Posted: 10/12/2010 4:09:19 PM EDT
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I bugged out last week in my van to do a little ATVing in Kentucky. Basically it was a 4 day camping trip using my van as a base camp and exploring with my ATV.
I bring this up because it was a 587 mile straight shot from home to where we camped. With a full tank of gas (35 gallons) and my 700+ lb ATV, tools and camping gear in the back of the van, my wife and I drove 9 + hours straight without a stop. We had food, and a portable toilet in the back. Pretty good range for a truck. Nice thing about a van is that you can change drivers on the fly. We slept in the van and were reasonable comfortable. Frankly though, sleeping in a van in ones mid 50s is not the same as sleeping in a van when you are in your mid 20s. The Van was a 99 Ford E150 Chateau Club Wagon (window van) w/ 5.4L V8. We used it to pull travel trailers all over the country when the kids were younger. Wasn't used much the last 4 years or so but It was in such good condition and was so handy to have around to haul stuff I didn't have the heart to get rid of it. Now that they are gone and I just retired, I've been slowly converting it into my atv/camping/adventure van. Got some more trips planned this fall but have a bit more work to do to make it more comfortable. 
Pros...great range, great cargo capacity, very stealthy, good towing capacity. Rear seats easily removable. Cons...can't stand up in it. Not as off road worthy as a 4x4. |
| I know pickup trucks are cooler and sexier than a full size vans but I've always preferred a van. They can carry a lot of people and hold a lot of stuff inside, you can move around inside them while moving, you can sleep inside, make them into a camper. I've had vans since the 1970s and made them into shaggin wagons and campers. |
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Quoted:
I bugged out last week in my van to do a little ATVing in Kentucky. Basically it was a 4 day camping trip using my van as a base camp and exploring with my ATV. I bring this up because it was a 587 mile straight shot from home to where we camped. With a full tank of gas (35 gallons) and my 700+ lb ATV, tools and camping gear in the back of the van, my wife and I drove 9 + hours straight without a stop. We had food, and a portable toilet in the back. Pretty good range for a truck. Nice thing about a van is that you can change drivers on the fly. We slept in the van and were reasonable comfortable. Frankly though, sleeping in a van in ones mid 50s is not the same as sleeping in a van when you are in your mid 20s. The Van was a 99 Ford E150 Chateau Club Wagon (window van) w/ 5.4L V8. We used it to pull travel trailers all over the country when the kids were younger. Wasn't used much the last 4 years or so but It was in such good condition and was so handy to have around to haul stuff I didn't have the heart to get rid of it. Now that they are gone and I just retired, I've been slowly converting it into my atv/camping/adventure van. Got some more trips planned this fall but have a bit more work to do to make it more comfortable. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/mac66/100_8016.jpg Pros...great range, great cargo capacity, very stealthy, good towing capacity. Rear seats easily removable. Cons...can't stand up in it. Not as off road worthy as a 4x4. What made you want to drive 9 hours to scoot around the woods in Kentucky? Is there anything of interest in Kentucky or was it more about the journey? |
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Well they have some pretty good ATV riding in the hills/mountains of KY. South East Ky counties have started to develop old mining and lumber land into off road vehicle/adventure riding areas. Harlan Co has a place called Black Mountain which has spectacular riding. Knot county currently has thousands of acres under development. About 6 or 7 other counties are similarly developing unused mining/lumber lands as well. Eventually all the counties will be tied together under their "sKYtrails" system along with trails in northern VA and the Hatfield McCoy trails in W. Va. In addition, those states have passed laws which allow ATVs on roads in order to ride in the small towns close to the trails for gas, food, lodging. Those areas are pretty poor and the atv/orv riders are bringing in needed revenue.
So my motivation to go there is two fold. One is to have fun. The other is to explore the area for places to go just in case. You could go up into those hills for weeks and never be seen. ATVs help you cover a lot more ground. |
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Very cool. Do you have any pictures of your ATV strapped down inside the van?
Family friend loaned me an 83 Chevy Van for a little while after college while my car was being worked on. The insides of the van were rotting away but it still was a cool set up. Great place to grab a nap or lunch. |
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Quoted:
visit expedition portal I looked at that site as well as many others. My parents had a Sportsmobile van. It was pretty cool but expensive. Frankly the camper van I built back in the 80s was similar to the Sporstmobile but better suited for me. The difference between my old campers and this, is that I want to carry my ATV/Motorcycle inside instead of towing trailer. That means beds and most everything else has to fold up out of the way. The other thing is that I neither need or want 4x4 in my van. I've had several 4x4 vehicles and they are a lot of fun but unless you are looking for places to use 4x4, the cost doesn't justify the benefit. It is crazy expensive. Decent tires and a little ground clearance is all one really needs. |