1985 Ford Econoline 2WD

“The Turtle” – Van for sale in Bozeman, MT. It is a 1985 Ford E350 TurtleTop Terravan.

We restored it 10 years ago, lived in it and traveled around for close to three years, and it has been mainly parked for the last 7 years. Many of the systems still work, but some things do not. So the van is being sold as-is.

The 351 Windsor starts and runs well. We added an Edelbrock aluminum dual-plane manifold with a Holly 4bbl and true dual exhaust with Gibson mufflers. It has the three speed C6 automatic transmission, dually rear, and we added a Powr-lok limited slip with 4.88 gears. Custom lift with Bilstine shocks and tall tires with air bags in the back. We also added a second alternator that can be turned on and off that charges the house batteries.

It has a very nice Yakima rack and steel ladder to the roof, and the big grill guard where we kept two bikes.

The propane forced air heater works, as does the three burner propane stove. The propane fridge is was bought new when we restored the van but is currently not working.

Installed is 300W of solar, MPPT solar controller, 345Ah of AGM batteries, inverter, aftermarket converter- these are all working. Interior lights are all 12V LED. Custom upholstery, curtains, and oak dining table. The couch pulls out to sleep 2 adults, in addition to the above-cab sleeping space.

Onboard the van has two ~20 gallon gas tanks and 18 gallons of interior fresh water storage. Also included are two 20L NATO auxiliary gas cans and two 6gal external water storage in racks on the back.

But, it needs some work to get back to prime. Brakes need work, rear marker lights are not working. One window cracked this winter. Large awning needs work, and the heater core is disconnected. The waste tanks will need some work, and there is a leak by the toilet so the water is turned off.

This van has taken us all the way north to Prudhoe Bay, throughout Canada and the US, and all the way south to the bottom of the Baja Peninsula. We loved our time traveling in The Turtle but haven’t had much time to travel and keep it up, so we’d love for it to have the chance for more adventure. We are asking 18K for the van in the condition it is in.

So you can see what this van can do and where is has been, here is a link to our old travels:

Blog: https://blueturtlecrossing.blog/

IG: @blueturtlecrossing