Falkor: 1995 E350 Hightop

TheVagabondMBA · 02-20-2018, 04:15 PM

My wife and I play music across the country in The Whiskey Circle. We also run a crystal business and do a lot of rock hounding in between gigs. We used to drive a 2009 Toyota Highlander and tour/sleep in that, but it just got to be annoying towing our gear behind it. So 2 weeks ago we sold the "BROlander" and bought this 1995, 1-owner, 20k miles, rust-free, AZ-registered Hightop E350.

Right now we're staying in a guest house and I'm working a F/T job at Arizona State University to pay for this build. The goal is to have it road ready for a band of 4 to tour in it full-time by July. We have a short tour set up at the beginning of March planned to test it out. So far I've installed a JVC bluetooth stereo and 6 JVC speakers throughout the interior (there was nothing in it when I bought it), installed 255/75/16 (31x10") Kelly/Goodyear AT tires and installed black out curtains. I have ordered some Goal Zero power supplies and solar panels, Black Oak light bar, bedliner for the bumpers/wheels, fender flares, insulation, some YETI coolers, a spare tire rack and jerry can.I also have my lime green MAXTRAX off of the BROlander and my Trasharoo.

As of right now I've changed the battery, tires, cap and rotor, oil and tranny fluid. For now, I am keeping it 2wd, but with a winch and locker. Eventually it will be converted to 4x4. For now, we're looking more for Touring capabilities and the ability to get out to some boondocking campsites and the occasional snowboard or motorcycle getaway.

I wish I took more before and during photos. I'm looking forward to the progress on this thing over the next few months.

TheVagabondMBA · 02-23-2018, 09:48 AM

How many times can you say "for now" in a post?

arctictraveller · 02-23-2018, 10:56 AM

Welcome, looks like a great "band bus". Keep posting photos and you will get lots of feedback, we always enjoy helping folks find more ways to spend money on their vans. I love the fact that the first upgrade was music.............

Jsweezy · 02-23-2018, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheVagabondMBA

How many times can you say "for now" in a post?

Solid observation but dont be a tool when your only 3 posts in... Its not a good look.

Edit - I totally missed that you were essentially talking to yourself but still don't treat yourself like that haha

TheVagabondMBA · 02-23-2018, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arctictraveller

Welcome, looks like a great "band bus". Keep posting photos and you will get lots of feedback, we always enjoy helping folks find more ways to spend money on their vans. I love the fact that the first upgrade was music.............

Music is crucial.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jsweezy

Solid observation but dont be a tool when your only 3 posts in... Its not a good look.

Edit - I totally missed that you were essentially talking to yourself but still don't treat yourself like that haha

I wasn't trying to be a tool. Just re-read my first post and had to laugh. Better to make fun of yourself than let someone else do it for you

86Scotty · 02-24-2018, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jsweezy

Solid observation but dont be a tool when your only 3 posts in... Its not a good look.

Edit - I totally missed that you were essentially talking to yourself but still don't treat yourself like that haha

Sweezy, settle down bro. I think you missed that he was making fun of his own post.

For now, I think he's doing a great job!

Welcome MBA.

Jsweezy · 02-24-2018, 08:47 AM

I am the tool.

MSD · 02-24-2018, 09:53 AM

Welcome. Liking that fixed top!

TheVagabondMBA · 02-26-2018, 11:21 AM

Thank you everyone! I'm really enjoying the van life again. I forgot how much fun it is to just have this giant beast behind you everywhere you go. I am very happy with the hightop. I was worried about the height in wind and in parking lots, but after driving it the last few weeks I'm so glad we got the fixed high top.

My 65q cooler came in on Friday so we decided to go out and camp this weekend. Since I'm not super comfortable with how this beast handles off-pavement and I am still not locked or winched, we decided to go to the Robbins Butte Wildlife Viewing/Hunting area. It's an easy 4 mile trail that has a decent amount of people on it with full rigs/winches in case we needed some help. The road is super mellow except a 1/2 mile patch of soft sand wash. When it rains it can create some 2ft drops at the entrance/exit of the wash. It hasn't rained in Phoenix for awhile so there were no drops to worry about. We aired down to 45 PSI (from our standard 70) and gave it a go. Falkor had absolutely no issues on the soft stuff. Made it all the way to the butte and we got to shoot some .22's at the targets out there. On the way back got to stop at the bike park and take my BMX out for a few hours while my lady played guitar in the van. Insulation helped keep the van warm both nights and the cooler kept the ice from Friday night til Sunday evening. I couldn't ask for a better weekend. I need to get my Nikon fixed so I can start to do some real photos.

TheVagabondMBA · 03-06-2018, 01:34 PM

Just got back from 6 days in the van with the band. It was good...um...shall we say R&D time to see what's going to work and what is a waste of time. Gear wise we had 4 guitars, 2 basses, 1 2x12 Vox guitar amp, 1x12 fender amp, 2x15 Bass amp, a full drum kit, 2 suitcases full of merch, a PA system, recovery gear (shovel, maxxtraxx, recovery straps, tools, etc.), 4 people and a dog. Falkor was able to store all the music and recovery gear under the bed and the sleeping bags and clothes stayed on top. My wife and I slept in the bed and our drummer and bass player slept on the floor on their rock climbing crash pads.

First night my wife drove from Phoenix to Pinyon Flats and camped out there with our dog. From there we drove out to San Diego through Santa Ysabel and Julian to pick up the rest of the band. The van does not handle the twisties quite as well as I would hope, but then again it's a 10 foot tall bus, so I don't know what I was hoping for. After we got the rest of the guys and dropped off our dog with the babysitter we headed to our first show in Long Beach. After we played we drove out to Emma Wood State Beach in Ventura and camped there for the evening. It was pretty amazing waking up to not only the sound of the waves, but the actual waves hitting the side of the van.

After we woke up at the beach, we made our way north up Highway 33 and into Ojai. We played the Ojai Deer Lodge that night and then camped out in Camp Comfort Campsite. Nothing special at the campsite, but there's a shot of my Old Lady at Ojai Deer Lodge.

After waking up in Ojai, we made our way through the mountains and out to the 15 to head north to Vegas. I wanted to stop in Death Valley and walk around, but everyone else's hangover kept us on the pavement and North towards Las Vegas. We decided to stay at Circus Circus for the night so I could park Falkor at the RV lot and see what the RV park life is all about. We ended meeting another group travelling in a Vanagon who had the same idea as us.

After we played Double Down we strolled around the strip for a bit before making it back to the hotel. The dudes slept in the hotel while my wife and I slept in the van. The dudes had originally planned to go to Red Rocks and climb for a bit the next day (that's why they brought their crash pads), but after a night out in Vegas, no one was down to go climbing on Sunday. Instead we opted for the Seven Magic Mountains painted rocks. Way too many people for a close-up so we went for the far away van shot instead.

From there we drove the dudes back to San Diego, dropped them off, picked up our dog and headed north for the final night of camping. My wife and I drove northeast til we hit Oak Grove campsite outside of Palm Desert. Then we drove back towards Phoenix and stopped at our local hiking trails just in time for this Sunset.

Things I've learned from this trip:

1. Forget windows I need to cover and insulate them because it's still cold in there when the temps start to drop.
2. I need to be smart about my overhead space and build cabinets that maximize storage without taking away head room.
3. I need to finish the kitchen/sink/fold out table.
4. I need to build another sleeping option for a third (and hopefully also a 4th) person.
5. Weldtec lift
6. ARB Locker
7. Lights for when we pull up to camp in the darkness.
8. 4X4 Conversion is not going to be necessary for most of the spots this will see. Thinking I might just keep it 2wd and tow my off-road toys when I want to get out there.