Posted: 10/6/2009 6:11:27 AM EDT
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I have a 99 Ford E150 Chateau Club Wagon window van. It has 4 captain chairs and a bench seat in back. It was used for towing our travel trailer around the country and then used by my sons when they went away to college. They pretty much drove it back and forth to school but not much more than that. With them out of school and gone now I got the van back. It has about 85,000 miles on it and is in pretty good shape. It has the 5.6L V8. I do use it occasionaly to haul stuff around and go back and forth to my BOL, but otherwise it is a third vehicle and does not get used. Unfortunately it doesn't have much resale value so I hesitate in getting rid of it.
From what I understand, most of the chassis and suspension etc is the same as an F150 of the same year. I would like to put some heavy duty shocks and suspension on it for hauling heavier loads and perhaps put more off road worthy tires on it. My thoughts are to make it a kind of an adventure van kind of thing. There seems to be a preponderance of SUVs with big wheels and tires and I was wondering if they would fit. With the kids gone this will be mostly used by me. My wife isn't thrilled about sleeping in a van anymore. Here's what I have to start with. I am open to suggestions 
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I have seen plenty of 2-wheel drive vans turned into decent getaway campers. Matter of fact, I had one myself (sold it when it started to develop a case of "coastline cancer"....AKA rust...around the picture windows), and if you keep in mind the limitations it works quite well. Mine was a Dodge, but it sounds like the interior setup was pretty much the same. 4 reclining captains chairs, TV/gaming station, small fridge, lots of cargo space behind the rear bench seat/bed, etc. I put a 2" lift on mine, 33" BFG A/Ts, and beefed up the suspension. I also removed the running board steps to improve ground clearance. I already had limited-slip on the rear-end, but you will want to have that if you don't already. You may even want to consider lockers for the differential. I had a tow package and heavy-duty alternator on mine too. You want the heavier radiator of the tow-package and the higher output on the alternator if you are going to turn this into a getaway camper. I also had a cargo rack for the receiver hitch, but would go with a roof rack if I had it to do over again. I had a local off-road specialty shop build a saddle fuel tank for it that tucked up pretty nicely. It was only 18 gallons, but when added to the factory 36 gallon tank I could count on an easy 600 mile highway range with plenty of reserve fuel. If I kept my foot out of it, and the terrain wasn't too steep, and the headwind wasn't too bad, I could get around 16mpg on the highway, so do the math. The worst highway mileage I ever got (not towing anything) was around 13mpg, so even under more severe conditions, range was never an issue. I would definitely recommnend a saddle tank if you can do so without going outside the frame rails and the cost isn't too high. The owner of the 4x4 shop is a friend of mine, so I got the buddy discount, which made mine affordable. That's really about all I did to mine, and it served me well for mild off-road excursions. There are additional things you could do that might add some capability to it. A good brush guard never hurts, and some heavy-duty tow hooks front and rear would be a good idea. A winch would open a lot of options for you (I just carried a tractor jack and 2 come-alongs plus some tow straps). It all depends on how much money you want to sink into it. There will be a point of diminishing returns, because no matter what you do to it, it is still a 2x4 1/2-ton van. Of everything I did to mine, the suspension work and tires made the most difference in allowing me to open the doors to "unpaved options". Heck, that alone took me from not being able to hop a decent curb (much less head down a rutted dirt road), to doing so with ease. If that is your goal, this is where I would start. Folks that have never owned a full-size van tend to think of them as much more cumbersome than they actually are, so don't let the neah-sayers get you down. If I had the money, I would LOVE to get a 4x4 3/4-ton diesel van and convert it to a purpose-built off-road camper!!! I've seen this done, and the resulting vehicle is truly impressive, but THAT would be a different thread!
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linky no worky |
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Quoted:
I have seen plenty of 2-wheel drive vans turned into decent getaway campers. Matter of fact, I had one myself (sold it when it started to develop a case of "coastline cancer"....AKA rust...around the picture windows), and if you keep in mind the limitations it works quite well. Mine was a Dodge, but it sounds like the interior setup was pretty much the same. 4 reclining captains chairs, TV/gaming station, small fridge, lots of cargo space behind the rear bench seat/bed, etc. I put a 2" lift on mine, 33" BFG A/Ts, and beefed up the suspension. I also removed the running board steps to improve ground clearance. I already had limited-slip on the rear-end, but you will want to have that if you don't already. You may even want to consider lockers for the differential. I had a tow package and heavy-duty alternator on mine too. You want the heavier radiator of the tow-package and the higher output on the alternator if you are going to turn this into a getaway camper. I also had a cargo rack for the receiver hitch, but would go with a roof rack if I had it to do over again. I had a local off-road specialty shop build a saddle fuel tank for it that tucked up pretty nicely. It was only 18 gallons, but when added to the factory 36 gallon tank I could count on an easy 600 mile highway range with plenty of reserve fuel. If I kept my foot out of it, and the terrain wasn't too steep, and the headwind wasn't too bad, I could get around 16mpg on the highway, so do the math. The worst highway mileage I ever got (not towing anything) was around 13mpg, so even under more severe conditions, range was never an issue. I would definitely recommnend a saddle tank if you can do so without going outside the frame rails and the cost isn't too high. The owner of the 4x4 shop is a friend of mine, so I got the buddy discount, which made mine affordable. That's really about all I did to mine, and it served me well for mild off-road excursions. There are additional things you could do that might add some capability to it. A good brush guard never hurts, and some heavy-duty tow hooks front and rear would be a good idea. A winch would open a lot of options for you (I just carried a tractor jack and 2 come-alongs plus some tow straps). It all depends on how much money you want to sink into it. There will be a point of diminishing returns, because no matter what you do to it, it is still a 2x4 1/2-ton van. Of everything I did to mine, the suspension work and tires made the most difference in allowing me to open the doors to "unpaved options". Heck, that alone took me from not being able to hop a decent curb (much less head down a rutted dirt road), to doing so with ease. If that is your goal, this is where I would start. Folks that have never owned a full-size van tend to think of them as much more cumbersome than they actually are, so don't let the neah-sayers get you down. If I had the money, I would LOVE to get a 4x4 3/4-ton diesel van and convert it to a purpose-built off-road camper!!! I've seen this done, and the resulting vehicle is truly impressive, but THAT would be a different thread! Mine does have tow package on it. I've done a fair amount of off-roading with 4x4s and have learned that ground clearance and decent tires are the most important thing. A 2 wheel drive will go most anywhere if it isn't dragging it's underbelly on the ground. This van will be mostly for back roading, not necessarily off roading. I want to beef up the suspension but still keep it somewhat stealthy so it doesn't get noticed. |
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Fixed linky: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=628417 |
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Mine does have tow package on it. I've done a fair amount of off-roading with 4x4s and have learned that ground clearance and decent tires are the most important thing. A 2 wheel drive will go most anywhere if it isn't dragging it's underbelly on the ground.
This van will be mostly for back roading, not necessarily off roading. I want to beef up the suspension but still keep it somewhat stealthy so it doesn't get noticed. Depending on how high you wanna go I would look for a suspension from a 3/4 or 1 ton van and swap that in |
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I had a 3/4 ton E250 for years. I used it to go off road with good effect except for mud. My next van was a E150 Chateau. Both of these were the 138 inch long wheel base extended body models.
The biggest problem I had going from 3/4 to 1/2 ton was the susspension, and the size of the front wheel bearings. I never had any problems with the 3/4 ton front wheel bearings. the 150 was another matter. I would remove and regrease the front wheel bearings annualy on my e150. The wheel bearings in the e150 are just not big enough in my opinion. I do live in a mountainous area with alot of turny roads. Even with good springs shocks and sway bars my e150 had alot of body roll, and with any kind of load would handle like a boat. I never had any of these problems with my E250. Also the front brakes on my e150 lasted about 1/4 what my 250 would last. They just didnt seam large enough for a van that size. This all may be different on a standard cab, and wheel base. If you dont have mountains, and alot of curvy roads, I'm sure a E150 works out well. But, if you go putting big tires on, this might start causing stress on the wheel bearings that they wont hold up to long. If your putting money into the project, heavyer dudy spindles off a 3/4 ton will give you the larger wheel bearings, and shouldnt be to big of a job, or cost to much. Other than that 2 wheel vans can go alot of places if you understand your limits, and can really haul alot of gear in a discreat manner. |
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Just run a search for some different terms and you can learn a lot by also searching about the 4x4 vans since a lot of their other mods will apply to your van.
I know when I was considering getting a 3/4 or 1 ton ford van there was a company that made alift setup for the 2wd vans, it came with new spindles that had the shaft in a different position so you got the lift from that the same as a low rider uses lowering spindles to drop their vehicle down. Rear lead springs are easy to lift, I hate blocks in most cases since I like a stiff ride and prefer lots of leaf springs instead, and especially on a half ton. To some extent I am kind of wondering if the frame is the same on a half ton and a 3/4 ton or 1 ton or not. If it is the same I would swap 3/4 ton or 1 ton springs and brakes and rear axle into it right away. That alone might be enough lift for you. Vans still have a lot of popularity and any time I start thinking about losing my current home I kind of wonder about living a simple life in a van for a while. |
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Quoted:
Just run a search for some different terms and you can learn a lot by also searching about the 4x4 vans since a lot of their other mods will apply to your van. I know when I was considering getting a 3/4 or 1 ton ford van there was a company that made alift setup for the 2wd vans, it came with new spindles that had the shaft in a different position so you got the lift from that the same as a low rider uses lowering spindles to drop their vehicle down. Rear lead springs are easy to lift, I hate blocks in most cases since I like a stiff ride and prefer lots of leaf springs instead, and especially on a half ton. To some extent I am kind of wondering if the frame is the same on a half ton and a 3/4 ton or 1 ton or not. If it is the same I would swap 3/4 ton or 1 ton springs and brakes and rear axle into it right away. That alone might be enough lift for you. Vans still have a lot of popularity and any time I start thinking about losing my current home I kind of wonder about living a simple life in a van for a while. Well, you know there are some folks who already have that experience... 
... Living In a VAN down by the RIVER!! 
BIGGER_HAMMER 
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What is the story with 4x4 vans like this? I have seen them around, are they all aftermarket conversions or F150 components added to convert them? I would like to be a ski bum, well except as I get older I have my doubts I will have the same drive when I retire to go skiing all the time, and I always thought a 4x4 van would be a slick way to go! I drive a 4x4 Expedition instead but I do like the idea of a 4x4 van! |
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Some are home conversions and some are done by shops.
Right now you can call up a ford dealer and tell them you want a 4x4 van and they will send a brand new van over to quigley for a 4x4 conversion. Sportsmobile also does 4x4 conversions. It used to be these companies only messed with brand new vans but a little while back quigley needed to clear out some overstock of old parts since the vans were changing over to something different so it pays to call and research and figure things out. May as well figure on 8 grand for a 4x4 conversion in many cases. But when done on a new van you get some warranty protection. There are other companies out there that will do conversions on your vehicle as well, I forget the names but running some searches on 4x4 conversions should pull up a lot. A lot of these places will do conversions on medium duty vehicles as well. Each company is a bit different in how they do the conversions and what parts they use so it helps to learn about all the different options and go with what works best for your wants and needs. For the home grown stuff some people build "kits" now and then to help the do it yourselfer at home. Availability of kits varies and what people think of them varies as well. Some people put the sorta independant front axle from an f150 under a van, I forget its name but it kind of looks like a solid axle but is not. Lots of folks put solid axles under the van. With chevrolet stuff some folks have put the normal chevy ifs 4x4 stuff under the vans, this also kept ride height stock I believe. In many cases adding 4x4 to a van increases ride height a whole lot. 4x4 vans have been around for decades and some of the companies have been around that long as well. Learning how things were done is important. |
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I had a 71 Ford window van. Nothing special, just a 351 posi track, but damn did that thing last and way more adventures than I can remember.
I can't tell you I did all this special stuff because I didn't. I ripped out the bench seats and simply put one of those aftermarket bench/bed seats. The problem as I saw it and still see it with customized jobs is, it limits how much you can haul, What I needed I threw in there and when camping much like a camper, you're living outside mostly anyway. Pulling a camper, which I did often, having the extra cargo storage was a good thing. A typical setup in those days for me was pull the camper, canoe on the top, and canoe fishing gear in the van. Tj |
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Back on topic,
I saw this this weekend, and was thoroughly impressed. Seemed to have perfect ground clearance, I would assume good capabilities, looks good, etc. I would seriously consider owning one like this. Anyone have any idea where one would get something like this??? 
And, look what was sniffing around it when we got back: 
Not too big, looked to be somewhere just over a hundred lbs. First bear the kids (and the wife) have seen in the wild, then we saw another about a half a mile down a trail a little later. |