***SOLD*** We’re Selling our Rig at the End of the Line!

Sold! We have found a committed buyer. If anything changes we will update this page and repost it on the forums. Thanks for looking though!

For Sale: One badass, tried and tested, over-landing Pan Am beast of an ’88 Ford Econoline Camper Van – $6K

  • Fully equipped for camping: solar, kitchen, stealth, awning, etc
  • Fully restored/rebuilt engine and transmission!!
  • Only 120K
  • For Sale in Argentina/Chile around November/December – we will coordinate and meet you where & when you start your trip/we end ours

Meet the Craggin’ Wagon (tons of pics at the bottom)

A meticulously cared for, custom, over landing house on wheels. Rough looking on the outside (by design), there’s a wealth of comfort and repair hidden beneath the bland exterior. We purchased this baby in Colorado with only 90,000 miles on it (by the time we arrive in Patagonia we expect to have about 120,000 miles on it). It was originally designed to be a taxi for handicapped peoples. Because of this the top had been permanently extended to make room for a large wheel chair lift which we removed. The additional height makes it ideal for a camper van allowing anyone under 6 feet tall to stand up with no issue. I’m exactly 6 feet myself and just barely have to tilt my head. It also fits in a container for shipping the Darien Gap or to elsewhere!

Inside the Camper:

We gutted the inside and built every aspect of it ourselves.

  • Linoleum floor, walls, and ceiling are insulated to keep you warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot.
  • Kitchen with stainless sink, running water (7 gallon fresh tank + 5 gallon grey water tank), and propane hookup (20 lbs onboard tank in special propane box) for the folding stove that can be used inside or outside via a built-in fold-out table.
  • Excellent, very efficient 12V compressor style refrigerator
  • 3 adjustable LED lights, speakers in the front and rear, stereo, GPS, and usb charging all wired to the 2 house batteries (total 250 amps!) located below the fridge in a sealed, ventilated battery box.
  • Large 3 speed, reversible fan directly above the full sized bed – great for a comfy sleep on a hot night or for venting when cooking inside.
  • House batteries are wired to a 1500 watt inverter/charger that can run tools or charge laptops, etc.
  • 200 watt solar panel on the top that generates 15 amps per hour! You can also charge via driving or from plugging in to an electrical source. The electrical system is pretty sweet. It has a low voltage disconnect wired in that prevents the batteries from being discharged past 50% unless you manually override it. There is also a voltage sensitive relay between the alternator and the house batteries insuring that you never have a dead starting battery. I have full schematics and instructions for all devices, fuses, etc.
  • Both front seats swivel allowing for more hang out room.
  • The bed platform can be completely disassembled with no tools for added storage when the bed is not needed.
  • Tons of space underneath for storage
  • Lock box bolted in the electrical cabinet for laptops, passports, etc.

Inside the Engine:

This is practically a new car with an old frame. Plenty of power for passing semis on the thousands of miles of single lane highway: Automatic V8, 5L – its a fantastic engine. Just about everything you can imagine breaking we replaced prior to leaving – no surprises. We serviced or replaced the following (with receipts and documentation for everything):

  • New head gaskets – engine torn completely down, machined, etc by experts in Denver
  • Transmission completely rebuilt by transmission experts in Denver
  • New Water pump
  • New Distributor
  • New Radiator
  • New Brakes
  • New Steering rods
  • New tires
  • Oil changes every 3,000 miles

Travel and Stealth Mode

All told, we spent about as much making this mechanically sound as we’re selling it for completely outfitted! For over landing, this rig is ideal. It looks old and junky on the outside which we thought important so as not to draw too much attention – we even painted it white by hand! We have not had one single robbery attempt since we left Colorado. It is completely stealth ready. After drawing a curtain in the front of the cab and blacking out the windows you cannot tell anyone is in there even with the lights on. We have stealth camped in just about every city that didn’t have a campground – literally over a 100 nights! This has saved us a lot of money and allowed us great flexibility in our destinations. Also, this is an older Ford van, so parts are readily available just about anywhere in the world, though in the entirety of our trip we only had one spark plug go bad on us and one slave cylinder in the front left brake caliper that needed to be replaced – that’s it!

Extras!

The van also comes with tons of essential stuff that you won’t need to purchase:

  • 2 High quality metal jerry cans (with cages if you’d like to mount them inside or out)
  • Full sized Spare, 20 ton bottle jack, multi socket tire iron
  • 12 volt air compressor
  • Tire repair kit
  • Extra fluids: brake, oil, distilled water, steering, etc
  • Spare headlights
  • 100 piece socket set
  • Tool box with pliers, wrenches, hammer, screwdrivers, etc
  • Fuses, wire, and electrical connectors
  • Long, heavy-duty extension cord
  • Purchased-to-fit-the-van-storage-containers everywhere
  • Fully stocked kitchen: Pots, pans, bowls, plates, cups, knives, spatulas, etc
  • 20 lbs propane bottle
  • Powerful propane heater (safe to use inside)
  • Lego style tire blocks for leveling the van out
  • 2 comfortable folding camp chairs with adjustable backs

Things in need of repair (if you desire).

  • The windshield is cracked from a vine we hit hanging from a tree on a Mexican highway. It’s only on the passenger side. Driver side is fine. (I wouldn’t bother replacing it personally).
  • It has A/C but it would need a recharge. We never messed with it. Heater works fine.
  • There is some rusting by the bumper in the rear, nothing to be done about it really, just thought you should know, no surprises!
  • The (excellent) tires will have about 20K on them by the time we arrive.

Price:

We spent $12,000 between purchasing it, mechanical repairs, and outfitting it and we’ve only put 30,000 miles on it. $6,000 puts you in a vehicle ready to tackle the entire Pan Am in style. We want to see this beast adopted by people ready to get wild and see the world! I could see its next owners driving it all the way back north only to sell it to folks heading south again.

Email/PM me with any questions! If you’re interested we can also set up a call or video chat. I will also send electrical schematics, paperwork from mechanics, etc upon request to interested peoples! I also have a blog here that can give you an idea of all the craziness this rig has excelled through!

Pics:

The Beast, sunning itself
The Beast, sunning itself
15 amps an hour in full sun!
15 amps an hour in full sun!
Kitchen area with bed in the background
Kitchen area with bed in the background
Batteries, fridge, storage. All secured but can be disassembled without tools for maint., access, etc
Batteries, fridge, storage. All secured but can be disassembled without tools for maint., access, etc
It makes ice easily in the freezer, lots of space
It makes ice easily in the freezer, lots of space
Stainless with stopper drain and faucet with 12v submersible pump
Stainless with stopper drain and faucet with 12v submersible pump
Fresh and grey water, storage baskets pull out inside or out, fold out table for cooking
Fresh and grey water, storage baskets pull out inside or out, fold out table for cooking, propane access inside or out
Plenty of room to cook inside when you're stealth or it's cold
Plenty of room to cook inside when you’re stealth or it’s cold
Fully fused, labeled electrical system in secure cabinet
Fully fused, labeled, electrical system in secure cabinet
Detailed electrical schematic for house battery and charging system
Detailed electrical schematic for house battery and charging system (includes wire and fuse sizes)
Device instructions, documentation on battery care, equipment warranties, receipts for mechanical work, wiring schematic, etc
Device instructions, documentation on battery care, equipment warranties, receipts for mechanical work, wiring schematic, etc
Lockbox
Lockbox
Powerful 3 speed reversible fan directly over the bed
Powerful 3 speed reversible fan directly over the bed
Tons of storage under the bed, goes all the way to the back
Tons of storage under the bed, goes all the way to the back
So much room for storage!
So much room for storage!
Bedside storage
Bedside storage
Stereo with front and rear speakers and ipod aux, GPS
Stereo with front and rear speakers and ipod aux, GPS – dash is a little dusty from all of the dirt roads!
Swiveling chairs
Swiveling chairs
Awning
Awning

SAM_0877

Amazing tires! So glad we got these before we left.
Amazing tires! So glad we got these before we left.
Rust
Rust behind the bumper at the rear

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6 thoughts on “***SOLD*** We’re Selling our Rig at the End of the Line!

  1. Hi, would you be able to give over the camper in the end of October? Or is that too early? And what year was it built? Thanks
    Sophie

    1. Hi Sophie, it’s an ’88. I think October would be pretty unlikely. Later in the year won’t work for you?

  2. I am a Canadian, live in Bariloche and am interested in purchasing your van. It looks like it is very well designed and would work well for me to do some travelling here in Argentina and then to drive back home.

    My plans are not final and I suspect yours aren´t either, but in any event drop me an email and keep in contact. Even if I don´t buy the van I can meet up with you in Bariloche and point you in the right direction for things to do, places to go and climbing contacts.

    I am not a climber, but if you get here before the end of October and are interested in ski touring I am always looking for people to climb up and ski down volcanoes. We just got back to Bariloche after 4 months of travel in northern Argentina and Chile. No firm plans as of yet other than sticking around here at least until the spring volcano climbing season finishes.

  3. Hi Eric,

    I guess I’m not the first and of course not the last one, who is highly interested in you great van. Your explanation about the car are really great.
    About us: We are a German couple, who want to start our 5 month journey in Argentina or Chile and travel north up to the USA. We didn’t booked our flight so far, therefore we are very flexible with place and time of the meeting.
    The first thing we want to do is driving to Patagonia, because we ARE climbers, so we can’t miss climbing the Torres del Paine. (Maybe we can go climbing together, too)
    It would be great to hear from you soon.

    Cheers
    Dominique

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