Supervan
SUPERVAN
Look up the road/It's an ambulance, it's a school bus...no, it's
Joe Parkhurst
Disguised as a mild-mannered
Dodge Maxivan...
ROAD TESTING trips around CYCLE WORLD have often required the use of two or more trucks. Carrying three or four bikes, at least as many riders and photographers, helmets and riding gear, cameras, tools, etc., required the logistics of a small army, plus every truck that could be rounded up. Solution: a supervan.
CW’s mighty new van will pack four bikes, most of the staff and everything they need in its cavernous confines. Not only that, everybody and everything travels in considerable comfort. How to accomplish such a task short of converting a surplus Greyhound? Simply take a big vehicle like the Dodge B300 Maxivan, split it down the middle, and put the pieces back together 14 in. apart.
No, you don’t do it, nor did we. Far West Coach, Inc. of Fountain Valley, Calif., performed the task for us. Cost is about $3000.
Since we handle some pretty exotic and expensive equipment, we wanted to keep it locked safely inside. But we’ve spent enough time driving around locked in a closed van with smelly bikes and the aroma of gasoline scenting the air, so isolating the machines in a compartment of their own was one of our prime objectives. We thus designed an interior with a separate crew cab.
Since our test crew works pretty hard, often driving long distances after days of test riding, we felt that a plush and comfortable riding compartment was more than a luxury. The crew cab was built by Taylor Made in El Cajon, Calif. Fully-upholstered, insulated and outrageously luxurious, the cab resembles that of a California Kustom Van. FM stereo, tape deck and a CB radio comprise the sound system. Drapes, yes drapes, close off the bench so that one staffer can sleep while under way. We often haul bikes thousands of miles for testing or to take part in such events as ISDT qualifiers, enduros, road races, etc., so long-distance comfort was essential. Since we were now in possession of one of the world’s largest vans, it seemed appropriate to have it painted in a manner that would preclude its going unnoticed on the road and in the pits. AÍ Martinez took care of that. Martinez is just about the number one bike-race van painter in Southern California. He’s responsible for the Superbowl of Motocross trucks, Costa Mesa Speedway’s vans and a lot of other trick paint jobs. Youngblood Studios did the design and Phill Whetstone lettered and laid on the pin-striping. All three are in Santa Ana, not far from CW’s offices.
You can’t miss the yellow, brown, purple, and black colors. If you did, the giant “Team Cycle World” and “Cycle World Magazine” lettering would stop you. Attention getting is an understatement; the overall effect of the CW supervan is more like shocking.
Jackman in La Mesa, Calif., custommade a set of steel spoke wheels to accommodate huge Good Year radiais. They then painted them yellow to add the final touch to the van’s outside decor. Hooker made us a super trick set of Headers that add considerably to the performance and also sound neat.
The cargo compartment is insulated and upholstered. A vinyl floor was installed for its ability to resist oil and other stains, but proved slippery and required the addition of non-skid material. Tie-down bars are installed around the walls using Ancra snap-toggle fittings.
Bikes can be loaded facing front or rear or even crossways in the compartment. An Ancra alloy loading ramp is used. Access at the rear is a cinch, since Far West utilized the standard door on the left side and made a new fiberglass door that is 14 in. wider for the right. If you prefer, they can make a single door, but we felt that it would be too wide and susceptible to damage.
The bulkhead separating the two compartments has a porthole that allows a view of the cargo just to check and make sure it’s still tied down. The rear windows are covered in a one-way reflective vinyl that prevents prying eyes from becoming prying-the-door-openand-riding-away eyes.
The B300 Dodge Maxivan is normally a one-ton vehicle. Far West’s treatment includes installing heavy-duty suspension coils and adding enough weight in sheet metal and fiberglass, etc. to raise the finished van’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) to 8200 lb. Among other innovations, Far West extends the right-hand rear axle and fits a custom-made drive shaft. The engine and drive train remain in their original position after the conversion, so the drive shaft and transmission end up on the left side of the van when the 14-in. section is added just to the right of center.
The entire top is removed from the stock body shell and a one-piece molded fiberglass unit installed. Additional steel bracing is welded in place, making the new top even stronger than the original. An inner liner, also one-piece molded glass, is bonded to the cross braces with insulation between the two layers. After upholstery and carpeted plywood on the floors, blown foam insulation is added, so all you can hear is the Stones on the FM or Rubber Duck on the CB.
Our Dodge has a big 350 V-8, automatic transmission (a necessity, not a luxury), power disc brakes, air conditioning in the forward compartment, and custom swivel seats made by Taylor and upholstered to match the side walls, doors and headliner. We mounted the CB and tape deck in an overhead console that puts both right at the driver’s fingertips. Map lights round out the convenience.
Driving the supervan takes some getting used to. The moment you hit a narrow street you become aware of its enormous width. The habit of placing the left-hand wheels on the white line is one you cultivate fast. It’s not much different than driving a motorhome or big truck, since its width is now 96 in., including side mirrors, the legal maximum. Other dimensions remain the same: 127-in. wheelbase, 78.7 overall height and 212-in. length. It’s that increase from a 79.8-in. to a 93.8-in. body width that prompted Dave Epperson, managing editor of CW’s companion magazine Pickup, Van and 4WD, to say, “That’s wide, Clyde!” We showed our beauty to people at the CYCLE WORLD International Motocross at Saddleback Park last fall, and again at the CYCLE WORLD Motorcycle Show in Los Angeles recently. It turns heads to say the least. But, more important, it’s the most efficient bike-hauler we’ve ever owned. It’s smooth and stable and easy to drive. Quiet as an automobile, it can still handle more than a ton of people and gear. If you see it at a race or on the road, give the guys a wave. Don’t say anything, though, one of them might be asleep.
