Hey everyone,

I decided to take the plunge, and I've just begun converting my work van into an adventure mobile. I bought a 2003 E-350 (7.3 L Powerstroke Diesel/4R100 trans) awhile back, and I've loved and used it on Oahu for work ever since. My girlfriend and I are moving to California in March (2019), and we want to do a considerable amount of traveling in 2020. Also, I sub-contract doing environmental work and lots of other light-construction/HVAC stuff at various hospitals/facilities all over. Hotel stays really cut into my profit margins, so I'd like to mitigate that by stealthing in the van and hauling a tool crib.

Now, I know a lot of you may be wondering what I'm even talking about...having a van in Hawaii and moving it to California. I agree that it sounds off. The fact is that I would not be able to sell this van for anywhere close to its KBB/NADA value in Hawaii. Going forward, trust me when I say that the money I'd get for it here wouldn't be enough to buy a comparable van on the mainland. In addition, I feel that I got a really great deal on this van when I bought it. Factoring in the cost of shipping, I still feel that I got damn good deal. Likewise, shipping it is well worth not having to deal with the BS of finding the aforementioned comparable van. If none of that information convinces you, the only other thing I can say is that I love my van, and a man's love for his van is not to be questioned. She's my Candy Wagon. It also helps that my girlfriend has recently rounded the corner on loving Candy too. She wasn't enthused at first, but now she can't get enough of my Powerstroke. In other words, both are keepers.

For me, I guess the point of this thread is to have a repository for ideas and photos. It's a way for me to track my progress and look back on what I wanted to do versus what I actually accomplished. I can't do this alone though, so if you're interested in providing feedback/guidance/help/criticism, it is welcome. I figure this might be better than making a billion different individual threads with all my questions. So without further ado...

 

Maintenance completed by me as 11/22/2019:

Fuel filter
Complete brake job
Front bearings
Alternator
Batteries (Aux battery easy, but not THAT easy. See my thread about it)
Replaced a few sensors
Replaced up-pipe gaskets
Other minor stuff

Work/Maintenance by shop:

None yet. I try myself brah. If can, can.

 

Hopes & Dreams:

Killer, efficient, and practical interior with space to sleep, cook, work on computer
Tow package
Solar
Propane fridge/Hotwater
Roof Rack for additional storage
Upgrade bumpers/nerf bars/winch
Veggie fuel
4x4 = $x$

You know, all the stuff.

 

Over the past week (11/2019), I’ve been preparing for the conversation.

Before:


Bye Bye tools:


Shelves, Cage, and Seats Gone:


Everything Must Go:


Primary Cleaning:



Grinding Out Rust/Paint Masking:


Today I primed everything and sprayed the first coat of paint.

 

I'm in the process as well....but doing it slowly.
There's lots of ideas on the youtube.
Checkout the Expedition Portal.
They have lots of resources to help and a sub section for vans.

I see many post from those in Cali where talking about the government trying to put a kabash on folks doing what you're planning on doing.

 

Only problem I see will be a space problem. You want to have a work truck and a home all in 1 and it can be done but you will be very cramped. Better option could be to get a small rv and an enclosed trailer for tools etc. Also maybe a small car like a versa or something that will fit in the trailer. Only thing is you wont find many rv's with a diesel in the class c sizes or even in short a's. Another option would be a small pickup with a service box with all the different tool boxes for you hvac etc requirements for a towed vehicle.

Whatever, have fun in your endeavors.

 

Make a list of the equipment you will need to have on job sites. You can build a bed with a lot of space underneath to help store tools. Refrigerant canisters may be a different story but I didn't see any in your van pic. Figure out what your main usage is going to be with this van and prioritize that. I have 3 vans. Work van, astro van (kid mover), my e-350 15 passenger scout mover. Its hard to duel purpose a van without compromises but it can be done. Definitely keep the updates coming. Love build threads. BTW that interior is dang nice that it has so little rust. Any exterior pics?

 

Gotcha brah, already going WAY down the rabbit hole on Youtube/ExPort/etc.

Did not know about CA gov cracking down recently. Thanks for the heads up. I'm looking to buy some acreage up in the mountains as kind of a home-base. BLM land around the area I'm looking too, so that's good. I'm also very lucky insomuch that I have lots friends in the major CA cities that would at least let me park in their driveways. I'm not worried too much about the law and stealth camping, and I'm savvy enough to avoid obvious pitfalls. The goal is to keep the exterior looking like a nondescript work van as much as possible. that'll change when I'm ready to do the 4x4 conversion of course, but for now, I'm confident that I can go stealth mode. Good to know while I'm on the move though. I used to sleep in my subaru all the time up in the North Coast when I'd go abalone diving. I see lots of vans in the turn outs when I drive up there now-a-days.

Thanks man! Yes, I think the best course of action for now would be to convert the interior of the van to a stealth camper for adventure travel. Then, when I have work, I can haul a tool crib with everything I need. This beast has just shy of a 10K towing capacity, so I figure I can throw on a Class IV hitch & trailer break and haul whatever the F needs to be hauled. Also, I want to put a roof rack on for extra storage. The idea would be to put a crossbed tool box/etc. for a Pickup up on top of the roof rack for some extra storage.

I envy you and your stable of vans. Noted about dual purposing. There will hopefully be more vans in my future too. I was really surprised with how little rust there was too. I was fully expecting to have to rent a welder, but no need. There's considerable pitting under the driver's footwell and juuust a little bit of damage, but it cleaned up nice and tin tape took care of the small holes after I sprayed with primer. That was it. The rest was just surface rust, and if you look at the photo after I got on the grind, much of that was just due to my own sense of perfectionism. Might as well grind every little thing I saw. Inspected the undercarriage and body, pleasantly surprised to find extremely little rust. Brah, the more I go over this van, the more I feel like I found an F-ing gem. STOKED!

Yes, stay tuned for exterior pics and an update on my progress in 5, 4, 3....

 

Exterior photos

 

Today's progress:

Finished painting the interior. It'll all be covered by other stuff, but I figure I won't have to worry about rust for the next 15 years. Also cleaned all the interior trim components with Simple Green and a metal toothbrush. It sucked.

 

Looks great.
Are you in Cali or HI??

 

Did you use a big sprayer for the interior? What paint did you use?

 

I adopted my van from my dad when he retired.
At some point, he had Rhinoliner bedline the entire cargo floor and about 4 inches up each wall.
It was probably really expensive but it is fantastic.

I don't have any handy pictures of it, but I was thinking now would be a good time to do yours if you were so inclined.

 

Nope, just used Rust-Oleum found at any hardware store. It'll all be covered by other stuff, so did it purely rust prevention/protection.

I actually want to spray bedliner on some of the exterior elements. The interior is going to be a bit more plush.

Thanks! Transitioning back to CA. Just put the van on a ship yesterday. Going to meet it in Seattle for Christmas with my girlfriends family, then drive it down to CA.

 

Put her on a ship yesterday. With any luck, we'll reunite just before Christmas in Seattle. Hope to install more insulation on the walls and ceiling, install a vent van & diesel heater before driving it down to CA for New Years.

Got the floor insulated and put in a sub-floor, aslo cut out reflectix for the windows.