Questions on what to look for when purchasing a full size van
- Thread starter bringbackpluto
- Start date
RememberTheFallen
Explorer
I spent a lot of time searching for the "perfect" Van. Looked at AWD Chevys, 7.3 deisels, V10s, and avoided the 5.4V8. EB vs RB. Cargo vs passenger. Found a good deal on a RB 5.4 passenger van in a color I really liked. Super happy with my purchase. I think there are short comings with every van but you have to look for the pluses. The big plus for 5.4 vans is that there are tons of them out there so they are much cheaper and easier to find a clean one.
I'll Chime in
I remember when I found this forum. It was and still is very helpful! After much waffling and inter-netting, I decided on a passenger Chevy Express 1500 AWD. I live in Western MT and drive snowy roads all over in the winter on ski trips, so AWD or 4x4 was a must. It is also my daily driver when I can't ride my bike. Out of the shoot, I was going to rip it all apart and make a camper. After owning the van for a year I decided I really didn't need rip it all apart. I found a rear seat that folded into a bed on craigslist, put a ladder on the back door, had a big roof rack welded up by local high school students and insulated behind the plastic panels. In the summer we sleep on the roof rack under the stars. Now it's been 2+ years with the van and I have done very little compared to some folks on this site, but love the van. My next project is to upgrade the suspension from the stock suspension. My goal now is to keep it as light as possible and versatile. As far as MGPs, the 5.3L v8 gets 15-17 highway and 11-14 in the winter driving up mountain roads. My only gripes are, I would like to be able to stand up and a longer van would be great for added cargo room. If you're not bound to AWD or 4x4, I would go with a longer and taller 2wd rig. For 8k you should be able to find a decent van. I bought mine from Joe's Auto in Columbia Fall, MT. They get them in every now and again. I think they source them from a shuttle company in Denver. My recommendation is own it for a while before digging into it. Then build it to fit your needs. Vans rock and have fun!
I remember when I found this forum. It was and still is very helpful! After much waffling and inter-netting, I decided on a passenger Chevy Express 1500 AWD. I live in Western MT and drive snowy roads all over in the winter on ski trips, so AWD or 4x4 was a must. It is also my daily driver when I can't ride my bike. Out of the shoot, I was going to rip it all apart and make a camper. After owning the van for a year I decided I really didn't need rip it all apart. I found a rear seat that folded into a bed on craigslist, put a ladder on the back door, had a big roof rack welded up by local high school students and insulated behind the plastic panels. In the summer we sleep on the roof rack under the stars. Now it's been 2+ years with the van and I have done very little compared to some folks on this site, but love the van. My next project is to upgrade the suspension from the stock suspension. My goal now is to keep it as light as possible and versatile. As far as MGPs, the 5.3L v8 gets 15-17 highway and 11-14 in the winter driving up mountain roads. My only gripes are, I would like to be able to stand up and a longer van would be great for added cargo room. If you're not bound to AWD or 4x4, I would go with a longer and taller 2wd rig. For 8k you should be able to find a decent van. I bought mine from Joe's Auto in Columbia Fall, MT. They get them in every now and again. I think they source them from a shuttle company in Denver. My recommendation is own it for a while before digging into it. Then build it to fit your needs. Vans rock and have fun!
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