Converting a Ram ProMaster 2500
Being unable to afford a Travato or RoadTrek Zion, we decided to try our hand at building out our own campervan. We bought a new 2014 Ram ProMaster 2500 series van, 159" wheelbase, high roof, gas model. One major thing that also prevented us from buying a factory built Class B van was the fact we need an occupied wheelchair lift in it. Once we got the van, the first step was installing the Braun Millennium 2 wheelchair lift. We got the lift second hand and saved a ton of money. Getting the lift turned out to be our first road trip... from Central Alabama to Winston-Salem, NC and back. It was a nice trip but better suited for more than 2 days. Here is a link to the part about the wheelchair lift on our personal site. OK, I guess installing the lift was actually step 2. Step 1 was installing the flooring and insulation. We put down a sheet of plastic, then a layer of UltraTouch insulation, then a layer of 1/2" plywood and then a nice linoleum that looks like hardwood floors. You can read about that part on this page. Step 3 was building the bed frames. Not only did these have to serve as beds for the wife and I, they had to hold certain items like the batteries, the converter/charger, the A/C, the refrigerator, and so on. My bed is 20" high and hers is 24" high (the fridge is under hers). We both have a nice 6" memory foam mattress. Here are the links to the parts we have completed so far: - Electrical - MaxxFan Installation - Window Unit A/C Installation We are in the planning stages for the overhead cabinets as well as the ceiling and wall coverings. The actual design has varied a little from what we envisioned simply because our minds have more room than the van does. We understand that some of you may not agree with the way we are doing the propane tank, and we appreciate your concern, but we are aware of the risks and we happy with our plan. We'll update this post as more progress is made. Here are a few pics (there are many more on our site if you are interested). Have a blessed day! Jerry and Cynthia Edit: Here is the index page for the project. This is the van when we first got it... Working on the insulation and flooring... Looking in the back doors... What it currently looks like from the outside...6.4KViews0likes14Comments
My Chevrolet Express van Class B- camper
I have been camping in my 1990 Chevrolet Silverado Blazer 2-door for the last 20 years. When I removed the back seat there was just enough room for a 3/4 sized (Hollywood, as some people called them) mattress to fit between the wheel wells and from the back of the console to the tailgate. After all those years with my wife and I getting older, she decided we needed a little more room so she found me a 2001 Chevrolet Express van with low mileage on the internet. After checking it out and taking it for a test drive we bought it on the spot. It was a nice passenger conversion LT model with all the bells and whistles available in 2001. I will chronicle the changes I made to transform it into my Class B- motorhome in the next few postings. I call it my Class B- (B minus) motorhome because it is just a regular van without the raised roof. Camping at Custer State Park, SD in February, 2015. Camping and visiting Scott's Bluff National Monument, NE in October, 2014.178KViews0likes346Commentssprinter CARGO VAN converted to a camping van
I visited Yellowstone last week. Flew to Denver and rested a car and drove. Saw so many RVs... no, I don't own one...still dreaming. I noticed a couple of Sprinter cargo work vans that had been converted over to camping vans. These were the high roof models. Both had beds, one had a sink made up of a 5 gallon holding tank a 5 gallon waste tank. This is something I would consider if I found a decent Sprinter. Nothing fancy. Something to take to the mountains when the nights are cool. Park it at a campground and use their bathhouses. Anyone here a converted van?6.2KViews0likes28Comments
Sprinter B
We are considering buying a Sprinter B, either RT or LTV. About pre 2007 or so they have a MB 2.7L and then a 3.0 V6 after that. Are there concerns with either? I read MB recommends a maintenence interval of 20,000 miles. How much would I expect to pay for this service? I always read here that the upkeep on a diesel is more than a gas engine. Does this apply to these Sprinter diesels? Thanks14KViews1like53Comments
Sprinter repair near Ventura County
Does anyone know of a shop that repairs 2008 Freightliner-badged Sprinter vans anywhere near Ventura County? Warning! Long boring whine ahead: I happily took the Sprinter to Crown Dodge who had a great Sprinter technician. He got promoted to foreman. God for him, bad for me. They referred me to Shaver Dodge in Thousand Oaks. When I called, they said their Sprinter tech had left. Previously, I had used Dependable Dodge in Canoga Park, about 45 minutes away from home. I called and made an appointment to drop off the Sprinter today. I told them that they had serviced it previously. They seemed happy to have me bring in the Sprinter for service. Upon arrival, I stood by the van in the service driveway for a goodly period of time as other cars were taken in. I could see a Sprinter van in a service bay, so I was reassured. Finally we cornered the one and only service advisor. He could find no record of our appointment, and said that they weren't taking appointments because their technician had left. He had no explanation for why I had been encouraged to bring the van in, and it was clear that he doubted my story. He told us to take the van to Rydell Chrysler in San Fernando. I called them and was told that they weren't making appointments until the middle of next week, but I could leave the van and they would try to take a look at it when they could. So, we made the 20 minute drive to Rydell. There, the manager told us that because the van is badged as a Freightliner, a Dodge dealer couldn't work on it. When I told him that two other Dodge service departments had worked on it, he smiled and said he wasn't responsible for what other people did, but he wouldn't touch it. (Sorry for the long whine, but I wanted to give the names of places that won't fix the van so people would not refer me there.) So -- at this point, I have no clue where to take the van, other than the gold-plated Mercedes dealer whose labor rate is around $170 per hour. And I haven't even checked to see if they would deign to touch my vehicle. Surely all you good folks who love and drive Sprinter vans can give me a heads-up on a good mechanic, dealer or independent, who will baby my van and keep it purring for the foreseeable future. I will settle for anyone in Western Los Angeles County, Ventura County, or Santa Barbara County, or even further if necessary. As you have so generously in the past, please help me once again. Where should I take my Sprinter van for service? Thanks in advance.6.7KViews0likes33Comments
Chassis warranty
RECENTLY purchased 2023 coachman nova. No power to hitch and .Digital mirror cuts off. Rv dealer, Fretz, referred me to dodge. Put in claim with dodge and was told there is also an open recall for brakes. RV dealer claims ignorance. No dodge dealer in my area will touch it. I live in Maryland and have access to delaware, nj,pa. Dodge claim manager referred me to two dealers in WV, 5 hours away. Im hoping he made a mistake and asked for a supervisor, waiting to hear back. This has been a nightmare so far. Any suggestions?...615Views0likes2CommentsHow to fix saggy fiberglass roof around AC unit?
Some time ago I picked up an '87 Fiesta on a Ford E-350 chassis. I knew it was going to need repairs going in, though it's entirely possible I bit off a little more than I can chew on this one.. It clearly has had some level of water leaking at some point in it's life, evident by the discoloration on the wood, and I knew I'll need to locate and fix that. My current "big" issue is obvious sagging of the roof around the AC unit, and I suspect part of the problem is poor engineering/design from the factory, which didn't give nearly enough support under the AC. I think I should be yanking down all of the support structure, and replacing the side-to-side beams with solid pieces, then adding in short pieces front to back (as opposed to the front to back beams being one piece like it is now). Tie that in to the wood going down either side of the roof, and then support of the bottom of the wood on the sides with the top of the steel van body. In my mind, this would transfer much of the load of the AC and roof to the steel body. But then I don't know if that's going to cause other issues I'm not thinking of.1KViews0likes6CommentsCoachmen Crosstour curtains
Happy trails! New owner of a used 2019 Class B Coachmen Crosstour, very happy with rig, performance, layout etc. The one issue that is driving me to drink (don’t say it) is the folding pulldown/up privacy curtains. The curtains were out of the track and wrinkled in many places from previous owner, obviously part of problem was using such soft curtains in the first place. I have spent several hours trying to refold or even just get the sides back into the track. Fold here, unfolds there. Get into place here, pulls out there. Anyone have a working solution or tip on a better way to do this? Thanks in advance!478Views0likes0Comments