Tan or Green Builds?

[Steve C]

Originally Posted by snomad

always thought I'd paint a white van Forest Service Green though really like our buddies Burgundy.

As a retired Forest Service employee with decades spent driving FS green fire vehicles, that would certainly be a bold choice

[dawgtnt]

Our van color is "harvest gold" 2006. It appears gray green and blends very well with the forest or desert. We had originally wanted white but are glad we had to go with this color. We like being stealthy.

We also wanted a lighter color to keep the van cooler inside as dark colors soak up the heat. We have dogs so wanted to keep as cool as possible even with the Starcool system.

Kelly

[JWA]

I really like these different colors not normally seen on a van. Green and/or Tan wouldn't usually be my first color preference but seeing these rigs certainly give me an idea should another van be in my future.

[TREX]

Originally Posted by JoeH

Did someone say green?

Hey Joe, my names Tony, we both own green vans, wanted to compliment you on your setup, looks really functional!!

Mines an ‘04, 47,000 mi on the 6.0, new to me so currently going through all systems. Getting ready to do a full coolant flush, researching coolant filters, and looking into Bulletproof Diesel’s water pump. Haven’t found anyone that builds a full aluminum radiator that fits the van yet, may have to get creative! I thought that I saw a custom vent on your hood. Achieving better cooling with limited aftermarket parts may just be little upgrades like that.

[eddyturn]

Hey @TREX go here for your radiator... I think it will work on a green van but not sure as mine is tan. The fastest color.

Performance Radiator

[wanderers]

Ours is pueblo gold and it blends in pretty well even in forested areas, especially in the fall when leaves are accumulating on the ground. Like Snomad said, it doesn't show road grime, or even desert dust, anywhere near as bad as any other color vehicle we have had. After dark it is much harder to see than a white van. I once had a hard time spotting it when it was only a few feet from a friend's white van which I could see quite well in the dark. If you think you might need rescue and being spotted from the air might be important, white might be a better color, except in snow of course.

[Jeffrey]

Originally Posted by Besags

Tan under different lighting conditions.

I believe the color of your van is called Pueblo Gold. So is mine.

[deserteagle56]

Originally Posted by dawgtnt

Our van color is "harvest gold" 2006. It appears gray green and blends very well with the forest or desert. We had originally wanted white but are glad we had to go with this color. We like being stealthy.

We also wanted a lighter color to keep the van cooler inside as dark colors soak up the heat. We have dogs so wanted to keep as cool as possible even with the Starcool system.

Kelly

Thank you for this. My van is a very dark green, to where it appears almost black. When the desert sun hits it, it gets extremely hot, even inside despite all the insulation. On a 10 degree day in January, when the van was snow covered, I've seen what looks to be steam rising off the skin of the van when the sun's rays hit it and the snow just melts away. When choosing my desert campsites I try to park close to a tall mountain to my west. That way the morning sun warms the van up early in the morning - but generally by 3 pm it is in the shade and cooling off. Not many trees in the desert for shade!

So I've been considering having the van painted to a lighter color and this "Harvest Gold" sounds like the perfect color.

That dark green just doesn't fit the desert:

[TREX]

Thank you sir, I’ll be checking that out. You may be right about the color�� That may be the only thing that’s fast about these vans��

[JoeH]

Originally Posted by TREX

Hey Joe, my names Tony, we both own green vans, wanted to compliment you on your setup, looks really functional!!

Mines an ‘04, 47,000 mi on the 6.0, new to me so currently going through all systems. Getting ready to do a full coolant flush, researching coolant filters, and looking into Bulletproof Diesel’s water pump. Haven’t found anyone that builds a full aluminum radiator that fits the van yet, may have to get creative! I thought that I saw a custom vent on your hood. Achieving better cooling with limited aftermarket parts may just be little upgrades like that.

Hey Tony, I did a bunch of cooling system mods but green is for sure the fastest color. The BPD diesel water pump is a thing of beauty but these rigs are not really known for water pump failures. That said, I did discover one of the plastic blades broken when I replaced mine at 90k. Plastic radiators don't make much sense to me but wow the aluminum Performance option has doubled in price since I bought mine.
https://shop.performanceradiator.com...roduct_id=5296
https://www.dieselsite.com/2003-2007...waterpump.aspx

Hood louvers don't really do much when running but I do think they are of benefit when stopped, allowing the heat to escape the cramped engine bay and hopefully lessening the time the wiring harness and plastic connectors are getting cooked. Who knows but they look cool! E350 Sportsmobile - Hood Louvers | RunCool | Hood Vents For Your Vehicle -

Sorry for any thread drift but green for the win!