Pretty excited about this van. It's a 04 6.0 Super Duty, single rear wheel, 10' box. 160K miles, runs and drives well, seems to start pretty well too but the guy had it plugged in when I got there but it was cooold... Says it always stars up no matter what even if is super cold and I believe him.

Goal is a completely solid long distance tough camper van that we can occasionally drive on rough roads here and there. Goal is also good power and mileage...


EGR exchanger went bad or something clogged so it has about 10K miles on new head gaskets. Not sure what the gaskets are and they used stock Ford head bolts. I imagine probably stock head gaskets too. Guy was just your typical contractor (sort of an ******* actually) did not get rid of EGR or any other mods. Heads were 100% checked, valves reground and replaced when appropriate. Not sure how much they took off.

Not sure how much of a bitch it will be to do the EGR delete on a van? I'll do that coolant filter too I think.

Then I want to get cruise control (not sure who makes this), maxx lift the front (already has heavy duty springs on all 4 corners) and either small lift block or possibly air bags in the rear.

It turns about 2400 at 70-75 so I'm guessing it has 4.10. Not sure if going up to 265s will help?

It's also loud as hell when driving. Diesel has a much louder than other 6.0s I've heard sound to it, closer to my old 7.3 maybe. I figure when I insulate the camper and put down flooring maybe it will help..

then on to the camper part...

Photos, with my wife measuring in the rear.... I think we have a layout that will work...



More photos here. 2004 Superduty E-350 Van - andreshoumatoff's Photos

Previous owner before this plummer was a guy who lived out of it in Baja for a year or two, so it already has the camper windows. I'll probably still replaced these though with bigger/nicer. Then gut the rear and start from scratch....

 

it's official, picked up this morning!

 

This should be a "fun" project for sure! Best thing is you'll start with basically an empty room, the sky (and budget) are you only limitations now!

Any plans to replace the rear roll up door with something more insulating value?

 

Thanks!

Yes, definitely plan to redo the rear. I'm probably going to rip out the back door all together and fab up a nice heavy duty frame that will swing out. Then some sort of thinnish plywood over it then painted and somewhat professional looking. The rear door opening is actually fairly small with that large metal frame around it so it will be somewhat easy to make it, not too big and not too heavy. I'll use weld-in hinges. I may put in one window but I'll definitely put a ladder to the roof and a rear spare tire holder. The look and feel of it will be somewhat "off-roady" with the 2" lift and bigger tires and a brush guard.

On the inside I'm going to use what they call "trunk lining carpet" which is the same stuff that they put around speaker boxes for subwoofers etc. Basically a pretty thin carpet that you install using spray-in contact cement. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do the entire rear box in this, and then linoleum floors with removable carpeting. It will be a small kitchen, a seat for two, and a full size bed that will mostly remain in the down position but I'll build it so it can fold up if I ever want to haul a dirtbike or two. It will be cargo storage underneath it when in the down position. the bed will live about 1/2 way up in the rear of the box.

I bought some new windows and a couple camper doors to add to the rear. The second door is just an extra that I was planning to use at some point. These huge 5 foot wide windows will take the place of the ghetto windows currently in there.

The only real issues is that the way the windows are placed I'll have to put the door on the drivers side, when it should really be on the passenger side to be "normal." But such is life... Super psyched to get this project under way!

 

Oh man, you are here too?

Great van, it's along the lines of what I was looking for, but my wife said "no cube van". Ah well.
Looking forward to seeing you cruising around in this.

 

Yup on here too! Great and I'll keep posting as I put together some of these mods. Sent you a PM on ADV!

 

I was about to suggest via PM yet another site for projects like this---looks like you're already there!

I'd like to see what you do with that rear opening myself. Occasionally I've thought about a retired shuttle-type bus becoming a work van. Most I've seen offered so far would need somewhat extensive fiberglass or metal work to install ambulance style doors in place of what's typically available.

Good luck on this project----let the wife design and pick the interior colors and she'll be a happy camper!

 

thanks JWA... Great tip about keeping the wife happy..

I'm completely psyched. I miss my old 7.3 truck and oddly I've been driving around this thing and loving every bit of it. It's completely maneuverable and drives just great for being a box truck... I think I mentioned it above but it drives every bit 1-ton...

I ordered the Maxx-Lift kit and it arrived today. I just ordered the camber/caster bushings.

The box is all gutted now in the rear and I removed the wall between the front and the cargo area. Only issue is its still completely uninsulated (soon to be slightly remedied) so it's cold now with little insulation in the back for now. I might also add a second heater to the rear. Though again the point of this truck/build is to keep it simple as I've abandoned projects before because I got too deep.

For the rear bed setup etc you guys will just have to see. I have a plan in my mind that should work well. Nice to see guys from ADV rider here too. This a camper so its not necessarily appropriate I post the build there, so I guess I'll post it here.. But my goal is to retain the ability to haul the KTM here and there once in a while..

 

By the way these vans are built by Supreme corporation, and this is the Spartan model. In a perfect world I would buy a 14' single rear wheel 78" height model. Mine is a Ford XL 350 with the powerstroke, 10' single rear wheel with a 72" roof. it has the optional roll up door. If only they'd bought the base model, LOL...

But it will work and again, pretty pumped for it...

Ford Spartan Cargo Van | Van Bodies | Supreme Corporation

Here is the rear gutted. Photos don't do it justice how massive it feels and so much larger than you typical van. Yet it drives just like a van in terms of maneuverability. You can feel the box when it comes to wind though, definitely a difference versus our old 94 E-250 and the 77 150 camper van my wife and I currently use.

 

If the EGR failed, you need to check the oil cooler. if they left the factory oil cooler on, then your new EGR is a ticking time bomb.

 

pretty sure oil cooler and egr are both stock. I was thinking that a coolant filter alone would do the trick. Correct or incorrect? I pulled the hump and as far as I can tell that EGR delete will be a bitch to do??

 

If they are stock, that's fine. What we are concerned about is if they are the ones that shipped with the truck.

Headgasket failure on a non tuned 6.0 is a complex beast. Its actually a cascade failure that starts in a strange place.

Casting debris from the engines manufacturing is nocked lose into the coolant. The debris gets stuck the teeny tiny passages in the oil cooler, which is the most vulnerable part of the system. This causes the coolant flow into the oil cooler to be reduced. The output coolant from the oil cooler goes to the EGR. The loss of flow in the EGR causes the EGR to get up around... well, hot enough to melt internally. Once coolant water escapes the EGR's internals, it gets sucked into the intake of the engine. As you can imagine, this is a Bad Thing (TM). Water is not compressible, and a diesel engine is built incredibly tough. The weak spot on the 6.0 are the Torque To Yield Headbolts. The pistons will try to compress the incompressible coolant water, and something has to give.

Some shops will slap in a new EGR exchanger, head gaskets, and buy some bolts. Better shops will use ARP head-studs. People who actually know what the hell they are doing will replace the oil cooler, install new gaskets, replace the EGR (or blank it off if you REALLY want, but its not needed) and install a coolant filter. Bolts are optional but will make the owner feel better. Some shops sell a snakeoil air-oil cooler that removes the water-oil cooler. Its not as good as the water-oil cooler.

 

I'm not necessaily on a budget but I will be doing the work myself for the most part and do want to save time and money of course. Clearly EGR / oil cooler has been an issue in the past.

They replaced the head gaskets/ bolts (do not think they used ARP -- just stuck) but I'm pretty sure they left the stock oil cooler and EGR cooler as well. So I agree its a ticking time bomb. They also used gold Ford coolant again.

It is running great and looking good for now.

1) is the oil cooler expensive and a bitch to replace?
2) how difficult is EGR delete / replacement on the vans?

3) will just installing a coolant filter / changing to not silicate coolant/ good flush work?

Or, do I really / should I really do all three things?


I guess if so I'll just plan on a weekend to hammer them out.. I really do want this thing to last, a long long time if possible. But working in the van chassis will suck but I have a hard time paying people to do work I'm completely capable of (I've done head gaskets, HPOP, injectors etc on the 7.3 when needed).

I'll also be re-gearing to 3.73 and likely chipping it at some point, so I will be messing with the computer to get those upgrades correct. So I can program in a EGR delete at that time too if need be... I guess I was just looking to hear I'd be OK with a coolant filter only for now...

 

Just something about a truck, once we've had one we're not the same without them ever again. It can be an absolute beater and we still love it---thinking of Joe Diffy's tune he sings "sumpin 'bout a pick up man.........."! Heck even some women learn to love 'em too----thinking of soccer mom's in those huge SUV's!

A buddy also hauls KTM's here locally, been cramming them into his stock '99 E250, really loved my '00 E250 with raised roof and extended-height rear doors. Since its already outfitted for a work truck and a few nice comfort amenities I'm a bit shocked he's not been more interested since its now up for sale.

You're on the right first steps making sure your new truck's in top operating condition a priority. Since you're thinking of an almost bare bones camper/hauler rear area this should come together quickly. For reliable low-draw lighting let me recommend Thin-Lite LED's----they're not cheap but one of the best lighting solutions I've ever found.

Rear heat supplied by hot coolant use Pro-Air---another great aftermarket supplier of this nature.

Just a few ideas---will look forward to your updates, both mechanically and camper too.

 

1) full service kit (filter, o rings, and the oil cooler/exchanger itself) is around 315 bucks. Last time I did a van it took me from 7am to 11pm, but I could do it faster now that I know how to do it. Its not much fun. Buy the ford service manual and diesel supplement offa eBay to get a better overview, but here is the quick look.

Off with the following:
-The day before, spray every bolt in exhaust system with Kroil or some other, clearly inferior product. (Just kidding, PB blaster is probably fine. WD40 is a waste of time here though.)
-Loosen downpipe and every bolt connecting pipe to the turbo
-Pop out Turbo (Its easy to say...)
-Turbo pedestal
-Y pipe and associated bits...
-Oil lines/filter assembly
-Intake Manifold (With EGR cooler attached) This is where the van wins, the doghouse opening is HYOOGE.

Then you can yank the oil cooler and replace the EGR. Clean out the intake manifold while you are up to your nuts in it. If the truck had this work done at the dealership, call one and ask for an OASIS report. They can tell you if this was all done already and save you some headache. Lots of headache. 12-18 hours of it. And about 700 bucks in parts. This is what a nightmare truck OASIS report looks like: Whats it worth? 05 CC DRW on ebay - Diesel Forum - TheDieselStop.com Its typically these earlier vehicles that have reports this bad, because they werent replacing the oil cooler, and just letting it eat EGRs.

2) Replacing the EGR is about the same as replacing the oil cooler, you just don't have to yank the oil cooler assembly out. You should do both while you are in there if they haven't been done. If the EGR HAS been done, and the coolant system retains pressure when tested, i wouldnt sweat it too much.

3) If the oil cooler is already partly clogged, it wont help. Installing one after replacing the oil cooler has never killed anyone, and is a reasonable precaution.