I've got leads on several 1-ton Quigley converted 4x4 vans (GM and Ford, all late 80s). Is there any reason one of these wouldn't make an excellent tow rig/camping vehicle? I previously towed with a Suburban 2500, which I loved, but for the fuel economy it got I would prefer to have more interior space for an eventual camper/expedition type build.
What am I not considering? I would assume crosswinds are a bitch, and fuel economy will be poor.
They are awesome and you should definitely do it. I don't have any idea how well it will actually work.
If you can swing it I would do a DIY conversion with U joint's kit. FAR better than Quigley.
Now if you just looking for 4x4 for snow road driving etc Quigley will be fine, off road they suck, only 1-1.5" up travel before bumpstops.
Towing is fine, milage sucks, but your driving a literal brick. 
The 4x4 is interesting to me for snow, light offroading, and recovering of the rally car if/when it ends up stuck on a stage- not planning on any real rock crawling. The U-joint offroad kits cost more than the vans I'm looking at.
In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:
Fair enough. Quigley is fine then. I get the Ujoint kits are $$, but I rode in one and was sold.... If you source your own t case, axle etc its a lot cheaper. But sounds like Quigley would be fine. Do some research on them, they can have some quirks, Quigley produced unit bearings IIRC
Ian F
MegaDork
1/4/16 11:03 a.m.
If towing a light car like the RX7 on an open trailer, it should be fine for towing and moderate fire-road driving.
Just remember mileage tends to drop off exponentially as speeds increase, so you'll want to limit speeds to 65 or less.
In reply to Ian F:
I learned that lesson the hard way with the Suburban- 9 mpg at 65 mph sounds lousy, until you compare it to 6 mpg at 70! 
Ian F
MegaDork
1/4/16 11:16 a.m.
In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:
Yep. I had similar experiences with 70's tech 4x4 trucks. My '78 F150 was most telling: 10 MPG at 60 MPH. Could practically watch the gas gauge move if going much faster.
TBH, I was all about finding a 4x4 van for use as a camper/bike hauler/tow vehicle, but Petrolburner's thread about his E350 with suspension mods has me considering ditching the extra expense and complications of 4WD. Not to mention my own experiences with my old Cummins running real snow tires (Bridgestone W965), which seemed to defy the laws of physics. Plus, a newer van "should" net a 4 spd trans with OD for slightly better hwy mileage.