# A Closer Look at America's Conversion Vans



## Raging Bird

I've lived in a 1982 Chevy G20 and a 1995 GMC Vandura. The chevy was older and more prone to cooling troubles, but its spacious interior and inviting atmosphere made it stick more fondly in my memory. Personally, I'd never consider an econoline, and the ramvan is a bad joke as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't settle for less than a woodgrain center console, and that plastic shit is - quite frankly - an insult to taste and decency. I'd be interested to hear the opinions of my fellow van enthusiasts. 

First Thread


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## Puckett

i never had a van but did have an rv and i loved it untill the exusaust manafold blew a hole in it. and the good thing about the older cars/vans/rvs are that they are built to last and easy to fix.


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## plagueship

youre gonna have plenty of time for doobie rollin when you're LIVING IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!!!!


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## katbastard

http://cheaprvliving.com/howtoconvertavan.html
good shit here, if you got the money and time


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## katbastard

http://www.faliaphotography.com/
blog about this chick who is doing the van thing


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## foxtailV

those rv sites are awesome! i live on a boat but i got the need to travel for survival as a artist. I cant wait to travel in a Van!


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## Matt Derrick

katbastard said:


> http://www.faliaphotography.com/
> blog about this chick who is doing the van thing


 
that's a pretty cool website, thanks for sharing. i am also a big fan of the cheap rv living website.


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## Raging Bird

DAMN, I like what she's done with the thing. The windchimes are a nice touch.


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## CvP

I agree that Ram vans blow chunks, but I've been working on a 93 econoline for about a week. I'm impressed so far. The only bothersome bit about it is RUST. I'll need sheet metal and a welder before long, but setting up the interior has been a breeze. It's amazing how some folks deck out their rides.


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## dprogram

I've been on the first link all day now and feel like selling my little BMW and buying a van!


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## DaisyDoom

My husband and I lived in an 87ish Suburban. An air mattress and small dog bed for our minpin fit perfectly with the back bench taken out. We strung up some curtain with wire and velcro haha...it was pretty comfy for the two of us.
After we had our kid we got a Vandora and didn't even live in it lol...I wish we kept it but ended up trading for a jeep .

Now we are getting ready to do some turtle squatting in a 22ft HiLo that will be pulled by a '47 DeSoto. I'll take some pics of the work we are doing next time I get over there.


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## Matt Derrick

DaisyDoom said:


> Now we are getting ready to do some turtle squatting in a 22ft HiLo that will be pulled by a '47 DeSoto. I'll take some pics of the work we are doing next time I get over there.



Awesome, I'd like to see some pics of people's trailers since I might get one someday.


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## dprogram

CvP said:


> I agree that Ram vans blow chunks, but I've been working on a 93 econoline for about a week. I'm impressed so far. The only bothersome bit about it is RUST. I'll need sheet metal and a welder before long, but setting up the interior has been a breeze. It's amazing how some folks deck out their rides.


I'm really interested in seeing how this turns out so post pics if you feel like it. I'm fixing my car up to sell it or trade it for a van now and trying to prepare for this unique and affordable experience.

Oh and why do Ram Vans suck so bad? Quality? MPG? Room?


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## Matt Derrick

dprogram said:


> Oh and why do Ram Vans suck so bad? Quality? MPG? Room?



ive been riding around in my friend's 2003 dodge ram van, and it's been awesome. i also have a dodge ram van at home (a 96') that i just bought so i haven't had a chance to test it out thoroughly yet.


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## dprogram

That's good to know b/c I've seen some decently priced cargo and conversion vans locally on CL and on ebay.


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## crazy john

last sumer my friends moved into the shed i was living in with me, but before that they were living in a jeep liberty. i tried that out and the shed was a much nicer fit. this thread makes me want to try the whole van thing tho, with an actual van ofcourse


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## flashinglights

I had a 84 chevy G20 and loved it, very easy to work on, reliable, room for I don't even know how many people to fit in it, the most we ever had in the back was only 5 or 6 or something. getting it to pass emissions was another story.


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## saje2u

Jeep libertys are sooo punx!!!!

G20 vans: the material of the console are the least of your worries with the proneness to massive electrical issues, cooling issues, vaccume, intake/carb and just general shittyness of them and the fuel economy most importantly. and yea emissions can be a cunt and a half to work around/deal with.
I say cars, cars all day eryday, 4 cylinder, 4 door, 4 speed = 4 hundred dollars all the time on CL throw away wheels time and again - shit if its a stick pull a 10ft or smaller trailer those can be gotten for under 400$ all day too.


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## Who the hell knows

Puckett said:


> i never had a van but did have an rv and i loved it untill the exusaust manafold blew a hole in it. and the good thing about the older cars/vans/rvs are that they are built to last and easy to fix.



You know, sometimes you can repair exhaust manifolds with furnace cement. this is the same stuff in exhaust repair kits (a sodium silicate base), but for 6 or 7 bucks you get 3 pounds of it or more.. also there's higher tensile strength furnace caulking for tougher fixes... use a brass fitting of some kind (bolt, screw, threaded valve) to close the manifold hole as much as possible.. ( tight enough to wedge securely, but not so much as to widen any cracks.. you'll see the brass deform on the iron, & as soon as you see that or crack spreading, stop.. & steel is too hard & will expand & contract for a stable fix..), then gloom the cement in there.. fiber reinforced furnace cement is best, but you can thoroughly knead about 10 or 15% fiberglass insulatio9n into it for about the same effect... plug & slather deeply & generously.. pay attention to manifold cracks..

also, exhaust gaskets can be repaired similarly, if you can get up where you need to push the material into the blowout..


fiberglass cloth can be used to make a bandaging cast if the cement is carefully diluted.. use acetate/polish remover to thin to about cake dough consistency, then use a couple heavier/thicker layers to finish & seal.. some of the cements can be cut with water.. use whatever the package says..

the best shit to use for fibers, though, if you can find it though, is asbestos pipe wrap.. mask & gloves at all times...

the main thing is to take care with the curing.. the fix is cheap, but it's slow.

you need a warm (65 degrees or better) area to let it set up for at least 18 hours on the first main layer, then at least 3 between each successive one.. preferably 6 for the second layer... THEN you have to cure it by idling for a couple hours & then drive gently...

you CAN superfrankenstien it over a shorter period, but i wouldn't do it on any large displacement engines...


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## Puckett

the hole was bigger than my fist and in a real hard to fix spot, not to mention we were in barstow ca and they had nothing there to fix it. but i did get $200 at a scrap yard, so not bad


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## Who the hell knows

===


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## Nelco

i've lived in two econolines.
they were good for me.
guess it's just a matter of opinion..


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## Puckett

Who the hell knows said:


> oh man... sorry to hear that.. & yeah barstow is hellish for vehicle problems.. even *little* ones...
> 
> just figured i'd post the furnace cement thing for general info.. you can get away with holes about an inch or so.. but, uhmm.. not anything big enough to swallow a body part...
> 
> i'm glad you got some bucks for it, though : )



yeah i had to put a cupcake tin in it and jb weld it just so we could move spots cuz the cops kept giving us shit. found a place that could have let me use their welding machines but they wouldnt do it and wouldnt let me do it. so now i say fuck barstow and all their dumb shit town


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## flashinglights

I had an early 80s chevy g20 conversion with the 305 v8 and it was really reliable. Full panels and someone had pulled everything rear from the captain's chairs, so you could put a gazillion people in back.


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## TheHawk

I bought this 1970s terry travel trailer in bumfuck southern md for around 800 bucks. Then I restored the whole damn thing. I had no prior experience, other than all the labor jobs i've had. It was pretty easy, trailers are simple to fix and maintain if you're a little handy. hauled it to sc and stayed in conway for a while. big mistake on that part- fuckin rednecks were charging more than it costs to live where i am right now 1 block from the beach in myrtle. anyway, point being, trailers are a cheap and easy home, but its hard finding somewhere you can park it, and snag electricity. plus you will be using a lot more gas hauling that shit around. I ended up abandoning it, and recently i was living in the back of my bronco after i took the bench seat out, not the worst place i've slept/lived in. saved me money too.


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## dprogram

Aww man. That thing is tight. Can't believe you gave it up!


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## deanmoriarty

thirtydollarbillyall said:


> I've lived in a 1982 Chevy G20 and a 1995 GMC Vandura. The chevy was older and more prone to cooling troubles, but its spacious interior and inviting atmosphere made it stick more fondly in my memory. Personally, I'd never consider an econoline, and the ramvan is a bad joke as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't settle for less than a woodgrain center console, and that plastic shit is - quite frankly - an insult to taste and decency. I'd be interested to hear the opinions of my fellow van enthusiasts.
> 
> First Thread


my girlfriend and i live in a 1991 chevy g20 hightop conversion van and tramp it city to city,flying signs and parking at truck stops,walmarts and free camping spots.its all we could ever need...fits in regular spots and such but plenty big enough for us and dog,curtains mean i bring my private living room to every downtown or forest....room to pick up every dirty hitchiker we see....v8 357 lasts forever.old chevys are cheap all over,partly due to gas prices...but shit,we dont pay rent,and we gas jug anyway!we love van dwelling and want to hear from other people doing it...


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## Caitlin

crazy john said:


> last sumer my friends moved into the shed i was living in with me, but before that they were living in a jeep liberty. i tried that out and the shed was a much nicer fit. this thread makes me want to try the whole van thing tho, with an actual van ofcourse


Nothing to do with your post really, but how did you make the anarchy and equality signs on the computer? Too nifty for life.


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## crazy john

hahaha i just copied and pasted them. feel free to do the same. pirate-smiley-03.


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## butters

katbastard said:


> http://www.faliaphotography.com/
> blog about this chick who is doing the van thing


hey, this looks like a good site dude. thanks.


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## Earth

Ha!! Conversion van, gotta love them 

Sitting in the front yard is my beloved 1984 Econoline 350 Diesel conversion van, which if you ask me might have had a previous life as either a Brinks truck or Prison transpost truck...

I bought it with the notion of getting back into HVAC-R, but then I decided to convert it into an 8tk analog open reel mobile recording studio - but in the end, it was used more as an equipment truck from back when I was still playing gigs..... Today, it's a storage shed - along side my 79 c-10 p/u truck.......

Ok - lets see..... Dual A/C units, International 6.9 ltr V-8 diesel (non-turbo), 4.88 Dana 60 rear and a HUGE auto trans.. Two fuel tanks - each 20 gal (I'm very seriously thinking converting this ride so one tank is veggie fuel, the other bio diesel - but I really need to research that first...)

Front end is I beam commercial truck style (meaning no wheel alignments are possible - gotta rotate them tires..)

Once did a timed run from here (east derby CT ) to the Three Jolly Pigeons Pub in Bay Ridge Brookyn and back, reconed I averaged about 60 mph (top speed is maybe 68...) but I got 20+ mpg, which when considering this thing weighs empty about 5,000 lbs and it's gvw is just below 10,000 lbs man thats saying something !!

It's loud as hell, looks real menecing for some reason - maybe because it sits super high and has the stereotypical white contractors van with ladder racks look - but we love it and affectionately call her "The Taliban Cruiser" because if there was ever a ride to convert into a truck bomb, that would be it....

Incidently, it always got pulled over going into Queens via the Whitestone Bridge, which I took as a compliment.


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## LeftCoast

CvP said:


> I agree that Ram vans blow chunks, but I've been working on a 93 econoline for about a week. I'm impressed so far. The only bothersome bit about it is RUST. I'll need sheet metal and a welder before long, but setting up the interior has been a breeze. It's amazing how some folks deck out their rides.


 
hey there, I have a van just four years older than yours. Ram vans tend to be a pain in the ass that's for sure. Horrid gas efficiency and finding them in junkyards has always been a pain in the ass. Once I went econoline i doubt i'll ever go back to chrysler or GM.


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## dolittle

If you are planning to buy a van, this I STRONGLY recommend. Get a high top. My 91 GMC has a fiberglass extention that adds about 2&1/2 feet of hight. Looks creepy as hell! But I'm LOVING the extra head room. Not to mention the extra storage space over the drivers area. I think once I get a better paint job, my van won't look so much like a Chester-the-molester ride.


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## LeftCoast

I


dolittle said:


> If you are planning to buy a van, this I STRONGLY recommend. Get a high top. My 91 GMC has a fiberglass extention that adds about 2&1/2 feet of hight. Looks creepy as hell! But I'm LOVING the extra head room. Not to mention the extra storage space over the drivers area. I think once I get a better paint job, my van won't look so much like a Chester-the-molester ride.


 
I converted a Chevy Van 30 at one point. Put in a fiberglass high top roof. Ran me 65 bucks at a junkyard in Arkansas. Wasn't too bad. Great for comfort and being able to stand depending on your height. There are some drawbacks in certain cities or towns where they outlaw sleeping in your vehicle. Sure it was nice to have the room, but I experienced more trouble with the law. I put about 40,000 miles on that van. It was pretty good till I threw a rod in that beast. Also, exhaust manifold got SUPER leaky. Right now, I am not using an extended roof, and so far it's actually been pretty good. It makes for sleeping in the city a lot more easy and discrete. If I was somewhere in the midwest or in a more rural place I would get a high top hands down. Now that doolittle mentions it, I almost miss that van more than I should. Fuck you rod breakin on me and shit.


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