Ease of Repair - E-Series vs GM Vans

A recent thread about the difficulty of repairing an Astro Safari has me a bit skittish on my plans to purchase a full-size van for use as a budget camper. I'm in the desert, where high clearance is mandatory, but 4x4 is not. I don't plan to offroad, but I do want a vehicle that can get into more remote locations and scale steep loose forest roads up the sides of mountains.

My budget is about $5,000, including extraction devices like a winch or locker. Quigley conversions are probably out.

My second choice would be something like an XJ, but sleeping in one could be a challenge. A Montero would provide slightly more length, but obviously not as much as a van.

My third choice is a 4-seat truck with 6' bed and topper.

How does the E-150 compare to the GM vans in terms of easy of maintenance?

I don't think any of them are "easy". My only experience is a '90 E150 with a 5.0 EFI. I didn't do a ton of work on the engine, but a basic tune-up wasn't terrible. Most chores require removing the dog-house, but that will be true with any van.

Maintenance wise, they are about the same. Any more major repairs, I would give the GM the edge in working on, but just barely. The Ford 5.0/5.8 intake takes up a good bit of room, making it harder to work on. I still have nightmares (and scars) from changing the intake gaskets on a Ford.

The hump in the cabin makes work on the rear of the engine cake. I wouldn't say one is better than any other, our company vans are Fords but we don't fix our own so I can't tell you how they are to work on.

Tons of room though.

Is there any difference in the amount of room between an Astro Safari and GM Full size van?

Astro is slightly smaller IIRC.

More info than you will ever want on vans....

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/forums/58-4wd-(and-2WD)-Camper-Vans

In reply to PHeller:

Not really the amount of room but possibly better laid out. Vans are though, I loved my safari and would own another. We also changed three engines in full size vans at the garage I worked at in highschool, Ford, Chevy and dodge. All of them sucked to do.

Cross shopping full size vans and XJ Jeeps. Why not combine the two and buy a Suburban? Nearly the room of a van, 4WD, easy to fix.

KyAllroad wrote: Cross shopping full size vans and XJ Jeeps. Why not combine the two and buy a Suburban? Nearly the room of a van, 4WD, easy to fix.

I'd buy a solid GMT400, add some recovery gear, rip out the seats, and have fun.

From what I can gather the Suburban gets nearly as bad a gas mileage as a van, while being easier to work on. Do any of the older (sub $5000) Suburbans get 20mpg highway?

I would go GM over ford for LS vs Tritan/modular.

In reply to PHeller: Very nearly. My '99 has seen 18 highway when I don't have it loaded to the gills with people and stuff. Full size van (with 4x4 conversion) won't be as good due to aero penalty.

In reply to PHeller:

I can tell you from many miles of experience that both the GM full-size(even 1-ton) and Astro ride WAY better than the ford, and after 100k-200k miles of use are usually much nicer.

Full size Bronco or 2 door Blazer. Bonus points for a 6.5 Diesel 2 door Blazer.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/5322047335.html

I've never worked on a Chevy, but the Econoline isn't horrible.

I can do a radiator in about 30 minutes. Front pads, rotors and bearings, take about an hour. Plugs and wires on the V6 take less than an hour. Oil changes are easy. Plugs on the 5.4 Triton are a bit of a pain, about 4 hours worth because of the COP and the fuel rails. The 4.6 might be easier, I think it's a shorter engine. Alternators and A/C compressors are simple, as are belts and hoses. I've never done a water pump, but they shouldn't be too hard. The only reason we replaced the vans, is between the two of them they had 900,000 miles and the bodies were getting a little ragged. They were coming due for some major repairs, like axle rebuilds $$$$. We were also looking to down size to something a little more economical to operate and easier to drive and park in downtown areas.

I've put well over a million miles on Ford vans in the last 32 years. If I was shopping for another, I wouldn't even consider a Chevy. Get the Ford, and get the V6. It will be pretty easy to work on, get 17+ mpg mixed if you keep your foot out of it, and run almost forever. In this area, $5K will get you a nice one without a billion miles on it. I'd stay away from the pre 97 vans. The ergonomics suck on the older ones, the V6 is better than the I6 in every way and the 5.0 will only get about 13mpg.

I had a 97 GMC that wasn't completely hateful to work on. The most I ever did to it personally was replace the intake manifold gasket. There were a fair amount of trips from the front to the inside. I took out the passenger seat to make it easier to lay down and work on.

I used mine as a camping righ for quiet a while. It was a 1500 with the factory locker and some aggressive tires. It took me everywhere you would want to go to camp, but not down the adventurers trails with steep climbs. Worked great and in many ways my 4Runner I use now is lacking compared to it. The only advantage to the $runner is getting to the way back out of the way fishing spots and 4x4 specific trails for fun.

I second going with an older Suburban if you want 4wd.

I've read that the Ford (2wd) vans have "sloppy" steering, at least through the mid 90s models. My '94 e150 was indeed sloppy and was not easy to keep in a straight line at freeway speeds. There is an aftermarket fix for this but likely costs a few hundred dollars. In comparison my '87 Chev g20 felt straight as an arrow and never drifted at freeway speeds. Both were about the same as far as general maintenance went.

The Chev had Flexsteel seats as it was a Waldoch conversion- hands down the most comfortable automotive seat I've ever sat in. Yes it was made in 1987.

The 95 and older Suburban can get decent mileage: those TBI 350 make good torque down low.. and they are insanely easy to work on and have a ton of room with the two rear rows of seats taken out..