Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 04-29-2021, 01:39 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 407
Back in the market for an E-Series!

Hello everyone!

I come from a van-loving family and we are in the market for a 4x4 E-series van. Don't necessarily need or want a full SMB interior build, but this seems to be one of the better online resources for 4x4 vans, so here we are!

Our use case will be a combination of minimalist camper and moto/mtb hauler. The reason we like vans so much is the ability to keep our toys out of sight and locked away, and based on the interior SMB layouts I've seen, most of them are not particularly conducive to rolling in motos. We also are pretty OK with a basic car camping setup, and don't mind having a rubbermaid tote with our cooking equipment and the like (i.e. don't need running water, integrated propane, solar, etc). We do enjoy having a bed in the van that we don't have to deploy every time we stop somewhere, however.

We are also extremely intrigued by the possibility of a pop-top, which is another reason why I landed on this forum! It seems SMB doesn't install pop-tops on the E-series anymore, so I suppose our only option is to find a van with one pre-installed, but that likely comes with the interior buildout as well. Have plenty of miles on high roof sprinters and transits, so would like to utilize the advantages of having the vertical space when needed, but the ability to have a low roof while driving around.

So all that being said, my ideal situation would be to find a low mileage, extended body passenger van (for the OEM seating, but anything that can seat 3+ safely would be OK). Engine option flexible, but hoping to find a V10 which seems pretty rare in the van body. I see plenty of them in the cutaway versions. Seems like there are a decent number of pre-converted 4x4 options on the market at any given time, but I would love to find a 2WD van and send it to Chris at UJOR so I can have it build exactly how I want.

I've already learned a lot from lurking here, and am excited to start participating more actively!

motovan_mn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2021, 01:52 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Twoxentrix's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Maryland
Posts: 3,349
Garage
lets help you spend that money...IMHO this Van is a great deal, and looks to check off a lot of your boxes (I'm surprised its still available), it also leaves you some room to slightly customize the interior to meet your needs.
https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...ies-28179.html
__________________
TwoXentrix
"AWOL"
Twoxentrix is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2021, 02:02 PM   #3
Site Team
 
BroncoHauler's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southern New Mexico
Posts: 10,177
Quote:
Originally Posted by motovan_mn View Post
...We are also extremely intrigued by the possibility of a pop-top, which is another reason why I landed on this forum! It seems SMB doesn't install pop-tops on the E-series anymore, so I suppose our only option is to find a van with one pre-installed, ...
Colorado Camper Vans will install their own pop-top on an E-series, if you find one without that you want converted.


https://www.coloradocampervan.com/




Herb
__________________
SMB-less as of 02/04/2012. Our savings account is richer, but our adventures are poorer.
BroncoHauler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2021, 02:27 PM   #4
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 58
I just put this one back out there. Not an EB but it’s pretty dang nice.
https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/forums/f14/2008-rb-sportsmobile-penthouse-quigley-4x4-61kmiles-64k-28395.html
dixoncj is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2021, 02:40 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 407
Excellent advice regarding CCV, I had forgotten about them! And thanks for the two classifieds links, I initially discounted both because they already had interior build outs, and the U-Joint converted one has a fixed high top. But as I continue to browse the offerings I may be flexible on some of these points.

How are the interiors on these SMB builds typically mounted? If I wanted to remove some of the cabinetry, is it a total tear down or can I remove elements in a somewhat modular fashion?
motovan_mn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-02-2021, 12:59 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 407
Actually, i stand corrected. Looks like SMB still offers pop top installations on the E-series:
https://sportsmobile.com/order-penthouse-top/
motovan_mn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2021, 07:56 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 407
Just picked up a 2013 E350 XLT RB with V10! 84k miles, single California owner. Excited to send it to UJOR Colorado to get it converted!
motovan_mn is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:05 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.