Cargo or Passenger?

Gonejpn2

Gonejpn2

Observer
Very valid points Scoutkid! I have had several diesel trucks(7.3 Powerstroke, 5.9 24V Cummins, 6.5 Turbo) and really miss having the diesel(except for the 6.5, ha ha) I am still torn between diesel or V10(strictly for the simplicity, price, and how quiet it is). We also plan on traveling to Central America in it and want what's best for down there as well.

And yes...DIESEL VAN! How cool is that!?!?
 
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deserteagle56

Adventurer
Depends on what you will be using the van for! I don't haul passengers. But I do haul a dirt bike or quad (yes, my Yamaha Kodiak fits through the back doors) and when I get to where I am going, I want a camper. Therefore I built the inside the way I wanted, with insulation and sliding, screened windows for ventilation and cabinets for storage.

Mine is a V-10 and I wish it were diesel. The V-10 shifts down on every hill - then shifts down again going down the hill on the other side and that drives me nuts, seeing the tach hovering over 3000 rpm. Worst thing is the mileage. 12 mpg no matter how I drive. The diesels I have owned get ~ 18 mpg. Gas here is ~$3.70 a gallon and diesel is $3.90. So, in 10000 miles of driving it costs me roughly $900 more to drive the gas rig. But because out here where I live places to fuel are few and far between, that difference in mileage is huge. I have to find gas when the V-10 approaches 300 miles (30 gallon tank) whereas the diesel would go ~ 500 and that extra 200 miles would be very welcome.

And wait till you try changing out those 10 spark plugs...might be easier to pull the engine to get it done!
 
loren85022

loren85022

Explorer
Getting beyond 300 miles to the tank is definitely a major point once you hit the backroads and trails. Nothing worse than having to forgo a bit of adventure just 'cuz the lil' gauge is leaning way to the left.

Having been a wanna-be 4wd van owner for eons, I do think that owning a van with any of the engines beats the alternative. The reality is you run what you brung, and enjoy all the envious expressions you get along the way.
 
1

1sweetvan

Adventurer
Just what is wrong with spinning a V10 above 3000? It makes peak torque @ 3250 and peak HP well above that.

The biggest problem with the V10 seems to be the way the 5 speed behind it is programmed.

FWIW, my 5.4 can do 60 up a 13% grade loaded to 10,000# without breaking a sweat. It also gets 16 MPG on the highway. Pulling a 6500# trailer is another story, but it can still do the job.
 
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deserteagle56

Adventurer
1sweetvan said:
Just what is wrong with spinning a V10 above 3000? It makes peak torque @ 3250 and peak HP well above that.

The biggest problem with the V10 seems to be the way the 5 speed behind it is programmed.

FWIW, my 5.4 can do 60 up a 13% grade loaded to 10,000# without breaking a sweat. It also gets 16 MPG on the highway. Pulling a 6500# trailer is another story, but it can still do the job.
Click to expand...

So why bother with the 5-speed overdrive? Let's just put the old C-6 in there and not have to worry about the transmission for the life of the vehicle! It's NOT GOOD for that tranny to be shifting in and out of overdrive all the time. That's what kills transmissions. And 3000 rpm is probably why my mileage is so lousy. I find myself wishing for one of the older Ford automatics wherein I could push a button and lock out overdrive if I so desired. But yes, there is plenty of power.

Actually, its not really all that bad if I don't use cruise control. Its only when the cruise is on that it shifts on an upgrade, back into overdrive as it tops the hill, then shift down again for engine braking going down the other side. I've found that if I don't use the overdrive the shifting up and down is minimized so its the programming with the cruise control that is the major problem. It may have to shift down going up the hill but once over the top it will not shift down if the cruise is not on.

A couple weekends ago I took my Cummins-powered Ram over to Elko, towing my big and very heavy equipment trailer. There I loaded up a car, got back on I-80, and headed west again with the cruise set at 75. There are two long and steep hills, summits, to go over on this stretch. The van, not towing anything, cannot pull these summits in overdrive. Not once did the transmission in the Ram shift down and the tach stayed glued ~ 2200 rpm. Near home I topped off the fuel and found I had averaged 15.4 mpg for that 350 mile trip. Now that's an engine! And I guess that's why I have been spoiled by diesel power.
 
C

Crawdad

New member
Toolman said:
Apparently the window vans have a stronger body due to the framing around the windows in which the panels do not have. Not a big selling point but to be honest I really like the panoramic views the passenger van offers. Rear AC is a plus but I did find a couple of V10 panel vans with the rear AC. They are out there. Another issue I had with the panel was they were all beat up looking from their life as a "work van". Passenger vans are usually family oriented,government, or car pool vehicles. In my case I just got lucky (catering company). Be persistent in your search. Narrow it down to a few key factors when beginning your search. My criteria was as follows

1 had to be a V10 or a Diesel (after driving both I realized V10 was for me) no V8
2 had to have low mileage under 70k
3 didn't care what color, however anything but WHITE
4 had to have power windows and locks (which most of the passenger vans have and panel vans do not)
5 had to be the right price under $10k

I was watching auto trader, craigslist, local car lots that specialize in vans daily almost like a disease.. when I finally gave up and said F it ... that's when it showed up

started like this (actual picture from craigslist)

VANDEBTA1.jpg


and now
2011-05-04165933.jpg


I'm not sure if it shows or not but I love my Van
Click to expand...

What kind of roof rack is that toolman?
 
Toolman

Toolman

Explorer
I have the over drive button and I learned that you should tow a trailer or drive through the hills with over drive OFF. I pulled the grapevine towing my jeep and passed a lifted diesel f350 going 70 mph like he was standing still He had a bewildered look when I passed him. I'm sure most of the problem is his monster tires and didnt regear the rear end. Btw the 4r100 trans is a 4speed I believe. I could be wrong however my van gets 10-12 mpg when towing and I don't mind it. I drive a cummins 5.9 everyday and I'm sick of the noise and smell of the diesel engine. If I wanted mpg Id buy a Prius

The roof racks are Yakima rain gutter style

Thanks for the compliments guys I'm still working on the interior and there are some pics of what's done on my build thread.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/52388-Vandetta

Sorry for the hijack. Back to the point of this thread. Everyone has different needs and wants, build it the way you feel will work for you and your family.

Whatever you do build a van. You'll love it.
 
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deserteagle56

Adventurer
The Torqshift tranny in my van does not have provision for locking out overdrive. It has a Tow/Haul button instead - but that does not lock out the overdrive, just holds each gear a bit longer and shifts down sooner and harder when going downhill.
 
dhally

dhally

Hammerhead
Cargo or passenger

(Why do all threads de-volve to a gas vs. diesel thread? :cool:

Anyhow we picked a cargo van so we could have opening, screened windows for ventilation while sleeping in hot buggy weather. There is no good way to get this in a passenger van.
 
J

jeffjeeptj

Adventurer
I have had 5 vans, 2 windows and 3 cargo. I have put some type of interior into 1 window and all 3 cargo. If I still had kids, I would have a window. Just wife and me - Cargo. There is a lot of "storage/shelf" space lost in a window van. My parents had a cargo that they put a minimalist interior into when they were 62 YO.
My wife and I just travelled from TN to VA to visit daughter/grand-daughter in wife's Sequoia. The conversation drifted into vans for about 2 hours. We will be looking for a cargo, diesel preferred. Sequoia is comfortable and quiet, though
Assuming my F350 SRW and F550 diesels work about the same as a diesel van, I want a diesel. Unloaded MPG is similar, but when loaded/pulling a TRAILER, the diesel wins, hands down.
Just my $0.02 - HTH

74 Ford E-300 Window
77 Dodge B-300 with 440 - Cargo
78 Ford E-150 Cargo with 300 -6
87 GMC Safari - Window V6
91 Ford E-350 Cargo with 460

In addition, go with dual air if at all possible. I added the factory rear air in the 91 Ford, a significant project even with JY pieces.
 
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