4wd Vans
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I was originally thinking that a tacoma or something similar would be a good next vehicle, but what I really think would be rad is a 4wd diesel van. I tried looking online but didn't find anything. Is this something I would have to have custom built, or find a sportsmobile? |
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frybrid.com/forum/showthrea…
Somewhere in the responses someone mentions the econoline having been made in a 4x4, and being that it's a diesel conversion forum I assume it also had a diesel option, though they might be hard to find. Most work vans don't need to be 4wd, so there is probably somewhat limited demand/surplus of older 4wd diesel vans. Realistically, you arent going to get much further with a 4wd van unless it has particularly good clearance (in terms of offroad ability). If ability to do some offroad stuff is what you're after I think a truck is your huckleberry. (my 2 cents) Most anything a low-ish 4wd van can get to you can get a 2wd van to, just need some more momentum. |
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You can always try a 4wd Suburban or Tahoe. |
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4x4 vans are awesome, but can be very expensive. You can watch the used market and might get lucky on something older, but in general you're looking at at least a 5k premium for 4x4 vs 2wd (based on what I've seen). You can also buy conversion kits to do it yourself with certain vans (econolines, specifically), but you'd still be between 5-10k for that conversion on top of the price of the van, excluding labor. |
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I have a 1994 Eurovan and it has taken me down most dirt roads I've wished to go, albeit sometimes very slowly and with a spotter helping out...stacking rocks here and there... |
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i got a Toyota previa. it's AWD not 4wd but works really well. They are getting pretty hard to find since they went out of production in '97 though. |
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Ian Stewart's experience is pretty close to mine... by not spending $10k on a Sportsmobile type van (and spending under $3k on a 2 wheel drive van) I had money left over for a small vehicle that's much cheaper and easier to use around town when I'm not traveling (not to mention money left over to actually go places in the van). The van ('93 E-150) has good ground clearance, and rear wheel drive vans have way more traction than rear wheel drive pickups, but there are places I wouldn't try to take it. One thing to bear in mind with diesel is that the fuel (on average) costs around $1 more per gallon than gasoline, so while you might save fuel with a diesel you might not save much money. |
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There are no 1500 (half-ton) vans with a diesel, and Sprinters are not 4WD. I also wanted a 4WD van with a diesel and eventually gave up. Everything I found was either way overpriced, or had very high miles. I did not want to give up the 4WD or diesel options, so that left sportsmobile for the most part. |
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4-door 4wd Tacoma with a camper shell can't be beat. Except skid plates and momentum trumps clearance any time! |
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The old toyota van (actually the name of the model), is super reliable, mileage in the 20s, and has 4wd. Either that or go to BC and try to find a Mitsubishi Delica. They are lifted, rugged, have 4wd and also get gas mileage in the 20s in 2wd mode |
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All bow down! |
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JLP wrote:For less than the cost of a diesel Sportsmobile, you could get large domestic RV and tow a Jeep behind it, all while getting pretty close to the same gas mileage. Diesel 4x4 vans are a giant hog shit-show of overkill and excess with a strong appeal to American slobs, IMO. Too big and heavy to do any real 4x4 roads, too cramped as a decent RV and too expensive to justify for that 1% of miles spent off road.You say 4x4 vans are a "giant hog shit-show of overkill and excess", and yet you suggest getting a large RV and towing a jeep behind it? Please explain how that's less overkill than a single van. While you're at it, maybe you can explain how to park the large RV and jeep in those small camp sites that are often found near climbing areas. Have you ever actually been in a pop-top Sportsmobile? "Cramped" is not a term I would use for it. Something tells me that you've never driven a large RV towing a jeep across a highway with 4x4/chain control in effect, either. I sure as hell would never want to do that. Sportsmobile? No problem. Even though I have no intent of doing so, I would drop $30k on a used Sportsmobile before spending the same on an RV+Jeep combo any day. |
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A friend of mine wanted a Sportsmobile type van, but instead opted for a used 2004 E-250 with a 5.4 (gas) with around 50,00 miles on it- he then took it out to Salt Lake City and spent about $3k on a 4x4 conversion, and then put a high top (permanent as opposed to pop-up) on it. He reports getting 12mpg. In light of that, I can understand why someone would just go for the big RV instead, but an RV can be a real liability in a number of situations, whereas a van or a truck can double as a work vehicle if needed. |
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4x4 E350 in Moab
Here's my beast of a van. 93 E350 with a big lift, 7.5L V8, Poptop, propane furnace, solarpanels, and lots of other goodies. Awesome in the snow and cold. Had a party with 5 dudes and 3 dogs inside no problemo. I'm pretty sure this is the van Ian was talking about. And about the gas mileage, I just got it smogged in CA and had to put a new catalytic convertor, O2 sensor etc. I drove it to Tahoe a couple weeks back and was pushing 15mpgs. I really like my van. It goes anywhere and lets me stay off the grid. Biggest gripe is gas but it holds almost 55 gallons (~600 miles) and if there is two or three people then you can split the cost. To Compare, my '03 Tacoma V6 4x4 double cab only gets 12-17 mpgs depending on the season and city/highway. So a big ass van getting 10-15 is not so bad. |
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rj-n-foco wrote: Here's my beast of a van. 93 E350 with a big lift, 7.5L V8, Poptop, propane furnace, solarpanels, and lots of other goodies. Awesome in the snow and cold. Had a party with 5 dudes and 3 dogs inside no problemo. I'm pretty sure this is the van Ian was talking about. And about the gas mileage, I just got it smogged in CA and had to put a new catalytic convertor, O2 sensor etc. I drove it to Tahoe a couple weeks back and was pushing 15mpgs. I really like my van. It goes anywhere and lets me stay off the grid. Biggest gripe is gas but it holds almost 55 gallons (~600 miles) and if there is two or three people then you can split the cost. To Compare, my '03 Tacoma V6 4x4 double cab only gets 12-17 mpgs depending on the season and city/highway. So a big ass van getting 10-15 is not so bad.So did you do the conversion on this puppy or did you fork over the $80k for this one yourself? I love these things but am having trouble figuring out how anyone, unless they're LOADED and filthy rich, would be able to afford one of the coverted ones. They cost almost as much as a small house and let be honest we're talking about climbers... |
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TWK wrote:4-door 4wd Tacoma with a camper shell can't be beat. Except skid plates and momentum trumps clearance any time!Damn! I guess it can! |
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JLP has no idea what he is talking about. Sure a brand new decked out Sportsmobile will cost $100K but a little patience and shopping there are good deals to be had. Of course its not a rock crawler for insane offroad. But to use it for what it is, a vehicle capable of getting you to most trailheads and locations with or without roads, it can't be beat. |
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TWK, My tacoma was the reason I upgraded. the bed is short so I have to sleep diagonal and it's damn cold in the winter . I spend alot of time backcountry in the winter so being warm and drying gear was a top priority. |
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There are plenty of inexpensive used 4wd cargo vans out there... |
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rj-n-foco wrote: ... Had a party with 5 dudes and 3 dogs inside no problemo.Dude, ain't a party if it's a buncha wankers in a van! If I had that van I'd be looking for 3-4 escorts to party with, not dudes. |