I've been actively looking for vans for about a month and a half now (I was overseas before that so I wasn't going to waste a seller's time until I was actually in a position to purchase). I am amazed at how hard it's been to find what I'm looking for. I figured there would be more big gas-guzzler vans on the market with fuel prices how they are. I was prepared to take my time, even look for several months until I found exactly what I wanted, but to date I have not even found a van to LOOK at. Everything either has some sort of deal-breaker right from the start (gas, too expensive, already sold, bad body rust, aftermarket transmission, etc), or it's just too far away. To be fair, unless it's IN San Diego, I can't really look until the weekends, so I think a couple have sold between when it posts on Monday and when I try to check it out on Friday. I'm basically trying to restrict myself to an 8-hour driving radius from San Diego, which means from San Francisco south, and mid-AZ west.
So...I'm thinking maybe I'll relax my criteria a little. Here is what I'm considering:
1) What do you fellas think about minibus-style cutaway vans? Those shuttle-bus ones seem like they might not stand up to long-term expedition and camping duty (?), but I have seen some older mini-bus or "short bus" conversions that seem to be well-made (based on pictures I've seen). I also like the fact that the body is cab-width on some of them, not wider like most of the airport-shuttle types. I am not too thrilled about the high fixed roof instead of pop-top, but I see the obvious advantages to it.
2) I am considering looking at some of the '06/'07 vans with the 6L. I know there are diehards who will insist the 7.3L was the last reliable diesel in these vans, but I have been reading a lot of the diesel forum stuff and it seems like MOST of the 6.0L engines with chronic problems are pre-'05s. Of course it's all circumstantial and no "proof" that I have found, and most of the info I've come across is about the F-series engines, not the E's. I think RSC is still going to be a deal-breaker, so that means I'm looking only at cargo vans in the later years, if I understand things correctly. And my personal opinion is that anything turbo is automatically going to be a little less reliable in remote places, just because there is one more system that could break and leave you in a pickle. But for the other 90% of the time, it would be nice to have a lighter, torquier, more powerful, more efficient vehicle so maybe that's a good trade-off. So does anyone have any sage advice about why I should/should not buy an '06 or '07 or similar for my purposes?
3) I looked at a few ambulances (in pictures only), and I am now considering including them in my search too. My concerns with ambulances are a) they seem more likely to have been abused, b) it seems like I'd lose some flexibility in how I set up the interior, compared to a stock cargo van. I have seen some amazing builds so I know what is possible, but realistically I have very little fabrication experience and no access to a good workshop or even to more than the basic hand and power tools. Does anybody have any input on feasibility or wisdom of doing a basic, keep-it-simple build based on an ambulance?
4) Just throwing this out there, but has anyone had experience with swapping a diesel into a gas van in CA, or any other restrictive states? I see a lot of 5.4L vans out there, and one thought I had was to buy one of those with plans to do an engine swap several years down the road. I have a couple heavy trailers (~9K-11K lbs) that I will need to tow across the country at some point, and I suspect the 5.4L gas engine would not be up to task. I have a general understanding of the mechanical requirements, but I'm more asking about the legal aspects. I wonder if that would just be a nightmare with the DMV, trying to convince them it's no longer a gas engine when they want my money for smog inspections. On the other hand, I think the little gas engine would be plenty strong enough to get even a fully expedition-loaded van without trailer around (I don't plan to go mudding with it, or have to turn 37" tires). I'd be ok with driving 60-65 mph everywhere I go when loaded, if I have to. Thoughts??
