2003 Dodge Ram

Finished in metallic green over silver, this Elk Automotive converted day van has been in the seller’s ownership from new. He and his family only used it to travel between Florida and Tennessee a few times and it mainly sat in Florida waiting to be used; this means the recorded mileage of just over 8,000 miles from new is accurate.

MOT’d until July 2023, this much-loved family treasure came back to the UK with them in November 2020. The two-tone leather interior is as clean as it is wonderfully OTT and the Elk Automotive conversion offers more practicality than anything produced in Europe of the same size.

The 5.2-litre V8 petrol engine is also a much better engine option than the sort of four-cylinder diesel engines we’re used to too, and will outlast your grandchildren if you look after it properly. (Sounds great, too.)

And, even better, this seven-seat Tardis is being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid.

A brilliant alternative to the ubiquitous Volkswagen Transporter, if you like Foresty Forest then you’re going to love this…

All those salt-free winters in the southern states have paid off because this van is in an incredible condition for its age. The panels are all straight and true, and the paintwork is very good indeed.

The raised roof gives masses of headroom inside, and entry to the rear is made via one of two pairs of doors, one on the offside and one at the rear, which gives incredible access.

The chrome bumpers are in a good condition, and they’re topped with huge rubber strips to absorb low-speed parking bumps.

Speaking of which, the 16-inch chromed wheels are excellent and they’re fitted with 245/75R16 Three-A Ecosaver tyres on all four corners. Their width and high-profile sidewalls mean they’re almost immune from being kerbed, which makes piloting this left-hand drive vehicle considerably less nerve-wracking than it might otherwise be. All have plenty of tread left on them as they’ve only been on the van for a couple of years and a few hundred miles.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Problems are few. Aside from the usual stonechips and minor marks, including a small dink in the front bumper (#125), some of the rubber trim on the bumpers is awry and looks to have been refastened in a couple of places (#69 and #245), the wiper blades are rusty (#131), a cover is missing on the lower trim (#204) and we’d need to straighten the front numberplate but that this is the extent of the woes is proof positive of the wisdom of buying a van that’s never seen salt.

The interior, which was transformed by respected day van convertors Elk Automotive Incorporated when the van was brand new, is ridiculously practical and wonderfully American. There are cupholders galore plus lots of fake wood and ruched leather and more storage and 12V power outlets than we’ve ever seen in one vehicle. Clearly, everything has been designed to make long-distance travel easy and relaxing.

The driver, passenger and two middle row occupants, for example, all get captain’s seats. Made by Dygert and fitted as part of the conversion to a day van, they are heavily bolstered and ridiculously comfortable. Fold-down armrests hint at this van’s long-distance capability; we might see a three-hour journey as something of an event but Americans see that as nothing more than a hop, skip and a jump – and their cars are built with that in mind.

The sumptuous leather seating isn’t only comfortable and in great shape but the third-row Power Sofa folds down at the press of a button to form a huge bed in conjunction with the padded rear luggage shelf in the boot. This means the four occupants can continue to use the two front rows of seats without having to pack everything away in the morning.

Fluffy overmats feel great underfoot and there’s also a huge Sanyo TV plus a rear entertainment system to keep the kids occupied on long journeys.

The tinted windows are supplemented by blinds to give extra privacy once you’ve stopped for the night, and a myriad of interior lights allow you to tailor the ambience to your mood.

There is some staining to the lower edge of the boot trim (102), splits to the wood veneer where the TV mounts (#157), and a small tear to the leather on the rearmost seat (#180).

The 5.2-litre V8 engine (it’s not a 5.7-litre as shown on the V5; this is a typo on the DVLA’s behalf…) offers huge flexibility, a wonderful noise, and better fuel consumption than you might think thanks to its laidback, low-rev nature.

The combination of that engine and a four-speed automatic gearbox make it very easy to drive. In fact, the owner used it to commute between his homes in Tennessee and Florida a couple of times a year, dispatching the 760-mile journey in 11 hours with just the one pit stop. It otherwise sat at his Florida home doing nothing, which explains the low miles on the clock.

As you can see, it starts up promptly and revs well. There is a squeal from a drive belt as well as an engine check light on. That’s the bad news. The good is that the exhaust makes a helluva noise, doesn’t it?

The engine bay is a little grubby and would benefit from being cleaned. This was deliberate on his part; a serial classic car collector – he’s only selling this as he’s running out of space – he knows the value of presenting cars honestly. This means he chose to leave the engine bay and underside untouched so that potential buyers could see the car as it really is.

As you can see, the underside has developed a little surface rust since being over here. It looks superficial so far (it certainly hasn’t been mentioned by an MOT inspector) but if it were ours we’d get it sorted before it turns into something more serious. That said, an afternoon with a wire brush and your rust treatment of choice would see the job done if you didn’t want to commission someone to do it professionally.

The Dodge does come with its book pack and the owner tells us it has been serviced regularly. It’s got an 11-month MOT, something that was gained with a clean sweep bar binding front brakes. He thinks this is due to the vehicle not having been used much in recent years and his mechanic tells him it will free off with use.

The recent Vehicle History Check shows nothing of any concern.

This 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 Day Van is an authentic slice of American life. Favoured by soccer moms and tradesmen alike when they were new, they’re finding a whole new market with the vanlife generation who’ve come to appreciate their vast interior and bulletproof mechanicals.

As a left-hand drive vehicle, it would be ideally suited to someone who’s looking to venture across the pond and into Europe and further afield. Hugely reliable, these vehicles are capable of racking up 300,000 miles and more with ease, so the 8,000-odd that this one’s covered means it’s barely run-in.

As to value, who knows? Incredibly rare over here, our best guess is somewhere between £10,000 and £20,000 but the owner is a sensible chap who has such faith in the quality and condition of his Ram that he’s happy to offer it with no reserve, so it’ll sell from the very first bid.

Why not ditch your plans to buy a diesel-powered VW and explore the world in this instead? That it’s so much nicer to drive than anything with an oil-burner under the bonnet - as well as offering vastly more space and practicality - makes it a bit of a no-brainer in our eyes.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.