van tow rig?

[N-Smooth]

okay i have been looking for a tow rig for some time... checking the auctions and paper and figuring my finances and i am sold on a 3/4 ton dodge. but right now the auctions don't have much to offer so i am browsing other stuff and i thought about a van. what motors do they put in the e250 and 350's? is ford the way to go?
my friend's dad has a e250 and that mofo is HUGE!
i have always thought they are just a truck minus the front axle (boohoo) and a little bit different motor setup (pita to work on).
is that true? does a e250 have f250 drivetrain etc?
the thing is i could pick up a e250 or 350 for cheeeeeaaaaap!
the biggest deal is the creepiness factor to be honest with you, but i can deal with that. i already have a chic so it's not like i will be trying to pimp the ladies in a big ol' van.

anyway, the one that i looked at was a 250 extended and it had about 11.5 feet behind the seats to the back doors and the roof was 13 feet long. if i was to get one i would just have two front bucket seats and build a removable bedframe in the back and a roof rack the length of the roof. would that be cooool or what? i could chuck tube sticks on the top and hang them over the front...

anyway, how would it work for a tow rig?

thanks for the help, and please laugh it up about me wanting to get a van!!!

-nate

 

[SAMI]

i know Crieghton(sp?) tows with a van....and he's always afew hundred yards behind evryone else! j/k C-dog...

i say do whatever you want too.... cause i don't know the cool tech info to answer any of your questions....

 

[Hickey]

Honestly, you can do all those things with a pickup, if you put a shell on it. PLus it will be easier to change the spark plugs and it will hold it's value better. But if it is WAY cheaper than a pickup, get one. You creepy molestor type.

 

[SAMI]

You creepy molestor type.

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

 

[utahxjer]

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

lol

 

[WayneXJ]

Come hear little boy, want some candy?......

 

[crimsonride]

If you painted it and slaped a whole bunch of stickers and crap on it then people would know it's a utility vehicle instead of a molester wagon. I think it'd be kinda cool, you'd have tons of room to store tools and crap and you could camp in it if you wanted to.
We had a econoline van a long time ago, it was sweet, captains chairs, lights all over the place and a CB. I'd give anything to have that back for a tow vehicle, you could haul your jeep and like 6 friends down to moab. Course, it'd be real slow like.

 

[crimsonride]

Look at this baby. 3K, and only 61K miles on it. That would be a sweet tow rig by my book. You'd probably have to gear it a little lower, ours was geared too high.

TV, VCR, tow package. 4 captains.

 

[Hickey]

Look at this baby. 3K, and only 61K miles on it. That would be a sweet tow rig by my book. You'd probably have to gear it a little lower, ours was geared too high.

TV, VCR, tow package. 4 captains.

The biggest problem with a van, is finding one with at least a 3/4 ton rear end. My friend had a sweet conversion Ford, but it only has an 8.8 in it, and they are so heavy to begin with. He had to replace his shafts at 50K miles.

 

[N-Smooth]

you guys seem to know exactly what i am talking about.
VANS ARE GAY... BUT IN A COOL WAY!
i wonder how a 3/4 ton would really tow? having a mattress in it and tv for moab would be sweet. no more hotel for me. and trucks with shells look homo, no offense to anyone, i have never liked the look. they are totally functional, but not cool looking. i would rather have a "molestor" van than a truck with a shell and carpet/redneck kit.

 

[Hickey]

you guys seem to know exactly what i am talking about.
VANS ARE GAY... BUT IN A COOL WAY!
i wonder how a 3/4 ton would really tow? having a mattress in it and tv for moab would be sweet. no more hotel for me. and trucks with shells look homo, no offense to anyone, i have never liked the look. they are totally functional, but not cool looking. i would rather have a "molestor" van than a truck with a shell and carpet/redneck kit.

a 3/4 would tow great

 

[crimsonride]

I think it'd almost be worthwhile to swap a 9" into a van like that one. For 3K and that low of miles I think you'd still have a good deal. Man, wish I had my rig and a trailer with a spare 9" and $3000 lyin around right now.

I think I might know of a 9" under a armored van that you might be able to get your hands on.

 

[N-Smooth]

in the paper i saw a 99 e350 with 36k miles, ac and cruise control and everything for like 9 thousand bucks!!! that is like 1/3 to 1/4 the price of a 99 ford truck and lets face it, vans are way cooler
i am going to go to the dealers this weekend and see what i can find. the auction is not looking up right now, i check it every wednesday.

 

[crimsonride]

in the paper i saw a 99 e350 with 36k miles, ac and cruise control and everything for like 9 thousand bucks!!! that is like 1/3 to 1/4 the price of a 99 ford truck and lets face it, vans are way cooler
i am going to go to the dealers this weekend and see what i can find. the auction is not looking up right now, i check it every wednesday.

I drove a E350 for a while, I would tow cars on a Uhaul trailer with it. It would do an easy 80 on the freeway, that's about the fastest I would ever tow anything. But just FYI, it towed the cars easily. It had a 351, and auto, don't know what the trans was. Not sure what the axle was either. Seems like it was an 8.8. The largest car I ever towed was a Malibu, not terribly heavy but not real small either.

 

[N-Smooth]

well i would be towing my jeep on a trailer... my jeep is going to be pretty light too.

 

[Caleb]

in the paper i saw a 99 e350 with 36k miles, ac and cruise control and everything for like 9 thousand bucks!!! that is like 1/3 to 1/4 the price of a 99 ford truck and lets face it, vans are way cooler
i am going to go to the dealers this weekend and see what i can find. the auction is not looking up right now, i check it every wednesday.

well considering thats what I bought my 99 PSD supercab for

I personally wouldn;t pay $9K for a van, even if it was a 99...I would rather take that 9K and buy a earlier model PSD or cummins truck...thats just me though...another thing is the vans engines are always rated for less HP than the same truck engine...like the new PSD in the trucks are like 325 hp and the vans are like 280 hp...something like that, dont know if those are the exact numbers...

 

[joez]

well considering thats what I bought my 99 PSD supercab for

I personally wouldn;t pay $9K for a van, even if it was a 99...I would rather take that 9K and buy a earlier model PSD or cummins truck...thats just me though...another thing is the vans engines are always rated for less HP than the same truck engine...like the new PSD in the trucks are like 325 hp and the vans are like 280 hp...something like that, dont know if those are the exact numbers...

I think the van ones are less due to it being a passenger vehicle, but dont quote me on that. Its just something i was told a few years back.

Personally i would tow with a van before i used a pickup. Vans just rule.

Arround here you can find mid to late 90's e-250's and 350's for dirt cheap. I recently saw a PS e-350 in the paper for $5500 OBO. Low miles, mint condition. The vans are all over the place for under $5K.

 

[jp008]

I just bought this beauty for $400.00.
1976 (ya baby), sleeps 6, runs great, 75,000 miles, everything works.

 

[Hickey]

I just bought this beauty for $400.00.
1976 (ya baby), sleeps 6, runs great, 75,000 miles, everything works.

You suck though, so we are even.


















I hate you

 

[87jeep]

my work van is a e350 with the powerstroke in it and it seems like it would tow verry good


















I hate you[/QUOTE]