Moto Vans

KX514

KX514

PR Member
I'm starting to realize that I need a moto van instead of driving my pickup everywhere. Pure convenience. I'm looking into getting a high mileage work van. Nothing special at all, but I was wondering if anyone has had any experiences, good or bad, with a particular make. I constantly hear horror stories about the Ford V8 gas motors, especially the spark plug issue they have. Extended vs. Full-Size? Any info would help!
 
I have 5 Ford vans....2-v6 and 3 v-8. Never had issues with the spark plugs. There were only a couple years with the early 5.4L that had an issue. How big a van are you looking for? The Ford transit is a good option if you dont need tons of room.
 
I've had 2 E250s and 1 E450.. and now a Sprinter

The E250s had the straight 6.. I liked that motor. Slow but I never had to work on them.. ever. Fuel pumps died in both but that's all I can recall. Roughly 15mpg average IIRC.

E450 had a 7.3 diesel.. so yes it got worked on. It was a ~10k lb bus body so 10-12mpg.

If you want to be able to have a second row of seating behind the drivers seats it's a tight squeeze w/ regular length but it can be done. My first van was non-extended. I'd stick with extended vans if it were me. The more room inside the better. If you can find a high-top---snag it up. Loading and walking around hunched over isn't fun and the 12398th time you smack your head you will be more than annoyed.

I looked at Chevy vans as well but never found one in my price range. (First E250 was $350.. second was $1000, bus was $3500..)


Sprinters on the other hand.. my first tank was 22mpg, second was 25, third was 23... tons of headroom and it actually feels "quick" when driving when compared to every other van I've had. But they have their downsides ($$$$)
 
Bill480, I would love to have a Sprinter, but yes, the $$$ is a little out of my range! I'm thinking then, I should just find an extended one for the space. Hershey, thanks for the info on the 5.4's. It had me worried a bit. I guess I'll just try to find the lowest mileage extended van, chevy or ford, that I can find. I just have to keep it real cheap! Thanks again for all of the info. I appreciate it.
 
Check CL, just type in work van and it outta show a bunch of plain bare essential vans that would be perfect for a moto van.
 
I can't tell you how many hours the wife and I have mauled this topic over, and over, and over.

For distance and overnight trips, a van is a good setup without having to pull a trailer. (not a big fan of trailer pulling). Our truck was down for a month and twice we rented Uhaul cargo vans to go racing to see how we liked it. And we liked it!.

A co-worker and I hash this topic over quite often as well. He pulls an open trailer with a GMC Safari van, which are really great vans as well. But the open trailer is an issue for overnight stays.

My problem is I keep my vehicles waaaaay longer than I should and maintenance and reliability become the issue. The alternative is to buy it new, use it and care for it for a few years, then trade again before it gets too many miles or loses too much value. They are all money pits!
 
As far as extended vs regular, I have regular, and have insulated walls, dividing wall, and a folding bed in the front, and can still pack 3 bikes and gear in it. So dont let people tell you a regular length is not enough room. Its perfect for me. Now if only it had a transmission... :(
 
I have 5 ford Vans had good luck. I buy them mostly because of the dealer.

I have a 2007 Chevy Express in perfect shape , new tires brakes everything. 200k for 3500 bucks.
I just put 4 new Michelin tires on it and it runs perfect. everyone got a new van this year....

putting it out front for sale this week, will also have pictures in the classifieds.
 
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NQ, I do the same thing. I go back and forth, but I'm definitely doing it this time. The overnight trips alone make it worth it. Not to mention just keeping my stuff dry if it rains. 23, a sleeper is my main focus while still fitting a few bikes so I'm glad you chimed in. I think an extended would definitely be ideal though.
 
KX514 said:
Bill480, I would love to have a Sprinter, but yes, the $$$ is a little out of my range! I'm thinking then, I should just find an extended one for the space. Hershey, thanks for the info on the 5.4's. It had me worried a bit. I guess I'll just try to find the lowest mileage extended van, chevy or ford, that I can find. I just have to keep it real cheap! Thanks again for all of the info. I appreciate it.
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That all being said.. deals can be had. I picked up my 04 sprinter 2500 "extended' (longest wheel base) w/ 155k miles for $3800

However the price reflected the cosmetic condition heavily.. lots of work to get to this point and I still have a long way to go...:

BzntRmvh.jpg
 
TwentyThreeMX said:
As far as extended vs regular, I have regular, and have insulated walls, dividing wall, and a folding bed in the front, and can still pack 3 bikes and gear in it. So dont let people tell you a regular length is not enough room. Its perfect for me. Now if only it had a transmission... :(
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Don't you have a Chevy? I wonder if they are bigger inside than the Fords.

And nowhere did I claim that standard length wasn't enough room. I said that if given the choice, more room is better. Having owned both I can say that it is much more comfortable inside with the extended van. Basically had a full size bed behind the front seats with tons of storage underneath.
 
I've tried just about every vehicle there is. I sure loved the pickups but I've settled for vans for many reasons. Indoor camping options. Lock the doors and get a nice comfy hotel room. Too tired to unpack when you get home, just lock her up and go to bed. Driving through the snow, no problem your bike is nice dry and warm the whole trip. I'm just too tall for the low roof vans. Like Bill I'm now a Sprinter advocate. My first 2004 I picked up for $9K. It had about 20 check engine lights eluminated and the tranny slipped but it sold me on the concept:

100_2029.JPG


This is my 2002 I got for $5500, lower miles, no mechanical issues. I tweaked the interior design:

IMG_0003.JPG


They get cheaper every year it seems. Be aware somewhere around 2006 the regulations changed and the fuel economy dropped significantly.
 
Bill480 said:
Don't you have a Chevy? I wonder if they are bigger inside than the Fords.

And nowhere did I claim that standard length wasn't enough room. I said that if given the choice, more room is better. Having owned both I can say that it is much more comfortable inside with the extended van. Basically had a full size bed behind the front seats with tons of storage underneath.
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yeah I have a gmc...and I wasnt referring back to you that you said that, just that most people will tell you a standard length isnt enough room to build a wall.... i heard it plenty when I was doing mine.

I will try to dig up my pics for the OP...
 
TwentyThreeMX said:
yeah I have a gmc...and I wasnt referring back to you that you said that, just that most people will tell you a standard length isnt enough room to build a wall.... i heard it plenty when I was doing mine.

I will try to dig up my pics for the OP...
Click to expand...

VAN FIGHTTT

I think I have a thread somewhere on TT too lol

Why haven't you put a trans in the van yet? Lets do it..
 
Chuck -- I need to work on the inside of my van soon. Need storage shelves on either side and maybe some sort of divider wall. I am liking having the entire thing open though.

Put a fresh can of R134a in it yesterday and VOILA - I have a/c again. Going to check pressure when I get home in a few and see how bad the leak is/was. Hoping it still blows cold... I'll gladly pay $30 a season to have a/c vs tracking down the leak and fixing lol
 
Great pic's and I like all of you guys ideas, you certainly know how to do it up.

What concerns me though is few vehicles are really designed for longevity. If you need the hauler for distance road trips.
Typically by the time you hit 150K miles she's due for rebuilds. Motor, tranny, differential, front suspension/steering components. As you work through some of this, (over a period of time of course) then the damn electrical gremlins begin to surface. Mostly if the vehicle is an older model.

If you come accross a newer model with heavy miles on it, you shouldn't have the gremlin issues, but you have to question what kind of maintenance it got?
I recently looked at a 2008, 3/4 ton Ford van with 125,000 miles, and in nice condition. Dealer listed price was $10,000. It got my interest but then I began thinking on it, the van was pushed 20,000 miles per year, how many oil changes did it get? And then I wasn't comfortable unless I could see a service record. My old F250 has me very spoiled with her 300ci-6 engine that only has 7 moving internal parts (kidding of course).

The used vehicle market is saturated with heavily used, abused and under-serviced models.
 
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Very helpful pictures. I think I can make a full-size work. The extended chevy's are hard to find. I may settle for the full-size. Thanks again for all of the help. Down the road though I can see a sprinter in my future!
 
The extended will cost a bit more too being that there are less around and more people looking for em used.
 
Personally I'm the other way around. My first van had 230k miles. Second was in the 180 range. I prefer late 90's early 2000s vehicles because they are a little simpler to work on. 08+ and it would require a lot of googling to get me going on bigger repairs. That being said you will work on an older van. I replaced a few suspension/steering parts on both E250s.

And a van should not need an engine/transmission/differential rebuild at 150k miles IMO. Front end parts go much sooner in my experience, usually around 100k. Water pumps & alternators go around the same time. (Again.. just speaking from my personal experience. I've had ~10 ford trucks/vans and I always buy used junkers)

One thing about a van vs a truck.. working on the engine can suck. Unless you need to access anything on the rear of the engine, then you have awesome access! But pulleys, belts, alternator, a/c, etc can be pretty bad.
 
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