I’ve never had a 4wd van. I’ve got an excellent 4x4 that’ll get me much further than a full-size van will ever go. At least in these parts, a full size van might as well be a city bus for wheeling purposes.
Now that I’ve said that, I’ve had the same 4x4 since ‘91. Getting home on your switchbacks would be fine with a 4x4. If you need more than 2wd, shift into 4wd. AWD may have a slight advantage in terms of being a bit smoother and requiring less user input, but both will get you home. I’ve driven on black ice, slushy conditions, deep snow, and everything in between. If you adjust how you’re driving for the conditions you’ll do fine.
One piece of advice I always give is to take your time and carefully consider what you’re wanting in the end. If you do a 2” lift to fit a certain size of tires, and then decide you want bigger tires, you’re pouring money down the drain. Selling the used lift & tires and paying for something different will cost you at least double. So carefully weigh you options and look into a crystal ball and decide what you’re looking for at the end of the journey.
If an AWD is enough, great… if you want more then either buy a conversion or buy a decent 2wd and convert it. I would recommend putting some miles on your new van before you start pouring money into it. Decide if it’ll meet your needs long term before pouring even more into it. Especially if you’re paying someone to do the work, I’d be very surprised if you can recoup your money if you decide to sell and buy something different (at least once you start modifications). If you find an AWD or a conversion for a decent price, you can likely easily get your money back if you change your mind. The more you’re into it for, the more you have to loose, and the harder it’ll be to sell it for what you have into it. If you change course a couple times along the way… forget it… money down the drain.
