THE VAN APPRECIATION THREAD

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MH2

climber

Oct 11, 2013 - 08:17pm PT

Sportsmobile! Envy.

But the right van must be chosen like the Dalai Lama is. It must be The One.

ionlyski

Trad climber

Kalispell, Montana

Oct 11, 2013 - 09:01pm PT

2008, the year we took off.


	Credit: ionlyski

SCseagoat

Trad climber

Santa Cruz

Oct 11, 2013 - 09:16pm PT

Sportsmobile! Envy.

They have just come out with an "Ultimate Adventure" model which they did a bunch of road testing on the Moab trails.
What I wouldn't give for one..,,maybe not this color but certainly tricked out like thus one.
White Rim Trail here I come....


	Credit: Sports Mobile site

Susan

Edit: ionlyski....NICE use of a Sprinter....very!

Lynne Leichtfuss

Sport climber

moving thru

Oct 11, 2013 - 09:34pm PT


	Had 4 vans since 1980. This is the latest. Chevy Express, 2006. Credit: LL LL

It's not tricked out but it does have all wheel drive. I love it. A home away from home.


	It also holds all my toys. Bike inside. Credit: LL LL

I've looked for a better ride for several years. Hard to replace this one. If anyone has suggestions, I'm open.

mechrist

Gym climber

South of Heaven

Oct 11, 2013 - 10:07pm PT

I had an'83 Econoline for years. I miss that rig. Vans are far, far, far better for road tripping than ANY other option on the market... FAR better.

khanom

Trad climber

Greeley Hill

Oct 11, 2013 - 10:10pm PT

Said it here before... but I'll say it again.

If you are considering dropping large $ on a Sportsmobile, please think about exactly what you are going to use it for.

Casual weekend use... no problem (but why the $?) Anything people like us tend to do... you may wish to reconsider.

MisterE

climber

Oct 11, 2013 - 10:17pm PT

This was a pretty fun night in the van...


	Credit: MisterE

crøtch

climber

Oct 11, 2013 - 10:26pm PT

Apogee -

It's a mid-2000s E-350 V10 that lived its first life as a passenger van for children judging by the remnants of crayons and jolly ranchers that we found in the upholstery. We got it with 14K miles.

I pulled out the seats and trim, cleaned it up. The 4x4 conversion was done by Advanced in SLC. Then brought it to Van Specialties in Portland where they installed the high top, insulation, LED lights, bed platform, solar panel, sink, stove, refrigerator, rotating passengers seat, table, batteries and inverter.

I built some cabinets and shelves, added insulation to the refrigerator, installed a faucet and foot pump, and plumbed it to accept standard blue WalMart 7 gallon cubes. I added some interior lights, an extra 12V plug, and a third brake light.


	Credit: crøtch

We had a set of lockable drawers fabricated to fit under the bed so that we could keep our laptops and cameras reasonably secure, but still have tons of room for multiple bins under the bed.

My wife and I lived in it for a year in comfort and without any problems. It's a fantastic road trip vehicle. It gets about 11 mpg so we try to stay in one place for a while when possible.

4WD wasn't necessary that often, but on a couple of occasions it made all the difference.


	cold night at creek pasture Credit: crøtch

Lynne Leichtfuss

Sport climber

moving thru

Oct 11, 2013 - 10:28pm PT

Think you nailed it, Mister E. Vans provide Fun! (Or provide enough room for fun) Smiles in your pic are the proof.

Nice. Maybe I'll just keep mine.....