00:00This is Patrick with New Jersey's Outdoor Adventures YouTube channel here at Overland East in Virginia.
00:05Just bumped into Jerry here. Jerry has a vintage Ford Econoline van that is fully off-road capable
00:12and he has a DIY camper build on the inside. And this thing is pretty cool.
00:16He's going to give us a tour inside and out, so join us.
00:21Hey, Patrick, how you doing? We're here at Overland Expo.
00:24My name is Jerry Bain and I'm going to take you around my Ford Econoline van.
00:28Let's start at the front.
00:30So the front bumper, we wanted an off-road look, so we went with a 1974 Warned Winch with the
00:37Evo.
00:39Underneath, we've got a Dana 60. This is a 92 Dana 60 on the front.
00:44And we're running, of course, we're running the BFG KM3 tires.
00:50We're also running the Trail Gear beadlocks because we do a lot of guiding in West Virginia
00:55and we do air down quite a bit.
00:57So while we're guiding and we're air down, we like that beadlock.
01:00Inside on the suspension, it's all Skyjacker.
01:03Guys, I'm going to tell you, Skyjacker suspension, we got with them a few years ago.
01:08We absolutely love it.
01:09We went with the Barnes four-wheel drive, hooked us up with some enduro joints and we had some custom
01:16suspension made in the front for that.
01:19We've put about 70,000 miles on this van in the last four years.
01:24So we have been to Maine, Canada a couple times.
01:29We've been to Baja, Mexico, of course, Pismo Beach, Los Angeles, Washington State.
01:36We went all the way down to Key West on one trip.
01:38We boogied down one side of the beach coast and came back up the other and we camped the whole
01:44time.
01:45Guys, we have KC's on the front, of course, and for a vintage build, you got Fuzzy Dice and the
01:51KC Lights.
01:52What else could you ask for?
01:53Over here on the right-hand side, we do use the WeBoost and we also have a CB and then
01:59we have a VHF for comps.
02:03So, let's move on back.
02:05So the van itself, we'll go ahead and walk you inside.
02:09So when we built the van, when we built the van in West Virginia, since we do a lot of
02:15guide work, West Virginia is all canopy.
02:19So we knew we couldn't do a high top, so we built the van inside specifically so you would never
02:24have to stand up.
02:25And what I mean by that is both front seats swivel and then we have a little propane stove right
02:31here in the front.
02:32So if I'm cooking, I'll be sitting in this seat cooking.
02:36Tina sits here, she preps, and then if you want to swing around there, of course, we have the Dometic
02:42refrigerator.
02:44And then right over here in the back corner is our sink.
02:47And if you want to go ahead and slide in there.
02:50So with our sink, let me go ahead and move this real quick.
02:54So that's our sink.
02:56So if you're going to brush your teeth or wash dishes, you'll just sit right here.
03:00So the way this van was designed, Patrick, is to never have to stand up.
03:03You just move from station to station to station.
03:06All right.
03:07We got the EcoFlow 12-volt air conditioning system.
03:12We've used this a lot.
03:13This thing works really good.
03:14This is the Wave 1.
03:15They now have the Wave 2 and the Wave 3 out, but we really like this one.
03:19Of course, we have the fan in the roof 99% of the time.
03:22With the Max Air Fan, guys, we never have to use the air conditioning.
03:27What else?
03:29Of course, we have 26-inch television.
03:31The van is set up with a MiFi set up.
03:34So when we're on the road, Patrick, we just stream whatever we're watching at home.
03:38And that works out real good for us as long as we have cell service.
03:41The van was originally built.
03:43We have the tables here.
03:44These are the Laguna mounts.
03:45Here and here, we didn't bring our tables with us.
03:48But this van is set up that my wife and I can both work remotely with dual screens.
03:53So that's always a plus.
03:55You got a couple of cabinets there that we put our stuff in.
03:58We got two cabinets above the stove.
04:01And then we did a custom backsplash.
04:04Got some sun chips and some chicken fritters.
04:08All right.
04:09So that's the basic inside of the van.
04:14If you want to walk around the back.
04:19So everybody knows you never have room for all your stuff.
04:21So last year, I built this rear bumper, dual swing arms.
04:27And what I didn't like was any, they only make, one company makes an aftermarket and it's just way too
04:33big.
04:33So when I designed this one, I built a backbone system behind it and then used the factory bumper as
04:39nothing more than a cover.
04:42We also have the entire camper set up.
04:45So if we are pulling into a campsite or whatever, we'll just plug in our umbilical cord and we'll hook
04:51up as normal.
04:53Up on top, we got 300 watts of solar if you want to get up there.
05:01We got 300 watts of solar on the roof.
05:03We use that to, of course, keep us charged up when we're down in Mexico or wherever.
05:08And then we built this custom rack on top as well to put, there is a fuel extra five-gallon
05:15mount.
05:16So on the back, we hung our spare tire and then, of course, our Blue Ridge Overland gear trash bag.
05:23We keep a cooler up here for extra water if we're on the road.
05:26This is our propane tank.
05:27We run power tank to air up and down.
05:30And this is for our shower.
05:31Let's go ahead and open it up.
05:35So I put the dual latches on here.
05:37So if a latch fails, it still won't open.
05:42So we did that.
05:43And then we also put the latch stop.
05:50Now, don't mind the dust because we've been on the road for five weekends straight.
05:55But this is the back.
05:59So back here is where we keep all the important stuff.
06:03Go ahead.
06:03So we have our Boss Base Camp shower system.
06:08So what's nice about that is, and then we have an extra couple of batteries there.
06:14What's nice about that is we keep everything here.
06:18So in the event that we need to shower like we will this weekend, we keep everything for our shower
06:26system in here, including an extra shower curtain.
06:28So the way the van is set up to shower is we'll hang that shower curtain between these two doors,
06:34and then you'll stand here and you'll go ahead and take a shower.
06:37And this shower curtain keeps that rain from getting or that water from getting inside.
06:41We keep our towels there on the back.
06:43We've got a little extra storage underneath.
06:47And that's the garage area.
06:50This is an awesome van, Jerry.
06:52I appreciate the opportunity to showcase it on the show.
06:54Now, it's a 1989, so they built these, what, from the 70s all the way to 91?
07:00Yeah, so this van specifically is considered a third-gen Econoline van.
07:05It was built from 1975 to 1991.
07:09In 1991, they went to the fourth-gen, and those are the more rounded ones that a lot of people
07:13use today.
07:14But this was the last generation of the square vans, and again, it was a long run.
07:21And they didn't come four-wheel drive new.
07:23This is a conversion, but there was a free-wheeling package.
07:27Oh, yeah, so this van specifically, I used to run a Comanche years ago, and my wife, our youngest son,
07:37went off to college at Marshall.
07:39So she started riding in the Comanche with me.
07:42If anybody knows the Cherokee or Comanche are real small.
07:44So I said, hey, you're going to keep running with me?
07:46She said, yeah, I think I will.
07:48I'm having fun.
07:49And I said, well, let's build something else.
07:51So I had this as a kid, as a Matchbox.
07:54It was this big.
07:55So Ford, from 1979 to 1981, this van specifically was considered the Ford freewheeling package.
08:04Now, the colors were a little more muted.
08:07I picked a little more vibrant of a color.
08:09But the stripe package was exactly like that.
08:11And as a kid, I thought, man, if I ever grow up, and if I ever can, I'd love this
08:17to be real.
08:17Just like anyone that played with the Matchbox.
08:19So the reason that this van looks the way it does, and why it's here getting ready to be backed
08:24into the BFG booth, is because we always wanted to build it.
08:28And I had a Matchbox as a kid that was just like this.
08:30So if you guys are down here this weekend, and you want to stop by and see us, we'll be
08:34at the BFG booth.
08:36That's Tina, and that's our little dog, Disco, right there.
08:38So if you get a chance, come and see us.
08:40We'd love to show you the van.
08:42I appreciate the opportunity.
08:44I came over, and I saw this van.
08:46I was like, oh, my God, this is incredible.
08:48I have a Ford Econoline camper van myself, and my viewers are very familiar with it.
08:53But not this body style.
08:55I have the newer rounded style.
08:56Yeah.
08:57And I can't believe there's like no rust on this thing.
08:59No, it's completely rust free.
09:02We found it as a cargo van in Lynchburg, just south of here.
09:06And a guy had it as a backup van for his electrical company.
09:10And we went ahead and came down and bought it, brought it home.
09:12It was just a little two-wheel drive van.
09:14We did the four-wheel drive conversion on it, because that's what we always wanted to do.
09:18And now we use it to lead groups through West Virginia.
09:23We do a lot of tour work in West Virginia, a lot of guide work.
09:25And again, we travel all over the country in it.
09:28What's the power plant?
09:29It's a 302 right now.
09:31But actually, we were talking coming up here.
09:33We've got a 351 coming.
09:36We're going to be moving up to a 351, because as you can tell, she's heavy.
09:40I'd say she comes in around 9,000 pounds.
09:43My van is an E350 with the V10 engine.
09:47That's a good one.
09:48It's 9,600 pounds.
09:49I'm 10-3.
09:50That's a good motor, though.
09:51I like that motor.
09:52It is.
09:53Seven miles a gallon.
09:54But it's strong.
09:55It's strong.
09:56Yeah.
09:56It's strong.
09:57I only get 10 with a 302.
09:59And I'm in the trucker lane on every hill.
10:02Well, this is awesome.
10:03I appreciate the opportunity.
10:04I wish you success here at Overland East.
10:08And maybe I'll see you down in Baja.
10:10Of course.
10:10All right.
10:11We'll see y'all.
10:12This is Baja from New Jersey's Outdoor Adventures YouTube channel.
10:14I'll see you next time.
10:16Bye.
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