Campervan Owner Knows What He's Selling, and It's Not the Van Life You Think

Even the seller thinks you don’t want (or need) this lifted diesel 4×4 camper conversion van.

Looking for a great new van? Too bad, because we haven’t found a great new van. We’ve found a van that you absolutely don’t want. It’s old, it’s high mileage, it’s a 7.3 Powerstroke diesel, and it’s got a 4×4 conversion. Wait, why don’t we want this van?

Oh, we see what’s going on here. Someone’s doing some negging. Telling you all of the reasons why you wouldn’t want their used E-Series Ford van, just knowing that it’s going to make you want to bid even higher.

Well, it won’t work! And that has nothing to do with GearJunkie not letting me use the corporate credit card to buy something ~~really cool~~ terrible.

So, why don’t you want this 1999 Ford E-350 Sportsmobile campervan?

Old, Busted, High Miles

For a start, it’s 23 years old. Sure, it’s from Oregon originally, and then from California, so it’s probably never even heard of winter. But, the seller says it has “all of the dings and scratches” that come with so many years. Plus, “everyone stares at you when you’re driving it.”

Under the short hood, and poking out between you and your passenger is a Powerstroke 7.4L turbodiesel V8. Is this one of the most highly sought-out Ford engines ever? Yes, but it’s got 190,000 miles on the clock. That’s probably 20% of its whole life! Gone!

And a transmission from John Wood Automotive, some guy who thinks he’s learned a thing or two about building diesel gearboxes since 1983? Pfft.

How much power does the van make with one of them Superchips installed? Enough to make it “fun to watch the faces of Tesla drivers as you put the hammer down and pass them on the way to Mammoth.” Sure, it is.

So Impractical

This isn’t some one-owner creampuff stock van; this is a van that’s had a bunch of people messing with it over the years to make it “better.”

Do you want a 6-inch lift and 4×4 drive conversion from U-Joint off-road? Of course not. Nobody wants to cram 35-inch tires under their van. Like the seller says, “Don’t waste your money, you’re not really gonna off-road. You just want it because it looks cool.”