I may have mentioned it before, but have you considered going tubeless? If you get proper rims with flat bead seats, the tire isn't going anywhere, and when you run with sealant perpetually in the tire, it both seals the tire bead, and seals up thorn holes. As a bonus, you'll get better rolling resistance and therefore better range. And no pinch flats.
I'd look at these if I were you:
ZTR Alpha
Rim brake compatible, tubeless ready and not terribly expensive for $108 a pop (Plus like $30/wheel for spokes/nipples and $16 for a pair of Stan's valves). Since they're double wall, all you have to do is wrap the rim bed in a single thickness of rim tape, add a few ounces of sealant and go.
Building the wheel would be the hard part, but you could probably get a local bike mechanic to oversee your build in exchange for a 12 pack. It's more about process than skill.
