Calling all dirtbags!
I'm sure this has come up in the forums before, but I couldn't find anything on it so I am posting a new thread. I'm looking for a fuel efficient van that can be retrofitted with a kitchen, bed and the works. I'm open to any suggestions and if you have something for sale that matches this description I might be interested.

That's tough. Anything with a v8 is going to be low, like 14mpg?

I have the dinky 6 in my dodge 1500 and it generally gets 17 average. I can push it to 19 if I drive slow.

You'd probably be better served getting a minivan.

2WD Astro/Safari gets 20MPG, 22 if you baby it. V6.

I bet a Toyota Previa would do well if you can find one.

Westy with a Ford Focus engine, or other small engine.

this

oh yeah, a vansion will do you really well if you have the chedda

My '97 Previa AWD gets about 21-22 and near 8' bed with the seats out. Still running good ( a bit loud) at 287,000

NO I'm not selling it

S denny- i know of a beauty previa in Carbondale, but they won't sell either.

you could look for a previa, but they are hard to find and they are all like 20 years old. simplest thing to do is find a toya sienna. there are many for sale. v6 power 19-21 mpg. a 02-05 will cost like 6-9k.....and super reliable. it just wont get you into the back country 4x4 trails..but what vann can??

Sprinters with the high roof get 27+ on the hwy, and have as much or more room as any other van. Downside is no barn door option, only a slider...and they're not cheap, even used with high miles.

I am pretty sure the first gen(straight 5 cyl. diesel) got 27mpg and the 2nd gen(v6 diesel) gets 20-23mpg.

Does anyone know if the sprinter can be outfitted with a pop-top? Also, I was maybe thinking of something like an Element with a pop-top. This would come in handy when driving dirt roads and such.

honda element with pop-top Submitted By: Kyle Blase on Apr 17, 2012

ballin' hard Submitted By: Kyle Blase on Apr 17, 2012

Maybe figure out what your budget is. Those element pop tops run like 4k I think. And if you're looking at something like that sportsmobile, fuel efficiency probably isn't your biggest concern.

I have a sprinter 2004 2500HD

I get 27 MPG going anywhere. They can be retro fitted with a pop top by Sportsmobile for about $5000.

I've had 2 VW pop tops. a 74. Don't go there, and a 93 Euro, might have been a 95? I only had it for 2 months. The sprinter is way way bigger inside, and goes 80 MPH up the passes.

Got mine on ebay with 65K miles for $14,000. That was a good deal, they are out there.

Check this site out.

sprinter-source.com/forum/index.php

Prod.

I've got a westy with the bostig conversion (ford focus engine). I get around 23 mpg on average (mostly hwy).

The ford transit connect gets up to 27 hwy. It is a bit smaller than most vans and has low clearance.

Sprinters are pretty nice, very roomy and they get decent mileage. Diesel fuel is on average a little more expensive right now though. You could run it on veggie oil I suppose.

I met somebody once out at J-tree with a CNG sportsmobile. That would be pretty nice right now because the current CNG prices are very low comparatively. I'm not sure if it was dual-fuel but I think you would want that in case you couldn't find a CNG station close by.

You should run some numbers yourself for the specific vehicles you have in mind, but in general it doesn't make sense ( from a pure economics standpoint) to spend significantly more for a more fuel efficient vehicle. For example, if you are able to put 200,000 miles on a vehicle that gets 20 mpg, you'll be buying 10,000 gallons of gas at $40,000 at current prices (not likely to stay that way). Suppose you buy a 10% more efficient vehicle, it will save you about $4000 over the life of the vehicle, so there is no sense in spending more than that. If you add in the time-value of money it makes even less sense to pay extra for fuel efficiency. Obviously, if gas prices continue to rise, the investment will be more likely to pay off. If your motives are not purely economic, then it might be worthwhile to you to spend more for efficiency.

Also, if you are considering a diesel, realize that diesel currently costs more (5-10%) than gasoline, and likely will stay that way considering the greater global demand for it.

Toyota Dolphins gets 16-18 mpg and you get the benefits of a camper.

the Sprinter is definitely at the top of the list right now, although unless I find a sweet deal it isn't gonna happen for a while. And Mike, the mpg factor is a bit both for economic and environmental reasons. Although money is the limiting factor, it would be nice to get a rig that isn't a gas guzzler. The CNG option sounds like a good idea, although probably pretty rare and expensive.

The toyota dolphin is pretty sweet and there are a few for really cheap on ebay right now. One claims 22 mpg which may be a bit exaggerated but even 16-18 is good for a camper.

Just want to second the Chevy Express (even though I'm not a 'high end climber'). I have an AWD version that, if you're not a speed demon, will get in the high teens on mpg. Still working on building shelves, storage and whatnot in the back but I love having the van. Hard to beat having all the space to move about.

2011 Express AWD Submitted By: LanceSullins on Apr 18, 2012

The drawer slides out of the back and the hardware I purchased is rated to 1000# by the manufacturer. Submitted By: LanceSullins on Apr 18, 2012

As an alternative to the Previa or Astro, check out the old Ford Aerostars, manufactured from the late 80's to 1997. They're cheap, reliable, efficient (~19 mpg), built tough on a truck chassis, and available in AWD. I just reluctantly sold my 97 AWD and miss it already. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll see plenty still on the road.

I have a 05 Chevy Express with a 4.8L V8. I love this thing i can fit bikes all my climbing gear and even a dirtibike (then its packed) while sleeping, cooking and traveling. The best MPG I've got is 18. But on average I'd say i get 16-17 on the highway, and like 12-13 in town. A van is expensive to travel/climb with but its so nice to be able to throw everything in and take off. You can find them somewhat cheap (compared to sprinters) and then make it exactly how you want it inside which is the fun part for me. Good luck.

I've run full size Ford vans (E series) for years with great luck- they're reliable, long lasting with fairly cheap replacement parts readily available in most places. One drawback is that they don't come in an AWD version, so the 4x4 conversions are all lifted to the point that the fuel economy suffers significantly. The Chevy Express/GMC Savanna AWD option comes at the stock RWD height, which is nice in a number of ways. My current rig is a '93 E-150 with a 351 that's getting 16mpg on the highway at 70. That's not great economy, but I paid $2,600 for it- the price difference between that and some of the nicer stuff will pay for a lot of trips. I also have a '90 Dodge Grand Caravan that gets 24mpg at 70- it's front wheel drive and the traction is pretty good. Again, not the nicest machine around, but I paid $1,200 for it and it's been very reliable. When it's time for a new camping rig, I'll definitely be looking at the Express/Savanna though- as nice as the Sprinters are, the fuel savings aren't likely to ever make up for the purchase price.

Anyone with an Express have a rough price estimate for self-installation of a kitchen? or any similar van for that matter.

the most fuel efficient van is the one you don't fill up with a kitchen, bed, storage, and tons of useless gear. Get a honda, buy a ground pad, and go rock climbing!

-Toyota Dolphin. But it isn't a van.

-Astrovan is the best cross between a cargo van and a mini.

-Sprinter but they are pricey.

- Have you thought of a Pickup with a Camper? You can get an old camper for around $1000.