[ThomCat316]

One of my fantasy projects is to stretch out a Gen-2 S-10/Sonoma ex-cab frame about 3-4 ft., plop a crew cab body on it, and build a streamlined camper uni-box to replace the bed. The box wouldn't exceed the cross-section of the cab at any point (while driving).

Sort of a super-streamlined RV/camper. I expect ca. 30MPG hwy. based on the Sonoma I'm driving now, and possibly better if I'm willing to pan the belly.

I have all the necessary knowledge to do this based on the 2.2L 4-cyl injected gas engine that is stock in the S-10, but a thought popped into my head... Is a diesel engine more appropriate to this? I did some reading, and found some pros and cons:

Pros -
More torque, allowing taller overall gearing.
Generally better instantaneous economy.
Fuel almost always available, esp. in remote areas.
Can be tuned for biodiesel if available.
Common-rail gives excellent economy.
Mechanical injection gives long service life.
Extremely simple to add tank capacity - I don't mind 1400-1500 miles between fuel stops.

Cons -
The fuel really stinks.
More torque may require replacement drivetrain components.
Long-term economy can be compromised by costlier repairs.
Mechanical injection is prone to soot production, especially at the targeted low cruise RPMs.
Common-rail is very finicky about fuel quality, and is very expensive to repair.
I can repair/rebuild the gas engine under a tarp-tent almost anywhere that UPS/FedEx can find with tools I already own... :-)

So I've thought about it a lot, and am leaning toward simply getting a 2.2L gas motor massaged properly by a local race shop, but I thought I'd toss this out to the more experienced members of the community and see what consensus develops.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Thomcat