In a new-vehicle market that`s dressed in the conservative and somber colors of uncertainty, two-tone conversion vans wearing light bars and television antennae seem out of place.
But van converters and dealers say that business is pretty good and that they are looking forward to a respectable year in 1992.
The increasing price of regular production vehicles such as full-size sedans, station wagons and sport-utility vehicles make conversion vans, which may be custom-ordered to suit tastes and budgets, an option for many buyers.
A new Buick Estate wagon, for example, has a manufacturer`s suggested retail price of $23,040. Volvo wagons range from $21,320 for the 240 to $34,655 for the top-of-the-line 960. Chrysler Corp.`s mini-vans run as high as $26,516 for the Town and Country. And a Toyota Previa Deluxe with all-wheel drive starts at $24,058.
”Just take a look at the stickers on a lot of cars and trucks, and you`ll quickly see the appeal of a conversion van,” said Ira Weiner, national sales manager for Chupp & Sons Conversions in Elkhart, Ind. ”Not only are they competitive in terms of cost, but the buyer can order a van the way he or she wants it. And the resale value of conversion vans is excellent.”
Weiner said Chupp`s product ranges from the low $20,000s to well past $30,000. He described Chupp as the last major custom converter, one in which the customer plays an active role in the vehicle design.
”Years ago, anything would sell,” he said. ”Today`s market is very sophisticated. Consumers are looking for quality.”
Apparently, Chupp delivers. Weiner said that last year the company`s average warranty expenditure per vehicle was $20.
Steve White, truck manager and conversion-van specialist at South Holland Dodge in South Holland, takes orders from customers and makes some of his own so he`ll have vehicles in stock to show.
Televisions and tinted glass are big in his market, he noted, but on-board Nintendo is not.
”I put together tasteful, well-organized, good-looking conversion vans,” White said. ”If I were going on a trip with kids, I wouldn`t want Nintendo along.
”I also try to make each van different, distinctive. I recently did a silver, turquoise and spruce-green combination that stopped a lot of traffic. It sold in two days.”
White`s conversion van customers also include people who are looking for something special but prefer a more conservative exterior that won`t attract too much attention. He noted that about half his buyers ask for theft alarms. The conversion van begins life as a bare-bones cargo van, delivered from the factory to the converter with whom the retail dealer does business.
It can be ordered from the manufacturer as a base vehicle with whatever engine and suspension it comes with; or with engine options, towing package options, regular or heavy-duty suspension, regular or heavy-duty heating/
cooling system, factory-installed brakes and some safety features such as anti-lock brakes and air bags, depending on the chassis manufacturer. Stretch bodies and all-wheel drive also are available from some makers.
That`s the steak.
The converter adds the sizzle, which can include a power-adjusted bed;
extra-large, remote-control outside mirrors; backseat AM/FM radio/cassette;
special carpeting; large tinted sliding windows; screened panels and decorative coverings; TV and videocasette player; and a cooler for food and beverages.
”We`re offering a solar-powered battery system on some conversions this year,” said Ken Gross, truck sales manager at River Oaks Ford in Calumet City. ”A solar panel on the roof converts sunlight and stores the energy so owners can use various appliances like the TV without fear of draining the van`s battery when the vehicle isn`t running. Some people get real excited about it.”
The exterior appearance is critical in attracting customers, Gross added. If they like the way it looks sitting on the lot, they are likely to want to see the inside and take it for a test drive, he said.
Owners say converted vans, in spite or because of their additional weight, ride and handle well.
Though often noted for extraordinarily low fuel economy, they do get up to 20 miles per gallon in highway driving. Many dealers said their customers are travelers who like to use vans for weekend trips and longer excursions. Larger fuel tanks are standard on some and optional on others, depending on the chassis builder.
Gross referred to the plush armchairs and bed-seats of his products as
”furniture.” The power-adjustable bed is a great recent option, he said.
”Manual foldout ones were too stiff and heavy for most women to handle.”
The inside of a conversion van is much like the interior of a house. The better converters use many of the same building techniques. There`s a plywood floor under the custom carpeting, for example, and extra insulation is added to the walls to keep noise out and a comfortable temperature inside.
Gross added that careful owners tend to treat their custom vans the same as their homes; these owners` vans are the ones to look for on the used market, he said. If they are good housekeepers, they also vacuum, wash and maintain their vans.
Color choice may help or hinder resale. Bill Snook, president of Coachmen Van Conversions in Elkhart, has become a color expert. He admitted to hanging around malls to check out trends in clothing and interior decoration. He added that he also attends professional gatherings where materials, colors and designs are discussed.
”Hot colors right now are jade, teal and antelope, which is a shade of beige,” he said. ”Desert tans and browns are out. But a mocha chassis with antelope interior is wonderful.”
White, blues and grays always are good exterior colors, he said. ”Blue never goes away.”
Coachmen van conversions are running at a 70/30 percent ratio of full-size to mini, Snook said.
Fully loaded vehicles continue to attract customers. Sales of the bottom end, the least expensive conversions, are ”holding up,” he said, and mid-price vans are weaker.
”Our customers include families with young children, professionals who like extra amenities, and retirees and what I`d call pre-retirees,” Snook said.
Al Serra Chevrolet in Grand Blanc, Mich., handles Coachmen van conversions. Sales manager Larry Launstein offered this list of retail prices for extras on conversion vans:
– Raised sport roof, $1,481.
– Security alarm system, $444.
– Power trifold sofa with slide that converts to a bed, $619.
– Power remote mirrors, $412.
– Custom wheels (and a special lug wrench), $600.
– 10-inch AC/DC color TV with remote control, $444.
– Nintendo-ready (wiring, antenna and control box), $67.
– VCR, $419.
– CD player, $749.
– Audio convenience package (separate AM/FM cassette unit with speakers for the rear of the vehicle), $231.
– Leather seating, $744.
– Elite trim package (for the interior: a wood snack tray, four additional speakers with antenna, special lighting, rear radio and sun-visor covers; for the exterior: TV antenna, rear aluminum ladder, aluminum running boards, continental tire and luggage rack), $469.
Launstein also said customers should be aware that they will be paying for two delivery charges: one from the factory to the converter, the second from the converter to the dealer.
There also are two warranties, he said: the standard engine/transmission warranty from the factory and a 12-month warranty on the conversion work. The warranty timer on both is set when the buyer takes final delivery at the dealership.
