I've run into a big problem with the van I bought to tour the USA...

It's a one-ton van and has a GVM rating which is too high for me to take it back to Australia.

So I have to forget that plan, but I still want to take a van home with me, so I'm looking for a van to suit, preferred details are:

1985 - 1992 models, B250 or B350

GVM not to exceed 7000lbs (or 3150kg)

Conversion van preferred, as rust-free as possible.

It would be best for me if the vehicle is in (or could be taken to) somewhere between Oklahoma City and Indianapolis. It must be going and registered for immediate use.

 

GVM??? Gross Vehicle ????

What was special about your current van that made it over weight? Keep in mind, the B350 is a one-ton van as well.

 

Good point. Many may not be aware of the USA shenanigans ..... I had a 1987 E250 Ford that had factory 1 ton suspension under it ..... they were sold this way so the user did not have to have special permits, taxes for a 1 ton vehicle.

Chevrolet did the same thing, my Father inlaw has a mid 80's 3/4 ton truck with 1 ton suspension under it .... he licenses it as a 3/4 ton but hauls a 5th wheel trailer with it maybe 1 or 2 times a year.

For the op, 150 is a 1/2 ton, 250 is a 3/4 ton, 350 is a 1 ton.
On my Ford the 1/2 ton had a wheel bolt pattern 4.5" ..... the 3/4 ton had a bolt pattern of 5.5" .... 1 ton had a 8 lug rear end. ..... I'm sure Dodge has their version.

It is buyer beware of what they are buying.

 

https://columbiamo.craigslist.org/se...=1~gallery~0~0

 

Thanks for the Craigslist listings... not all suitable but worth checking out... It also must not be so high it won't fit into a shipping container...

According to this site - https://www.iseecars.com/car/1987-dodge-ram_van-specs - there are three load-carrying specs for the B350, it can fit into the 6001 - 7000lb class, the 7001 - 8000lb class or 8001 - 9000lb class. I'm not sure what the one I have at home is rated, but it has 8-lug wheels with 1/2" lugs. The campervan I have now which is rated to 9000lbs has 9/16" lugs.

When I bought the previous van it was referred to by one person as a 3/4 ton van, this one is referred to as a 1-ton van. Another site refers to the higher carrying capacity available as 4540lbs, ot two tons.

Apart from the wheel lug size it's obvious that front wheel bearings will be bigger (the cap is bigger, the visible parts look bigger) and the diameter of the outer end of the axle at the rear is bigger and appears more robust than the '3/4 ton' version I bought ten years ago. The hole in the centre of the wheel is larger to fit these hubs, the wheel nut outer size (socket size) is 1"..

The site referred to also lists B150 and B250 vans in the 6001-7000lb class with payloads up to one ton.

 

'GVM' is on the VIN plate, standing for 'Gross Vehicle Mass' or the total weight the van would be when loaded to its rated maximum capacity.

I notice another one on a Conversion VIN of a later model van, it's 'GVWR' with each axle having its own rating as 'GAWR', I'm assuming that these mean 'Gross Vehicle Weight Rating' and 'Gross Axle Weight Rating.'

And now looking at the figures given on the Conversion VIN on the van I took to Australia eight years ago I see that it has:

GAWR Front - 3170lbs/1438kg
GAWR Rear - 5360lbs/2432kg

The total there is over the limit allowed for the importation of this kind of vehicle into Australia, so I would guess this means the rules have changed in the intervening period. Or I just got very lucky with that van.

 

I'm just east of the area you're looking at. I'm in the point if S.W. Indiana where it give Kentucky and Illinois a wedgie. I'm also just south of I-64 (about 20 miles south) which is where I consider the rust belt to start getting serious. I generally look for vehicles to flip down in southern Kentucky and near Nashville, Tn. I've shipped vehicles to Oz before and thye generally need a good cleaning before the Customs people there will let it in the country.

I'll keep an eye out and see if anything pops up.

 

I did a quick look just for the heck of it and came across this;

https://clarksville.craigslist.org/c...782811730.html

It looks to be a 3/4 ton church van. It has 8 lug wheels but NOT a full floating axle. It should be light enough for you to export, probably little rust and the ad says it has 140,000 but the engine has been replaced. Clarksville is just north of Nashville so it should be a solid truck. It's fairly long though.

 

Well, I got lucky with Craigslist...

After the disappointment with the bloke out of Dallas, who wasn't very cooperative and then pulled the listing, I found one listed in Springfield Illinois. It's a bit later, a 1999 model, but a very nice conversion van based on a B1500. I picked it up today, which required a lift from my adopted daughter to get me the 90 miles to the Greyhound stop, 12 hours held captive by Greyhound and a 450 mile drive back. Made for a full day.

It does have a problem which I will be posting about if I can't work it out quickly.

 

Good luck on your trip