This is the first in an Off Road Xtreme series we’re going to call Shop Showcase. The idea is to turn our gaze upon an off-road shop somewhere in the United States and let you see what it has been up to lately, what it can do, or a project vehicle or vehicles it has created. Our premiere subject is U-Joint Offroad, a small shop in Fletcher, North Carolina, that coverts vans into 4×4 beasts .

U-Joint was started just a little more than 10 years ago. The owner, Chris Steuber, had always loved vans and his dream was to drive one across the country. While on a trip to New York he saw a custom 4×4 van and was inspired. He soon discovered that building these custom off-roaders for clients was what he was destined to do.

This U-Joint project was code-named V4, and it involved converting a 2002 E-350 powered by 7.3L diesel V8 into a 4×4 that could go off road while carrying a camper. It all began when Steuber spotted the E-350 sitting in a junkyard. This E-350 was a former ambulance that had its body removed, though the lights where still on the grill.

A Ford Sterling 10.5 rear axle was installed to make the van easier to roll around. After the van was taken to U-Joint, a full tear down began, and that made the build “SOOOO much easier,” as Steuber put it. As the tear down began, the 7.3L was also rebuilt. The injectors were pulled and given new O-rings, the glow plugs were replaced, a new wiring harness was installed, as well as new oil lines, and the motor was given a good cleaning.

The body was sent to the paint shop, and the frame was cut and welded to make room for the dual shock kit. New front and rear springs were added, as were new axles. Crossmember trimming was performed and the frame was then wire wheeled, cleaned and painted.

The E-350 body was picked up from Smokies Hot Rod and Custom paint shop. It was painted factory Ford green, and it looked fresher than the day it left the showroom. The body was reattached to the chassis, and then fabrication on the bed began.

The bed was constructed from aluminum, using 2x4s outside and 2x2s for support. The bed contains front and rear storage boxes built from 3/16-inch aluminum plate. It’s innovative construction features a three-mount design which pivots so nothing gets “in a bind when things get twisty,” as Steuber puts it.

The bed holds a 32-gallon auxiliary fuel tank along with the ARB compressor and air tank. The suspension features Bilstein 5160 series shocks. An ARB air locker was installed on the Ford Sterling 10.5 rear axle, which was installed using a U-Joint conversion kit. A U-Joint-designed airbag system was added for ride-height adjustment.

The stock 2002 front grill was replaced with an 04′-07′ vintage front grille for a more aggressive look. A U-Joint-designed bumper with a Warn 16.5 winch and Rigid 30-inch light bar was installed on the front. Hood louvers were added to the stock hood for cooling and styling purposes.

V4’s maiden voyage involved driving through heavy snow.

After the completion of V4, it departed for its maiden voyage on a cross-country road trip. The U-Joint crew was heading through Kansas toward an overnight in Denver, and on that leg of the road trip, V4 was driven through a huge snowstorm that put it through it first real test.

Next stop for V4 was Grass Valley, California, where the finishing touch was added: an XP Camper for the bed. After the camper was bolted on, the U-Joint crew headed to the SEMA Show to display its hard work.