A Ford with a 3oo straight six cylender is as reliable as an anvil and simple to work on. If you stay away from 4X4 and have tall rear gears, something like 2.90 to 1 (highway gears) rather than short gears like 4.10 to 1 (4X4 or heavy tow package gears) you will get around 21 or 22 mpg or maybe better with a five speed OD standard shift if the engine is stock. (no torque cam etc.) Still will have enough power to put a boat in and out on a trailler if the boat is not too big.
To hunt and fish be sure you take the time to build a good parking break, when you have to trust an automatic trans park pin or have to kill the engine in gear to hold the vehicle parked to unload a boat or 4 wheeler, you will probably end up in trouble such as in the lake or in a deep gully.
You can probably find almost anything you will need for the modles with the 300 engine in a junk yard or someone's pasture, includeing rear ends. 4X4s are a lot more expensive to keep going and the differentials are not available in highway gears. The body styles for that motor ran for several years.They made them in step side which looked pretty neet. (Fenders and a small running board on the rear cargo box rather than a straight flat sided cargo box. A 2 tone paint job can really set that off!)
You might find an old delivery pannel van without side windows or pasenger van with side windows (curtains for a camper) with the same motor and an overdrive automatic trans. I drove one like that in 3/4 ton and hauled a heavy load in one dirrection and would average 21-22 mpg. It can be fixed up real neet with fold down cots on the walls or captains chairs and removeable pedastable tables. Have your own mini camper? A roof rack or a roof pop up head room would increase space. A party wagon where ever you go.
All you need is a paint spray gun, upolstrey cement, staple gun, possibly a saws all, paitence and imagination and it can be as cool as your mind allows it to be.
My first truck was a 56 Chevy Apache 6 cyl with a 3 spd standard shift. It was light blue with dark blue and white tuck and roll seats. I was 12 years old and I drove it to school every day because no activities bus ran to my part of the country after football practice. I taught my brother who was 6 years old how to drive with him sitting in my lap on the way to school each day.
As for the EL Camono, I would get a car instead. A car can tow as much with a lot mmore room inside. You can haul anything with a car, just add a bumper hitch and get a trailer. Every car that I have owned had a trailer hitch put on it. My 2.2 liter 4 cyl Toyota Camry has a 1000 lb towing capacity. You can practice backing a trailer (in a flat parkng lot) with a long tung is easiest. (That is how my girls learned) The springs are like a cars so weight capacity is limited. Your head will hit the back glass if you have the seat back. ***No room in the cab***.
Best of luck to you and I hope the plan works out.
eddiegjr
PS: If you suffer from distractions you might need Ritalin. ha, just kidding. "huked no ponyx wurkde fur m6!"
eddie
