Beach Van

[Grampswrx]

Do you have a sprinter dealer near you? They can only be serviced at a sprinter dealer, not a MB dealer. That's the biggest deterrent for me. If you do, then the sprinter is a much more handsome ride!

[Flux]

I'm certainly not here to trash up the Sprinter which is an amazing vehicle with good engine choices.



My personal preference is always the biggest, easiest to maintain, easiest to get fixed motor I can find. For the new modern vans, that would be the transit with the 3.5l Ecoboost engine. This does not come from my personal experience but the direct experience of others on this board who know their stuff. These are the same members that guided me to go with a V10 and Agile 4x4 on my E series van, which was a perfect match for what I want. The Ecoboost is the most powerful engine in the modern vans. It rivals the econolines V10 for power and torque and makes good torque on the low end with it's dual turbos. Gas engines are much easier to maintain.

Check into the transit quigleys as being a contender for your needs. If you are going new for a base van, then it is certainly worth your look and quigley has partnered dealers on their websites. Newberg Ford in OR stocks them I believe. You may not find as many off the shelf type conversion products for the Transits as the Sprinters, but I believe those are coming.


As an aside, a member on this board is a van converter and is developing a 4x4 for the transit. MGMetalworks (EXPOVANS) is the guy. I don't know his timeframe but I do know that his work is amazing and if I go 4x4 on the Transit I will build for my wife, it will go to his shop for the conversion.

[Flux]

Oh and looking at your original post, I would look for a 4x4 Econoline with a hard top and build a closet with a cassette toilet in it. Bench seat with a table and swivel bases for the front seats. Sink could be a simple water tank with a small pump. 12 volt cooler. Easy peasy.

[sportsmobilerocks]

It sounds like the Transit doesn't come as 4x4 from the factory which is definitely a point in the Sprinter's favor for me since this will be a beach vehicle. I have a Sprinter dealer 35 miles away so not too bad.

[REF]

Quigley’s 4X4 system on the Transit is Ford factory authorized. I believe it carries a Ford factory warrantee as well.
Add http://www.avcrig.com to the list of up fitters, I’ve got a thread going on my remodel, but my E-350 is the anomaly to the Transit’s and Sprinters they usually convert. Matt, the owner is partial to the Transit. Where are you located? That’ll maybe dictate where you have work done.
Other Q’s....
Seating for how many? Kids? Think you’ll want forward facing seats or a forward facing bench seat for them.

other items to consider-
Inverter, solar/charge controller, AGM house battery, battery monitor, stove, heater, type of fridge/freezer, water tank for shower, hot water heater/tankless unit, propane?

I’d talk to and visit the websites of as many up fitters as possible, also go visit some dealerships to test drive these rigs

[sportsmobilerocks]

If Quigley can do "factory" 4x4 on the Transit then that van becomes a lot more interesting. How does a 4x4 Sprinter and a 4x4 Transit compare? It sounds like the Transit has a stronger engine but I'm guessing the Sprinter has the German X-factor throughout.

Even though the van won't be driven on public roads with my kids inside I should still probably have seat belts for them. I could either add two seat belts to a section of the couch or I could replace that section of couch with two captains chair with seat belts. Anybody have a good feel for the right move here?

[EmMay]

Where will you be driving on the sand? When we lived in northernmost California, the sand was wet and coarse, that sure helped getting in and out...
Plan for more than a limited scenario; what other 4x4 situations will you put yourself and family into?
Definitely, by the way, get a tide chart for your area... and if you don’t, remember to take a lot of fotos to share afterwards here!

[jage]

I'm going to go with a V8. They are so light that a V8 with a light build can run circles around my 10,000 lb diesel offroad. Apart from that wide AT tires and very low air pressure, I've had my van in some pretty soft sand and with very low air pressure it does great, but basically we're talking on board air is a must because you don't want to have an excuse not to air down, like if you're going out the back of great sand dunes up to medano pass and don't want to mess with airing back up later... bad idea.



Also you can just bury your spare tire as a sand anchor in a pinch.

[sportsmobilerocks]

How much clearance can these have? To get on the beach I have to go down a ramp directly into very soft sand and I can imagine a van without enough clearance getting stuck right there.

I need to make the diesel vs gas choice too. I was planning to go with diesel but is gas a better choice for the beach?

[jage]

For sand, I think lighter is better, a v8 e150 is noticeably lighter than an e 350 diesel but I'd put my van rolling 20psi against any vehicle heavier than a Volkswagen with street tire pressure.

Clearance isn't just height, it's length between the axles, and overhang in the back. Tire size, spring lift, weight, model, manufacturer all affect this. Air pressure in the tires affects clearance if you're doing it right. 😅

There is no universally good answer but if you have a 4x4 van that's not a 144 inch wheel base sprinter you'll probably be fine anywhere a pickup would be.