Hi all, I am a full time rock climbing vagabond. I have been living in a minivan since March and I want something way better, something long term. Thinking a diesel 350 4x4. I am the antithesis of mechanically minded. I just want something simple and durable that will get me through snow and mud and some rough roads but nothing too crazy. From what I have read, the 6.9L should be enough muscle for me since I am not towing anything and will only carry about 1000 lbs of gear and people (me). But do I want a turbo or a powerstoke or what? Remember, mechanically inept here. Should I be looking for an already converted 4x4, seems like 15-20k is the usual asking price for my range, or should I get a diesel van and pay to have it converted? Or option 3, a 4x4 truck with a camper shell? Part of this post is just getting experienced opinions (is there a best year, major issues to spot, etc), and part is hoping someone has what I want for sale

Thanks to all in advance

 

You need to do some reading. Hit up Expedition Portal and the Sportsmobile forum. Having a 4x4 van with a 6.0 powerstroke I would advise shopping carefully. If you decide you want a diesel make sure it's been bulletproofed or be prepared to pay for the work yourself. They are also require more maintenance than a gasser.


On thing on the truck/camper shell versus van comparison is whether or not it is important to you to be able to access the camper portion of your rig. With a truck you've got to stop and get out.


Also keep in mind that 4x4 vans are in high demand. I can sell mine today for what I paid for it in 2010. Easily.

 

If I'm not mistaken, the last time the 6.9L was used was in the late 80's which would make the vehicle almost 30 years old. Since you are "the antithesis of mechanically minded", anything used is a gamble. I drive mostly older vehicles and tell others who are considering it, either you need to know how to work on them or be prepared to pay to have it done.

 

I have been reading, it just hasn't helped me much because my knowledge of the subject is so low that I am just confused by most of what I'm reading.

For example, what do you mean by bulletproofed?

 

Bulletproofed is jargon that refers to a series of modifications that need to be done to the 6.0 powerstroke to make it a reliable motor. At least in an overlanding rig. The main Achilles heal is the EGR system and many folks just delete it all together.


Spend some time in this forum. The diesel vs gasser theme has been nauseatingly discussed. 4wd (and 2WD) Camper Vans - Expedition Portal

 

Just a little advice about owning a F350 with a truck camper. If you plan to do a lot of off roading, or two tracking to trail heads etc, I would advise against this route. I own one and in my option its more of a pain than its worth. The cons far out weigh the pros. First of all, you will need to seriously outfit your truck in order to haul a camper. The cost of a good used camper is still quite hight in comparison. You won't be able to do much off roading (rig is quite top heavy). Truck campers require constant maintenance, if you slack on sealing/preping for each season you will find yourself making a lot of very costly repairs. I'm currently down this road and looking for an E-350.

 

I own a 2004 E350 PSD 6.0. I would like to have 4x4 but the price tag is super high. I am considering the Eaton Truetrac limited slip differential.

Diesels require a lot more maintenance and the verdict for myself is being considered. I have a grand total of $6500 into my rig including semi bullet proofing-new EGR, oil, HPOP, FICM, and coolant flush. I put on 20,000 trouble free miles. Another 4 years of good running and I will know if I made the right decision.

If you cannot wrench or trouble shoot simple stuff, find a nice E350 with either the gas V10 or 5.4 liter V8. It's hard to find a better vehicle than the E350. I live in California and see them all the time with 400k + miles! My van has 796,00 and is good health. If you buy diesel, prepare to spend.

A good friend drives a 2003 E350 7.3 diesel 2wd with a locking differential. He lives on a 200 + acre ranch with some crazy dirt roads. He says this van does 90% of what a real 4x4 will do. The other 10% that it cannot do prevents him from doing stupid things like going where he has no business going.

We love our van for family camping. Sleeps 4 comfortably in platform beds. We have solar, isolated RV battery, ARB fridge/freezer. Like I said, these E350 are the way to roll!

If you are patient, something will pop in Craigslist. Better off finding a van that has almost everything you want as building a custom van is expensive.

In my opinion, the Ford 6.0 diesel can be found for bargain price because of the bad reputation for failed EGR and oil coolers. Most of these failures are found on trucks the have more factory horse power. People add custom tunes increasing the horse power resulting in a myriad of problems including blown head gaskets.

Vans on the other hand have about 100 hp less than trucks. I think it's because of the small space that houses the engine. Too much heat build up inside the dog house area. Still plenty of power to do everything you want. Fuel economy is decent too. I average 17 mpg for all my driving.

Find a 6.0 that has new Bullet Proof Diesel EGR and stock Ford oil cooler. Don't add a customer tuner to increase the horsepower.

 

Where's the fun in that?


I have yet to hear a reason that emenates from Ford as why the vans are detuned to 235HP. Some of it no doubt is heat and the cramped engine bay but the vans also have a smaller radiator and transmission cooler. The intercooler is also too small to run high power for very long. And the air box isn't as good. There's probably a litany of reasons but not sure it's just heat. On the other hand the vans don't have nearly as many issues with head gaskets but they still do.


BPD EGR and cooler are key as well as a coolant filter and other supportive mods to have a reliable 6.0. If I had to do it all over again I would pull the engine from the get-go and have it studded as well. I'm probably approaching 400HP with an Atlas 40 FICM tune and an 80HP PCM tune. But I have the supporting mods to do it.


One thing that most van guys don't get (or the tuner fails to tell them) is that if you do get a custom tune it's based on truck fueling tables. The detuned HP goes right out the door. So, anyone with a mostly unmodified van should stick to something very mild. 65 rwhp or less. My 2 cents.

 

if you are not mechanically inclined get a pre efi (pre 88)351W C6 E350 and get an air locker or factory trac loc put in. they had full floating dana60s in them and you have a lot of posi options.


simplest is best for you it sounds like. lots of good ones still around on the left coast, just don't rush in.


some aggressive mud/snows on the rear will get you in and out of almost anywhere with a solid posi.


older vans are not as likely to get broken into, looks like you don't have anything to take


good luck hunting.

 

Diesel, it's for mechanically inclined, or people who have a lot of money they like to share with mechanics, yes all I hear is how long they go without mechanical issues vs gas but they make up for it by costing so much they cost more, anyone who says different is lying, everything bolted to a diesel costs more, and the EPA regulations is killing them with unrealistic demands you can't get from a gas engine, my favorite is the exhaust must be clean enough that you can breathe it. Carburated engines are pretty easy to repair in the field, less is more, they don't have so much stuff on them, an 80's Econoline with a 351W would meet all your needs, small enough you can work on it yet enough cubic inches to give sufficient power, depending on location, finding a solid body and unmolested drivetrain could be difficult.

 

my diesels have been very cheap to run with only regular maintenance. I do my own repairs , and all my friends who have gas power light trucks and vans spend a lot more on repairs, but only slightly less on regular maintenance.


don't use cheap oil/filters, don't buy cheap fuel. change your coolant or at least monitor its condition. if you plan on using your van for hauling on a regular basis diesel will outlast gas engine 2 or 3 times and use 1/2 the fuel doing it.


for this guys uses the 351W C6 is a great one.

 

Not the six point uh oh, you gotta spend a lot to remove emission items to aid it's survival, if it was a good engine BTW, Ford would not have lost contracts they'd held 30 years, just FYI to anyone who comes to it's defense, finding a 7.3 that hasn't been abused is hard, a used diesel is like opening Pandora's box I'm afraid, also the vans being harder to get at the engine makes repairs cost more, and extra stress if you chose to tackle it yourself, can't pull valve covers without removing the engine, or the body.

 

If you're going to diss diesels you might as well get your facts straight. Yes. they're a PIA to work on but no you don't have to pull the engine to remove the valve covers. But you do have to lift the engine a bit to remove the engine mount and then lower it back down to gain access to the passenger side. Maybe what you say applies to the 7.3 but definitely not the 6.0 in an E350.

 

To the OP find a low mileage IDI 7.3....cheap to fix....biggest expense is the Injection pump....Most of them come with a C6...Avoid the E4OD....retarded to rebuild....3 large and up.....(If you have a Modified Powerstroke like me ) On the 7.3 you only need to Jack the right side to access #3 and #5 Injector...been there done that...You do need to remove the starter and the downpipe to do it.....You could remove the solenoids ..but if you have 3 XL hands like mine ..I do not want the nightmare of loosing those tiny Torx screws in the engine....As Far as the 6.0 It is a decent engine except in the Van it is easier to do the work with the engine out.....Then you go Wild ...Studs / EGR Delete /Hybrid Injectors / Non VV Turbo ....then the game is over....You got 400 plus hp and 7-800 lbs-ft all day ....It will run Forever....AND have the fuel efficiency a 7.3 would dream of....

 

Same in the 7.3! This is purely due to the drivetrain offset (off center towards passenger side) Ahhh the joys of work on diesel engines in a van