Ford Transit Van Conversion - Choosing the Van

Ford Transit Van Conversion - Choosing the Van

The first step of building a van is choosing a van...
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After completing a week long Colorado road trip in our friends Matt & Jenny's built out 2008 Dodge Sprinter, the questions became when, not if, we would be buying a van.  For several months following this trip, we scoured the internet for any and all information to help us decide on the perfect van to fit our needs.  Our needs were pretty simple, a comfortable space for 2 adults  and a dog that would be easy to manage in both an urban and remote settings for weekends to week long adventures.  

We decided on a 2015 Ford Transit 250 RWD 148 High Roof with the Bio Diesel engine, 4.10 axle ratio and open differential.  Our first must have on the list was the high roof, as neither one of us wanted to have to be hunched over when in the van.  In the US, this limited us to either a Sprinter (Dodge or Mercedes), Ram Pro Master or Ford Transit, as our budget did not allow for a Sportsmobile.  Our selection of the Ford from this list was largely based on having a vehicle that could be serviced almost anywhere and not break the bank.  Both the Sprinter and Ram have imported engines which can be harder to find mechanics that will service and be more expensive to repair.  Another selling feature of the Ford was the wheel base 148" wheel base and the 6'5" interior cargo height.  Both of these measures are slightly larger than the sprinter, and in a van conversion, every inch counts.  

We chose the diesel engine for the improved gas mileage as well as the longevity of the motor.  There are many conflicting perspectives on the cost of ownership for a diesel engine vs the savings at the pump, so do your research.  The next few items were new to us as we conducted our research, axle ratio and differential, open vs limited slip.  I'm far from a mechanic, so i'll let the fine folks at hardworkingtrucks.com explain axle ratios, "A lower (numerically higher) gear ratio, such as 3.55:1 to 4.10:1, provides more low-speed wheel torque, which means it takes less throttle to get the vehicle and the load it's carrying or towing moving."  The 4.10 axle ratio will cause a slight decrease in gas mileage that we were happy to sacrifice for better performance in the mountains.  As far as our choice of the open differential vs limited slip, the topic is a bit more technical than we'd like to get into here, but it's certainly something to research and consider.  

We're excited to share the progress of our van build over the next several months, so stay tuned!

4 comments

Larry McMahon

Larry McMahon

Gordon,

We bought our van from a Ford dealer and it was financed through Capital One Auto Finance. We didn’t have any trouble with the loan going through based on the vehicle being a commercial van.

Hope this helps!

Larry

Gordon,

We bought our van from a Ford dealer and it was financed through Capital One Auto Finance. We didn’t have any trouble with the loan going through based on the vehicle being a commercial van.

Hope this helps!

Larry

gordon keiter

gordon keiter

I am looking at purchasing almost the exact same van. I am running into issues getting a loan because of the vehicle being a commercial van. Every bank I have talked to thus far has denied it. I’m not sure if you needed to get a loan out for yours or have any advice on the matter? Thank you!

I am looking at purchasing almost the exact same van. I am running into issues getting a loan because of the vehicle being a commercial van. Every bank I have talked to thus far has denied it. I’m not sure if you needed to get a loan out for yours or have any advice on the matter? Thank you!

Larry

Larry

Martin,
This was our first winter with the van and I have to say it can get a bit dicey in the snow.
We do not have the limited slip differential which I think would help. We also are going to invest in some BFG AT tires before the snow begins to fall next year. If the funds were unlimited, we would throw a Quigly 4×4 conversion on, but that’s not in the cards at the moment.

Martin,
This was our first winter with the van and I have to say it can get a bit dicey in the snow.
We do not have the limited slip differential which I think would help. We also are going to invest in some BFG AT tires before the snow begins to fall next year. If the funds were unlimited, we would throw a Quigly 4×4 conversion on, but that’s not in the cards at the moment.

Martin DuWors

Martin DuWors

Hi there,
Thanks for your awesome posts. We are planning a 2018 road trip with a GMC Conversion Van that is AWD. It is pretty nice but nothing like yours. I would prefer something more along the lines of what you have and wonder how it fares in snowy weather.
Thanks.
Martin

Hi there,
Thanks for your awesome posts. We are planning a 2018 road trip with a GMC Conversion Van that is AWD. It is pretty nice but nothing like yours. I would prefer something more along the lines of what you have and wonder how it fares in snowy weather.
Thanks.
Martin

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