Try this test. take a little water in a cup, start the engine and slowly pour it on the serp belt. Does the sound change? If so, the belt is most likely in need of replacement or the tensionier is going bad. Make sure to protect your eyes and wear old cloths when you do this.

Tried that, the belt was replaced last summer when I had a power steering pump go out, the mechanic said to replace it then since it was 10 years old, the vehicle actually sat outside undriven from what we gathered for years before I acquired it. many parts were actually rusted up.

Did the water make any noise changes? It sounds like a dry belt. Or, the belt tensionier could be weak.

It made no sound change, I raised the van, turned the wheel to the right and it was obviously coming from behind the tire, Some pully on the low part of the engine, when I sprayed water on the pully, the tone of it changes for a moment, then went right back to cherp, cherp, cherp. When I have the hood open you can tell it is coming from down low, then when I turned the wheel with it up, you could hear it so loud it was drounding out the sound of the engine from the wheel well.

Do you have a seperate V belt for the power steering? Many of these vehicles came with a serp belt that runs everything except the PS.