Congratulations on the new van.
We need more information and Pictures of this van… what motor, transmission, transfer case, axles, and suspension setup?
The most important thing is that it gets you home. Second is that it gets you far from home. None of that other stuff matters. LEDs are a great idea.
First thing I would do is go through the brakes. Check the rubber lines for cracks, check the pads, rotors and drums. Replace and blead brake fluid. If in doubt, replace it.
Next, I would replace all the fluids. Now you will know it’s been done recently and know when it should be done next.
Then check all the bushings, ball joints (or king pin, idk), u-joints, tie rods, track bar bushings, sway bar bushings, leaf spring bushings, tranny and motor mounts. U-joints are easy to replace so I would replace the ones on the front and rear driveshaft. If the u-joins or ball joints in the front axle are bad it is a good time to familiarize yourself on how the outer assemblies and axle shafts are disassembled and reassembled, along with repacking of the wheel Bearings (a special castle nut socket is required and you should have that in your tool box. a spare locking hub is a good idea). If the steering needs work, I highly recommend getting a red head steering gear and Moog tie rods. New shocks and steering dampers if needed, if in doubt, replace it.
Do an alignment and make the new tires last.
If the battery is more than a couple years old, I would consider replacing it, if the alternator looks old and grungy consider replacing it with a quality unit. The second the starter does anything funny… replace it with a new unit. Check the major electrical connections and clean if necessary.
Extra gauges are a great idea as it can help you quickly notice and diagnose problems.
For some extra credit, air filter, spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil………
As far as rust is concerned, DON’T undercoat it! Clean it, spray any bare metal with an epoxy and spray the hole thing with a light coat of oil (specialty products are available for this). For extra credit, use some cavity wax. The floor is the most likely spot as the carpet does a great job of hiding and facilitating it. I have a great video on that subject (
http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...ect-24624.html).
The only bumper I have been able to find is a simple bull bar. If you want good recovery points or a winch, something custom will be needed. This is one of the next projects on my van.
The old brick fonts are easy to work on but will require more upkeep than a newer rig. I hope you are handy with the tool because taking it to a shop for everything will get expensive fast.
Looking foreword to seeing what you do with the van.
Best of luck.