Cooling Fan Questions

[66 C10 383]

I'm in the research aspect of putting a 5.3/4L60E in my 66 C10. This truck will hopefully be a driver with some round trips up to 500 miles from home. I'm looking for the most rock solid reliability as possible. Something on the order of OEM reliable. Also, I've been trying to stay as close to OEM style parts as possible in case replacement becomes necessary while out on the road.

I haven't installed my engine yet until I can figure out if I need to leave room for a mechanical fan or electric fans.

Okay, my 5.3 currently has a mechanical fan on it. Mechanical fans with fan clutches have been around for years and are as dependable as they get. They also eat gas mileage.

Electric fans save the gas mileage but they have been known to fail. And with my luck, will do so 500 miles from home. There is also the question of running a 16" single fan or it seems the biggest dual fans I can run on a 66 C10 size radiator are dual 11" fans.

I have a Vintage Air setup I'll be running and I've got a PSI harness for the 5.3 if that makes any difference. I'm setting it up with DBW using the 2005 or 2006 blue/green ecm.

It seems most factory trucks that have the electric fans are running dual. I've also heard that the Taurus or Continental fans are 2 speed fans.

I've done research here on the board til I'm completely confused. I've read let the VA control the fans. Doesn't the ecm need to have some control of the fans, too? Would the VA control one fan and the ecm control the second? If I go with the single 16" fan, how would both the VA and ecm control 1 fan?

I need some thoughts and ideas on which way to go. I'm kinda leaning towards the mechanical fan for simplicity but I'd also like the more modern aspect of running the electric fans.