Ford V10 reccomendations and advice

[cruiser812]

So to start out i have always been a truck guy for there versatility and and a jeep guy for there go anywhere fun. Last year took my JKU out to moab from Mississippi which was a fun trip and very long. I camped most of the time in national forests. It was a bit cramped even in the 4 door with all of my gear and girlfriend. A few of those cold nights it was a bit rough camping in the tent and setting it up at night in the pitch black. If i had the room would have camped in the jeep but between the gear, the girlfriend and being 6'4" there was no chance of that even if it was just me (I tried before i left with just me lol). That brings me to my current option. I have a chance to pick up a 1999 e350 a family discount. The van belonged to my grandfather who ordered it from the factory specifically for towing his camper. The van is a tank with the v10 and towing gears. Best part is the low miles at only 55,000. I have been using it alot lately to move my things after just closing on my house and cannot beat the hauling/towing capacity. fuel mileage is a solid 12 no matter how you drive it. Not sure with towing yet as the connector for the lights oxidized from sitting so long without use. I have fixed a few things such as hose but overall is in good shape (minus exterior paint). I am really thinking about converting to 4x4 using Chris' kit as i would like to start using this as a camping rig / hauler. The 4x4 would be helpful in both cases. We used to haul a boat with my families gmc van but things were sometimes interesting on the wet ramp and sliding in or not being able to get back up because of traction is always a worry. My questions are,

Is is better to buy a van that is already converted? (seen quigley v10 EB vans for $21k with 100k mi)
Would a gas or diesel be better (i know it the age old debate (just have a line on a 1992 eb 7.3 NA 4x4 sub 15K) ?
would it be worth converting or just getting another truck with a truck camper?
What sort of mpg economy would the 4x4 conversion yield (obviously it already gets poor mileage but what could i expect,sub 10 or the same?)

any opinions or thoughts would be great.

 

[cruiser812]

Trying to load a picture of the van for reference

 

[ujoint]

Welcome to the van world, you'll love it.

Sounds like you have the perfect candidate for a swap. You're not better off starting with an existing 4x4 conversion like a Quigley if you want any performance or decent size tires. Gas vs diesel will get you many many answers. If you do the math, diesel is always more $$ to own and maintain, even with the better fuel mileage. And I believe the gas motors are more reliable.

Expect to loose ~2 MPGs with the conversion depending on how you drive, the gears, lift height.

 

[Timjim]

I love my V10. It has smooth power and runs nice and quiet.

The thing you will get with having a conversion done is piece of mind. Sure, it will be a little pricey but when you look underneath and see that shiny transfer case and painted up axles you know you got a nice new deal going. Get a rear axle swap and move up to disc brakes. There's nothing like a 4x4 van and if you go U-joint, you will have one of the best conversions going.

Many Quigleys are beat down and people dump them when they are not interested in the next steps in maintenance. They also don't drive that great without a few good upgrades. That being said I would jump all over a Chevy IFS quigley and quickly take it for some nice upgrades. But the straight axle Fords leave a few things to be desired, but can be fixed up.

I have a 2013 V10 and love it.....except for the RSC, but it's great. I lost 2-3 mpg on the conversion but left my gears 3.73 on 33" tires (4" lift). I may go up to a 4.10 later if I upgrade my rear axle. But I got a 5 star tuner for it and got back 1.5 mpg which is great and the van runs soooooo much better than stock. I also drive highway 75-80mph so that kills mpg's.

 

[cruiser812]

Welcome to the van world, you'll love it.

Sounds like you have the perfect candidate for a swap. You're not better off starting with an existing 4x4 conversion like a Quigley if you want any performance or decent size tires. Gas vs diesel will get you many many answers. If you do the math, diesel is always more $$ to own and maintain, even with the better fuel mileage. And I believe the gas motors are more reliable.

Expect to loose ~2 MPGs with the conversion depending on how you drive, the gears, lift height.

What sort of gearing would be best suited to running 35" tires with this van? I would love if it would still run around 12 mpg after losing the little doughnuts that are on it. I use to have a ram megacab with 33" tires and it would drag the skid plate on water bars on woods roads due to the length.

Is it best to upgrade to discs in the rear end as well as the front or would i have adequate stopping power with disc brakes in the front with the new axle?

 

[cruiser812]

I love my V10. It has smooth power and runs nice and quiet.

The thing you will get with having a conversion done is piece of mind. Sure, it will be a little pricey but when you look underneath and see that shiny transfer case and painted up axles you know you got a nice new deal going. Get a rear axle swap and move up to disc brakes. There's nothing like a 4x4 van and if you go U-joint, you will have one of the best conversions going.

Many Quigleys are beat down and people dump them when they are not interested in the next steps in maintenance. They also don't drive that great without a few good upgrades. That being said I would jump all over a Chevy IFS quigley and quickly take it for some nice upgrades. But the straight axle Fords leave a few things to be desired, but can be fixed up.

I have a 2013 V10 and love it.....except for the RSC, but it's great. I lost 2-3 mpg on the conversion but left my gears 3.73 on 33" tires (4" lift). I may go up to a 4.10 later if I upgrade my rear axle. But I got a 5 star tuner for it and got back 1.5 mpg which is great and the van runs soooooo much better than stock. I also drive highway 75-80mph so that kills mpg's.

I actually saw a chevrolet quigley on ebay and the price is currently low. What sort of upgrades were you referring to? I am trying to weigh all of my options to figure out what would best suit me. Of course the price of the van makes me lean toward the one i mentioned above.

 

[cruiser812]

Here is the Van. The biggest issues with it are the clear coat peeling on the roof and it has a small water leak in the cab(i think it is from the third brake light as i see it drip from the headliner near the back doors).

 

[ujoint]

What sort of gearing would be best suited to running 35" tires with this van? I would love if it would still run around 12 mpg after losing the little doughnuts that are on it. I use to have a ram megacab with 33" tires and it would drag the skid plate on water bars on woods roads due to the length.

Is it best to upgrade to discs in the rear end as well as the front or would i have adequate stopping power with disc brakes in the front with the new axle?

Does that van have drums on the back? Nice that its a full float. Depending on how you use it and where you live I'd go with 4.10s or 4.56 for 35s. I have 4.56 gears under my V10 but its running 35s and has the 5R110. What gears are in the van now?

Here is the Van. The biggest issues with it are the clear coat peeling on the roof and it has a small water leak in the cab(i think it is from the third brake light as i see it drip from the headliner near the back doors).


View attachment 405811

Nice looking van, love the color.

 

[TexomaPowerboater]

Agree with most. I think it's a great candidate for 4x4 conversion. IMO the frame and chassis should have added protective coating, which is an area I see most skip on these 4x4 conversions. As some have said, the ride on a straight axle 4x4 van can be unforgiving. If you can find someone to use a coil over type suspension in the front it will have a much much better ride.

Hard to say whether to buy a 4x4 van outright or convert. Depends on what you want to do. If for light 4x4 use like you are talking about with wet boat ramps or just slick roads then I'd get a used Quigley van. If you want to do more serious offroading and plan to have it for a long time then Ujoint with higher lift would be better.

 

[Timjim]

I actually saw a chevrolet quigley on ebay and the price is currently low. What sort of upgrades were you referring to? I am trying to weigh all of my options to figure out what would best suit me. Of course the price of the van makes me lean toward the one i mentioned above.

Weld-Tec's coil over. It's a thing of beauty.

But you have a great Econoline right now. Best to work through some pricing and see how you feel about it.

 

[cruiser812]

I believe the rear end ratio is 4:10 but not sure about the disc brakes to be honest. It was ordered specifically to tow but will have to check the axle code. I currently live in North Florida so the terrain is pretty flat so i could probably just stick with the 4:10 ratio (could probably find a front axle geared with 4:10 already too?). I would however like to have to power to get up the hills of the Appalachian mountains. Most towing will be on flat ground as i dont really plan on towing anything of size on trips.

 

[cruiser812]

Agree with most. I think it's a great candidate for 4x4 conversion. IMO the frame and chassis should have added protective coating, which is an area I see most skip on these 4x4 conversions. As some have said, the ride on a straight axle 4x4 van can be unforgiving. If you can find someone to use a coil over type suspension in the front it will have a much much better ride.

Hard to say whether to buy a 4x4 van outright or convert. Depends on what you want to do. If for light 4x4 use like you are talking about with wet boat ramps or just slick roads then I'd get a used Quigley van. If you want to do more serious offroading and plan to have it for a long time then Ujoint with higher lift would be better.

I do plan on keeping the van awhile with the investment that i would be putting into it and under body protection is important. Have put this to the test on numerous logging roads with my work trucks and trails in the mountains with my jeeps and land cruisers i have owned. I know the value will be better with the 4x4 and i am a believer of do it right or do it twice. Doing it twice means paying more for the end product that you should have gone with before. I am use to straight axles and the van rides like a dream compared to my 2015 rubicon which i know is like comparing apples and oranges because of wheel base and suspension. Everything I have heard is that it rides even better than stock with Chris' kit.

 

[another_mike]

Ive got a 2006 E350 with the V10, recently went through the process to select gear ratio for my upcoming 4x4 transformation. My suggestion, figure out the current gear ratio and tire size diameter. With future tire choice in mind, figure out what ratio you would need to go to to keep the same RPMs at all cruising speeds. Then drive the van and determine if you like the RPMs around town and highway.

My van has 3.73 gears with factory 245/75r16. Since ill be going to 35" tires, I found I would need to go to 4.30's to keep the same driveability (and 4.30s was actually a factory option in f250's/350s, so sourcing a complete axle with 4.30's is possible). But, at about 75mph I find myself at 2300 rpms and wanted to bring that down a little, So im going with 4.10's. I have yet to complete the conversion and drive the van, but thats my process and what ive used on other vehicles when changing gears/tires.

 

[Bbasso]

I'm in Jacksonville if you need help with anything and I have some hands on knowledge with Ujoint installations.
I say keep that van and build it.

 

[TexomaPowerboater]

I do plan on keeping the van awhile with the investment that i would be putting into it and under body protection is important. Have put this to the test on numerous logging roads with my work trucks and trails in the mountains with my jeeps and land cruisers i have owned. I know the value will be better with the 4x4 and i am a believer of do it right or do it twice. Doing it twice means paying more for the end product that you should have gone with before. I am use to straight axles and the van rides like a dream compared to my 2015 rubicon which i know is like comparing apples and oranges because of wheel base and suspension. Everything I have heard is that it rides even better than stock with Chris' kit.

Go for the 4x4 conversion man, but fix the leak first. Could turn into a significant repair. Take a real hard look over the van body, undercarriage, etc.