The New Ride

Here are a few pictures of my van. It is presently equipped with captains’ chairs that swivel, and a bench seat in the back that folds down into a bed. There are shades on all the windows, ducted A/C and heat, diverse interior lighting, and a nice sound system from the radio and TV. The inside is finished in plush carpeting and wood-grain paneling.
1997 Ford Conversion
Van

I tried to figure out a way to save the seats and incorporate them into my camper van design, but the center seats took up too much room, and the fold-down bed was uncomfortable and cramped. So today I decided to remove all the back seats and start over with an empty space.
Van 036
Van 043
The modifications will progress slowly. I still need to use the new van as a backup in case my work van breaks down. I will probably build the cabinets for the kitchen and bed storage area, but still be able to remove them without a lot of work.
Van 044

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9 Responses to “The New Ride”

  1. Dick says:

    That looks like a real good base to start customizing from. I’ll can’t wait to see what you do with it. Do you plan to use totes like in your first van? It looks like you still can’t stand up completely in it, right? Will having all the windows be a problem with built ins?

  2. Dale says:

    Dick – I can almost stand up. I’m thinking of boxing in some of the headliner to have a headroom area. I will build cabinets but may use some totes inside. The bed will be the hight of the window sill but the kitchen counter may come a few inches over.

  3. Don says:

    Nice. Nothing like watching TV while you’re cruising down the interstate. 😉

  4. Donna says:

    That’s beautiful! What a great vehicle to make into a camp van. The front seats will be very comfortable for long driving and the back looks really nice. I never thought to ask you how your bed worked out after you moved it to across the back? Was it long enough for you and did you like it better that way? Is that how you’ll set this one up? Continue to take pictures along the way as you progress with your conversion.

  5. Mom says:

    I’m just going along for the view, which looks great from pictures. No rust, huh?

  6. Daryl says:

    Can you sell the back seats to someone else with a similar van? How many miles? Are you going to paint over the windows, or use curtains?

    Even if you can’t stand up, the extra headroom will be nice.

    Can’t wait till you get out here next time (this winter?) to see what you’ve done with it.

  7. Karen says:

    Don’t forget when you’re customizing the van….you might have to haul an 8 foot sheet of drywall some day so watch the kitchen cabinet placement. Lol

  8. Mom says:

    It sure looks like one of those cars with 10,000 miles on the odometer, driven by a sweet little old lady once a week to Church.

  9. Donna says:

    How’s the new camp vehicle coming along? How about an update?

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