An Inspirational Journey
Here are a few quick reasons why I had specific requirements for the van and I wanted the Ram ProMaster 159wb. These are also why the ProMasters vans are real popular for custom van conversions. There are also companies that buy used ones, convert them into RVs and mobile homes, and then sell them for high money.
1st Reason: The designers of it built it where both sides are aligned and match up perfectly so you can cut out a template on one side of it and it fits perfectly on the other side (you don’t have to make a template for the entire van).
2nd Reason: With the 159 wheel base in the ProMaster, it’s long enough to add a shower/bathroom yet you can also park it in a regular parking space (which was definitely one of the main things I wanted). Take a look at the picture I took at Lowe’s today and you’ll see.
3rd Reason: The walls are more vertical while the walls in the Mercedes Sprinters are more slanted, so this makes it easier to customize the walls/cabinets and get more space to play with.
4th Reason: A reason I wanted a Ram over a Sprinter is that while travelling, it would likely be much more easier to find an auto shop who can work on a Ram/Ford van instead of a Mercedes.
5th Reason: The van is wide enough to have the bed lay sideways which gives you more space to work with.
There are other things too, but just thought I’d share a few of the main things why I wanted this specific van.
Today I hope to finish up the sound deadening and cut out the pattern for the subfloor, then water seal the subfloor.
After that I will be focusing on the insulation and trying to finalize my layout plan (which seems to be the most challenging part so far) as I want to make sure I don’t waste any space, while still being able to modularize sections so I can adjust for different trips (family trips which needs more seats/seatbelts, race trips, solo trips, work trips). I’m making progress on the plan, but just need to fine tune things and make sure things would work out and fit within the space.
