American Car - November 2015

72 ACM

blueprints

Conclusion

“Many of the big players in the conversion van market, like Starcraft,

have gone bump. We do still sell dayvans to order, but don't keep them

in stock any more, and most of the good, low-mileage, late-model

dayvans went over to Europe when the Euro was stronger against the

pound than the dollar. As with any second-hand purchase, history,

mileage, and wear and tear should be the main things to check, but

you should always run a CarFax check on anything first registered

outside the UK. Also, check the gross weight of the vehicle. It varies

from van to van, but expect it to be about 7,600lbs or 3,400kg, and

remember that the manufacturer's data plate on the door jamb will be

for the base van, NOT the conversion van. Also check what class the

van is on the logbook – it could be registered as PLG, a van, a minibus,

a camper – and whether you're entitled to drive it. Older licence

holders should be fine, but younger folks should check their licence;

it's a minefield. LPG conversions are popular - good ones are worth

having, but you should steer clear of bad ones. Unfortunately it's not

always easy to tell the difference, so get a local LPG specialist to check

it over. We've seen some horrendous conversions over the years.

There are always custom accessories available for dayvans. It's a

leisure vehicle, and it's YOUR leisure vehicle, so if it makes you smile,

accessorise! There are rotten old sheds out there for three figures that

will need lots of work, whilst a brand-new, all-singing, all-dancing

Sherrod conversion will be around the £50,000 mark. The newest

ones are based on a Chevy, Ford or Ram ProMaster chassis. The

ProMaster is a Mercedes Sprinter, and Ford bases nowadays are likely

to be the Transit...” - RB

“Almost all dayvans will be automatics, and the

transmissions will be reliable as long as they haven't

been abused. Use your common sense, and don't tow

in overdrive fourth, and they should last well.” - RB

“The most trouble we've had with dayvans is with

gearboxes. They're all automatics, and from the mid-

eighties, when they switched to the 700R4 or AOD,

they seem to wear out the overdrive gear, especially

on any van that's been used for towing. The problem

seemed to get sorted out in the nineties. The earlier

three-speed autos were all good, reliable, and a great

drive, and the axles seem to go on forever.” - SW

“The quality of conversions varies; the better converters being

Sherrod, Starcraft and Explorer. Continuity of parts supply could

be an issue for a conversion company that's no longer there –

conversion trim parts, body kit etc – but mechanical parts are no

problem at all. - RB

“The cab usually uses standard OE electrics, but the wiring to the

mood lighting in the back rarely causes problems unless it's been

messed with. If the van has an American TV and DVD set-up in

the back it may need converting to a European specification set-

up. Electric 'rock'n'roll' sofa-beds can strip their gears, but if you

can't get the replacement parts you can always remove the

electrical bits and convert them to manual operation.” - SW

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