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View Poll Results: Will a Ford E350 5.4L V8 get me there and back?
Absolutely! I do it all the time. 13 86.67%
Yes. But I wish I had more powerful engine. 2 13.33%
Nope. You'll wish you had a more powerful engine. 0 0%
No way. Start over. 0 0%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 15. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 05-09-2016, 08:57 PM   #1
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Exclamation Concerned and Confused

As a professional natural landscape photographer, I want to outfit and convert a van to 4x4 that can handle the rigors of off-road terrain. I thought I did my homework and bought a 2012 Ford E350 XLT 15 passenger extended van (5.4L V8) with less than 60k miles. I have no plans to do any towing or extreme rock crawling, so I didn't think a 6.0 power stroke diesel would be absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, now that I've read some posts here on SMF, I have some real concerns. Given the added weight of the vehicle, did I make the wrong choice with the 5.4L V8? Even more worrisome is that I read that SM won't convert a 5.4L to 4x4. Is this true? Can anyone weigh in on my concerns, or offer solutions to working with what I've got?

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Old 05-09-2016, 09:33 PM   #2
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You're fine. Don't worry about it.
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Old 05-09-2016, 09:50 PM   #3
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I have run literally thousands and thousands of miles with a 5.4, sure there are times when I have a trailer behind that I think would be nice to have more power. So I decided to try diesel. All the power in the world but then we're the repairs. Of all the miles I've logged besides transmissions an alternator was the only time I had an issue. Love your 5.4 maintain it and you will have many enjoyable miles!
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Old 05-09-2016, 10:23 PM   #4
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Thanks for chimming in spurious and rallypanam. I feel much more confident in my decision, but is there any truth behind the notion that SM won't convert a 5.4?
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Old 05-09-2016, 10:27 PM   #5
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I would think they won't convert 5.4 to 4x4. It would make no sense they wouldn't do an interior and pop top based on the motor size. I would make a second call on that one.....
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Old 05-09-2016, 10:28 PM   #6
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Plenty of 5.4L 4x4's out there, and you're in SoCal where finding a shop to convert your van will not be a problem if SMB doesn't want to do it.
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Old 05-09-2016, 10:49 PM   #7
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Been using my 07 SMB for serious landscape photography work for nearly 9 years. It's an incredible benefit, depending on the level of and the nature of your camping abilities and desires. You'll be fine even if you stay 2WD, but the top and interior buildout are pretty much where you should start. Many images on my site were made within yards of the van when I found the right places to go.

How about a link to your photos?
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Old 05-09-2016, 10:53 PM   #8
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I'm thinking of investing in a UJoint kit if SM declines to convert my 2012 5.4L. Any other options worth considering?
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Old 05-09-2016, 11:02 PM   #9
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Agile is another option.
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Old 05-09-2016, 11:55 PM   #10
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There will be another option coming out if MG gets the results he wants from his prototype.
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