Here are some long-overdue pictures of the van I bought in January (which immediately broke down). Thanks to the help of many on this forum (especially E350 and BajaSportsmobile) it is more roadworthy than it's been in a long time.
This van is a full Sportsmobile conversion on a a 1994 Ford E250 with a 5.8L gas engine (Windsor V8) and 86k miles. It's 2WD with a 4 inch lift kit installed (poorly) by the second owner. Rendering it road-safe and possibly even reliable is an ongoing and very educational quest ;-)
The interior has a gaucho and a central aisle that I will use to haul long bicycles on occasion. Under the gaucho are the 20 gallon water tank, second 12V battery, and inverter.
With the extension, the gaucho is long enough to sleep adults, but the penthouse is more comfortable. The little shelf that lifts up doesn't support the full width of the extension so it is very tippy; maybe you're supposed to pile luggage underneath to bolster it?
The penthouse fabric is good except for a tiny tear at the back. The rear U-tube in the scissor linkage is noticeably bent, which I may someday try to fix. In the mean time there are wooden struts that help back corners rise up the last couple of inches.
The kitchen has a two burner stove, microwave, sink, and electric water heater. The microwave and water heater need 120VAC, so they only run off the built-in Onan generator (which needs a tune up) or shore power. I'm not a huge fan of generators, so if I get motivated at some point I could see yanking it out (along with the microwave and electric heater) and going tankless for hot water.
Plenty of cabinets, Norcold fridge, and Starcool AC (that needs a recharge).
Propane heater under the pantry.
Trailer hitch tire carrier, since the generator occupies the standard spare tire location. The generator exhaust pipe is visible in front of the engine exhaust.
There she be, warts and all. As I gain confidence in the mechanical fixes I'll be venturing farther from home and farther off the beaten track...
Linear Mode
