[sfoerster]

We bought a promaster to be able to making traveling more comfortable.
My wife and I want to sleep in the same bed, put stuff in known places rather than go to hotels.
Spent at least three nights in Walmart parking lots.
We are torn between building a Stealth RV and wrapping it to advertise her art.

We first threw our mattress (walmart pillow top) on the Wood Composite Floor (purchased with the van) and drove 5K miles over 2 weeks.
Contents of 3 suitcases were scattered over the floor .. looked like a teen agers room.
We were impressed with how quiet it was (have not installed anything .. did this off the lot).
We averaged around 18mpg.
We love the backup camera. We love all the storage compartments. We did discoverd the one above the glove compartment at around 3K miles.
At 4K the tire pressure light came on. Discovered that back tires needed 80psi and the front 65psi .. which is more than gas stations provide.
Stopped at a Love truck stop. The passenger car side had a pump that cost $1.50 in quarters (donated to charity) for 4 minutes. Was no better than gas station.
So I wandered around, found air compressor hose coming out of truck tire building and gauge. This solved the problem. Thanks Love!!!
Am worried that the tires were damaged.

We flirted with pulling a trailer .. have given up on that. Right now priorities are a permanent bed, shelves and maybe a composting toilet.

Initial ToDo List:

1. Get tires rotated. Started calling around and exposed some issues that had not thought about before:
is much taller, have to worry about the roof above lift
could end up much heavier than a car and be impossible to lift
Am taking to the dealer to get the tires rotated and get ideas about how to manage these issues long term.

2. Purchase battery connected tire inflater and gauges
3. Purchase and install a rear camera and side camera to use when merging right.
Had too many near misses, too moments sticking heads out the right window looking for traffic.

 

[keeponvaning]

Welcome you are learning fast!

 

[GaryBIS]

Hi,
Congratulations on your van.

You should not need 80 psi on the rear tires to avoid TPMS lights -- maybe there is something wrong with your tire pressure warning system.

The way your van is currently loaded, there is likey more weight on your front axle than on your rear axle.

I can run 65 psi with no TPMS lights.

Gary

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

The stealth thing is a joke. It’s a honking huge van, everybody knows what is happening inside, if you are camping in Walmart or on BLM land or next to a back road in the middle of the night EVERYBODY knows people are camping in it. Have her Art on it. I had a friend once who put a huge Cabbage painted on his van to deter thieves. Nobody robs a vegetable van. Now that is STEALTH!
Welcome to the group!

 

[seapro]

The high rear tire pressure assumes the van is loaded to max weight. You will get a better ride with your weight if you set all the tires at 65 PSI. A Promaster dealer can reset the TPMS for the new pressures.