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Conversion Vans
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This is a fairly basic package, w/ 4 captains chairs and sofa bed(non power )seating in the rear. Some accent lighting, overhead console, etc.
I am so far (5,500 miles) very pleased with the Dodge platform. Very decent ride, no rattles, engine is smooth and overall build quality is very good.
The Zephyr Conversion package is top notch. Overall, very good quality, fit & finish.
Seeing the earlier notes on the absense of Conversion companies, I wanted to pass along this praise for Zephyr. If you are in the market for a new conversion van from Dodge(I think they do Ford too), they are worth a serious look.
My Name I. Gregory Miller. I too owned a 1999 Ford E-150 SHERROD Hi-Top conversion van. At 8000 - 9000 miles I noticed a significant decrease in the braking power. Being a former mechanic and auto enthusiast, off to the dealer 2x for repairs. They told me both times the brake system passed the standard "by the book testing." I explained to them the brake booster was not holding its vacuum. ( I could hear the vacuum hissing for 30 - 60 seconds after the engine was shut off) When the hissing stopped, the brake pedal was hard as a rock. I continued to tell the manager and supervisor "RIGHT NOW, LET US GO TO ANY VEHICLE, ANY MAKE. EVEN IF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN NOT RUNNING FOR DAYS, THERE SHOULD BE VACUUM ASSIST LEFT IN THE BRAKE BOOSTER." The pedal should feel almost normal.
They brushed me away and I told them "If I get into an accident because of my brakes, I'll own your dealership." I promise you....Well, 2 months later, at 14,116 miles I was faced with an emergency situation and the brakes just weren't there for me. I 'T'-boned another van and flipped over 3 times. The accident investigator stated how the distances and other details were cause for the accident and my attorney shyed away from a product liability issue. ( That is a long story ).
YES, MY 1999 FORD E-150 VAN HAD BAD BRAKES. I KNOW IT IN MY HEART. BUT NOW IT'S TOO LATE TO TAKE RECOURSE. PLEASE FOLLOW THROUGH WITH HAVING THE BRAKE BOOSTER DIAPHRAGM, CHECK VALVE AND VACUUM HOSE CHECKED. NOT BY THE DEALER.
Please let me know if you results parallel mine. Again, test any other vehicle with power brakes. A vacuum-assisted brake system should hold its vacuum supply for a reasonable time after the engine is shut off. I have found brake boost available after being parked for 5 - 7 DAYS. My van lost its vacuum boost after 60 seconds.
Gregory Miller
KIRASDAD2059@AOL.COM
#239 of 260 van totaled anyone with brake problems by darkmanxr2 Sep 26, 2001 (5:00 pm)
Had E150 Ford Conversion 1999. Had brake done 8/5/01 pm husband took to work 8/6/01 am Had to stop on FWY no Brakes Insurance Investigating. Suspected something odd with the way brakes went bad prior to repair, Did our mechanic make a mistake or has anyone else had problems with their brakes. Friend said she heard Ford may have defective brake system. Has anyone else heard about this. PLEASE LET ME KNOW. by the way my husband was OK praise God!
There are some archived conversion van discussions you can find with the Search tool on the left, and there's one active one about pricing:
Pricing (costing) conversion vans
Hope this helps,
Steve, Host
Trucks are out! I have no need for one. No 4 wheel drive. I havn't need that in 43 years of driving.
I am retired and I am leaning toward the E-250 window van with the new diesel, 5 speed trannie, and 350 rear. I am looking for the hauling ability, better mpg. Longevity! I can have the interior decorated locally to my likes.
I make about 5-6 trips annually. Rest is local driving.
Anyone have experience with the new diesels in truck or van?? How about short driving, short hops with it? Any problems? Ford fixed the original injector problems they had with some of them.
Thanks, Bruce bgsberk@comcast.net
Steve, Host
This is probably a camber adjustment that is needed. I had my dealer re-do the wheel alignment after showing him the tire wear. This solved my problem. I suspect that when the technician did the original alignment, he did not complete the job by checking "toe in/toe out settings".
Hope this helps.
I have a 96 high top explorer that holds up well, although the front tires due tend to wear a little quicker on the outside edge. Not as bad as the twin I beam though. They have a rep for going through front brakes fast too.
Steve, Host
The modern vans also have more room inside and get better gas mileage than the biggest SUVs at about the same sticker price."
NBC4
Steve, Host
GM, converters try to bring back the van (MSNBC)
Steve, Host
Many thanks
Bungy
What I would like to know is what sort of price I could expect to get for this van. None of the car price websites seem to have any pricing on conversion vans, just the straight factory vans.
I have a 1985 Dodge Ram Conversion Van and need to know what tires to run on it. They are 15 inch but I think the ply rating is wrong because the back end seems to "roll" alot now and the van is hard to control on the highway. Can someone suggest what tires I should be looking for? The old tries were Michelins but I can't remember what model or rating they were. Help. Thank you.
Are there many of these? Looks nice. Good deal? Does anyone know where more of these rigs are available?
billy7
tks
I have a 93 Ford Econoline 150 conversion line that I am selling. It has 50K miles on it. Looking around for a decent selling price for this Van. It has 2 fully powered captains chair, a folding bed, lights, sway bars.
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Jimmy
A couple things I'm still not clear on;
1. Are there any high-top/conversion vans that come with a V6? I'm not concerned about power; I will not be towing anything.
2. From the threads on this board, there is no triumphant winner between the Big 3, but it appears the majority favor the most expensive of the bunch; the Econoline. I personally don't mind spending a couple hundred bucks to a thousand dollars more if it will be trouble-free.
Thanks
I always put in new shocks, check with a ECU scanner for problems, if needed replace tie rods and such wear and tear items. That all is cheap and makes a huge difference if these items need replacing which they did in all the ones I bought.
I just bought a 95. It rides like a Cadillac. Has leather seats, TV/VCR, high top, beautiful wood, all power and so on. I paid $ 4,000 and put in another $ 400 or so, just because I want everything perfect to the last light bulb. Now it's brand new.
Make no mistake, I have 3 other high end cars (06 Mercedes CLS 500, 2001 Porsche Turbo and my wife has a Lexus SUV).
I always buy these old vans as a "Home Depot" transporter, than fall in love with them, make them look like new and turns out it's more practical than all the other fancy cars I have. Especially for long trips with the kids I prefer the old van over anything else.
I recommend a Ford E150 based vehicle. I had firends they had Chevy Vans, even new and they had all kind of transmission and other problems.
Get a Ford. I had three E150 conversions. All high mileage and pretty old. We just got rid of a 87. Still drives good, but the rust started to make it look like a junk car. They are reliable, easy and cheap to repair and maintain.
I started looking at used conversion vans, Found the Chevys & Fords to be the most common. I tried to find a Dodge but there weren't that many to choose from in NY where I reside. I was told V6 are not powerful enough for a High Top Conversion. But that Vortec V6 is a great engine, so who knows. I just listened. A lot of the van conversion companies are out of business. Asking someone about who's good is like a part of your anatomy. Everyone has one. I do know something!!!!! If I were buying a NEW Conversion Van it would be a Regency or Explorer. They seem like Quality units to me. They tend to get a little pricey, but real nice workmanship.
I bought today a 94 Chevy Designer Van High Top. Does anyone know anything about them? Real clean; 83,000 miles & I'd be the 4th owner. It's equipped & I paid $3,200.I don't think I can go wrong. Any answers!
Only problem is I get static from the engine on almost every FM radio sation -- even the close ones with strong signals. TV gets static as well (although I find that less unexpected).
The clincher that told me I had a problem was yesterday when I had a remote starter installed. The wireless remote works fine when the engine isn't running. But as soon as the engine starts the remote is useless. The installers were at a loss and say it is some sort of interference/static caused by the engine.,
I just returned from a mechanic who hooked it up to a machine. Engine runs perfectly. No misses or anything like that. WIres look good.
I did a test by turning the ignition on without starting the engine and getting the fuel pump to engage. No static there.
Static is only there when engine is running and seems to increase the faster I drive. At 65 mph it's really noticeable.
I'm at a loss as to where to start eliminating potential problems.
My first suspect was the spark plug wires. Maybe the alternator.
I don't want to waste money tracking this down if it's a simple fix or a known problem with conversion vans.
So I thought I'd ask for advice here.
Thanks.
i am a 1st time (wannabe) buyer of a van conversion...i cannot afford to buy new
(& would like to take advantage of the
depreciation rate anyways)but as so many others ive have come to find out how difficult finding any ref. publications on values of van convs.can be.....
i'm lookin a 1999 ford e150 STARCRAFT conversion being sold by a private party...asking price is $8500....having only the knowledge ive acquired from having searched the ads in my area...it seems to be a decent price ,i guess what im asking is there anything about that particular model that would it a not so good deal?
so any input is appreciated.i welcome all opinions and value any bad experiences others may have had with the ford e150(1999)and/or starcraft conversions.
thanx
rj, inthe 92021
My dad bought a 1985 Econoline brand new from factory (Osage vans). Wasn't happy with it so sold in 87 and replaced with an 82 GMC conversion a couple years later. Gave a few good years of service before sold.
I bought my first van in 2003, a 1993 Chevy G20 Tiara conversion. It's a great van and I'm very happy with it. I'd like to keep it forever but eventually will trade up to a newer model. Looks like Explorer will be the next one.
$8500 sounds a little high for a '98 van. Demand for conversion vans is at an all time low so it's really a buyers' market. I've seen 01/02 Chevy vans for less than that.
Vans offer so much more comfort for much less cost than a SUV. The depr. is steep if purchasing brand new, but it's pretty bad on SUV's now too.
Good luck though - welcome to the van club.
the van is in great shape with 50,000 miles, however the black window sealer (sticky stuff) on the interior of the Bay windows is coming out between the windows and the frame (especially on the upper corners. Has anyone ever had this problem and is it an easy fix?