High Top vs Standard vs Stealth?

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There is no stealth, 99% of the time anyone who cares knows you're in there, just try to not do anything to make them bother doing anything about it.

But yes, best is a plain vanilla soccermom minivan.
 
John61CT said:
There is no stealth, 99% of the time anyone who cares knows you're in there, just try to not do anything to make them bother doing anything about it.

But yes, best is a plain vanilla soccermom minivan.

Thinking about it.

Is having a high top in order to be able to stand, worth it?

Not much walking is needed to get from one end to the other and reading, surfing, watching TV etc,  are done sitting.
 
Boyntonstu said:
Thinking about it.

Is having a high top in order to be able to stand, worth it?

Not much walking is needed to get from one end to the other and reading, surfing, watching TV etc,  are done sitting.
Thats Very Personal. Not Everyone has Same Needs. Me? If I was Fulltiming In a Van, Id Want A Hightop. Others May Be Fine with Low Top
 
To the degree one is large, old and inflexible, yes.
 
ever been in one of those rain storms that drag on for days? you will appreciate a high top then. I am one of the ones that believe stealth is overrated. anybody who wants to know your living in your van, knows. highdesertranger
 
I agree, get the van that fits your comfort/storage/driveability needs and worry about stealth later.

It also depends on the type of van. A camper conversion high top is not stealthy at all, but a factory high top cargo van might be just as stealthy as a low top. How many white sprinters have you looked at and thought there must be someone living in it?
 
I think stealth is a lot more dependent on location than the type of vehicle you're in. If you have to stay in one city for work, stealth is or can become an issue, if you're traveling around for leisure, I don't think you really ever have to worry about it.
 
That said a Sprinter-style with a plain looking outside appearance is probably OK in most contexts.

Better anyway than an 20-year-old conversion with a high top added on, or a short schoolie or airport shuttle or air force line truck or bread truck or. . .
 
I went for the c onversion van height . anybody that sees a van with a fan and solar knows your in there..i will enjoy the extra height more than worry who knows what I am doing .
 
Businesses are using oem high toppers to make money. High top fiber glass travel vans are another story, as far as no-stealth goes. A steel oem high top roof, on a NV, has a 150 lb. capacity (double that for low top NV): enough for solar and a vent on a Nissan NV High Roof (forget the cute exterior van ladders on the back if you weigh 300 lbs!). Fiberglass wt. capacity w/o structural support: much less I'd guesstimate. 

For what you get in the cheapest 3500 made (Japanese Nissan NV-3500), you get more for the money than most at any cost with no major repairs. However, you cannot find 2012 to 2016 NV's on the used van market often (High or Low Roof.) A 'new' NV-3500 High Roof Van is break initial cost with a 'used' late model (another brand) van plus a high top fiberglass roof added. ymmv.
 
engine is the same between nv 2500 and 3500? why would someone choose 3500?
Just curious.
 
ah, I see it now. I saw a lot more used V8 2500's for sale. So, I was curious if it was worth it.
 
sometimesido said:
engine is the same between nv 2500 and 3500? why would someone choose 3500?
Just curious.

same Reasoning For 3/4 Ton and 1 Ton Pickup Trucks  :D
 
Could someone give me a quick break down of how you could have same engine and be rated 3/4 ton or 1 ton?
 
sometimesido said:
Could someone give me a quick break down of how you could have same engine and be rated 3/4 ton or 1 ton?

The engine is almost never the limiting factor when it comes to weight a vehicle can carry. The suspension/axles/wheel bearings/brakes/chassis/tires all have much more of an effect on payload. In many cases the smaller engine can actually carry more cargo, because the bigger engine weighs more.
 
My 1 ton, which has Lariat trim crew cab and 8ft bed, has a ccc of 3600. The 3/4 ton will be in the mid to high 2000 with same options. Just one example but trims and cab make a difference. Add dually and youre set with most hauling.
 
sometimesido said:
engine is the same between nv 2500 and 3500? why would someone choose 3500?
Just curious.

It's confusing as hell, like do you want/need a v6 or v8 (gas mileage vs. capacity - and then I found out to size your vehicle right, it will get even better gas mileage at times of practical use: and never to be underpowered is huge for a loaded camper on the road). The NV3500's ALL come with a towing package: suspension, struts, and transmission upgrades. I've also found out the top model, SL of S, SV, SL grades, comes with a few added features that make electronic changes slightly easier (but that is probably like any commercial one ton, top of the model line.) 

The NV3500 and 2500 are a bigger difference than the models, and why the NV3500's are so cheap - they come with ALL options that would be special ordered on the NV2500. What are you going to do when you need more capacity later? Oops! The NV is around 6k lbs I believe, not seeing the spec in front of me, so the carrying weight is around 3500 lbs and towing weight is 9900 lbs. Dropping around a half ton on either/or, the carrying weight especially, is not something I want to deal with in the future. It's only about $2K difference between the 2500 and 3500 new, but when you add all the towing stuff on the SV they are about the same. Do you want a more consistent quality van? I do. The Nissan parts guys go bananas over all the variability in parts and require VIN numbers for everything. Add the personal cost of verifying all 300 model option differences are correct: some are major differences too. Since it's the cheapest van on the market new, most owners with the v8 engine just go with the NV3500: commercial company accountants may see the few dollars difference in the NV2500, but Owners seem to prefer the NV3500 and save all the grief of a custom van. imo.
 
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