The Roach Motel II
Our 2021 3500 Extended was delivered late June last year and I had the beastie mostly done by the end of November. I’m just now getting around to officially documenting the build.
This is our second conversion. The first “Roach Motel” was a well used Ford E450 24’ shuttle bus that became an RV, served us well for 9 years and was a huge learning experience. “Roach” was my nickname back in high school so “The Roach Motel” was a no-brainer name for a scruffy old bus conversion.
![Water Sky Cloud Bus Automotive lighting]()
![Furniture Property Cabinetry Interior design Wood]()
“Roach The First” was getting a bit long in the tooth so we decided to bite the bullet and do another conversion but this time starting with a pristine new vehicle instead of one that was heading south already. We ordered our Promaster 3500 Extended on March 27 2021 and it arrived just short of three months later on June 18th 2021, surprisingly, two days earlier than the tentative delivery date we were given soon after ordering. With these vans being in such high demand we fully expected a much longer wait. We splurged on the RV package, uConnect NAV and cruise control and went with white for a more stealth look and less heat gain in the summer. The Promaster is 3 feet shorter and almost a foot narrower than the old shuttle bus so we’re definitely feeling squeezed for space.
So allow me to introduce The Roach Motel II!
I’ve heard that Promasters in white are quite rare so here’s a look
![Wheel Tire Vehicle Motor vehicle Automotive side-view mirror]()
First impressions are pretty positive. The driving position is pretty vertical and bus-like but after a 20 mile ride became quite comfortable. The ride is firm but not overly objectionable. Way better than our previous shuttle bus and interior noise is less than I feared it would be. Body roll in turns is practically nonexistent and the turning radius is very good. There are a few disappointing bits: The RV package swivel seats have no under-seat storage and the overhead shelf is way smaller in person than it appeared in online pictures. I knew about the lack of a passenger door lock button but still can’t imagine why it was left off. For me the wide angle rearview mirrors are partially blocked by the window dividers. Swiveling the seats is easy but the seat recliner levers at the front of the seat require a ton of force to unlatch while simultaneously forcing back the seat. Very awkward to use. The ignition switch is very finicky and I usually have to fiddle with the steering wheel to be able to turn the key.
Update: After a few months the switch finally freed up and now the problem is gone.
Our first drive was down to the Cat Scale to get it weighed before I start the conversion. Empty weight is 3320 lbs on the front axle and 2120 lbs on the rear for a total of 5440 lbs total with a full tank of gas and two humans on board.
Our 2021 3500 Extended was delivered late June last year and I had the beastie mostly done by the end of November. I’m just now getting around to officially documenting the build.
This is our second conversion. The first “Roach Motel” was a well used Ford E450 24’ shuttle bus that became an RV, served us well for 9 years and was a huge learning experience. “Roach” was my nickname back in high school so “The Roach Motel” was a no-brainer name for a scruffy old bus conversion.
“Roach The First” was getting a bit long in the tooth so we decided to bite the bullet and do another conversion but this time starting with a pristine new vehicle instead of one that was heading south already. We ordered our Promaster 3500 Extended on March 27 2021 and it arrived just short of three months later on June 18th 2021, surprisingly, two days earlier than the tentative delivery date we were given soon after ordering. With these vans being in such high demand we fully expected a much longer wait. We splurged on the RV package, uConnect NAV and cruise control and went with white for a more stealth look and less heat gain in the summer. The Promaster is 3 feet shorter and almost a foot narrower than the old shuttle bus so we’re definitely feeling squeezed for space.
So allow me to introduce The Roach Motel II!
I’ve heard that Promasters in white are quite rare so here’s a look
First impressions are pretty positive. The driving position is pretty vertical and bus-like but after a 20 mile ride became quite comfortable. The ride is firm but not overly objectionable. Way better than our previous shuttle bus and interior noise is less than I feared it would be. Body roll in turns is practically nonexistent and the turning radius is very good. There are a few disappointing bits: The RV package swivel seats have no under-seat storage and the overhead shelf is way smaller in person than it appeared in online pictures. I knew about the lack of a passenger door lock button but still can’t imagine why it was left off. For me the wide angle rearview mirrors are partially blocked by the window dividers. Swiveling the seats is easy but the seat recliner levers at the front of the seat require a ton of force to unlatch while simultaneously forcing back the seat. Very awkward to use. The ignition switch is very finicky and I usually have to fiddle with the steering wheel to be able to turn the key.
Update: After a few months the switch finally freed up and now the problem is gone.
Our first drive was down to the Cat Scale to get it weighed before I start the conversion. Empty weight is 3320 lbs on the front axle and 2120 lbs on the rear for a total of 5440 lbs total with a full tank of gas and two humans on board.
