much it costs to maintain and repair.  Expensive to buy.  Does come in 4WD though.....

Transit- Great interior space, maybe can put the bed width-wise if I cut down on insulation at head and foot?  Going to be offered in AWD in 2020.  Mentioned it to Bob Wells and he remarked... "well I'm a Chevy guy" which might be a nice way of saying it's a bad choice?  Unibody construction on the downside.

Chevy cargo (expresss)- Box frame construction.  Not readily offered in anything but RWD.  Suppose I could add a top.  Would need extended since bed can't go widthwise for sure.  Higher than others (both good and bad)I'm actually leaning towards this van with an added top.  I can get the van slightly used and add a top for the cost of a transit.  If I were to get this should I go 1 or 3/4 ton?  Motor?

I may just not go the van route and do an A frame and 4WD pickup combo... the A frames don't seem robust though.

Lot's of stuff here.  Did I miss anything or any warnings?

 

[IGBT]

I have been also looking around at vans for my wife and I.

Right now I think I would go with a Ford Transit high roof 250 148" wheelbase extended van with the gas 3.5 liter turbo ecoboost V-6.   This engine has been reported to give race car like acceleration (320hp 400ft-lb torque) while allowing decent fuel mileage (upwards of 19mpg if you stay out of boost and keep speed under 65).

The 2019 models can be had for about $40,000 in this configuration if you don't opt for heated floor mats and neck massagers.

Waiting for 2020 4x4 is definitely an option though.   I don't know how much that will add...maybe $6k?

 

[GypsyJan]

"and my wife is 5'5" or so"

LOL, do you know her birthday or are you generally within a few days of it?

 

[bullfrog]

Sounds like you have it pretty well figured out. My wife and I at 5'10" and 5'4" camped several weeks at a time when we were younger in a 1960's VW van with slightly larger rear wheels and tires managed to get most places we wanted to go. Now that we are older we seem to need less hassel and more space. In good weather a screened in canopy or tent make extened stays work in our 11' truck camper or our 12' trailer but in bad weather we ended up with a 25' trailer as taking down and putting up a tent or canopy was just too much work but we still needed the space. There are some couples here that use two vans to travel but it is twice the maintenance. If you are traveling or moving several times a month rather than extended stays a 28' motorhome or smaller, towing a small Suzuki or Jeep 4x4 is what worked best for us. Four wheel drive vans with heavy loads in my opinion is asking for trouble, once you are stuck you are really stuck. Having a second towed vehicle when this happens is invaluable. I have seen lots of class B, B plus and C's in lots of unbelievable locations but usually they break something getting there! If you are going to do a van make it as light and spacious as you can and get a locking diff in the rear axle with good all terrain tires after renting something a similar size and camping in it for at least two weeks in rainy cold weather. BLM unless long term stay areas requires a move every 14 days. Stealth is not real with a generator so urban stays mean RV parks if you want AC. My suggestion would be to do 2 wheel drive Class B one ton van you build and a small light weight 4x4 towed.

 

[Guy Smiley]

If you need high clearance I’d say rule out the ProMaster. The rear axle is about 6 inches from the ground.

 

[ped]

Man i have to say get a class c or box truck. Or a 20ft cargo trailer or camper trailer.

My $.02

 

[deadwood]

I have a 2016 high roof transit with the eco boost engine and absolutely love it. I had pretty much reached the same conclusions about the other vans when I first looked.

I’ve been full timing in this van for a year and a half now and it’s been a super comfortable experience.

 

[maki2]

As an experienced mechanical engineer should not be worrying so much about what Bob thinks about this and that. Trust you own judgement. You have already developed a sense of what will work best for you in terms of space and in terms of mechanical reliability and function.

As to living with your wife in a small space...your own personal relationship is the only one that such a thing should be based on. All those divorced guys out there living solo have plenty of baggage influencing their mindset. That mindset has zero to do with you or your wife. You are not them, your wife is not their ex wife either. There are lots of couples who travel together in cozy quarters be it vans, trailers, boats, cars with tent camping, etc.

But before you make up your mind on what to buy head on over to the Expedition Portal Forum https://expeditionportal.com/ and take a look at some of the robust rigs people have put together. It is good to get an overview of a broader spectrum of what robust means in a vehicle. That might give you a few more options to consider or some upgrades to options for vehicles you have already been looking at. Robust "enough" depends on where you want to go and what you want to do with a vehicle. There is a whole range to the spectrum of van dwelling from the city slickers to the out-backers. But if you have a choice and a taste for it then opt for some increased function for rougher roads.

 

[Pleasant Travels]

I recently bought used a 2006 Chevy Express with the Duramax diesel engine,...because I anticipate towing a cargo trailer conversion as my actual residence. It was previously a locksmith van, so the previous owner was a mechanically inclined individual who took care of it in the manner diesels need particular attention.

I hunted for my bargain a long time, and it paid off, since I only spent $4200 acquiring this. At that price, I can also contemplate retrofitting it with 4wd! Ujoint offroad is an affordable alternative to Quigley, and in my case is the only choice because Quigley won't perform conversions on vehicles over 60,000 miles, but Ujoint will sell you the kit to do yourself. That kit runs about $8,800, which is not cheap,...but is a FAR less expensive option than any 4x4 Sprinter I've seen.

While Ford produced more vans than Chevy during the last 2 decades, Chevy parts are still cheaper,...for what that's worth.

Specifically to the issue of extended vans (like the 15 passenger types), Chevy versions are also the most stable and less prone to roll-over. Ford merely took their next longest van frame and stuck the extended body on it. As a result, nearly 4 feet of van sits behind the rear wheels. If loaded with heavy items in the area behind the axle, the weight acts to counter against a stable load. Whereas the Chevy extended vans all have their own unique frame length, ensuring the rear wheels are in the same distance and relation to the rear, regardless of how long the vehicle. A Chevy van can still be rolled, of course, but you'd have to work a little harder to do it.

Here's an interesting video covering this.

 

[Athena]

If i have a $50k budget. Id get an ultra light travel trailer (many sizes and configurations, my preferences is the cruise light at the moment because its cheaper than the amerilite's) and a new mid size truck. That way everything is new and you can maintain everything properly and dont have to worry about joeshmo burning the engine with no oil or something dumb.
Quite a few less headaches and a lot more room. Plus the ability to make camp and go do something without loosing the spot.

 

[ped]

have you seen the price of trucks lately? $50k would not go far on anything with a v8.

 

[IGBT]

If i have a $50k budget.  Id get an ultra light travel trailer (many sizes and configurations, my preferences is the cruise light at the moment because its cheaper than the amerilite's) and a new mid size truck.  That way everything is new and you can maintain everything properly and dont have to worry about joeshmo burning the engine with no oil or something dumb.
Quite a few less headaches and a lot more room. Plus the ability to make camp and go do something without loosing the spot.

There are quite a few places though where you can't park a trailer.   Almost all spots, even in the city, will fit something like a Transit or Sprinter.

 

[bullfrog]

When it breaks down and you cann't afford a tow you park it right where it quit! What ever you get make sure you have enough in the bank to replace it or be ready to do without. I would be looking at spending $15,000 to $20,000 and putting $10,000 into it and the rest in the bank for piece of mind. Most likely a Chevy or GMC truck (as you can pretty well replace the driveline for $10,000) and a small camper (if you don't learn how to park it in town, unhitch and drive the truck) and quit worrying about spending your whole buget trying to go broke.