# The best work van?



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

What's the best service van for durability/rebuild-ability? Currently I use a GMC one ton van which has be very reliable but is probably reaching the end of it's useul life. Frame is OK but the body is getting rough, and power train has a thirst for oils.


----------



## OntarioMan (Feb 11, 2007)

Hey Ross - what service is it that you'll be doing with the van?

With the way gas prices are going, you'll see the prices of the used larger vans and used trucks drop - even prices for the used Astros and the "mid size" vehicles seem to be falling.


----------



## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

Ross,
From personal experience. You already have the best. I too had a 1 ton GMC van sold it at 378,000 miles. Did a valve job @ 221,000 mi. and rebuilt the transmission @ 227,000 mi.
I sold it to a wood stove installer who ran it for another 2 years. Rebuilt the engine about 425,000 mi. He ran it up to 492,000 mi. the last that I knew.
I'd say buy another one.
Those Freightliners and Volvos are pretty good also. But be ready to put up some $'s.
Good luck


----------



## clovis (May 13, 2002)

While this is probably too small and not capable of carrying enough weight, have you seen the Chevy HHR panel?
We have the family version, and driven conservatively, gets GREAT mileage. I am starting to see a few of the panel HHR's on the road for service businesses. If the high cost of gas is getting to you, might check one out.
Otherwise, I agree, you have the best van on the road. The GMC vans outnumber the other brands around here at least 10 to 1. It is not uncommon to hear of these vans having 300K miles or more, and they are still going strong.
Clove


----------



## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

I've run dairy equipment service including refrigeration out of GMC and Dodge vans. Other than an ongoing relationship with a dealer that you may have they both worked quite well.


----------



## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

Ross said:


> What's the best service van for durability/rebuild-ability?


 Ford Econoline Series IMO.


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

My complaint with the GMC is the long standing one.... no leg room (not that I'm that tall) It must have about 300k on it.
Will be used or HVAC and some general contracting, so tool storage and parts storage are important. I have trucks and trailers so material hauling is not. I could care less about milage my GMC Savana AWD only gets 17 mpg, but it gets the job done the one ton gets about the same but again fuel cost is only a marginal consideration. No sense saving $1000 in gas if you put $2000 in parts and service into it never mind down time!

I was thinking about a cube van or a Sprinter, but I do like Ford trucks/vans too. Are the newer full sized Chev vans more comortable?


----------



## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

I would consider the Dodge/mercedes Sprinter if I needed the room. I know more and more people who are using them and like the space and the fuel economy. A couple of people use them to haul to the farmer's market or wholesaler's almost daily all summer, put the seats in to use as a family van, take out the seats and haul seed from outwest to Wisconsin, and back to daily use in the business. So far, very happy with them.


----------



## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

Ross- An option you might consider. Ford E350 Econoline 15 passenger vans that were formerly used as airport peoplemovers or rental units for church and school groups. Remove the seats and you have a cargo van. They are usually sold a few years old with 40 to 50 thousand miles on them for 62 to 72% of the price of new. Lots of leg room, lots of cargo room.
Tough to beat Built Ford Tough... :stirpot: ...LOL


----------



## OntarioMan (Feb 11, 2007)

Have you ever considered a "step van"?

One of my neighbours has one of these with duallies which he uses for his construction company. He calls it "the ice cream truck". It is huge inside and appears to be built like a tank. I was under the impression that step vans were all older, his is actually not that old. From what he says, they're very cheap to purchase. 

His looks something like this :












Ross said:


> I was thinking about a cube van or a Sprinter, but I do like Ford trucks/vans too. Are the newer full sized Chev vans more comortable?


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Well I checked out a buddies newer full sized Chev it's very roomy up front, so that's a big plus. Step van is likely the correct name for the one I called a "cube" van. My only concern is the dualies as they're not the best in snow....... neither is my current van so the point is mute. My brother has suggested a small mini school bus in the past. Trouble is it would be old by the time I can get it. 
I stopped and looked at a 3/4 ton Dodge van today. They don't get much more ho-hum than those things. Low mileage though I didn't get a price or details.


----------



## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

Get yourself one of the used handicapped transit vans Ross. Then you've got either a lift or a ramp to make moving things easier, and the next time the SO breaks your legs for buying another old piece of equipment you have a vehicle ready for her to drive you around in.


----------



## OntarioMan (Feb 11, 2007)

Not all step vans are duallies - just depends on how large a step van you'd like. Below is a quick net search showing a 99 Chevy step with a 9400 lb rating and a 350 5.7l engine.



















I see step vans quite a bit at auctions in southern Ontario - although I've never really given them much thought - neat vehicles though - some have aluminum bodies and with the whole front end flipping forward, they should be a real pleasure to work on. I had a 23' Chevy motorhome on a van chassis, and working on that engine was a real chore - that engine was stuffed in there very tightly.



Ross said:


> Well I checked out a buddies newer full sized Chev it's very roomy up front, so that's a big plus. Step van is likely the correct name for the one I called a "cube" van. My only concern is the dualies as they're not the best in snow....... neither is my current van so the point is mute. My brother has suggested a small mini school bus in the past. Trouble is it would be old by the time I can get it.
> I stopped and looked at a 3/4 ton Dodge van today. They don't get much more ho-hum than those things. Low mileage though I didn't get a price or details.


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Get yourself one of the used handicapped transit vans Ross. Then you've got either a lift or a ramp to make moving things easier, and the next time the SO breaks your legs for buying another old piece of equipment you have a vehicle ready for her to drive you around in.


My wife rides a handi bus with severely disabled children (Not driving she cares for the children) Generally the busses are pretty much shot by the time they get rid of them. Oh and my wife may be many things but she isn't one to complain about me buying things like a work van or tools. It may be she simply has enough other things to rant about.


----------



## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

Hee hee! Maybe I should have my wife call her.

I've noticed most of the new service vans here are all 3/4 or 1 ton Dodges, not sure if they have an overall price advantage or if it's just a local dealer thing but there are a lot of them out there.

Had a guy clearing fences for us who bought a used work truck off Bell, one of the 1 ton Ford chassis truck deals with the service body and the high ceiling in the middle. Low mileage and perfectly maintained, guess that's why the phone bill's so high. He's in love with that thing.


----------



## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Ross said:


> Well I checked out a buddies newer full sized Chev it's very roomy up front, so that's a big plus. Step van is likely the correct name for the one I called a "cube" van. My only concern is the dualies as they're not the best in snow.......


Whats the problem with duallies? I have that on my motorhome and in a blizzard on the freeway I was able to just plow right on through while cars were spinning out all over the place. Is it because Vans are light in the back or something?


----------



## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

Yeah, my coachman is great in the snow too, but our old f550 was useless in snow. I think it has to do with the weight and long wheelbase. I took the motorhome across the New York Throughway a few winters ago during a storm and it just plowed on through. Their where cars and Semis off of the road all over the place and the RV never even slipped a little.


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Could be a weight issue or a poor tire choice, I've just seen too many dually trucks and mini busses (<---- guess who's) stuck in nothing


----------



## Rocky Fields (Jan 24, 2007)

Hey.

I agree with you that the GMC/Chevy legroom is lousy. I like the Ford Econoline, but don't get an older one with a E4OD auto transmission...the E4OD is a piece of carp prone to failure.

RF


----------



## ColumbiaSC. (Nov 25, 2005)

I drive a 86 vandura cube van with a 14' box with dual wheels, I am replacing the back end tires as I can, $130 each. Same for the front. This truck is a one ton with a 350 /410 rear end, about 7 mpg. It only has about 78,000 miles on it and has had needed a check up here and there with nothing major. 
I just noticed some fluid dripping out of the rear end a week or so back, gotta get a look at it soon. 
Overall I love it to death and have saved many trips to town when on a job because I had the parts/tools I needed right there with me! Also I have a microwave plus generator installed so I can eat on the job and that saves 'time away' costs a lot.

I do mostly home repair and improvements daily with the help of my truck. 
This is a U-haul type truck with a low step up back bumper and roll down door.
Just a thought, love mine!


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Well I dropped the gas tank when a strap let go. I was only doing about 80 kph (50mph) so the old girl is sitting at the shop. My mechanic will check out the van to see what it would take to keep it on the road for a year......... with lamb prices in the tank a replacement would be better considered 6 months from now. That low milage Dodge is looking good for now too, ugly and cheap (asking price at $1500 is a warning to look for trouble spots but leaves room to fnd them)


----------



## OntarioMan (Feb 11, 2007)

I suppose you could get a lemon at any price - but low mileage is always a good sign in a used vehicle. Around here, there is not a whole lot of demand for the full-size vans - a bit of demand by contractors, but many of those have gone to either the smaller Astro type vans or pickups pulling enclosed trailers. With a bit of patience to find a decent full-size, they're a good value. 



Ross said:


> Well I dropped the gas tank when a strap let go. I was only doing about 80 kph (50mph) so the old girl is sitting at the shop. My mechanic will check out the van to see what it would take to keep it on the road for a year......... with lamb prices in the tank a replacement would be better considered 6 months from now. That low milage Dodge is looking good for now too, ugly and cheap (asking price at $1500 is a warning to look for trouble spots but leaves room to fnd them)


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

When it rains it pours there's a chance for a very very low kms Ford super duty 7.3 diesel......... unbelievablely cheap but with a wait of up to 2 months. I like my wifes Savanah (Astro clone) but if I'm paying for that kind of mileage I'll take the full size. I can use our existing trucks for a month or two even if it would be a pain. Guess I need to ask about late 90's Ford diesels.


----------



## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

1997, 1996 7.3L had most of the bugs worked out


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

It's a 98 F350 or 450 with around 50,000 km.......... about 30,000 miles. We're talking under $5000 to buy!


----------



## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

As long as it has the 7.3L Powerstroke Diesel engine should be a decent rig.
When you say Super Duty and F350, F450 you are talking about a Pickup cab/chassis possibly with utility/van body?
In the States, at least, these were introduced early as a 1999 model. Of course there were Super Duty F- Series trucks(8600 GVW and larger) built and sold in 1998, but they were marketed as 1999 models.
F450 would most likely be a dually unless a special application truck.(RR, etc.)
F350 could be SRW or DRW.
Might want to get a spec sheet and clarify if they are auto trans or 6-Speed Manual?... if that matters to you.


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

We've bought equipment through this route before so I know the truck is being sold, but details are sketchy and TBH they`re not the quickest moving on things. I can be almost 100% sure its an automatic, 7.3 and yeah it`s a dually (so I`ll take the advice here they`re not so bad) and its a service van body. Way more truck than I need, but I`d rather look back on too much than not enough. The hardest part will be waiting, because when it`s sold it will happen at the drop of a hat and I`ll have to be there cheque in hand, I should be able to get a mechanic to the truck but not the other way round.
I`m not sure its a super duty the guys I`ve talked to call it that but its an easy slip to make. It could be a 99 too. I have seen tne truck several times but don`t recall the model number.


----------

