Strengths and Weaknesses of your van

[EMrider]

2006 Ford E350 with 6.0pds
SMB 4x4 conversion with custom interior layout
95k miles
Van used for family (5 plus a big dog) road trips, backcountry exploring and camping

Pros
Very comfortable seating
Interior porta potti has saved the day many times
Great to have a well stocked fridge within reach
SMB drivetrain is robust and very capable offroad
Large cargo capacity and easy to store basics in van at all times
Upper penthouse bed is comfortable for 2
So far (knock on wood) the 6.0pds has defied its reputation and been flawless.
Pretty good MPG (lifetime about 15-15.5mpg) given SMB's size and capability

Cons
Maintenance on a vehicle like this is a never ending process and expensive
Not a DD so need local storage
Forget about comfortably sleeping more than 2 in any van
Ride is harsh on washboard and any rough road surface
Rapid depreciation and poor resale on customized items
Easily gets stuck in mud (part driver error)

Net net, I would buy another without hesitation. The value/fun/freedom is worth the high cost IMHO. that said, most of the utility of an SMB could probably be provided by a 1 ton pickup and a pop up camper at a lower overall cost of ownership.

R

 

[T.Low]

I was thinking it could be fun to have a consolidated thread about the strengths and weaknesses of everyone's van. This could be helpful for people looking to get into the van game, for people not completely satisfied with what they have, but unsure of which direction they want to go with another project :coffeedrink:

Excellent thread, fun read. I researched (actively) for 9 months (and passively for 40 yrs) before deciding on which van to go with.

 

[intothewild]

Great replies and nice rigs so far! Appreciate everybody's input!

 

[java]

Still new to me, but here goes.

Year/Make/Model: 1997 E350 Winnebago 4x4
Drivetrain/Miles: V10 25,000, Salem Kroger 4x4 conversion with F350 (I think?!) running gear. Manual T-case with 4lo.

Strengths:
Awesome amount of space inside. Was pretty beat when i got it. Still needs some love. Giant built in generator, great heat, 120V power with inverter.


Weaknesses:
HUGE! 23' long, 7'7" wide, and 11+ ft tall. It doesn't fit in tight spaces real well but its mostly a ski bum rig. And yeah gas mileage sucks.

Overall:
Love the space, its awesome just crawl in the back and sleep. Once I finish converting it from office to camper it will be even better. Lots of good features. But it was a SAR base camp rig, so not driven much and put away wet. The RV box has lots of leaks to track down. But the drive train is in good shape. Its a great upgrade from the RV trailer my truck hated pulling.

 

[chadlanc]

e350 EB, weakness is the turning radius. Its terrible! my Unimog 1300 can do a uturn in about half the distance.

 

[bdog1]

Unimog 1300 weakness? Like what 53mph wide open? Oh, and the NAPA counter guy says"Uni What?"

Yea, way cool but no practicality!


Sent by wing, prayer & ATT

 

[arlon]

Great thread topic intothewild. All nice looking and interesting vans thus far.

Year/Make/Model:

2004 Chevy Astro LT AWD

Have the same van, different color.

I looked at a lot of possibilities for what I would call a "perfect" go anywhere weekend solo camper. Haven't found the perfect one but the Astro does suit my needs.
Mine also an 04, 55k miles, G80 and 3.73 gear, BFG AT KO tires on a 2" lift. Also pretty much my daily driver.

Strengths: have to be economics, versatility, reliability, range, good daily driver and good bang for buck.
Cheap to buy, maintain, modify. Lot of these vans with over 200k miles on them. Parts available anywhere parts are available and some places they aren't (haven't had to fix anything on mine).
Made mine into a very simple weekender with a decent cooler, bed, awning and kitchen. Sleep in a walmart parking lot and nobody notices it. Stealth is another virtue I appreciate.
Has a relatively big fuel tank (27 gal) and gives me plenty of range for weekends in places like Big Bend where the fuel stations are 50 miles apart.

Weakness: Fuel economy but then again if you compare to a lot of other vans it's not out of line for what it is. I'd kill for a small diesel in this thing. Women laugh when you pull up beside them.
Light on power but 80mph speed limits in West Texas are no problem. Been up some steep hills and it get there eventually.

Mods: 2" lift and tires took a few hrs, "RV conversion" took a weekend.

Other: Some crazy off road youtube videos of these vans doing insane stuff and living to run another day.