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.
Those of you with older Roadtreks...
I'm hoping to buy a used B in the next couple of years and am looking around to see what's available. There are lots of decent-looking Roadtreks out there, but I have concerns about the aisle shower & toilet position. If you have a Roadtrek with the aisle shower---do you use it? How awkward is it to set up? How much trouble do you have getting water in places it's not supposed to be? As best I can tell the aisle door has to be open to use the toilet, which blocks the view from the front but also blocks anyone from getting through. Is this a big pain? My whole point in getting a B is to have a shower and toilet--I won't be one of the owners who never uses the facilities!
Secondary Transportation Advice
In my old age I need to take my pit stop capabilities with me so I'm looking very hard at Class B's. Right now I'm focused on 2006 Sprinter's with the I5 engine as maybe having better longevity than the more modern V6. At a minimum I would like to take a scooter (less than 400#) on a receiver carrier along as a secondary form of transportation at my destinations. It would be nice, although not absolutely necessary, to tow my CJ7 to a nat'l park that's about 400 miles away, for something better to run the back roads. Your experiences - good or bad?sprinter 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?
Has anyone owned a 2009 Ford Majestic Campervan?
We are interested in purchasing a Class B motorhome and came across a 2009 Ford Majestic Touring and cannot find any reviews or critiques for it. Has anyone had experience with that or other year models close to 2009? Any comments would be appreciated.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...
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? Thanks
