1500, 2500, 3500?

[awilder]

I have narrowed my search to a Chevy cargo, based in large part on Bob’s recommendation. 

For a fully built out van, would a 1500 be too light? Would a 3500 be necessary?

I am not going to haul anything. 

Thank you in advance.

 

[B and C]

I'll try as that is a vague question. A fully built out rig means what weight wise? I would not build even a lightweight setup on a 1500.

 

[Almost There]

I'd skip the 1500 IIWM. While the chassis is the same, the braking/suspension/transmission is too light for even a moderate interior build out.

The 2500 is a nice middle of the road approach - heavy enough systems to allow a decent interior build, but not overkill.

As important as the 1/2 ton/3/4 ton/1 ton label is the size of the engine.

Some of them came equipped with smaller 8's and even 6's. The smaller engine does not mean better gas mileage, in fact it can work against good gas mileage. The smaller engines are straining to pull empty weight let alone fully loaded with interior, personal possessions, battery banks, water supplies etc. etc. Try putting them up any kind of mountain grade or steep on ramp and you're tempted to get out and push...  

I have a 2500 GMC Savana with a 5.7 L engine and it handles whatever grades I'm throwing at it with a little laugh and a ' baby, let me at it' attitude. I get 16 mpg with it fully loaded and a 24" high top installed. It should be noted that while I don't go to extreme measures to get good gas mileage and brake life out of my vehicles, I do drive with gas consumption in mind!

 

[Firtree]

IMO a 2500 3/4 ton is the minimum. Yes the 1500 is too light in frame, shocks, all the stuff needed to carry you and your stuff safely.
All things equal- miles, condition, price (ha) I’d want the 3500, 1 ton for the extra safety and flexibility.

Weigh all the wood, insulation, solar, extra batteries, food, water (8lbs a gallon) fuels, stove, pots, pans, chairs, clothes, boots, shoes, computer toys, bedding, tools, you!, the dog and you’ll quickly see you can max out a 2500.

An under strengthened vehicle will breakdown (bend, sag, break) from the excess weigh. An over weight vehicle will stop much slower and may not stop at all.

Did you see the terrible story and video of the RV that could not stop when trying to load on a ferry? I don’t know the finally conclusion if it was ‘just’ bad brakes or the RV overloaded caused the brakes to fail resulting in a horrifying death for the man inside.

Don’t go light or cheap on the vehicle capacity, brakes, shocks, quality of tires

 

[MrNoodly]

I have a lightly built out Express 2500. I think the suspension is too stiff.

The payload capacity of an Express/Savana 1500 is 2,610 pounds. Will you have more than a literal ton of stuff? Mmmm, probably not.

 

[highdesertranger]

"I am not going to haul anything."

you would be surprised what you are going to haul,

what about the conversion?
food
fuel for cooking and for driving
bedding
clothes
water
bathroom facilities
entertainment
house battery(s)
solar system
etc,etc

oh yes you will be hauling stuff and the weight adds up fast.

highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

Living in requires you haul everything you own and use to live. If you backpack full time and can live out of a pack happily then you can use the van's enclosed space as a metal tent. If all you do is sleep in the van a half ton will work fine. If you intend to have solar and a battery bank, insulate and heat the van, carry food and water, build storage then a 3/4 ton will work but most likely close to it's capacity. Many end up towing a cargo trailer or small camper and soon find that the additional braking and larger components result not only in a safer situation but one that will last longer with the heavy use. It is really up to you to figure out the minimum that will work for you. Most underestimate what stuff weighs. Getting a one ton insures you can haul what you need in most cases.

 

[tx2sturgis]

The 1500 cargo van was made for florists (flower deliveries don't weigh much)....get the 2500, minimum. 

If you are buying new (or newer) then you have the 2500 or the 3500 to choose from...the 1500 went bye-bye after 2014...

 

[MrNoodly]

Twelve-passenger vans are also half tons. People weigh a lot more than flowers. (12 people at about 175 lbs each = 2,100 lbs.) Your basic pickup truck is a half ton, and people haul all sorts of heavy stuff in them. As I said above, the payload of an Express/Savana 1500 is 2,610 lbs.

 

[tx2sturgis]

What I said was, and I used the term precisely: 1500 CARGO vans. They were made for lighter loads such as:  flowers, parcels, light duty deliveries, painters, electricians....etc.

I never said a thing about 12 passenger vans...or conversion vans...Pay attention please. 

1500 cargo vans were NOT made to haul 12 people. Two seats will not fit 12 people.

The 'payload' of a 1500 CARGO van includes one or two passengers, and a full load of fuel. 35 gallons of fuel plus 400 pounds of people means a lot less capacity than you realize when all your gear, fixtures, water, provisions, and supplies are also on board.

 

[ckelly78z]

The 1500 would be fine for a weekend getaway vehicle with a cot, a few totes, and a cooler/Coleman stove, not for long term dwelling.

 

[highdesertranger]

you have to take manufacturers payload specs with a grain of salt. the figure was probably determined on a stripped van. no gas, no driver, no spare tire, no rear bumper, no radio, no jack and lug wrench, lightest engine offered, etc. BTW all the manufacturers do this. highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

Most truck stops have scales that for a small fee you can know for sure. Unfortunately most people only use them to verify they are overweight. The only negatives to getting to big a truck is a little less fuel milage which in my case is usually offset by longevity and a little rougher ride till I get it loaded. I like remote living so lots of stuff but I envy the "metal tent" simple style of urban living because it is so much easier and cheaper. How heavy a truck you need will be determined by your lifestyle. If you buy to lightweight a vehicle it will be unsafe and wearout quickly, if you buy to heavy a vehicle it will cost more to operate with no benefit to you. Much better to spend more to operate than to be unsafe and break in my opinion.

 

[awilder]

Thank you so much, all of your input was very helpful. As someone who knows not much about vehicles I do appreciate learning from those who do.

By ‘I won’t be hauling anything’ I meant I won’t have a trailer, known for sure because we live in a city where I will be street parking when not in the vehicle.

By fully built I meant wood, insulation, a three seater bench, a pull out bed contraption with kitchen on one side accessible when the bed is closed. Storage anywhere we find it. 
But we won’t be living in it full time, more likely 10 days a month or so. Basically we are stuck in NYC due to split custody of my stepsons and this is our idea for how to be able to get out of the metropolis when we can. 

So yes, looks like a 2500 or 3500 for us, the newest and most well maintained and cheapest we can find.

Thanks again.

 

[Firtree]

And IMO it needs to be White.
If you are just traveling around the NorthEast for weekends or short trips another color could be OK but white does the very best to reflect and not absorb sun and heat. Even Tan will be much hotter for you, family, pets and harder on your AC when driving.

Hope you find something good

 

[Pikachu711]

I'll add my .02 cents to this thread where the size of the engine is an issue.

Years ago I worked at a hotel where we leased two new Dodge vans with a 8.0 Magnum V-10 gasoline engines for transporting our guests. They came equipped to carry 15 passengers. Aside from the obvious issue of very poor fuel mileage they were not cost effective from a fuel standpoint at all. They were reliable and we rarely had mechanical issues that required maintenance that required our attention. The upside: Very reliable Dodge product. The downside: Very poor fuel economy. I'm talking single digits for the most part. But in a business situation that's not a factor to take into consideration. From a van dweller standpoint avoid V-10 engines. You pay a premium for that much engine. JMHO

 

[awilder]

Any opinions on this vehicle?
“2013 GMC Savanna G2500 Extended Cargo VAN AWD V8 FFV CARGO 5.3L With 68200 Mils, ONE OWNER, CLEAN TITLE, NO ACCIDENT, NEW TIRES, NEW ENGINE OIL”
$9500

 

[tx2sturgis]

Looks good....

:thumbsup:

 

[grummy]

>>>>where the size of the engine is an issue.

I've got an engine story too. In '95, the company I worked for rotated all their old service trucks into brand new Chevy Cargo Vans. Four were 3/4 ton 2500's, and two were 1 Ton 3500's.

The first out fitted were the 2500's. I was supposed to get a 3500 because I usually towed an always overloaded 20 foot enclosed tandem axle trailer, but with the 3500 not ready, they put me in one of the 2500's until it was.

I personally always had Chev vans but never nothing that new and was really, really happy with that new 2500. It had all sorts of power and towed the trailer a lot better than the older Ford 351 I was driving.

When the 3500 was ready, I made a few service calls without the trailer and was a bit less than happy as the 3500 had much less seat of the pants power that the 2500 had. Same agony pulling the trailer. Almost a pooch, and If it had not been for the power windows, locks and air, I might have even preferred my Ford back.

It was not that it was terrible-terrible, certainly better than the non-injected vans I had. Being curious, I did some digging and found that the 3500's compression ratio was quite a bit less than the 2500, making it a far less exciting truck to drive. I always wanted one of the 2500's back (but they had the side opening doors rather than the slider, which stunk for service work). So, I drove that 3500 for the next 8 years.

What I am curious about is whether the trend of de-tuning the 3500's continued or not. I assure you I would want to drive both the 2500 and the 3500 with my preferred engine size before I would make a final decision....

 

[pchs72]

I am also starting to look for my first van.  Am planning to start with a no-build-build and most of my trips for the coming few years will be in the Indiana/Michigan/Ohio region.  There will be snow.  It is important to me to be able to take 1-2 day trips throughout the winter to give myself regular "retreats" for working on projects and being out in the open to combat seasonal depression.

I have a couple of 3500's to go look at.  One is a cargo van, the other is a passenger (love all the windows), both are extended length.  Somebody suggested driving both a 2500 and 3500 before deciding - thank you for that, i will start looking for some comparisons.

i have also read some reviews from people who prefer the older models with AWD rather than only RWD.  Would love comments and opinions on this, please.  i did a search and didn't find a different thread for this question, but please redirect me if this question doesn't fit here.

Many thanks.