I just watched the latest CheapRVLiving video. It's a discussion with the owner of a van outfitter shop. On there they mention the possibility of buying a cheap, rust-free, older van for a couple thousand dollares, so maybe getting on twenty years old or so, and putting in a new crate engine and then taking it to a shop for a 4wd conversion. The prices they tossed around for this were 6.5K and 14K. These seem a little low but maybe. Setting aside the high-top that the video is actually about, I'm curious about whether the cheap van + new engine + 4wd conversion is a good idea versus other options at about the same money. Not looking to build something that can handle a lot of technical trails, just something a little more capable than a 2wd and that can handle some slick mud after a hard rain.
Some questions:
Has anyone done this? If so, would you recommend it?
If you were going to do it, what van (year and engine) would you use?
Seems like you would end up with a van that wouldn't have much resale value for what you put into it, any other disadvantages?
Would you be confident that this was a reliable enough rig to take some miles off of asphalt? Most importantly, it needs to run when the key is turned, leading to the next question.
What about the transmission and wiring harness?
What would you expect the total cost to be for just the van, no build out, but including likely expenses like new tires and battery and whatever else?
Thank you.