While it’s undeniable that living, traveling, and thriving in a well-outfitted van isn’t anything new, the trendiness of the veritable home-on-wheels has steadily subdued the Overlanding world, as of late. It just so happens that Sportsmobile, a San Diego-based conversion company that’s been outfitting vans since 1990, was one of the first companies to recognize the promise of an untethered overlander; and now, they’ve built the quintessential off-grid getaway using the cutaway cab variant of Ford’s famed Econoline.
Sure, the Ford Econoline might have been replaced by the company’s Transit van in 2015, but that doesn’t make it any less of a contender when it comes to high-functioning 4×4 fame. To start, Sportsmobile has outfitted the Econoline with a powerful 6.8-liter V10 engine, gifting it a staggering 305 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. As expected, this complements the vehicle’s 10,000-pound towing capacity, which is made even more viable thanks to the Econoline’s newly-acquired 16.5-inch ground clearance, courtesy of Fox shocks, a Dynatrac Pro Rock 60 front axle, and Atlas transfer case. But transitioning your van into an offroad monster doesn’t come cheap. The company’s external body customizations, penthouse top, and accessories will set you back $36,195; and that’s not even including the $20,945 off-road conversion package. Overall, the van, parts, and peripherals will cost almost $90,000 — but for some, that’s a small price to pay for dependable freedom.
