Chrysler Pacifica Minivan (Vandora Tribus)

Vandora Tribus is actually my third van, and so far, she's still winning as the favorite.  About three feet longer than the Transit Connect and 4 to 5 feet shorter than the RAM or Mercedes, Vandora is incredibly versatile.  With stow-n-go seats, she can go from hauling my kids / grandkids around to boondocking with a simple 20 minute conversion routine. She is also the only van I've owned that will sleep both myself and my bike (with both wheels on!) inside when necessary. Throw in the fact that she's easy to drive, park, cheap to service, and gets about 28-30mpg, Vandora tough to beat.

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I've added a Thule roof top cargo box and rear bike rack, so as long as I travel light, storage is not a huge problem.  Obviously the biggest draw back to the Pacifica is not being able to stand up or easily move from the driver's seat to the back.  I can do it - but trust me, it's not pretty.

Winnabego Revel 44e (Moose)

The Revel 44e was my absolute dream van! Unfortunately, unbeknownst to me, it was a bad dream. 

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The Mercedes interior is beautiful, (actually the whole van is simply beautiful!) and I initially thought I had solved my uncomfortable cockpit dilemma. Unfortunately this van had so many bells and whistles, I was an absolute nervous wreck driving it. In short, she beeped warnings at me CONSTANTLY!  In fact, the Revel had so many complex self-driving, safety type features,  I felt like I had PTSD when I arrived at my destination. 

It took over a month of frequent beeping, for example, for me to realize that the van was warning me that I had exceeded the posted speed limit. (Apparently it read the signs as we drove past!)  Though I could easily go on with endless examples, suffice it to say, that I'm not a fan of machines that correct or argue with me.

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After one particularly frustrating drive, I came home and posted the Revel on RV Trader.  Twenty-five minutes she was gone. Sold for 10K more than I'd paid for it! I guess Moose wasn't a full blown nightmare, but she was certainly a disappointment.

Promaster 1500, Bridge Bound Campers (Tat)

Tat was my first full sized camper van, a RAM Promaster 1500 built by Bridge Bound Campers in WV.  This van was amazing and selling it was likely a mistake.  But as a newly launched nomad, I struggled more with the lifestyle than the van itself.  

Winnabego Solis Pocket 36A (Kintsugi Dash)

Kintsugi is my latest van experiment. I picked her up in Sept. of 2021 from NIRVC in Nashville, TN and have nothing but great things to say about the van or the dealership.  Unfortunately, I'm also not sure how long Kintsugi will stay in my lineup.  Though she's super cute and easy to live in, she's not all that fun to drive... and I drive A LOT!

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I upgraded her tires to Toyo Open Country  and added rear Sumo Springs (yellow, one spacer) which greatly improver her road handling. However the Promaster cockpit is what it is - large.  Though the van handles well, as a solo driver I'm endlessly frustrated by not being able to reach dropped objects, grab the snack I want, or easily access the radio.    I also find I get tired or physically uncomfortable driving her for more than 5 or 6 hours. Given the price of gas, the van averaging 18mpg, and the need to break up the drive into 5 or 6 hour segments, it's hard to justify not jumping in Vandora and covering twice the  distance at a much faster pace.

Ford Transit Connect Cargo (Baby)

The Ford Transit Connect cargo van (Baby) ushered me into vanlife.  In 2015, I was an avid backpacker and growing tired of sleeping on the ground.  Baby provided the perfect solution.  Big enough for my dog and I to sleep in, I used her as a weekend escape van.  She was easy to drive, got great gas milage. and was perfect for a quick weekend away.

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Before long, however, I was spending so much time traveling in the Transit, that I came to the crossroad of permanently altering the van (adding a fantastic fan and insulation, lights, etc.) or selling her and going larger.  I went larger and bought Tat Van (my first RAM Promaster), primarily to give my German shepherd more ventilation and room.  Ironically, I missed Baby, and the dog hated the Promaster!

What the furture holds?

This might be my next project... and just about the only van style I haven't tried.  Still weighing the pros and cons of this idea, but I have to say, it's tempting.  But then again, it seems for me, the untried is always tempting.