Wanted to give an update on this. I called a local dealer and told him my story. He also thought that he would suspect a battery issue.
I called the local Napa where i bought the battery and they said "bring it back" But they also suggested doing a complete load test on the van as installed.
So I drove to town about 45 min away. At one point i could small burning again, but was fine at the store. Hooked up the machine and the battery tested out better than the advertised rating. The Alternator also tested out ok under load.
I picked up an alternator anyway and went back home.

I pulled that original alternator off and it was completely black and had soot coming out all the fins. Installed the new one and problem solved. Not sure what was wrong with it but it was overheating for sure.