I absolutely loved my 1982 Sportsmobile based on the Ford E-150 Econoline van. I first became aware of these vans when I saw a newer 4×4 version at a gas station near Akron Ohio. You could tell the owner had been doing a lot of travelling, and the van screamed adventure.
Doing a search, I quickly realized that a newer 4×4 Sportsmobile was not in my budget. A used Sportsmobile can still cost quite a bit of money, and then you have to contend with things going wrong with it.
After enough research, I opted to search for a much older Sportsmobile. The 80’s models have fewer things that can go wrong with them. There’s benefits to not having computers, sensors, and piles of harnesses to troubleshoot.
The first one I found needed to much work. The second one (the one I bought) was listed in Michigan for $2,400. I contacted the owner and scheduled a meeting to look at it.
When I started it up and looked at the motor, the upper radiator hose had a pin hole leak and was squirting coolant on the motor. The fan for the air didn’t blow, and the radio didn’t work.
I purchased the van for $1,500, ran to the parts store to get a new radiator hose, swapped the hose, and drove it home. The van road smooth the whole way home.
Once we got the van home, I put in a new stereo, fixed the switch for the fan speed settings, and fixed an exhaust leak.
The exterior had some minor rust issues, but the interior of the Sportsmobile was in great shape. It had a working fridge, sink, stove, ceramic heater, table, and porta-potty. The on-board propane tank still had fuel in it. The carpet and upholstery was in great shape, and all the curtains were still there (including the ones that went across the windshield). I was actually surprised at how much storage space was available with all the cabinets.
There wasn’t a bunk for the penthouse (the pop top), but I made my own sleeping platform with some 3/4 inch plywood.
I had the van for a little more than a year, and regrettably sold it after buying a camper. There are definitely advantages to having a camper van over a pull behind camper.
Advantages – The advantages to a camper van are:
You don’t have to hook to it to tow it. You can just get in it and go. Therefore, you’re likely to use it more.
You don’t have to set it up when you get there. There was only (3) latches that held our top down. Simply release the (2) in the front, and the one in the back, and then push it up and enjoy yourself.
You can pull in to anyplace on your trip you want to, and don’t have to worry about space needed when parking or maneuvering a camper.
You can pretty much stop and sleep anywhere you want.
Photos:
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