TRAIL’S END

BY JERED KORFHAGE JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM PHOTOS: FOUR WHEELER ARCHIVES

Looking back to Earl Watkins’ custom 4x4 van

Going down the 4x4 van trail one night in the Four Wheeler office, this citrus-colored Ford leapt out at us from the pages of the March 1988 issue. Intrigued, we sought to find out more about this van and its builders, a story that involves various paintjobs, multiple custom van shows, and a rendezvous with a legendary monster truck.

This ’77 Ford E-350’s original owner installed a Pathfinder 4x4 kit lifting the van about five inches over its stock ride height. All the suspension components were chromed, a set of Gumbo Monster Mudders and American Vector wheels filled the wheelwells, and the custom orange paintjob bore pinstriping and the name Moonshine Rider. In reference to its name, the interior was fit with cedar paneling, seats carved from whiskey barrels, and a beverage tap, among other things.

Custom van enthusiasts in the Danville, Illinois, area knew that when a vehicle entered House of Custom, something slick would emerge—and this E-350 was no exception. Earl and Paul Watkins were in charge of the custom shop and began working their magic on the van. Modifications to the Ford 460ci V-8 included a Holley carburetor and Hooker headers, all contributing to the van’s 340 hp figure at the flywheel. The van’s suspension was modified significantly and folks at Burke’s Spring Shop, in Danville, still remember the citrus-orange custom leaf springs that made room for the 15x42-16.5 Super Swampers. There was further evidence of Earl’s custom work in the steering setup, the re-angled differentials, and the van’s full-coverage, single-piece aluminum bellypan that kept dirt from packing the undercarriage when mudding.

House of Custom reworked the interior, taking it from beverage-dispensing to luxurious with button-tufted purple velvet throughout and a premium sound system, before turning their attention to the paintjob. Orange remained as the primary color choice but with new striping, the addition of a mural at the rear, and a new name to Orange Crush. After its appearance in Four Wheeler, the van was said to have grown even larger tires and perhaps a more potent powerplant, as Earl Watkins’ thirst for customizing vehicles was hard to quench. We even heard a story that Earl had the van parked beside Bigfoot outside a Ford dealership. We can’t confirm, but rumor is that Orange Crush stood a few inches taller than the monster truck. Though it wasn’t a car crusher, the van was trail- and roadworthy.

We’d love to hear your stories from the custom 4x4 van scene and better yet, have a look at any high-resolution images you have. Feel free to send us a note at editor@fourwheeler.com and include those images if you have them. FW

FOUR WHEELER (ISSN 0015-9123) June 2022; Vol. 59, No. 6. Copyright © 2022 by Motor Trend Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Published monthly by Motor Trend Group, LLC, 831 South Douglas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA, and at additional mailing offices. Single copy price is $6.99. SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S. APO, FPO and U.S. Possessions $19.97 for 12 isssues. Canada orders add $12.00 per year and international orders add $24.00 per year (for surface mail postage). Payment in advance, U.S. funds only. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to FOUR WHEELER, P.O. Box 37198, Boone, IA 50037.