THE 4X4 VAN CONVERSION CONSIDERATION

4X4 converstion vans remain a possibility also for this project. It adds a whole new dimension of useability, and becomes a small camper as well as a nice shelter from bad weather when out in the sticks. A small smellfree porta potty makes it far more likely the wife would come with the boy and I on our beach fishing expeditions, because there is an enclosed place to answer natures calls.

And I certainly admit, if possible, it's a cheap and very comfortable option to have that greatly makes the fish camp experience much nicer. Particularly for ladies and children. One of the tent front deals that attaches to the front of the van can make an expanded living and sleeping area that is quite large.

Rod storage in the ceiling of the van is another plus, and as some of the pictures above show, like the yellow Quigley converstion and the white beach van, a popup top adds room and ventilation as well as a strong support base for a roof rack. It also adds a nice upper bunk.

The bottom picture shows you what between $40k and $50k new in a Quigley conversion on a new van. It's not Quigley's fault, they have a fair price for the massive amount of things they do to convert the factory van into a serious off-road machine.

What we'd probably end up with, though, given our more limited budget, is something like the purple van in the top photo or the green van below it. And there's nothing wrong with those rides. If you could get some kind of deal on an older 4x4 van, even if it needed an engine or other work, it could be a very cool fishing vehicle.

I do have a set of friends who have a more recent and more expensive 4x4 converstion van, and they often fish both Freeport and Matagorda ocean beaches and back bay marsh areas for wading and kayaking. They have a rooftop air conditioner that they bought and hooked up to a generator they run their lights with with having a fishing camp. If the bugs get bad, or it's just too hot to be comfortable, that's their "A/C ROOM", where they sleep and seek respite from the heat or inclement weather.

So vans have very strong points in their favor as a potential project vehicle. The downside to their selection is going to be a likelihood of far more work on them mechanically than on other SUV/Truck choices, but they will provide a more camper like environment with a lot more room and lots of options for gear and camping stuff.

I had a friend in my twenties, who had a rich brother in law who had a Short Wheel Base Chevy Van that had been merged with a K5 SWB truck 4x4 rig. The first time I ever ventured down PINS was in that van, and it had the pop up top with a front bench seat that made into a nice fold down bed.

His rear bed had a slide out kitchen underneath, so that you could cook from behind the rig and then slide it all away when through. It had a serious roof rack with several aluminum boxes, fishing gear and other sorts of stuff. Although that guy fished on occasion, his main activity was surfing waves and spending the night to catch early morning waves.

If I had the cash to buy a new Quigley, I'd do it right now.