Originally Posted by rob_s
Never did this yet, but in the process of shopping for a cargo/dog barrier I found this video that shows it better than I would:
Never did this yet, but in the process of shopping for a cargo/dog barrier I found this video that shows it better than I would:
Just started a serious effort to purchase a transit outfitting with partial RV capability. Our WB Revel is a nice van but my my wife with a bad hip can't get into the bed, we don't even overnight in it, etc. I need a fold-down twin-size bed, a cassette toilet or similar, a fridge, heater, and storage provisions for range carts and other related gear.
A big plus would be the ability to roll-in a 4'x4' wood tray containing all my plates and target stands. These more or less permanently reside in my Ram truck and I'd really like to get better use out of the truck bed.
We have one Mercedes dealer in the Boise area and I really wouldn't mind the improved access to maintenance offered by a Ford product.
The Revel is very low mileage and a 2021 with the late model Mercedes running gear and improved battery system so I might be able to break even.
I am continuing to Transit shop, and either the herd is getting thinner or my specificity is getting more.., specific but immstull struggling to find what I want.
Immstill kicking myself because my literal ideal van came up a few months back and I didn't move fast enough. Shot, mid-rood, awd, ecobootpst, non-white, crew fully loaded.
I'm now reasonably certain it was the only one ever made.
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Fortunately, you and I are not in competitionI am continuing to Transit shop, and either the herd is getting thinner or my specificity is getting more.., specific but immstull struggling to find what I want.
Immstill kicking myself because my literal ideal van came up a few months back and I didn't move fast enough. Shot, mid-rood, awd, ecobootpst, non-white, crew fully loaded.
I'm now reasonably certain it was the only one ever made.. Cargo is what I will be looking for. I just hope such exists with the comfort features (power seats), safety functionality (adaptive cruise, blind spot monitoring, ...). The upfitter is going to send me some window stickers on vans he has access to via local dealers (that would be local to him in Costa Mesa, CA a 14 hour drive from my home in Idaho
). If something looks promising I'd have to go down/back via air in one day breaking my retirement promise to never get on an airplane again and that was before our ATC and aircraft manufacturing infrastructure appeared to be in trouble.
I'm even willing to consider cargo at this point. Main reasons not to so far are (a) titling as "passenger" van has some benefits for loans, insurance, HOAs, etc. and (2) less windows to cut (even though I'd likely still replace some in a passenger with operable and cut in some in a Crew).Fortunately, you and I are not in competition
Mine won't be an "RV" so there's really mostly only downside to having it titled as a crew with no upside of revising the title to "RV" when it's done as mine won't qualify (my understanding is that RV has to have a toilet and a kitchen of some sort and I won't have a kitchen).
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So even though I am bagging the van idea (shifting focus to 1/2 ton campers...), I followed along the van discussions long enough to get a bit of a feel for the conversion process, and it is maybe trickier than I would have expected. Some of the factors might be access to some facilities, apparently some campgrounds will turn away cargo vans and converted busses unless they have some certification. Colossal irony since many of the "certified" units are just a PoSs stappled together over furring strips. But apparently there is an advocacy group that has some process of securing certifications, sorta like homebuilt aircraft. ETA: Some stories about people pitching tents behind the van, cause tent camping was allowed, but not sleeping in a van. This was never my focus anyway, but wouldn't want to be shutout of someplace I wanted to take a shower and spend a night.
I have also been a voyeur on a FB group with people converting semi tractors as RV tow vehicles, since you can buy a truck with a sleeper with plenty of life left in it for about 20% of the cost of a new Super Duty. Then take one of the rear axles out and still tow whatever fifth wheel RV your heart desires. Many of those folks are commercial drivers, but they want to do a conversion for insurance reasons, and also so other people can drive the thing. Apparently you can buy some big Newell coach with air brakes and just drive on down the road, because it was delivered as an RV, but if you buy a used tractor you need a CDL. Also some concern about the resort campground access.
Also there are apparently some service concerns, especially with crash damage, with some of the conversions. Some people have done spray foam behind the walls (also can heat up enough during cure to wrinkle the outside body panels) and that might preclude any body shop ever touching it because they do not want to burn it, or the building, down around them. Or they do not want to damage any of the aftermarket content.
When I had our Transit on order I did call my agent, and they confirmed they would not have a problem insuring a cargo van that I was using personally, but I didn't inquire about cost. I forgot about it and went ahead and took delivery of the Connect, and it was also a cargo van with no rear seats. They did ask if it was being used commercially, but had no issue, and the cost is what I would expect to pay for a new vehicle.
You might want to explore the option of some kind of self contained palletized kitchen that could be lifted in and out. I think a sink is one of the checklist items, and I think that might be why some of those tiny sinks with little pump handles might exist. ETA: But the truck camper I am looking at does not have plumbing (the company said the company they came from had the majority of warranty issues connected to plumbing or heating), so maybe I am all full of it. I have no experience, just conveying what I have gathered from my lurking.
We own a commercially built Class-B van now, which came from a lot of research, and I'm pretty active on a lot of various Class B and van conversion pages, and a lot of what you have there jibes with what I've learned over the last 3 years as well.
The HOA thing, for us, is a potentially future sicky-wicket that I'm trying to avoid, but the best route seems to have a van titled as "passenger" and then unless they have specific size or model exclusions there's not much the HOA can do to you.
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Probably be easier to start with a passenger van, but they do not make the configuration I would want (I want SWB). And the van I want(ed) is on the verge of not being adequate as a tow vehicle (the boat in the boat thread is probably right at the limit of the rating), and the bigger the van, the lower the tow rating, because the van gets heavier.
My primary motivation would be to park in the garage, my F-150 is too long. But the idea of a slide in camper is growing on me, sounding more like a Swiss Army knife. And the storage unit I have the boat in is big enough to hold both, and the more stuff I put in there the less it hurts to pay the monthly rent. And I do not really need anything for the next two years, so I can just bank money and pull the trigger when I am ready to use it. I think I just hatched an idea for how to get the current cap on and off easier (I am going to cook up a version of truck camper jacks, only cheaper and lighter), I could go from open bed (motorcycles, ATV, snowmobile mulch) to topper (dog kennel, general storage) to camper. Now I just need to decide (over the next two years...) if I would want to get a camper that fully exploits the current 8ft truck, or would fit into the eventual replacement that would fit into the garage. Oh well, deciding to not decide (yet) has been a bit of a relief.
I feel ya on the size. What I'm looking for in an ideal world (and that Crew I let get away was all of this)
- Short wheelbase
- medium roof
- AWD
- Ecoboost
- Rear AC
- "fully loaded" (particularly big screen, keypad entry, remote start)
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Sounds like pretty much exactly what I balanced-out, except I was going with low roof so I could park it in our garage.
And I ordered rear A/C, but would omit it if I reordered, since I figured out it sticks out farther than the wheel well on a single rear wheel setup. We have a 148" for my wife's shop, and it doesn't struggle to keep it cool. Low roof and not in Florida, but there are a lot of things that it would get in the way of for my projected use. I figured if they built it I would live with it.
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