Looking for new rig ideas and Minivan ground clearance increase of 1"-2" Opinions

Sierrasclimber · 01-15-2016, 05:22 PM

Hey SMB Forum, been a while since I've been on here. Thought I would drop a post as folks on here seem to have some crazy knowledge of things.

I'm looking at downsizing from my Dodge B3500 to something home grown with better performance at 85 mph (speed limits go to 80 mph in Utah), a dedicated bed (AKA 4'x8' cargo space), made in the past 5 years, gets 20+ mpg, and I'd like 7" ground clearance minimum. My SMB has been great but we find ourselves opting for a rig that does handles 320 miles in 4 hours or 550 miles in 8 hrs better.

We've been looking around checked out a 118" wheelbase Dodge Promaster but the driver seat and driving position were not comfortable. Astro Vans are too old. At the moment the wife likes the sound of a minivan but most don't have stock 7"-8" of ground clearance. A Ford Transit only has 6.1" ground clearance. Sprinters are in the ballpark but pretty spendy.

Really I'm looking for a temporary measure to try until the Sprinters come out with adaptive cruise control and Collision Prevention System. No not beeps. If I'm going to blow $40+k on a Sprinter rig I want the Subaru Eyesight technology you can get on a $26,000 Forester.

So my current list

Out: Promaster (uncomfortable driving position), Astro (too old), Chevy Express (too low mpg)
-Ford Connect, NV200, City Express - rear cargo space is only 6'

Possible: with ground clearance listed

Honda Odyssey 4.5"
Dodge Grand Caravan 5.6"

Chrysler Town and Country 5.6"
Volkswagen Routan 6.1"

Toyota Sienna 6.7"

Full Size:

Ford Transit 6"

MB Sprinter 6.9"

So I think I can live with the 50"Wx96L"x43"H of a minivan but I just think I might want a bit more like 1"-2" more ground clearance. I don't 4x4 by any means but sometimes head in washed out roads.

Flavor of the month for me is a AWD Toyota Sienna's which says they have 6.7" of clearance. I've seen some neat simple conversions folks have home grown from this guy to to Sinbad's poptop and home grown conversion. However, I'd like to get more like 7.5"-8" of clearance for a few rocky dirt roads I frequent. I'm thinking I could potentially do 2 small changes to get what I want. Like use a Spaccer Car Lift Kit to to get 1.18" increase and then add slightly larger tires, say 1" bigger in diameter, to get 0.5" more clearance. My hope would be both of these changes would be small enough not to have much if any effect on ride quality and safety. Odometer might be a little off but that is a whatever.

Minivan lifting: I know many people will say wrong vehicle for application. However, I know minivans can be lifted as they raise the wheelchair/mobility minivans and drop the floor. 1 site says they drop the floor 15". Got to raise it to do that for sure. Seems to be done to every model imaginable.

I found Spaccer Car Lift online. They say you can use their kits to raise from 0.47" to as much as 2.36" on most any rig. Not cheap at pretty much $350 per 0.5". They say you must measure the resting compressed suspension travel (or what I know as sag) by taking the difference between resting distance and fully jacked up distance. The proposed new lift plus 40 mm must be less than current sag.

Question 1: Anyone have any suggestions or comments about this type of lift? Think it would work? Kind of seems like the equivalent of a body lift but for struts? I've heard of driveshaft issues and items like this for lift kits but is 1" really going to be enough change to be a concern? what about the full 2.36"?

Question 2: Larger tires: Anyone know a method or rule of thumb for enlarging tires? Like distances to wheelwells or strut supports? I've read online of folks slightly sizing up the tires and I'm guessing 1" in diameter would be small enough to be insignificant.

Question 3: Anyone think this could actually work with a minivan? Any recent models you think would be better than a Sienna? I've got just enough car knowledge to be dangerous but still a noob. Open to other helpful suggestions beside buy a Sprinter.

Cheers!

Ken

86Scotty · 01-15-2016, 05:45 PM

If you want simplicity in that size I would just get a full size SUV, like a Tahoe or Expedition. You obviously don't need stand-up height or you wouldn't be looking at a minivan, so why not get something offroad ready? I recently bought an 05 Expedition for my 'truck' needs and plan to put a single bunk in the back on one side. It's HUGE in there! Lots more room than our Odyssey had, 3 rows, capable 4wd, rear air and lots of other creature comforts, plus about 7' of length from the rear door to the back of the front seats. Plenty of room for a platform bed. I'm 6'2" and can sit upright on the back of the fold down middle row seats with good head clearance for dressing, etc. if I have to escape from the weather. I only get about 15mpg with my Expedition but I've heard the Tahoes are better, about 17-18 mpg.

larrie · 01-15-2016, 10:54 PM

We have had A number of Chrystler mini vans. They have all preformed well and drive really nice either on pavement or gravel forest roads. The only issue we have had with them is that around 120,000 they need a new transmission. I used it like a truck because it would hold a 4x8 sheet of plywood between the wheel wells and the rear hatch closed.

Saw one that was converted to 4x4 by pulling the body and putting it on Jeep running gear.

PeteM · 01-16-2016, 11:36 AM

I’m going to suggest you reconsider a base cargo Sprinter as your ‘temporary measure’ van. No it wouldn’t be the ultimate solution with fully adaptive cruise control and collision prevention, but the base Sprinter does have the highly efficient 4 cylinder turbo-diesel engine, 7 speed transmission, good ground clearance, and excellent cruising range.

Glancing at your ground clearance list the Sprinter wouldn’t appear much better than a Sienna minivan. But in reality that 6.9” Sprinter measurement is to the bottom of the differential case and shock mounts. The critical engine, transmission and exhaust components have 11” or 12” clearance, and it’s pretty easy to maneuver through rocks while avoiding the differential case.

Compared to monkeying around trying to perform unnatural acts with a minivan it just makes more sense to buy the right basic vehicle for the job. Base cargo Sprinters have the highest resale value by percentage of the whole range and you can easily resell the vehicle when appropriate. For the same reason used Sprinter prices often seem unreasonably high, so finding a leftover previous year base cargo unit from a dealer that’s ready to refresh inventory might be the best bet.

Before we purchased our SMB Sprinter we rented one from Campervan North America. The owner, Bob Swan, is very opportunistic about buying Sprinters for his fleet. The unit we rented started life as one of three Freightliner badged Sprinters that had been sitting unsold at a Vermont Freightliner truck center for two model years. Bob nabbed all three, I believe for well under $35k each, then had them shipped to SMB Texas for conversion. They were plain white, high roof, 144” wheelbase units with the Driver Comfort option package, which seems to be a pretty common base fleet van.

BTW, Sprinters are electronically limited to 83 mph, so it won’t quite hit your 85 target, but it does cruise nicely at speed.

Best of luck with your search - and do update us on what you find.

Cheers,
Pete

Sierrasclimber · 01-18-2016, 04:34 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. At the moment I'm really trying hard to sort of right size the rig. Aka get something only as big as I need and no bigger.

Except the cost of repairs everything I hear about Sprinters is great. However, I think they are bigger than what we want. They are almost 3' longer and 2' talker with a 10' larger turning diameter. The taller can be an issue as it means it doesn't fit in my garage or parking garages. This on top of the price and difficulty in even locating one makes it less than desirable.

The Expedition is interesting but I think it lacks sufficient interior space. The Sienna is about 58" wide x 94" long x 48" tall gets you the 150 ft^3 cargo space. The Expedition has 108 ft^3. I've got thoughts of a 48"x76" bed with storage underneath and space to sit up at the end. I think with an Expedition I'd loose my underbed gear storage.

In the end I'll probably just end up having to get a Sienna and give the dirt roads a shot and see if I make something go crunch!

yelnam · 01-18-2016, 07:38 PM

You can get +1" clearance on a Transit with larger tires, no problem.

planters · 07-22-2017, 11:17 AM

For a camping vehicle, removing all the seats and trim gives you quite a bit more space and big weight savings.

Google "sound deadening Ford Expedition"
They will take out whole interior to install sound mats. Surprising how much space ou gain.
Much more than 108 ft3 cargo spec.

Seats are not hard to remove or put back in later. Trim is more effort but it is really worth it. One could just pay Stereo/Sound deadening company to do it. The have the right tools and experience.

"Chevy Suburban Camper Conversion Van Alternative Video Tour" is a great youtube video on their Suburban camper. Much cheaper than a 4 wheel drive van. The side shelf and 12 volt fridge are nice.