Ever had a Conversion Van?

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Mar 17, 2008
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I remember when conversion vans were all the rage. Both big and small. I always liked them but never owed one myself. My cousin had a nice full sized one.

How about you?
 
I got a camper van now. Does that count?

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Unless a conversion van has a kitchen and bathroom, whats the point?
 
We had a couple of the Astro vans growing up. Grandpa had a mid-eighties full size Chevy conversion van. He used to brag that it was the best vehicle he ever owned because he made it to 200k miles. I disagreed with him on that point because he replaced both the engine and the transmission during all those miles. I wouldn't call that reliable. It was definitely comfortable though. I'd love to have one.
 
My neighbors had one in the 90's when we were kids. It literally had wood interior and recliners for seats. It had a TV with a VCR. I thought my neighbors were millionaires it was so nice lol.

I think it was a 350 chevy GMC van.

I think the modern day conversion van would be a sprinter or something tall like that with the captains chairs.
 
Parents did when I was a kid. It was a Chevy Starcraft conversion van. Mom, dad and 5 kids. Went to Mt. Rushmore, went aboard the USS North Carolina, Myrtle Beach... .

I highly recommend seeing the USS North Carolina. Note: You need to be in good physical shape to explore it.
 
I talked my buddy into getting one as our party bus while we were all still single. He got a crusty 1999 E-150 with 200k on it, but it had sweet limo lights inside! I went through it mechanically and fixed everything I could find then we took it on a 2 week road trip towing a pop-up camper from middle GA to Vegas and back. Went out there on a northern route through Kansas Colorado and came back through New Mexico and Texas. Van ran great! On a oil note I filled it up with QSUD 5w-30 before we left and it used a quart a day for the first 5 days of the trip, then the consumption stopped and I didn't have to top it off again the rest of the trip! That was all circa 2015 and he still has it as his spare vehicle.
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I need one but the more recent ones cost more than an suv almost. I would like to even be able to find just a full sized passenger van at a decent price.
 
Grandpa had a Chevy van converted by Sidewinder - looked a bit like this one:

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Second row captain's chairs, TV/VCR, and the back bench converted into a bed. I always thought it would be a great van to be driven in for a long trip, but I don't have a driver on staff. Or a van.

Not so much a conversion van, but friends of the family had a Dodge Street Van like this one:

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It had a "shuttle" tape deck - no, not a removable faceplate... the whole thing came out of the dash so you could protect it from theft by bringing it inside. The only seating besides the front row was a bench at the very back. It was a pretty cool experience as a kid sitting all the way back there with my friends.
 
Yes. Currently have it. It’s a shame you don’t see them around anymore. Ours is down because of an idle issue we are working to figure out. Ours is a 1994 Ford Econoline with the Ideal USA conversion on it. It’s by far the most comfortable vehicle I’ve ever sat in. But the safety features aren’t good at all. In a wreck the seats would collapse. The insurance on it is cheaper than any other vehicle we have because according to the insurance company conversion vans are rarely ever in accidents both today and the time when they were hot. Ours hasn’t seen the road full time in about 8 years and hasn’t seen the road at all since 2019 when the idle issue began. We keep insurance and plates on it though because once we get it fixed it will be a daily again as our other cars are needing lots of work again. I also have to fix the drivers window as it doesn’t roll down and that is required for VA state inspections. I’ve already diagnosed it as the motor so I’ll fix that but I want to make sure we get it back 100% right before. Also the rear doors don’t open from the inside and the back passenger door doesn’t open at all from the outside or inside. That’s a mystery I’ve got to figure out.

Still my second favorite vehicle that we own. It’s the only one we still have from when I was born which makes it that much more special to me. Plus it’s blue so it’s perfect. I wish I had more pictures of it. Maybe I can take some and post them. Yes ours is a flat roof long wheelbase. Some say that doesn’t count as a conversion van but to me it does. It has everything a conversion can would have just under a flat roof. I almost bought a Dodge as my first vehicle but decided not too. It was our neighbors he offered it to me for $1500. In our neighborhood our oldest neighbors used to have I think it was a 1988 G20 conversion van it was a beautiful shiny black they got rid of it in cash for clunkers and bought a new Camry that year. I was really bummed out because I would of loved to have had it. I’ve had a strong love for vans since I was a young kid. I just think they are cool. Any conversion van is probably my second favorite vehicle with the classic beetle being first. I sure do wish they still made them but I don’t believe there would be any market for them today especially not my generation.

A fun fact I leaned about mine since everyone always wants to tell me oh it doesn’t have the 5.8 V8 in it is because apparently that was the least used engine that year according to a Ford tech at my dealership who has worked for Ford since the 1980s. He said most of them came with the 4.9 I6 or 5.0 V8 not the 5.8 so that makes it even more special too.

My dad purchased the van in 1998 with 31,000 on it. Someone had traded it in for a Dodge pickup truck. He gave $11,500 for it. Currently has 141,000 on it. I’ve driven it a couple times and let me tell you you can’t see a thing when backing up LOL. I remember riding to Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas in it when I was like 2 or 3 to visit family.
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I have a 1985 GMC G2500 Vandura StarCraft conversion. 305/TH350. Bought in December 2020 with 105K (now 113K) for $3k from the elderly second owner (since 1991). I had the carburetor rebuilt. I also replaced the (original) shocks, and exhaust system. Next job: rear differential oil change. My wife loves the van because it’s spacious, and she can work on her laptop in the third row, oblivious to the anxiety-inducing traffic outside. Van downside: 11 mpg average with that 3 speed automatic (and I use e0 gas if possible).
 

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I have a 1985 GMC G2500 Vandura StarCraft conversion. 305/TH350. Bought in December 2020 with 105K (now 113K) for $3k from the elderly second owner (since 1991). I had the carburetor rebuilt. I also replaced the (original) shocks, and exhaust system. Next job: rear differential oil change. My wife loves the van because it’s spacious, and she can work on her laptop in the third row, oblivious to the anxiety-inducing traffic outside. Van downside: 11 mpg average with that 3 speed automatic (and I use e0 gas if possible).
My wife would love that interior, the blinds, curtains and sofa bench. Nice vehicle.
 
I LOVE that. The shades, curtains, I miss those vans. My parents were terrified of the mpg and prominently noted that Chevy had driveshaft vibration issues regularly with these. We had several friends with them… and sure enough they had mechanical issues, like the driveshaft, or more commonly the burden of running the A/C on impossibly hot summer days while daily driving them in traffic. So they bought a 4spd VW vanagon, suspecting it would be “better.” Ok we actually really liked the VW. But yeah, I always wanted one.

in high school I had a friend with a single mom… 4 kids in the house. They had an old modified econoline with 4 swivel captains chairs. My parents would fund the parts and I’d regularly “borrow” it to change the oil, ATF, and other basics. I absolutely loved driving it around, or being a passenger. Being 2 tone brown with some old purple window tint, it got pulled over a lot when it wasn’t in its natural town where everyone knew who it was. I think it met a sad death of thrown rod. It had many, many miles on it by then.
 
I have 3 conversion vans. A 1975 Westfalia VW and a 1986 Westfalia Vanagon and 1993 Roadtrek. All have beds stove ice box or refrig and bathroom or port-a-potti. We have been to Yellowstone 16 times in these vans and rhey are wonderful for travel.
 
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