Big Blue for sale

1989 Dodge B250 campervan for sale – SOLD

I originally purchased this van in March of 2010 in Boulder, CO. At the time it had 78,000 miles on the odometer. We have traveled in it for nine years, averaging just over 10,000 miles per year, all over the western states and Baja. Since we are full-time nomads, it was constantly serviced by myself as we traveled. The engine currently has 172,000 miles on the odometer and still running strong. I have listed all the work done on the van in the last two years at the bottom of this page.

At the end of 2017 the interior was completely rebuilt, from scratch, by me. It includes cedar panel walls, 2″ of insulation, a pull out couch/bed large enough for two, a dedicated desk space, closet, a huge butcher-block counter top with sink, brand new 12v fridge, ample LED lighting throughout, pure sine inverter with dedicated outlets, USB and 12v outlets throughout, 120v shore power to dedicated outlets, and a 20 gallon fresh water tank (lasts a week with two people). The interior space is 16 feet from the dashboard to the rear doors (over 90 sq feet of living space) with 5.5 ft height at its tallest. The two captains chairs rotate 180 degrees, offering a good amount of seating space when parked. The interior was designed and laid out from more than 18 years of full-time experience between us. It is very efficiently setup and uses every inch of space for storage.

The van is off-grid camp-ready, today, for a full time individual or couple. With 300 watts of solar and the 600 watt pure sine inverter, we have no problems keeping our laptops, tablets, and phones charged along with the fridge keeping our food cool. The upgraded airbag suspension and over-sized tires have allowed us to successfully get further down the national forest and BLM roads in search of amazing places to camp.

My entire travel history with this van is documented at www.van-tramp.com

Van specifications:

Drivetrain

  • 5.9 liter (360ci) V8 engine with Electronic Fuel Injection
  • 3 speed automatic transmission
  • 172k on the odometer (hasn’t been stored for years on end)
  • 35 gallon fuel tank
  • 31″ all terrain tires, including spare (new 2018)
  • 2 wheel drive (I know it looks 4WD, but it is not)
  • Airbag rear suspension (new 2018)
  • Cruise control, electric windows and locks, etc
  • New engine battery (Dec 2019)

Exterior

  • Extended camper van (16 foot from dash to rear doors)
  • Fiberglass medium height topper, est 5’6″ interior height
  • All LED exterior running, parking, and brake lights (new 2018)
  • Monstaliner bed liner paint job (2017)
  • New luggage rack
  • 12 foot Carefree box awning
  • Exterior LED 12v porch light
  • 5000 lb tow hitch with 4 and 6-pin connectors
  • Trailer brake controller

Interior

  • Completely rebuilt at end of 2017.
  • New subfloor (1/2 inch ply), walls (cedar plank), ceiling (1/4 inch ply), and cabinetry.
  • New house 120v and 12v wiring
  • New 2″ rigid foam insulation inside all wall/door surfaces
  • New Reflectix insulation in fiberglass topper
  • Two captains chairs that rotate 180 degrees and recline flat
  • Couch that sleeps one, or pulls out to sleep two, with storage underneath
  • New 6″ high density foam mattress and memory foam topper and upholstery
  • New window curtains (including windshield) and blackout shades
  • Dedicated desk space and drawer
  • Large closet for tons of clothing
  • Huge butcher block counter-top
  • Primus Tupike 2-burner propane stove (new 2018)
  • Norcold 2.7 cubic foot 2-way 12v/120v fridge (new 2018)
  • 21 gallon fresh water tank mounted under van (new 2018)
  • Custom copper sink and faucet with foot pump (new 2018)
  • 6 gallon gray water holding tank

More interior images will be added in the coming days

Electronics

Extras included with van

  • Trasharoo style spare tire trash bag (new 2020)
  • CGEAR sand-free outdoor camping mat
  • Mr Buddy heater (and what ever propane we have left)
  • Ice-chest (fits perfectly between captains chairs)
  • Cooking and dining dishes and utensils
  • Brand new cassette toilet (new 2020)
  • Shop manual (and some misc extra parts)
  • Three mounted fire extinguishers (be safe!)
  • Hidden safe, will fit multiple 15″ laptops and other valuables
  • 8-ton bottle jack and some specific tools

Work done on the van in the past 2 years

  • Replaced entire rear end (2020)
  • Transmission filter and oil serviced (Dec 2019)
  • Replaced fuel injectors (2019)
  • Rebuilt entire front and rear brakes (2018/2019)
  • Replaced universal joints (2018)
  • Replaced ball joints (2018)
  • Replaced front wheel bearings (2018)
  • Replaced oil pan gasket and rear main seal (2018)
  • Replaced oil pump with hi-flow pump (2018)
  • Regular tuneup including filters, plugs, cap/rotor, etc (last done Dec 2019)

DISCLOSURES

This is a 30+ year old chassis, and because of that it will have issues over time. For that reason, I do NOT recommend this van to people that can not handle their own repairs, or at least understand the costs of bringing a vehicle to a professional for repairs. On the plus side – the parts are inexpensive and readily available. Repairs are also easily accomplished with just basic tools and the repair manual (manual included) and basic know-how. The van has a clean title and registration in South Dakota (we are full timers), but since South Dakota does not have emissions tests I do not know if it will pass such tests in your home state. Dash air conditioning does not work. Some water does leak in through rear door if parked with nose of van higher than rear of van. Fuel gauge is lazy, reading about 1/3 off (empty = 10 gallons remaining). On dash oil pressure gauge also lazy – mechanical oil gauge installed. As is customary for this old of an engine, it does consume about a quart of oil every 1000 miles (no leak or smoke). Speedometer is off (7 or 8%) due to over sized tires and new gear ratio in rear diff.