I have a 99 7.3 6 speed stick 4x4 with a tad over 100K on it (no chip) and was wondering what it would take to put a van body on it.
The goal would be to use a Ford van body large enough to build a small camper (with shower) and pull a small trailer with my motorcycle inside.
Am I nuts or is this feasible?
I'm sure 7.3 4x4 Ford Vans exist but I already have this and the engine is just broke in
Thanks,
Jim

 

You're way out of my wheelhouse but it sounds good. You may be able to find a 4WD ambulance out there but I doubt that it would be a six speed.

 

Thanks, an Ambulance would be a good platform to start with. My truck's not a Dually though and I'd like to keep it that way. Just to be clear, I was thinking of keeping the engine and drivetrain together - more of a frame-up changeout.

 

It's always fun spending someone else's money...

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/...274269691.html

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/...281361856.html

Maybe it'll give you some ideas if nothing else.

 

Thanks for the links. If I were 20 years younger those would be great. Trouble is, 20 years ago I couldn't afford anything like those

I'm more interested in the feasibility of the project from a fit standpoint. Like if I bought a 99-2003 van with a bad motor, how hard would it be to but that body on my truck chassis. Would the 7.3 fit under the cover? Stuff like that.

 

Bad idea.....

Van 7.3L's did not have room for an intercooler, which is also why they had a different turbo. (1.15 A/R and slightly different turbine wheel). So, you'll need a turbo, you'll lose the intercooler ( and performance and longevity). You will need a van pcm and/or tuning.

Do you plan on having a passenger in the back do your shifting for you? The ZF6 shifter handle will be well behind the driver in a van. I guess you could custom fab some sort of linkage or something, but you'll also need custom clutch hydraulics. Plus, I'm not sure the foot box in the van is large enough to accommodate the extra pedal.

Keep the truck, and find a slide in camper. Alternatively, keep the truck, remove the bed, buy a used up/blown up work van, and find a way to graft the rear portion ( behind the driver) of the van body onto the truck chassis.

 

Your right and I feel a bit dense for even considering it. I suppose with an automatic it may be feasible but I'd have to rig up a different intercooler still.
I think towing a toy hauler with the bike inside would be the quickest and cheapest solution.

Thanks for the responses.