Chevy Express Cargo Van vs. Cutaway Box Van

[Tori64]

Ah, ok, and thank you re ideas/inspiration. Well received.

Tiger apparently cuts part of the cab roof and back out. That's alot of cutting, but is a nice solution. (I was thinking of a smaller escape hatch, say 19"x19".) I'm surprised that other outfitters haven't taken the same route given (my assumption on) the desirability of 4x4. I wonder if, as an alternative to a back of the truck cab escape hatch, I could situate it via the box's over the cab (bed area) and down through the cab roof, i.e., drop down hatch, masked as a sunroof. (The latter, if workable, could be a better solution if, down the road, I sold the truck w/custom sun roof, that is, rather than a back of cab small cutaway.)

I'm not keen on conversion work.

 

[John61CT]

Then better to go with a model with free access to to the back. Harder to find but they do exist.

Trickiest bit though remains the 4x4 requirement.

If you're willing to buy new, maybe approach the converter/manufacturers and see if you can get a bare-bones version body made to your specs from a custom-ordered cutaway chassis.

If not, then some school districts in rough mountain areas apparently put their 4WD "shorty" buses up for auction at around 100k miles.