Ford or Chevy Van?

[Whitely]

You were right about that. I could have sworn I saw the 3500 with the AWD option. Oh well...I am learning why most of these conversions are Fords....gotta be a reason

Originally Posted by Steve_382

Near as I can tell, only the 1500 comes with the AWD option.


All-Wheel Drive
Express 1500 Passenger Van and Cargo Van offer available All-Wheel Drive (AWD) to provide a more sure-footed drive in inclement weather — something Ford E-Series and Mercedes Sprinter vans don't offer.

[j.whitbread]

Originally Posted by carringb

BTW - I don't think SalemKroger exists anymore.

http://www.salemkroger.com/index.html

[carringb]

I think the Penthouse may be less popular on the Chevy because the roof is narrower, making for a less roomy penthouse. It's less of a factor with fixed tops since those are rarely used for sleeping.

I haven't driven Sportsmobiles, but I have driven lots of stock 1-ton passenger vans. My take on those: Chevy rides smoother empty. Ford vans feel controlled when fully loaded, and doesn't hit the bumpstops like the Chevy does. (By fully loaded I mean 3000+ pounds inside). Ford brakes are MUCH better. Chevy motor sounds better. The Ford V10 stock sounds like a Honda 4-cylinder, and does not resemble a big V8 in any way. Chevy has a stronger on-center feel in the steering, but the Ford can pushed a lot harder before it starts to slide.

The Chevy does have a diesel option, which Ford no longer has. It's about $12,0000 more. But if you want a new diesel, kind of a no-brainer. Just keep in mind a diesel means losing about 500 pounds of payload, and on the Chevy van, could limit front winch-bumper or bike rack options due to the 4600# front axle limit. Even with my V10, I'm right at my 5,000 pound axle rating if I have the Honda 650 up front. (FWIW - The Ford 4x4 vans get a 6,000 pound front axle).

[carringb]

Originally Posted by j.whitbread

http://www.salemkroger.com/index.html

http://sportsmobileforum.com/viewtop...t=salem+kroger

http://whitefeatherconversions.com/home

So looks like WhiteFeather is the only Sprinter 4x4 now, and appears they still do Ford vans (not a suprise since the S/K sprinters used the Ford front end). Not sure if they do Chevy though.

[frenchy]

I'm in the process of converting a chevy 1500 awd cargo van. The GVWR is 7200 lbs which gives you around 1300/1400 lbs of conversion weight. GTRV has some really great examples of conversions on this chassis.

I currently have the SMB penthouse and am working on a rb50 ish style conversion.

What I like about this van chassis:
relatively affordable used van, very reliable engine and drivetrain - put gas in and change the oil vehicle, awd, gas mileage 15-19, good snow driving performance, have been very happy with the chevy van overall.

Some constraints:
off road clearance, conversion weight limit.

I think an average SMB conversion is around 1800 lbs, I'm planning on just under 1000 lbs. This will include all the major things I want with a rb50 floorplan. I live in the mountains and use the van in the snow and off road to get to trailheads, camp spots, etc.

Hope this helps.

[webbmac]

Plyboo is your friend, Frenchy.

[j.whitbread]

Ford is the pretty much the beefiest platform here in North America. Nowadays, it's not so much about towing 10,000 pounds and all the family at 70 mph up any hill. (Well, when you have a full tank maybe.) It's about some level of economy and a little consideration of cost of ownership. I have a straight Ford van, no camper conversion. All that stuff gets packed in as needed. My van costs me a lot every month. But a loan on a $100,000+ vehicle and $4 a gallon fuel adds up when you want to to go hundreds of miles. Sometimes I'd like to have a Ford 300 straight six engine and make up the difference with transmission and gearing.

Terrible washboard ride, side to side rocking, poor mileage, antiquated body with dust filled air leaks, tons of stories about Ford's lack of warranty service, etc, etc. And the vans lack comfort and luxury.

How long are we all going to talk about the Ford short comings before some other platform becomes more popular? I think Sprinter has weighed in big time. The Ford transit is NOT the answer. Or the hideous Nissan van!

But the Ford vans are bad ass. I've never had so many thumbs up on any vehicle. 1 ton of goodwill.

[accrete]

Whitely your first post's questions sounds just like what my wife and i went through last summer in our search.



We are one of those who have a Chevy 1500 AWD van and are happy with our choice. You can see the build in our SMB build thread. It has turned out to be everything we envisioned. The AWD has seen the beach, dunes, forestry trails, creek crossings etc... we luv it and it has everything (shower, potty, bed, supplies) we need for a week away in the wilderness without any hookups. We camp off road and off grid.

I found ours last September and was able to get zero % financing and several thousand in other incentives. Then we dropped it off at van specialties in Portland Oregon and they installed the high roof, awning, seat swivel and fantastic fan. We then did the interior. All up weight is ~6700-6800lbs loaded for a week...16mpg in town and 19-20mpg on the open road.

best wishes on your search, and now is the time to begin looking. do the legwork on the internet and find the van at a dealer, then visit your local dealer, talk to the fleet manager and have them work their magic and transfer the van to their inventory. It's like free money for them. Ask them to check on every coupon/incentive out there! We even got an extra $750 just for opening up a bank account (still un-funded) and showing them the account number (all done the night before signing the papers over the internet!) You would be amazed at how many crazy incentives can be part of the purchase if you just ask. In all i think there were nearly ~4K worth on our deal.

thom

PS since someone mentioned prices on other rigs... we paid ~27K for ours and put another ~5K into the build.

[j.whitbread]

Originally Posted by accrete

Whitely your first post's questions sounds just like what my wife and i went through last summer in our search.



We are one of those who have a Chevy 1500 AWD van and are happy with our choice. You can see the build in our SMB build thread. It has turned out to be everything we envisioned. The AWD has seen the beach, dunes, forestry trails, creek crossings etc... we luv it and it has everything (shower, potty, bed, supplies) we need for a week away in the wilderness without any hookups. We camp off road and off grid.

I found ours last September and was able to get zero % financing and several thousand in other incentives. Then we dropped it off at van specialties in Portland Oregon and they installed the high roof, awning, seat swivel and fantastic fan. We then did the interior. All up weight is ~6700-6800lbs loaded for a week...16mpg in town and 19-20mpg on the open road.

best wishes on your search, and now is the time to begin looking. do the legwork on the internet and find the van at a dealer, then visit your local dealer, talk to the fleet manager and have them work their magic and transfer the van to their inventory. It's like free money for them. Ask them to check on every coupon/incentive out there! We even got an extra $750 just for opening up a bank account (still un-funded) and showing them the account number (all done the night before signing the papers over the internet!) You would be amazed at how many crazy incentives can be part of the purchase if you just ask. In all i think there were nearly ~4K worth on our deal.

thom

PS since someone mentioned prices on other rigs... we paid ~27K for ours and put another ~5K into the build.

[webbmac]

Originally Posted by j.whitbread

Sometimes I'd like to have a Ford 300 straight six engine and make up the difference with transmission and gearing.

I never had any luck with that engine. Always ran hot, had to run the heater a all the time, which was enjoyable in the summer. It just seemed like Ford dropped the ball on the cooling system. Ended predictably with a warped head. The van after that I had the 302, totally different story, seemed like a much better application for the E150. YMMV.

Originally Posted by carringb

I think the Penthouse may be less popular on the Chevy because the roof is narrower, making for a less roomy penthouse. It's less of a factor with fixed tops since those are rarely used for sleeping.

The Chevy does have a diesel option, which Ford no longer has. It's about $12,0000 more. But if you want a new diesel, kind of a no-brainer. Just keep in mind a diesel means losing about 500 pounds of payload, and on the Chevy van, could limit front winch-bumper or bike rack options due to the 4600# front axle limit. Even with my V10, I'm right at my 5,000 pound axle rating if I have the Honda 650 up front. (FWIW - The Ford 4x4 vans get a 6,000 pound front axle).

Good points and info above.

The Chevy penthouse top is 50" across on the very top flat section. Maybe someone with a Ford can post the equivalent measurement. I can just fit a full size memory foam (highly recommend, for another conversation) topper in our penthouse bed. Maybe someone can post the Ford measurement. I'm 6'5" 260#, and share the top bunk with my 7yo daughter and don't feel cramped.

Carringb is spot on about the brakes. To that end Quigley used the Ford Dana 60 front axle and brakes on solid front axle vans like mine.

With regard to diesel, one might think of the incremental upfront cost as a deposit, because the value of the van is always going to be at least that much greater than its gas counterpart as it depreciates. $12k seems a bit excessive, though. We love our Duramax, but...I think it was a $7k option when I bought mine. But, I bought the van new but already completely converted from a not so savvy dealer (Dave @ Aluminess bought her twin) , so that wasn't even a factor.

Definitely some plusses and minuses to factor about a Chevy or a Ford. Clear as mud, right?