1999 van questions
#1
01-20-2006, 01:00 AM
1999 van questions
Hi,
I'm new here, and found the search on the forum to be over my head, so excuse me if some of this has already been covered.
I'm looking at a full-size 1999 Dodge van with 180K miles, most of which were put on by a local Dodge dealer to transport customers. I assume it was well maintained as long as the dealer owned it.
Behind the driver's area are two more seats that seat 3 each,. These appear to be removable and I'm told it once had a rear seat that was removed, so total would have been 11or 12 people
It drives well, and I would convert it to a camper if I bought it.
The first 12 digits of the VIN are 2B5WB25Y6XK5.
Can anyone tell me what engine and trannie combo it most likely has? And what the empty weight and carrying capacity would be?Also what trouble spots there might be with this vehicle.
Finally, I'd like to know what kind of gas mileage I might be able to get on the highway if I stayed under 60 mph.
Thanks,
Ray Mac.
I'm new here, and found the search on the forum to be over my head, so excuse me if some of this has already been covered.
I'm looking at a full-size 1999 Dodge van with 180K miles, most of which were put on by a local Dodge dealer to transport customers. I assume it was well maintained as long as the dealer owned it.
Behind the driver's area are two more seats that seat 3 each,. These appear to be removable and I'm told it once had a rear seat that was removed, so total would have been 11or 12 people
It drives well, and I would convert it to a camper if I bought it.
The first 12 digits of the VIN are 2B5WB25Y6XK5.
Can anyone tell me what engine and trannie combo it most likely has? And what the empty weight and carrying capacity would be?Also what trouble spots there might be with this vehicle.
Finally, I'd like to know what kind of gas mileage I might be able to get on the highway if I stayed under 60 mph.
Thanks,
Ray Mac.
#2
01-20-2006, 12:12 PM
#3
02-09-2006, 11:00 PM
RE: 1999 van questions
Fud,
If your 1999 Dodge Ram van is a B1500, chances are you have the V6 3.9L engine with rear gears of 3.55:1. The fuel mileage on average is 12.5mpg if you drive 40-50mph. However, that van would mainly seat 8 people.
So, your van may be very much a B2500 like mine. A 5.2L engine (Dodge's good old 318) that is magnum'ized. It comes with OD to help with the fuel savings. I really baby the speed to get 420 miles to the 35 gallon tank full. That averages out to be 12.0mpg. The reason? The B2500 rear gears are 3.92:1. I got the van to tow the camper and our family of 8. Four children are still in car seats. That's impossible to fit into a mini-van of any sort.
Your best bet for converting a Dodge Ram van into a Class-C or motor home is to find the B2500 cargo vans. They are cheaper and the cargo area is already stripped of everything inside.
If you lived in NY state, I would help you find a non-profit organization that leases these Dodge 12-passenger vans out to non-profit organizations. We got our 2001 B2500 12-passenger with many options for only $8,000 and only 50k miles.
The best bet is getting a Dodge Sprinter B2500 version. However, those things cost way too much and almost non-existant on the used vehicle market. DCX is in the process of getting a full factory in swing for the Sprinters here in the USA now. I'm amazed at friends that get 27 to 32mpg with that turbo diesel engine!!!
Stev
If your 1999 Dodge Ram van is a B1500, chances are you have the V6 3.9L engine with rear gears of 3.55:1. The fuel mileage on average is 12.5mpg if you drive 40-50mph. However, that van would mainly seat 8 people.
So, your van may be very much a B2500 like mine. A 5.2L engine (Dodge's good old 318) that is magnum'ized. It comes with OD to help with the fuel savings. I really baby the speed to get 420 miles to the 35 gallon tank full. That averages out to be 12.0mpg. The reason? The B2500 rear gears are 3.92:1. I got the van to tow the camper and our family of 8. Four children are still in car seats. That's impossible to fit into a mini-van of any sort.
Your best bet for converting a Dodge Ram van into a Class-C or motor home is to find the B2500 cargo vans. They are cheaper and the cargo area is already stripped of everything inside.
If you lived in NY state, I would help you find a non-profit organization that leases these Dodge 12-passenger vans out to non-profit organizations. We got our 2001 B2500 12-passenger with many options for only $8,000 and only 50k miles.
The best bet is getting a Dodge Sprinter B2500 version. However, those things cost way too much and almost non-existant on the used vehicle market. DCX is in the process of getting a full factory in swing for the Sprinters here in the USA now. I'm amazed at friends that get 27 to 32mpg with that turbo diesel engine!!!
Stev
