New transit with Quigley 4x4 vs E350 V10 with UJOR?

[TomH-SMB]

...I’ve seen the prices for what I bought in 2012 almost double for what I paid for my van. That could very well taper off and bottom out if the vanlife trend dies out...

It could also reverse course if SMB hits a home run with the E350 cutaway based Classic. If folks can get a new vehicle, they will have no incentive to pay top dollar for old ones.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether the cabin of this vehicle can withstand the stresses of Class 4 trails. If they don't actually have that leak problem solved, forget it.

 

[OurayMark]

The body-on-frame E350 is of course the most rugged, off-road capable and coolest looking choice! We went with the high roof unibody 4x4 option to get us through snow and to remote forest service campgrounds. We chose a new unibody because none of the tough trails near us (Ouray and Moab) could be traversed by any van-sized vehicle no mater how ruggedized. Instead we use the 4x4 van for the moderate trails, and a rock-crawler Jeep and e pedal-assist mountain bikes for the really tough stuff. We carry the mountain bikes and our kayaks vertically on a rack behind the van, and thus can go almost anywhere.

It seems to me that there are very few roads that are in between what a unibody 4x4 can do, and those that require a swb Jeep or FJ. If I am wrong, could somebody please tell me where the cool trails are that can handle a full size van and require E350 ruggedness, but don't require small, short wheel base vehicles? We are going to do the 100 mile White Rim loop road in Canyonlands NP in a few weeks. Is that such a road? While we'd like to take our 4x4 SMB Sprinter on this overnight overland expo, I think we should take a Jeep and tent. Does anyone know if White Rim is one of those in-between roads?

(P.S. we chose the 4x4 Sprinter rather than the Quigly transit because I am about 6'2". If I could stand up in a HR Transit, that probably would have been my first choice)


Thanks - OurayMark

 

[DonnaDevol]

I love this forum and appreciate all the solid advice.
It was a REALLY tough choice (Price of both the new Transit HR Quigley and 2010 V10 Ujoint were discounted from original quotes).
I ended up buying the E350 for the following reasons:
1. This is my 1st adventure van and I'll probably put some dings in it that will give me heartache if brand new.
2. Owner was retired AF jet engine mechanic, now a carpenter, who kept it in MINT condition. He knew when to hire pros but was also capable to do some interior mods.
3. Only 7k miles on the conversion...so I paid for the conversion and the van was thrown in for 'free'.
4. I can use it now as a camper without sinking more $ into it...that will allow me time to figure out my must-haves. In fact, I stopped at Bass Pro Shop and Walmart after picking it up and spent the night in a dispersed camping area in Pisgah Forest on the drive home.
5. I like the idea of bullet-proof even if it means sacrificing mileage and a van I can stand up in 24/7...I'll ask about the pros/cons of raised hard-top vs penthouse pop-top in future thread.
6. Price
Hopefully the photos comes through... here she is...as well as a view from the summit where I hiked the day after purchase/maiden camping voyage
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1.../AF1QipNq4EGnjJjBqnDbSLhb1lFT6fcOTM3NoozJcF9l
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1.../AF1QipNhvpnJRI_INe1ZXpwfgoI57j5D2WP7EsFZc8Nq
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1.../AF1QipPZmm3-H9XraovZfq5kRfRJjH3aFdLcdhEhPfAz

 

[kreese]

Your photos didn’t come through because they require a Google account which I don’t have.

Too bad - I would love to see it.

 

[DonnaDevol]

Trying to resend photos

 

[kreese]

Awesome photos. Congratulations!

 

[OurayMark]

Congratulations DD!

Your new van looks beautiful AND tough DD! I am sure you will have an absolute blast with it. I like the ARB lockers. I have those on my Jeep with beefed up 1-ton Terraflex axles. They have gotten me out of some sticky situations. I wish I had ARB lockers on my 4x4 van too.

 

[TomH-SMB]

The body-on-frame E350 is of course the most rugged, off-road capable and coolest looking choice! We went with the high roof unibody 4x4 option to get us through snow and to remote forest service campgrounds. We chose a new unibody because none of the tough trails near us (Ouray and Moab) could be traversed by any van-sized vehicle no mater how ruggedized. Instead we use the 4x4 van for the moderate trails, and a rock-crawler Jeep and e pedal-assist mountain bikes for the really tough stuff. We carry the mountain bikes and our kayaks vertically on a rack behind the van, and thus can go almost anywhere.

It seems to me that there are very few roads that are in between what a unibody 4x4 can do, and those that require a swb Jeep or FJ. If I am wrong, could somebody please tell me where the cool trails are that can handle a full size van and require E350 ruggedness, but don't require small, short wheel base vehicles? We are going to do the 100 mile White Rim loop road in Canyonlands NP in a few weeks. Is that such a road? While we'd like to take our 4x4 SMB Sprinter on this overnight overland expo, I think we should take a Jeep and tent. Does anyone know if White Rim is one of those in-between roads?

(P.S. we chose the 4x4 Sprinter rather than the Quigly transit because I am about 6'2". If I could stand up in a HR Transit, that probably would have been my first choice)


Thanks - OurayMark

The White Rim Trail has been completed by 2WD WV vans as well as by Jay Shapiro's custom 40'+ F-650 based EcoRoamer. See pics here.

If you have the funds, you might want to look at towing an Adventure Trailer behind the Jeep. They will go anywhere the Jeep can go. They come in tent pop-ups as well as teardrops, both with exterior rear kitchen built in. See here.

Once on a visit at SMB-W, I saw a Sprinter in for maintenance. It was yellow and was towing a Jeep Rubicon painted the exact same color. The owner said she and her husband live on the west slope of the Sierra and always tow the Jeep when on outings. They go as far as they can with the Sprinter, park it, then take the Jeep. She stated the MPG hit for towing was negligible (her claim-not mine) and that they noticed no acceleration loss when passing on uphills in the Sierra (again-her claim-not mine).

Of course, a train of Sprinter, Jeep, Adventure Trailer would be illegal most everywhere, though once or twice I've seen:

 

[kreese]

Once on a visit at SMB-W, I saw a Sprinter in for maintenance. It was yellow and was towing a Jeep Rubicon painted the exact same color. The owner said she and her husband live on the west slope of the Sierra and always tow the Jeep when on outings. They go as far as they can with the Sprinter, park it, then take the Jeep. She stated the MPG hit for towing was negligible (her claim-not mine) and that they noticed no acceleration loss when passing on uphills in the Sierra (again-her claim-not mine).

TomW it sounds like you're talking about this yellow SMB Sprinter+Jeep from member @fremebe. She posted three videos of her setup recently - pretty unique and worth watching.
https://youtu.be/ohbIJ-Ne6K8

 

[RVflyfish]

Donna that thing is sweet! Had you posted the pictures first I would have said, "No brainer, the E350!" Congratulations!

 

[TomH-SMB]

TomW it sounds like you're talking about this yellow SMB Sprinter+Jeep from member @fremebe. She posted three videos of her setup recently - pretty unique and worth watching.
https://youtu.be/ohbIJ-Ne6K8

I'm TomH, but yea..that's her. (Or for my grammar police friends, That is she.)

 

[86Scotty]

Very nice Donna! Congrats. You're gonna love it.

:b5:

 

[TomH-SMB]

Yes, Donna. That is one sweet rig! Congratulations!

 

[OurayMark]

Hi TomH!
Thanks for your advice on the White Rim trail and on Towing a Jeep with a Sprinter.
I am a somewhat of a manifestation of DonnaD’s fears in that I don’t want to damage our new SMB Sprinter on trails beyond its (or my) comfort zone. I’d rather scratch our heavily built Jeep than the Sprinter. Also, with Terraflex built-up one-ton axles, HD Atlas t-case, 37” MTs on military double beadlocks, etc., the Jeep is much less likely to suffer mechanical or underbody damage. But then the Jeep doesn’t have an indoor shower, comfy beds, Espar heat and hot water, etc! So which do we take on White Rim? Given these concerns which would you take Tom?

In the first attached photos you can see the bikes and kayaks we often haul on the back of our SMB. In the second photo you can see how much higher our rock-crawler Jeep is than our Sprinter hitch. (As an aside, you can also see our 1950 Willys Overland Jeep pickup body mounted on low-mileage Daimler Chrysler Jeep mechanicals and stretched frame in that same photo).

While I am a retired geologist, I worked as a 4x4 mechanic during HS and college to support my Jeep habit. Nevertheless, I appreciate advice about successfully towing lifted Jeeps with Sprinters. I’ll need a safe way to account for the height difference, and an electric brake system in the Jeep to keep it legal. Then I’ll need a quick and safe may to mount our kayaks and our e mountain bikes to the Jeep!

When the kids were still small we towed a fifth wheel trailer with a 4x4 truck. Now that we are retired ‘empty nesters’, we like to travel ‘light’ whenever we can, in campers no bigger than a parking space. In general we prefer not to tow anything. Hence our 19.5’ SMB camper van. But it would be nice to tow the Jeep sometimes. Definitely not a fifth wheel AND a boat like in your photo though TomH!

We retired to Ouray, Colorado, right in the heart of the youngest and most rugged mountains in the State. Ouray calls itself “the Jeep Capital of the World”, and the “Switzerland of America”. I see lots of Jeeps in town towing adventure trailers. But interestingly, I have never seen even one adventure trailer on the more rugged old mining trails heading to remote high-country camping. I am not saying a skilled driver couldn’t pull one up over a five-foot cliff on a trail (see third photo) or around a super tight switch back, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that. Also a lot of our trails are marked “short wheel base, high clearance 4x4s only”. So I think we’ll just pack the back of the TJ with camp gear on the toughest trails. I am intrigued, however, by AEV’s SMB-like camper Jeep and some of the roof-top tents for Jeeps and Land Rovers!

A final concern about adding another toy (i.e. an adventure trailer) is that we built a tall 5-car garage into our retirement home for toys, but we have already accumulated six 4x4 vehicles! So where would we put an adventure trailer ?

Thanks again for your tips TomH!

https://imgur.com/Im3PGyD

https://imgur.com/Tf8EaA6

https://imgur.com/a/V8meRTD

 

[Pschitt]

Congrats for your purchase, you'll be happy with it!

 

[Orv-SMB]

Of course, a train of Sprinter, Jeep, Adventure Trailer would be illegal most everywhere, though once or twice I've seen:

Many (though not all) states will allow a fifth wheel and a conventional trailer like that. Trains of two conventional trailers are no-nos, of course.

The CHPs were decidedly unhappy with this arrangement: