I’ve decided on what I want for my van build, and I’ve been searching for about a week. But now I’m wondering if I’m looking for something that just isn’t out there. Here’s what I’m after:
3.5L Ecoboost
AWD
High roof
148" standard length
Cargo or passenger (I can add windows later if needed)
Under 50k miles
Willing to pay a fair price for the right one
A big screen would be nice, but I can upgrade that later too.
The first day I started looking, I found one that was perfect, but it sold immediately. Now a week has passed, and I haven’t seen anything close.
Does this build even exist on the used market, or should I just order a new one?
It’s not impossible to find, but it’s a really popular setup. I have a 2021 148" HR AWD Ecoboost Crew. I ended up buying new since they sell fast, and it wasn’t as expensive as I expected. Been a great van.
The 2021 models have the older infotainment system (smaller screen but still decent). If you want the bigger screen, look at 2022 and newer.
I spent months looking for a high-roof passenger van back in 2016. Hardly any used ones back then. I originally wanted the shorter one (X2X in the VIN, I think), but the market was flooded with long ones (U4X). Most had the Ecoboost. I ended up with a long one and have no regrets.
Used van shopping can be frustrating. Either they’re beat up or they have ongoing problems. I got a great deal out of state with 1% financing and still have the van. Ford sometimes does discounts at the end of quarters. I bought mine two days before the end of Q1. Wish it had adaptive cruise, though.
Sidney said:
After weeks of searching, I found a 2020 AWD Ecoboost mid-roof cargo van for 35k.
What wheelbase? The 130" ones are almost impossible to find. 148" is more common but still rare. Seems like you can get two out of these four: Ecoboost, AWD, preferred wheelbase, and low miles… but not all of them together.
@Dakota
148" with 68,000 miles. And it’s not white—it’s magnetic metallic! I did find one 130", but it was six hours away. The 148" was only three hours, so I went with that.
Sidney said: @Dakota
148" with 68,000 miles. And it’s not white—it’s magnetic metallic! I did find one 130", but it was six hours away. The 148" was only three hours, so I went with that.
@Zeke
I bought my 148" in May, so probably not. The 130" had chrome wheels and round porthole windows in the back. I searched CarMax for weeks before finding mine.
Reign said:
You’re looking for a setup that everyone—pros and DIY builders—wants. Anything that fits your criteria gets snapped up instantly.
Good luck.
Weirdly, that makes me feel better. If I go for a custom order, at least I know it’s a solid choice.
What I don’t get is—where do all these used converted vans end up? I never see them on the big car listing sites like Autotrader or Cargurus. Is there a smaller forum or website where people sell them? Any tips on where to look?
@June
Just guessing here, but I think the van conversion trend really took off around 2019-2020. It might be a bit early to see a lot of those ‘boutique’ builds hitting the used market.