I've got a HJ60 with a 2H engine which has been running on veggie for the last 86000 and except for water in my fuel at one stage it performs beautifully. I've even put of rebuilding the engine(480000klms) because it runs so well, I use a 3 way ball valve, single coil barrel HE and insulated fuel lines with an in line filter between the valve and the fuel pump. My start tank is a 2'2 lt old motor mower tank mounted in the engine bay. Having excess fuel return to the pump means it maintains fuel temps, but doesn't heat the oil in the tank.

It depends on what you want your vehicle for which would determine the kind you buy. I agree if yo want to chug round cities and go for country trips, then merc's seem to be the go. But if you want a work horse or adventurer, you have many choices, but fir grunt and reliability its hard to go past cruisers, except if you can pick up a Nissan 3.3 turbo diesel, they were the best most balanced diesel ever built in my opinion.