Lurking for a while and finally pulled the trigger this summer...

[TheWooginator]

Van details:
Purchased from another forum member: Buckkiller. Thanks Noe! Van is pure kickass.
2002 E350 EB 7.3 with 120k
Leaf sprung 4WD by Clydesdale
Colorado Camper Van top (my favorite profile and height as well)
Van Specialties interior w/ pass-through layout (Also my favorite)
4 captains chairs; sleeps 4, seats 4 (but seats 10 if you don't care about things like seatbelts or personal space)

Removed the hood ornament right off the bat.

Little track time with my buddy. This thing was a real attention grabber. The guys hosting the event called me and my buddy Blaine "The Vandals". Got a nice ring to it!

Took it across the country from Colorado to Maine and back this summer and did a little wheeling in Maine while I was there to shake it out a bit and see where I'll need to spend my money first. There's a lot of room for improvement, but honestly, finding the van built out basically the way I would've done it (with the exception of the suspension) with low miles on a great motor and no rust was a dream come true. I have big plans for this beast when I get a little time/cheddar in place.

Van is now located in Fort Collins, Colorado, so if any of you guys see me around, be sure to say hey! Also down for some 4-wheeling/camping/general mischief most of the time. Looking forward to sharing adventures and van progress with everyone!

And yes that's a mtn bike in the bed with the top down. Seemed like a good idea at the time haha.

 

[shenrie]

nice! always liked this build and wondered where it ended up. good to see you lurking around the forum. this was the van that took me over the edge...inspired me to sell the last racecar and get the ccv top.

 

[rallypanam]

Nice! Glad to see it's still around, and I always thought that suspension looked a little more show than go, if you know what I mean.

 

[bemerritt]

Awesome! Great build thread on this van that probably inspired many. Is it possible to get some pics of the inside when the top is down? Looking at that top and need all the pics I can get. Also, with the top down, is it possible to stack the two loose sections of the bed on the rear part? What is the clearance from floor to ceiling in this configuration?

Thanks!

- Brian

 

[MorieSugg]

Awesome! Great build thread on this van that probably inspired many. Is it possible to get some pics of the inside when the top is down? Looking at that top and need all the pics I can get. Also, with the top down, is it possible to stack the two loose sections of the bed on the rear part? What is the clearance from floor to ceiling in this configuration?

Thanks!

- Brian

I'm not sure how applicable the info would be. I don't think CCV is using that particular top anymore. It looks to be a bit taller than their "mid-height" and definitely shorter than their "High profile" top.

 

[bemerritt]

damn, you are totally right.

 

[TheWooginator]

Yeah I don't think Derek is still making that style of top anymore, but that being said, I'll ask him next time I see him if he still has the mold/ability to make that design top. They're in the process of moving to a bigger shop which is indicative of the current demand for adventure vehicles. He's been doing a ton of sprinter style bodies lately.

I'll snap some interior photos when I get a chance, but the height inside with the top down is probably about 5' 10". I'm 6' 2" and barely have to duck. It's awesome. Plus, with the EB style body, the upper bed doesn't start until you're past the 2nd row captains chairs, so it's very roomy. I think I could fold the first section of the bed back with the top down, but I haven't tried yet. I like to stash stuff up there and folding it would probably limit access.

The suspension is super stout, but stout doesn't translate to usable wheel travel or a nice plush ride. It's bump stopped at about 2" up and strapped at about 2" down, although looking at the damper shafts would lead you to believe it never travels anywhere lol. The track bar is also very short up front, so the geometry doesn't lend itself to up/down travel. The rear isn't as bad, it's basically the stock leafs on blocks with traction bars for axle wrap and a set of firestone bags for taking the load off the leafs. I had to re-adjust and weld the bag mounts to the axle as the U-bolts that held them were poorly placed and allowed the mounts to "wrap" which caused the bags to rub on the leafs. Now they are lined up nice and straight and work well to soften things up in the back, but it's still not where I'd like it to be eventually.

It's not perfect, but the guts are all there and the price was right. When I'm done with it, it'll have a killer street AND offroad ride, possibly a webasto dual top, a rack with solar, on board air, and a nice conservative 375hp tune:k5:

 

[shenrie]

that's a fiberine top. they are still available, but not sure if derek still wants to mess with them anymore. in a nutshell, he told me that the new tops are designed around his lift mechanisms and the mechanisms of the fiberine tops are designed around the top. apparently it's more of a pita both getting them from fiberine and working around with that particular top. iirc i believe he told me got the last fiberine top he was gonna do.