UPDATE:
The thread title is a bit misleading because I no longer am looking at buying a 4wd van... I've already purchased one! Haha
But I'll keep posting updates here to keep it all contained in one thread rather than starting a new one. I think it's kinda neat to go back and read what our goals and expectations were and see the progress from then until now.
Original Post:
My wife and I have been very happy with my trusty Jeep XJ and our RTT/trailer combo for the past 6 years. I've put a lot of time and effort in building up what I thought was the ideal setup for us. I know that jeep inside and out and would not hesitate to take it on an extended trip.
But it is no longer just my wife and myself... We have 2 daughters now (ages 2 and 1) and the RTT is getting to be a tight squeeze. So is fitting car seats and gear in the XJ.
We can still get out and enjoy our trips, but I'm finding that more and more time is spent packing/unpacking in a very particular order to get it all to fit and this slows us down each morning and evening. We rarely camp in the same spot for more than one night. Plus, my mileage is brutal now since I'm fully loaded with gear and people and towing a trailer... I'm on 35's right now. The jeep was built and geared for 32's but I got a deal I couldn't resist on the 35's but I'm paying for it now in gas. And I have no passing power. Can barely maintain 70mph on flat.
So I'm looking at vans now... I like the idea of leaving some bedding and cooking set up as this would allow us to do less packing/unpacking and more traveling. Something I can hopefully tow with if need be.
I like the idea of hard sides around us for winter camping... And an espar heater would be the icing on the cake!
I've been looking at westfalia's (small wheelbase, light, efficient... But tiny engine an no 4wd), syncros (EXPENSIVE and still a tiny engine), delica's (better engine, nice 4wd from factory, but no pop top limits space in the small van), and camper vans (cheap and easy to find, but big and heavy and no 4x4) or finally a 4x4 conversion van.
I finally found a nice looking 4x4 van but I'm curious what it's worth and also how much work I'd be looking at to get it up to par.
It's a 4x4 (I don't know who did the conversion) 2002 ford e350 super duty van with the 7.3L diesel and auto tranny. No lift (which I would want to add obviously). It is an empty cargo van right now. Only 100k miles on it.
What is this thing worth? And are there any options for adding a pop top or hard top to it? How much $ and time/effort to lift this guy for 33's or 35's? Is wheel well trimming necessary?
I'm sure I'll have more questions as this whole van thing is pretty new to me... But thanks for your time and advice in advance.
The thread title is a bit misleading because I no longer am looking at buying a 4wd van... I've already purchased one! Haha
But I'll keep posting updates here to keep it all contained in one thread rather than starting a new one. I think it's kinda neat to go back and read what our goals and expectations were and see the progress from then until now.
Original Post:
My wife and I have been very happy with my trusty Jeep XJ and our RTT/trailer combo for the past 6 years. I've put a lot of time and effort in building up what I thought was the ideal setup for us. I know that jeep inside and out and would not hesitate to take it on an extended trip.
But it is no longer just my wife and myself... We have 2 daughters now (ages 2 and 1) and the RTT is getting to be a tight squeeze. So is fitting car seats and gear in the XJ.
We can still get out and enjoy our trips, but I'm finding that more and more time is spent packing/unpacking in a very particular order to get it all to fit and this slows us down each morning and evening. We rarely camp in the same spot for more than one night. Plus, my mileage is brutal now since I'm fully loaded with gear and people and towing a trailer... I'm on 35's right now. The jeep was built and geared for 32's but I got a deal I couldn't resist on the 35's but I'm paying for it now in gas. And I have no passing power. Can barely maintain 70mph on flat.
So I'm looking at vans now... I like the idea of leaving some bedding and cooking set up as this would allow us to do less packing/unpacking and more traveling. Something I can hopefully tow with if need be.
I like the idea of hard sides around us for winter camping... And an espar heater would be the icing on the cake!
I've been looking at westfalia's (small wheelbase, light, efficient... But tiny engine an no 4wd), syncros (EXPENSIVE and still a tiny engine), delica's (better engine, nice 4wd from factory, but no pop top limits space in the small van), and camper vans (cheap and easy to find, but big and heavy and no 4x4) or finally a 4x4 conversion van.
I finally found a nice looking 4x4 van but I'm curious what it's worth and also how much work I'd be looking at to get it up to par.
It's a 4x4 (I don't know who did the conversion) 2002 ford e350 super duty van with the 7.3L diesel and auto tranny. No lift (which I would want to add obviously). It is an empty cargo van right now. Only 100k miles on it.
What is this thing worth? And are there any options for adding a pop top or hard top to it? How much $ and time/effort to lift this guy for 33's or 35's? Is wheel well trimming necessary?
I'm sure I'll have more questions as this whole van thing is pretty new to me... But thanks for your time and advice in advance.
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