The 1000 hp diesel thread got me thinking... I've been noodling conversion vans for a while. They seem to be undervalued. If you were going to take a lot of Interstate miles I thought a TD might make a good powerplant, especially if you were pulling a trailer. Any thoughts?
Yup.
The chevy and ford vans came stock with diesels. You just need to look around.
There are lots of GM and Ford 3/4 ton work vans to be had if you want to do a DIY conversion.
I've driven both (no trailers), and the GM is nicer platform to drive, but my GMC was retired from the fleet due to an intermittent electrical problem that no one, not even a GM truck dealer, could diagnose.
Word on the street (not sure which street) is that cooling gets to be an issue in the vans when you turn the wick up. If I'm going to build one though, I'm having a long talk with the Vanaconda guys.
If you don't mind shaking, the 4bt could probably work in a conversion van.
HappyAndy wrote: There are lots of GM and Ford 3/4 ton work vans to be had if you want to do a DIY conversion. I've driven both (no trailers), and the GM is nicer platform to drive, but my GMC was retired from the fleet due to an intermittent electrical problem that no one, not even a GM truck dealer, could diagnose.
I support this message/comment.
My dad has used both for work vans, and the chevys have been highly unreliable in comparison. To be fair he beats the e36m3 out of his work trucks, usually going 5k+ between oil changes, driving in horrible winters, always overloaded by 1000lbs or more, treating the throttle and a full on-full off switch, so I can't really say the chevy vans were bad for their intended purpose, just that the fords all stood up to the abuse better. The last chevy van I drove definitely was better to drive, especially the steering. Even newer econolines feel a bit loose in comparison, but none of them had an electrical fire, or constant sensor errors, or so many wheel bearing failures.
I'm also a bit biased since one of his old E-150's from the 80's is still my DD. It's a 302 with a bit of modifications for towing, and yes heat was an issue. Once, the engine got so hot (again towing WAY more weight than it should've) that the hood paint cracked like a shattered windshield. Still runs 15 years after that happened, though. It burns oil, but hard to say why. Was it the years of towing? The family van racing? My brother and I driving it as teenagers? Hard to say. One thing you can't call it is unreliable.
mazdeuce wrote: Word on the street (not sure which street) is that cooling gets to be an issue in the vans when you turn the wick up. If I'm going to build one though, I'm having a long talk with the Vanaconda guys.
used to work down the road from them. I see the vanaconda every so often it never has the camper on it, just the flatbed, and the owner also has a nice e250 on 33's.
As mentioned, they're out there. I have a couple of ongoing searches on Autotrader and CL so I see them from time to time. They were always special ordered and incredibly expensive when new, so usually not cheap used. On the plus side, being special ordered, they are usually well cared for compared to other vans which tend to get used hard and put away wet.
I've thought a lot about doing a DIY conversion myself - using a used commercial van as a base. The down side is two-fold: first is cost - even with high miles, the commercial versions tend to sell for $$$$, so you have to be diligent and ready to pounce if once comes up cheap (and it'll probably need work). Plus, by the time commercial diesel vans are sold, they are often at the end of their life, so it can be a risky purchase. Pay now or pay later...
Converting a gas van to diesel is tricky. First, you need to find a 3/4T conversion van, which are only slightly more common than diesel conversion vans. Then, depending on where you live, you may run into inspection issues when the garage monkey types in the gas van's VIN and plugs the computer into a diesel OBD port. The easiest option from a registration POV (although a crap-ton of work) - providing you have the space - is to drop a conversion van body onto a diesel frame & drivetrain, using the dash (and VIN) from the diesel van.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-E-Series-Van-E350-1998-ford-e-350-extended-4-x-4-van-/201167174310?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2ed67f7aa6&item=201167174310&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-E-Series-Van-Econoline-Cargo-Van/141392710973?_trksid=p2045573.c100034.m2102&_trkparms=aid%3D555012%26algo%3DPW.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D25451%26meid%3De7d53cebc8f844b7856f265ab86e36fa%26pid%3D100034%26prg%3D10681%26rk%3D7%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D131288051159
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-E-Series-Van-conversion-limited-1999-ford-e-350-4-x-4-7-3-diesel-custom-van-excursion-f-350-f-/151403882730?forcerrptr=true&hash=item23405fe8ea&item=151403882730&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-E-Series-Van-Base-Extended-Cargo-Van-2-Door-2002-armored-ford-e-350-econoline-extended-cargo-/121421926093?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1c454f8ecd&item=121421926093&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-E-Series-Van-Full-Custom-Vehicle-by-Centurion-1984-ford-e-350-centurion-cabriolet-vanup-really-/291236833186?forcerrptr=true&hash=item43cf1167a2&item=291236833186&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Express-EXPRESS-3500-CARGO-VAN-6-6L-DURAMAX-TURBO-DIESEL-2006-chevrolet-express-3500-cargo-/231330347738?forcerrptr=true&hash=item35dc5cfada&item=231330347738&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-E-Series-Van-XL-Extended-Passenger-Van-2-Door-2002-ford-e-350-econoline-club-wagon-xl-extended-/131288051159?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1e9160add7&item=131288051159&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
Ford has vans powered by the 7.3 powerstroke. There were even some passenger vans powered by that engine. Hard to find though. Not sure if I've ever seen a Ford conversion van powered by that engine.
Lots of 7.3l Ford shuttle vans, ambulances, and uhaul van trucks out there, and cab backs are pretty cheap to get a crew cab out of one. P30 parts might even be drop ins for the GM stuff too.
Dropping a van body on the front half of a motor home chassis would probably not be all that tough either.
Aren't those all really hard to work on, like "step 1: remove body" hard?
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/4653620442.html
You're welcome...
Fueled by Caffeine wrote: The chevy and ford vans came stock with diesels. You just need to look around.
Yeah, I'd start with a Club Wagon, because I am partial to Ford vans' general indestructibleness. Chevy makes decent trucks but I prefer the Ford's simplicity in the front end. Plus, Ford vans just look right on floater axles with tall-n-skinny Wrangler HT tires.
In my experience, actual conversion vans tend to be the most horribly neglected vehicles ever, because they arrive at the intersection of cheap owners and zombie-ness (they won't stop even after they have been long dead). Plus if they break down, you don't have to scrap it, just live in it on the side of the road for a few weeks until your standards get low enough that it runs good enough again.
In reply to Mazdax605:
You had to get my brain twitching again?
My motocross buddy drives and tows with his F350 7.3 with some mods, intake/exhaust/chip.
He towed a 20'+ camper half-way across the country to races and he says he literally forgets it's there.
He's done some custom work inside to sleep such as a folding bed etc.
Depending on budget, I'd want to start with a Duramax van. I followed this build thread and loved everything about it:
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/76-speciality-forums/218-vans/461243-project-man-van.html
If you were going to look to do a swap of some sort, I would almost think that it would be easier to move a conversion interior into a diesel Econoline instead of trying to move the diesel into an existing conversion van. The problem, though, is that you don't see too many conversion vans that have great interiors but don't run so well. Mechanically they're rock-solid, but the conversion parts aren't built quite as well. And I don't know what kind of carpet they use in them, but I've never seen a conversion van older than about 5 years with carpet that didn't look like butt.
A topic I'm finally pretty knowledgeable about!
This is my roommate's van. E-350 7.3 Diesel, 4x4 conversion from a 2006 (or 2008?) F-250, custom pop-top. Let me know if you have any specific questions. I've spent many an hour wrenching on this thing.
wae wrote: ... I would almost think that it would be easier to move a conversion interior into a diesel Econoline instead of trying to move the diesel into an existing conversion van...
Methinks you're right. I'll have to look at the interior application to a work van at some point....
I used to work with a guy who had me do some work to his ~01 e250 7.3 conversion van. He pulled a 36 (THIRTY SIX!) foot bumper pull travel trailer all over the place with it (10k lbs) and used the van as his daily driver whenever he wasn't on his Goldwing. I did some front end work to it and helped him pull the downpipe and discharge housing off the turbo for some reason i cant remember.
What i remember about working on it is that the engine bay is your typical full size van nightmare but with a larger motor and more stuff on the larger motor. Complete PITA. Also, the vans didn't come with an intercooler due to packaging so they start from a deficit and are harder to turn up power wise.
I think they are neat vehicles, but only if you're paying someone else to do whatever needs doing in the engine bay.
Ive thought about diesel vans, but my thoughts are more along the lines of an om617 in a Dodge. Something that might actually break 25 mpg and not crush your soul to work on. At the end of the day it sounds cool, but not cool enough for me to really do it unless i decide i'd rather have a bumper pull travel trailer than a GMC motor home or a Rialta. Actually, a Rialta with a TDI swap sounds every bit as cool as the $30k it would take to do it. 
I still feel that a 7.3 van is easier to work on than a 5.4 van.
I've been doing some more research and found a buttload of turbodiesel Suburbans available nationally that might fit the bill. I'd be really interested in a 4x4 Suburban as it would have almost as much interior cargo space as a van. Any thoughts on that?
stroker wrote: I've been doing some more research and found a buttload of turbodiesel Suburbans available nationally that might fit the bill. I'd be really interested in a 4x4 Suburban as it would have almost as much interior cargo space as a van. Any thoughts on that?
Plenty. It depends on what you plan to haul. A Sub will be more comfortable to drive, but in cargo mode will have less length. My E150 was 10' from the rear doors to the front seats and 12' to the dog house. A Sub will be about 8' with the seats folded. A van will obviously have considerably more height.
Every time I think a Sub is a neat truck, the engineer in me can't get past the fact a crew cab truck with a bed-cap (or slide-in camper) would be better for my needs. The only thing a Sub does better is haul people (3rd row), which I essentially never do.
Or since 4WD is of little concern to me, a van.
this is my buddys shop van used as a motorcycle hauler, its 7.3 powered and pretty sweet
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