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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Dec 12, 2018 - 12:44pm PT
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Seriously, biggest problem has been the mechanics not the van. That is exactly the biggest problem - bringing a complex and expensive machine to a bunch of fuking savages.
Should I put in more work and get to root cause and probably make less money - am I even smart enough for that seeing as I barely made it out of high school - or should I just shotgun a pile of new parts in there, charge the holy jebus out of the customer and make way more money with way less time and effort? Hmmm, what to do...
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ClimberDave
Trad climber
The LBC, CA
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Dec 12, 2018 - 01:38pm PT
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Good thread!!
I have been looking for a van for sometime to use in a conversion spend a lot of time in the snow and wanted 4wd. Most of the places I see who do the conversions do them on Sprinters, a few are staring to show up using Transits, Looked at the 4wd Sprinters but for all the reasons mentioned above I have shy'ed away from them.
So that leaves Ford, have read online about AWD Transits but they wont be in the US in 2019. There are places that convert them to 4wd, but its not cheap, when I last looked the two main companies Quigley and Quadvan were charging $13k for the conversion. Quigley announced about a year ago they will now only convert a brand new Transit (so cant buy it and save up for the conversion) Or can buy a from a dealer that stocks converted Transists ( so can all be under the same loan)
So started to reconsider the cost of a 4wd Sprinter, have heard that they have made some improvements to the 4wd and it will have better clearance, tho not sure when it will hit the US.
Hmmmm
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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Dec 12, 2018 - 02:22pm PT
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i dunno, all but two of my rigs are gassers.
and hey, lighten up on T Hocking, he's got some excellent karma ridin' shotgun. gonna be fine. DT466. Simply put, these are the favorite engines for fleet managers
all across America because they run forever, are efficient, make good power for moving freight,
and can be rebuilt right in the chassis of the truck. The "pluggers" of the industrial world,
The DT466s have earned the respect of drivers and operators all over the world.
a good number of these hotshot vehicles
get surplussed by the gov't with 4x4.
in fact, none get kept forever.
pick one up for 8 to 12k or less, and put the change in the fuel kitty. if you can fill it on the card, park it
and heat up a couple dozen burritos at the circle k, we'll all be pretty much good to ride along, right?
i seen it done, y'all!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 12, 2018 - 05:52pm PT
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Hoobs, do those rigs have a walk-thru from the cab?
What’s the headroom in back?
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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Dec 12, 2018 - 06:14pm PT
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yup, on the pass-thru, usually spec'd that way.
after a day on the fire line headroom maybe not the first consideration.
floor to ceiling about like an ambulance, which means
some can stand, others not
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Dec 12, 2018 - 06:38pm PT
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I was offered a school buss the other day. 150k on the odometer. I did not ask if it was long or short because I can't swallow the 8mpg. maybe 10hwy?? asking price was 5k
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Dec 12, 2018 - 06:46pm PT
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One of the coolest home conversions I’ve ever seen was a short bus. Lots of windows, so much room and so much light, and you’re seated up high, all with that nostalgia of grade school. Problem is it was super visible. Of the 14 day limit during summer in Yosemite, this guy was tossed out, literally, on the morning of day 15.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Dec 13, 2018 - 03:33am PT
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that's not a problem really. In the tetons we just moved from shadow mountain out to the Grovants. Different national forest. 2 weeks in one spot is pleanty. the problem is with a rig like that you can't afford to move it....
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 13, 2018 - 08:47am PT
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the problem is with a rig like that you can't afford to move it....
Uh, no, you just have to change from Teton Brewing Co suds to Olde English or Colt 45.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 13, 2018 - 09:35am PT
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Only trouble with Airstreams is minimal storage.
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Rustie
climber
Coeur d\\\\\\\'Alene
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Dec 13, 2018 - 09:39am PT
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Quigley provide the official 4x4 conversions for Ford Vans......maintaining the Ford Warranty.
http://www.quigley4x4.com
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Slim Bob
Trad climber
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Jan 13, 2019 - 12:50pm PT
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Have had a 2017 promaster for a year, my wife and I consolidated/upgraded from her Astro and my truck and have been very happy with the choice. For just over 20k we got a almost new van with 23k miles on it and have put about that on it in a year. Not a single issue, consistently 20pmg with the gas v6, and no concerns with clearance even on some considerably rough roads from BC to the sierras. This is the only van that I could comfortably sleep width-wise in since I'm 6'1", which made our build our very spacious and comfortable.
Can't speak much for reliability just yet as a like new van ought to have no problems, but it makes me feel good that The postal service is picking them up as a new fleet vehicle.... don't think I will ever have trouble finding parts! Also the promaster has been rolling for decades around the world as the Fiat Ducati/Citroen Jumper... nothin but positive words about them!!
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monolith
climber
state of being
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Jan 13, 2019 - 01:15pm PT
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Nice build!
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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is a, $11,000 2012 spirinter with 170k on it a can of worms???? It has some exhaust bypass thing installed that I assume is illegal and will make it hard to pass inspection????
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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It has some exhaust bypass thing installed that I assume is illegal and will make it hard to pass inspection???? I wouldn’t touch that thing. At the very least, it was owned by someone who can’t RTFM. Worst - yes - it would fail here in CO. They visually inspect all that stuff. If the DPF and/or CAT has been removed, you could probably buy the van again to repair it. Who knows what else an owner like this dik’d with or failed to do right. If he’s willing to cheat emissions, he’s probably willing to cheat you too.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
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^^^ +1
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Sounds pretty bogus. If it sounds too good to be true? That said a lot of guys ‘delete’ their heavy duty diesel pickups although probably not so many in CO or CA. Most of those that do ‘delete’ also get a ‘tune’ or a chip that reprograms the truck’s puter. The ‘tunes’ do work well and can be turned off for an inspection but it is a PITA. I rather doubt there is a chip available for Sprinters.
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A Essex
climber
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Sprinter loose a lot of value at 100k for emission related stuffs
diesels from the 90s and early 2000s really hold their value
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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You can get chips for Sprinters to mess with the emissions, but it's another level of DIY that takes a hacksaw to the underside. It's the first thing they look for at inspection. Saying any such thing "works" that isn't tested and qualified OEM is BS.
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