I like towing an enclosed car trailer as I can take lots of other things with me besides just the car(atv or waverunner).
With that said...there is the occasional time that I have to park the trailer in a separate place because the rv space isn't big enough for both.
In the op's situation, I would suggest a tow dolly with brakes, for the van. That would solve his braking issues and be less expensive than altering his van for towing.
I have seen many people park their tow dolly underneath the back end of their motorhome(a good portion of it), which wouldn't require a longer site or having to park it somewhere else.
Just my thoughts and a fairly inexpensive solution to his question(I think).