I want to build out a karting van that I can use to get to the track and not have to have a trailer. I want this to be a daily commuter as well since I am in the trades my little accent tends not to fit everything I need. Do you have any other vehicles you all use that would be better for mpg as a daily commuter? I’m curious what everyone uses to get to the track that does not have a trailer. There are some roads you can’t have a trailer on like the NY turnpike. Plus those van builds like awesome. What do you all use to get to the track?
The best one-man-band setup I’ve seen is an older-model Honda Odyssey, with the rear two rows of seats removed and a wooden platform added for the kart to roll onto at the same height that the kart sits on the kart stand. The kart has to have its rear wheels removed and replaced with wooden discs. Tools and spare parts go underneath the platform. It takes Bruce about 15 minutes to be ready to go on track.
If I were staying in uae I’d be doing the same with a Merc Vito 3.6, it’s more or less perfect for it.
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I bought a used 2012 Ram Tradesman edition for this season. It used to be a used telecom van with the ladder roof racks and shelves in the back. Fits the kart, stand, table, tent and all my gear with room to spare. It is absolutely perfect for karting and I empty it out after every weekend and can use as daily driver if needed.
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Is this an adult kart? Do you have to narrow the rear track width to get it in? What is the max width of the cargo area?
Yes, this will be an adult kart it’s a 2012 arrow x1E but I plan on getting a newer chassis in the future. I have no idea the max area I just shove it in and how it fits but ill measure it before I buy for this new build.
I don’t adjust anything right now, but this is also not my vehicle and is bad on gas so not good for a 3-6 hr trip one way
Is it watertight and just curious if you have another vehicle or this is also your daily?
Do you use it as daily or have another car how much were you able to buy it for
Yes adult Kart. No I don’t have to narrow. My width is 50" and it just fits
If an Arrow X1 is pretty similar to an X2 (what I have) it’s gonna be close. I’m over 51” with 7.1 tires on back.
I would love to see a build that uses a Transit Connect, NV200, Ram Promaster City, or something like that. Maybe they are too narrow or small.
I think it would be cool to build a place to chill and sleep almost like a mobile RV, a work van, and a karting van all in one compact vehicle. The only problem is figuring out if it’s wide enough.
Some more van ideas in here:
I had similar ski-bum fantasies. Good luck with the project!
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Thanks hopefully I get around to building it, tbh I need to finish the 1951 f1 truck I have first before I build out a van
Hi all, I know this topic has been covered extensively but I am wondering if anyone uses a TransitConnect/Ram Promaster City/NV200 car-based van for karting? I live in a city and currently use an open trailer behind my '04 Outback to get to the track, but this setup has drawbacks (not enough space inside and kart is exposed). I would love a full-sized van or trailer setup but that is just not practical living in a city and street parking (hard to have two cars or one car and an enclosed trailer). One of these small vans would work as a daily and also might be big enough for the kart and all the tools and gear, but is it too small? Open to your thoughts.
Here’s a post from a while back with a ProMaster kitted out for karting:
Looks like it fits pretty decent. From my own van experiences, you don’t actually need that big of a van to fit a kart in, all the extra stuff is the tough part to squeeze it around. And if you don’t need to use the backseats for transporting humans, you can get away with a pretty small footprint and fit all you need.
Another note from my van is that I added a roof rack and a hitch rack, and once I figured out the proper way to organize everything, I actually didn’t need either to fit all my stuff inside the van. But having the roof and hitch racks do offer a lot more capability if you need it.
Thanks, that looks like a neat setup. Your van is obviously an inspiration but these car-baed ones might work better for those that only have space for 1 car. Looks like a full sized kart with fronts bolted to the rear for clearance. Don’t see a stand but that can be strapped to the roof.