Hi all, I could use some perspective....

My husband and I have been camping in and towing with our 1996 E-250 van for 7 years. It's been great, and we're happy with it in general.

However, the 1996 doesn't have a passenger airbag, so we're actively looking at upgrading. With the upgrade, we're looking at some conversion mods as well.

Our dilemma: we have found 2 Fords that would work well for us - one is a 250, and one is a 350. The 350 is a little older (2006), but it has low mileage, and has all the little touches we like - the towing package, a pop-out window for ventilation at night, vinyl seats, alloy wheels, chrome grill and bumper....and it's cheaper, of course.

The 250 is newer, and $3K more. That $3K would essentially pay for our conversion plans. It has a cloth interior, cheap steel wheels, the new (ugly!) plastic grill and black rear bumper....it does have the tow package, though.

Our heart says BUY THE 350!

But our (surgically repaired!) backs say that the 350 suspension may be too rough. We test-drove it, and it was a little bouncy, but it's hard to judge.

We spoke with the local Ford dealer, who said that the springs were a PITA to change out - like, possibly $1K or more, should we have issues with them.

Any advice? It's just the two of us, with a conversion cargo van, towing jet skis around the western states. But we have found that rough-riding truck frames can be uncomfortable for long distances. We typically drive 4 hours or less when camping for the weekend, which is not an issue. But if we wanted to drive to Utah for a week on Lake Powell? I want to be able to walk once we get there.

We don't want to be in agony or loads o' pain. But we also don't want to spend tons more money on a 250, when we've found a 350 with so much that we like/want/expect to have....

Perspectives welcome!

Sandi

 

I have a 2000 E350 extended PSD.
My van has 770,900 miles and so does the springs, On that note I just installed new front Bilstein shocks and I could not be happier.
Smoooooooth as could be, Rather impressive.

If you're near Charlotte, I'll take you for a drive.

Keep shopping, So many vans on the market.... just be willing to travel.

One last thing, why not change out the wiring to accomodate two airbags?

 

There is not much difference between 250 and 350 shocks.

A major difference can be had in carefully lowering tire pressure.

But you must keep it monitored (every 2 weeks) if you use lower than the recommended 60 / 80 psi.

I got mine down to 55 / 65 to 70 for a van that carries 1,000 lbs max all the time.

You can soften it a bit more with a seat cushion.

Go for the best deal.


There are some real good / inexpensive, off rental 350 passenger vans that are on the market for peanuts, with 2 years of factory warranty left.

 

> However, the 1996 doesn't have a passenger airbag

Of course by the time you need an airbag on the pass. side seat which is usually all the way back, you most likely will be dead anyways. But, if that is what you want, that is what you want.

I would go with the E-350, you can control a lot of the stiffness through tire pressure or different valved shocks. The E-350 is probably emissions exempt which is always a plus.

Whatever the choice, I would avoid a 6.0.

 

If you are only into light use, do not buy 6.0 but if you are into serious use, the 6.0 properly maintained and working will beat a gasser V10 any day.

 

I'm not worried about the springs wearing out on the 350 - I'm worried about them being too stiff.

Oh, we are. I'm looking all over, but our preferred configuration is apparently odd.

Uh, because we don't want to cut a hole in the dashboard? It's easier to buy a newer van with an airbag in place, and get all the newer amenities too, like height-adjustable seat belts, a better console design, regular gas (instead of premium), etc.

Sandi

 

Can you speak to the process and difficulty in changing them? The asst. manager at the local Ford dealership was quite clear that there was a difference, and it was a PITA to swap 'em.

My husband isn't interested in buying a van that requires running the tires low in order to get a comfortable ride.

We typically carry about 300 lbs of gear plus the two of us. Our conversion plans have interior panels, a bubble roof of fiberglass, insulation, and a platform for the bed. We expect that to add another 250-300 lbs. So we're looking at under 1000 lbs., plus towing a trailer that weighs ~ 2500 lbs. (with a tongue weight of 350 lbs or so).

Oh, we intend to. But no matter how cheap it is, it's a bad deal if it hurts to use it.

We want a cargo van, not a passenger van. And there are a fair amount on the market, but our need for a barn door in conjunction with the cargo configuration knocks a lot of contenders out of the running.

Sandi

 

Yeah, it is what I want. Unlike you apparently, I think an airbag might be useful in a head-on collision on a two-lane road. And it seems like a reasonable reason to upgrade, in addition to the previously mentioned adjustable seat belt height, regular gas usage, better sun visors, upgraded seats....

In CA, the 350 is NOT emissions exempt. In your experience, how difficult is it to swap out the shocks?

Yeah, we want the 5.4L V8. But thanks for the recommendation to avoid the 6.0 - every little bit helps.

Sandi

 

As mentioned, we want the 5.4L V8 engine.

Sandi

 

I too am not worried about the springs wearing out, As for your concerns if they are too stiff. I honestly don't think they are.
A quality shock will smooth out the harshness/ firm of a stiff spring.

I didn't know if your van had the hole there for a airbag...

 

I broke my back in 98, I have rods in to stabilize my spine, the 350 is livable, even with the tires pumped to the max 80 PSI and air bags inside the coils at 35 PSI, it's not really the front coils anyhow, it's the rear leaf springs that get you. There is a shackle that you replace the one on the rear of your van lift that'll soften the ride, it doesn't affect towing at all, there is no altering of the leaf springs at all.
I do not believe shocks will lighten a ride, as their design is to dampen bouncing, and if a shop is telling you it's a PITA to change the shocks on the front, find another one, I removed mine without getting out of my wheelchair.
BTW people, the 96 was the last year to receive that dash design, in 97 when the air bag was offered, there was a totally new dash design, there is NO way to put an air bag in a pre 97 Econoline.

 

Buy a E-150

 

Right, thanks. We agree that the rear springs are the major issue to question, so knowing about the shackle option is helpful. There is an experienced spring shop in town, and my husband plans to call and interrogate them tomorrow.

And livable is a matter of opinion, but it sounds like, as a surgical recipient, you understand our concerns.

We agree that a 150 might be do-able - but there are none on the market that match our needs. Thus the conversation about a 250 (which is not optimally equipped) vs a 350 (which is optimally equipped, but has the beefier suspension).

They weren't saying that about the shocks, but about swapping out the SPRINGS.

I agree that shock replacement won't make a huge difference to the ride quality, which is why we asked.

Yep, thanks. Thus it's time to upgrade. It's fun, too, now that we're thinking of spending some time and $$ on it, we're all over designs and plans for platforms and canopy tops. Yay!

Sandi

 

Yeah, but there isn't one on the market equipped with the barn door, cargo setup, 5.4L V8 - like there is a 250 and a 350, 30 miles away - and both still have some factory warranty.

Sandi

 

So, we decided to go with the 350 - it was too perfectly outfitted (and 50% cost of a new van) to pass up.

One thing that helped in the decision - DH called the local spring shop, and they agreed that some work could be done, if necessary (which we're not sure it will be). What they said is that they could remove some leafs from the spring to make it less rigid, and/or re-arch the spring itself. Total cost estimated at $600-$800.

So we bit the bullet. Picking it up on Saturday! yay! Now on to the customizing. Thanks for your input and advice.



Sandi