choice of rig P 2

That left 5th wheel and Travel Trailer as my choices.

Initially I had very grandiose plans and was looking at Class 7/8 tow vehicles and 40' FWs. Then I reconsidered what places I wanted to visit and what kind of life I would live on the road and my requirements became more focused.

First I decided that I did not need a fulltime bedroom. Converting an area twice a day from night to day use and back will only take 15 minutes of my time, of which I have plenty. I will not need a big inside living room, my living room will be outside, it will be big and beautiful. Having the bedroom and big living room dropped from the requirements saved 7-8 feet on overall length and the use of slideout rooms.

This brought the towed load comfortably down to the 1-ton pick up range.

When I started looking a PUs I quickly discovered, that even a Crew Cab is not meant for 6 people to travel in reasonable comfort. The name of Crew Cab is indicative of this fact.

With PUs and SUVs being the rage, the lowly full-size Van is overshadowed and seems to be only used by certain tradesmen who need the enclosed space.

In reality I properly speced Van is much more useful than a Pick up or SUV of the same size, with the exception of pure pulling capability.

In 2004 the only full-size Van available with a Diesel engine was the Ford E-350 series. I discount the Dodge/Freightliner Sprinter, because its towing capacity is very limited to 5,000#, versus the 10,000# for the E-350.

None of the local dealers had a new Diesel powered Van in stock, so I ordered a 2005 Ford E-350 XLT Super Duty with the 6.0 l PSD and TorqueShift 6-speed transmission as a wagon. Window sticker is here

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