Jammer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2009
- Posts
- 1,491
I'm thinking more seriously about an E-350 mainly as a tow vehicle but want to have a little extra space in it so as to be able to get by with a smaller trailer.
I note that Sportsmobile charges around $16,000 for a fairly basic conversion, with additional charges for a high-top, A/C, toilet, and other options. It appears to me that much of the cost is restyling of the interior, new carpeting, headliner, that kind of thing.
I'm thinking in terms of taking a stock van, replacing rear seating, and adding cabinets with a (12v only) fridge and furnace (with an asme propane tank mounted to the frame). I don't have this completely priced out but with a dinette and four captain's chairs I'm getting $3000 for the furniture and $2000 for the mechanicals. Even with hiring out the work to a custom shop this seems like a much cheaper way to go.
A question I have is whether the insulation in a stock van is sufficient and whether the typical conversion results in enough of an improvement to matter.
Also wondering whether the seating is a do-it-yourself project or something that really has to be hired out to people who've done it before.
I note that Sportsmobile charges around $16,000 for a fairly basic conversion, with additional charges for a high-top, A/C, toilet, and other options. It appears to me that much of the cost is restyling of the interior, new carpeting, headliner, that kind of thing.
I'm thinking in terms of taking a stock van, replacing rear seating, and adding cabinets with a (12v only) fridge and furnace (with an asme propane tank mounted to the frame). I don't have this completely priced out but with a dinette and four captain's chairs I'm getting $3000 for the furniture and $2000 for the mechanicals. Even with hiring out the work to a custom shop this seems like a much cheaper way to go.
A question I have is whether the insulation in a stock van is sufficient and whether the typical conversion results in enough of an improvement to matter.
Also wondering whether the seating is a do-it-yourself project or something that really has to be hired out to people who've done it before.