Shopping for an Express/Savana 2500/3500, and debating between regular or extended

[hansu]

Any opinions on whether this would be too much rust for a 2018? I have an opinion, but I could use a sanity check as I'm new to these rigs and haven't shopped before for vehicles that spent any time outside the sunbelt

Also, @86scotty, as resident fleet expert, are there any years that the white GM vans are not subject to the flaking paint? Specifically, in this case, do you know if 2018 is eventually going to flake off and need to be stripped and repainted?

I don't see anything there that is no-go re rust. But, as someone else said, there are so many of these around you can probably wait for a totally clean one to pop up. I would argue the 4WD is probably overkill and not worth the rust risk.

re paint, my 17 already has that issue around the drip rails but then it has spent its time with me in relatively severe weather of the high desert and I'm only now getting around to building a garage. I've been told by someone who ought to know that the root cause of this is that Chevy moved to a water-based primer which bakes out over time and that means the paint has an unstable base and thus flakes. This design being so old its probably still built on an outdated paint line as well. For the vans I've owned it has been an issue on the top and on the hoods and front fenders for the most part. On my current van I just cut the top off and replaced with a fiberglass bubble top and I sanded and re-painted the drip rails during that mod. The hood and fenders are fine so far.

FWIW, I have an early 00s white Avalanche which is starting to flake now too. #ChevyLife

At some point I will probably take both trucks to my local paint guy and see if I can't get a "volume discount" to have both sanded down, re-primered with non-crap primer, and then painted more interesting colors.

 

[ExpoMike]

Yeah GM based 4x4 vans (not the AWD version) are few and far between. I think I find 10 Ford 4x4 vans for every 1 GM 4x4 van.

The GM paint issue goes back into the late 80's (and for a lot of manufacturers) when EPA mandated waterborne primers and changes in paint. It was total crap back pre 2000 and I really had hoped car companies would have gotten it figured out by the 2020's but I guess not.

 

[Moyshe Kapoyer]

Agreed, they are out there, but that's a 4wd van which are much harder to find.

I'm no fleet expert, just had years in them everyday, but every white Chevy I've seen peels eventually. My 2011 silver Ford is even doing it. Grrrrrrrrrr.

Yeah, the white ones seem to all shed paint like it's a layer of skin...haha.

 

[Moyshe Kapoyer]

I've been told by someone who ought to know that the root cause of this is that Chevy moved to a water-based primer which bakes out over time and that means the paint has an unstable base and thus flakes.

That makes perfect sense. If you feel the primer, after the paint peels, it's smooth.