After his Chevy Astro van’s engine regurgitated a piston rod, longtime off-roader Jeremiah Brown of Kerhonkson, New York, went hunting for a four-wheel-drive van capable of hauling the family into the backcountry. He hit the jackpot in 2022 when he found this 2001 Ford E-350 4×4. It checked every box and then some. Today, it’s the Brown family’s go-to adventure rig, tackling trails and exploring backcountry destinations across the United States. And it often serves as a tow rig for his wicked 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ as well as his modified 1-ton military trailer.
Purchased Sight Unseen, Driven Home Cross Country
Four-wheel-drive vans can cost a small fortune, but Jeremiah had no intention of parting with a large sum of cash. In fact, keeping the cost reasonable was another of his parameters. He found just what he was looking for on the opposite coast. This came as no surprise to Jeremiah, since another of his requirements was finding a van that wasn’t festooned with corrosion caused by road salt, a common problem in his neck of the woods.
Soon, he was on a plane to Seattle to buy the E-350 4×4 sight unseen. With the deal done, he pointed his new purchase east and drove it cross-country back to New York.
The van had only one previous owner, who had Quigley Motor Company handle the 4WD conversion and Sportsmobile work its camper-conversion magic. Jeremiah says the van had recently been based in Arizona but had been as far north as Alaska. Since taking ownership, he has personalized the E-350 to better suit his family’s style of wheeling.
415-Cubic Inch V10
Propelling the big E-350 is Ford’s Triton 6.8-liter V10, a 415-cubic-inch beast that has made quite an impression on Jeremiah. His assessment is simple: It’s a “heckuva motor.” The V10 feeds a 4R100 four-speed automatic transmission, which sends power to a BorgWarner 1356 two-speed transfer case with a respectable 2.69:1 low-range ratio.
1-Ton Running Gear
One-ton running gear provides the strength to handle the van’s power and weight. Each axle is a Dana 60 fitted with 4.10:1 gearing, and disc brakes reside at each corner. The front axle is equipped with manual locking hubs.
Suspending the van up front is a Quigley four-link system with coil springs. It provides five inches of lift and includes Bilstein shocks. Jeremiah notes that it’s “nothing fancy,” but it gets the job done and has proven reliable.
Out back, the suspension includes E-450 springs with lift blocks, and the combination provides four inches of lift. Bilstein shocks round out the package.
The additional suspension lift helps provide increased clearance for a set of LT285/70R17 (33-inch-diameter) BFGoodrich HD-Terrain T/A KT tires. Each tire is mounted on a 9-inch-wide Method 704 Bead Grip wheel. These wheels are designed to engage the tire bead, allowing lower tire pressures to be used off-road.
Meaty Bumpers, Winch, And More
The Brown family’s van is loaded with functional exterior upgrades aimed squarely at off-road travel. Stout Reunel bumpers protect both ends, while a 12,000-pound-capacity Warn winch and front-mounted Hi-Lift jack stand ready. Aftermarket forward- and rear-facing lights help pierce the darkness, while wheel well-mounted rock lights illuminate the terrain beneath the van. Out back, there’s an easy-to-access spare tire, a rack for trail gear, a spare-tire-mounted trash bag, and a KickAss Products foldout shower tent awning.
Solar Self-Sufficiency
But the E-350’s upgrades go far beyond trail hardware. Jeremiah has outfitted the van to keep the Brown family comfortable and powered up during extended backcountry adventures. A pair of Renogy 200-watt flexible solar panels mounted to the fiberglass pop-top roof feeds a system that includes a 1,000-watt inverter, a 3,000-watt inverter, a REDARC DC-to-DC charger, lithium batteries, and more. There’s enough juice to power the refrigerator, freezer, ice maker, 10.5-cfm air compressor, Starlink system, four different lighting systems, and a host of other electrical gear.
And then there’s the audio system. In addition to being an off-roader and trail builder, he’s an audiophile, and the E-350 packs some serious sound. He sums it up best: “It’s basically a competition stereo if there is such a thing anymore.”
Always Home No Matter Where They Roam
Since Jeremiah acquired the E-350, it has carried the Brown family on adventures to Yellowstone National Park, the Wall in South Dakota, Montana’s Beartooth Highway, Assateague Island, and plenty of destinations in between. But one of their favorite places to point the big Ford is the coastal sand of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
For the Browns, the E-350 is more than a tricked-out 4×4 camper. Jeremiah summed it up perfectly when we met him at the 2026 Summer 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals: “This van is making our dreams come true every road trip we go on because we are always home everywhere we roam.”
Photos by Jeremiah and Laura Brown, Ken Brubaker
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