Regular or Extended??

[Parkedinavan]

I keep going back and forth between getting a regular or extended length GMC van. Has anyone else had this issue? But just tossing it out there, if you had a choice what would you prefer??

 

[John61CT]

Extended then add a full standing high top

 

[HumbleBeginnings]

I have a Ford, but I went with extended to maximize space. Even still, I find space is at a premium. I cannot imagine trying to work with a standard length.

 

[Banjo]

I am told (no personal experience) that the extended has a better ride, larger turning radius, and more likely to bottom out in rough terrain.

 

[QinReno]

I am told (no personal experience) that the extended has a better ride, larger turning radius, and more likely to bottom out in rough terrain.

Banjo is no doubt correct about these issues. The wheelbase on the extended GMC Van is about 20" longer, and the ground clearance is no doubt the same, so it will more likely scrape bottom when going over convex surfaces.

I have had a regular wheelbase GMC Savana with installed bulkhead for about 6-months now ... used for trips only, I don't live out of it full time. Originally I did a temporary build with a single (twin) mattress lengthwise along the side, and a 24"x48" table plus a small cabinet for solar on the opposite side. This produced absolutely abysmal floor space, about 3'x3'. For the same arrangement, an extended van would increase the floor space to almost 5'x3', not too bad. 

However, by removing the wooden boards used to lash cargo, and by NOT installing paneling on the walls, you actually have 74-76" across the back (instead of just 68"), which is long enough to place the mattress crosswise. This arrangement gives me about 6'x3' of floor space now, so I can erect my folding deck chair and even my folding lounge chair. It feels like a warehouse compared to the original build. I have seen too many builds where they spend a lot of time and money, and end up with no floor space in the end.

 

[Parkedinavan]

Thanks all, not planing on off roading much at all so ground clearance shouldn’t be a issue. Turning radius is a slight concern so I’ll have to factor that into my decision. Q, thanks for the insite on bed placement, that is a major concern of mine. Being 5’11” while not tall I would really like to place my bed across the back freeing up copious amounts of floor space.

 

[QinReno]

After my 6-week trip in the southwest in Feb-March, I decided ya gotta have floor space to turn around in. 3'x3' just doesn't cut it. Regular mattresses run about 74-75" so there is enough width across for that. There is that nasty vertical strut in the back of the Savana that comes down to the wheel hump, but a regular twin is 38" wide and will stuff into that space. For that matter, trucker beds are only 30" wide and would fit easily. I use an 8" 3-layer foam mattress (Zinus from Amazon), and the foam will compress around the edges. And of course, the extended van would give even more floor space.

I give the same advice to everyone after my entire "6" months of experience - put in something temporary and go on trips, and see what you would do differently, before committing to a permanent build. My build is ALL temporary, and can be removed in 20-minutes or so.

 

[Parkedinavan]

Thanks Q, I had also planned on a 24” high top install. I like your advice, build temporarily and see what works.

 

[Mattkcc]

I went with a regular sized van for several reasons first I'm a camper not a full timer. I spend a lot of time in the Ozarks on narrow dirt roads hunting for access to fishing streams, getting turned around is a big challenge at times. Also, my van is a stealth camper it looks like a regular passenger van and keeps the HOA off my back, I would likely need to rent storage for an extended van. Also, it fits in my garage and I can protect it from hail damage. To get an extended van in my garage I would have to get rid of my work bench or frig..

 

[Parkedinavan]

I’ll be full timing soon, so garage parking won’t be an issue. Mostly rural and wide open areas appeal to me. I think I can get my head wrapped around an extended van for the extra square footage. Thanks for all the input.

 

[MrNoodly]

I wanted an extended cargo van, but I had higher priorities, like mileage and condition. All the extended vans I looked at were beat to crap. I happened to find a standard length one in great condition and at a good price, so I went with it. Now, five years later, I don't know what I would've done with the extra space. Carry more stuff with me? About every six months I get rid of things I'm not using. And from the times I've needed to parallel park, I'm glad I don't have a longer van.

 

[deadwood]

My two main priorities when getting my van was that I needed to be able to stand up in it and I needed to be able to park in a regular parking spot. I leave my van at the airport frequently when I travel for work and parking an extended van could pose some problems for me. Plus I find it much more manageable to maneuver a regular size van.

I did have to compromise on space. If I had an extended van I think I would have been able to fit in a small table to sit at while working or eating. But I wasn't willing to go to a longer van to do that.

I think van length is a personal choice and we all have different ways we use the van. For me it's my daily driver and I work in the city. So for me it was an easy to choice to sacrifice space for ease of parking.

 

[Parkedinavan]

My top priority also is to be able to stand up and stretch a bit. I try to avoid the city at all costs however I do tend to visit every now and then. I work in a very rural area so I'm pretty sure I'll have now issues with the extra length. I think I'll be glad I went with the extra length when all is said and done.

 

[QinReno]

Hey PiV, a little update here. I've been camping on BLM land near Redmond OR for the past 10-days. There sure are a lot of rocks in the dirt roads hereabouts. I wouldn't want to drive a Class C or A down these roads. Great views to the west. 44.367038, -121.259064

My new temporary setup is working great in the GMC van. Bed across the back, as mentioned, leaving a 6'x3' floor space. This gives me easily space to have the deck chair erected, and then 3'x3' leftover. There is enough space to move around, pull boxes out from under the bed, etc, while sitting in the chair. The old 3'x3' floorspace with the mattress lengthwise in the van was much less convenient in retrospect (even though I would flip the mattress up against the wall). I have a 20"x40" table so I can sit at that for working on the computer, just like at home. 

I have to say that, if I were going to live in this thing for extended periods, I think I would go with the extended van, even though parking would be more of a problem. Standing up would be nice, but being able to sit in a normal chair and work at a table makes the day very livable. Plus solar and inverter for AC power.

 

[Parkedinavan]

Hey Q, thanks for real life answers, if it’s not to much trouble could you describe you floor plan? Like kitchen on the passenger side batteries on drivers side shelves vs drawers. Fold out desk or permanent, things like that. Also what heat source are you using? I’m looking at a Dickinson propane fireplace. Your in Oregon, I’m just a bit north in Washington.

 

[cortttt]

Hey Q, thanks for real life answers, if it’s not to much trouble could you describe you floor plan? Like kitchen on the passenger side batteries on drivers side shelves vs drawers. Fold out desk or permanent, things like that. Also what heat source are you using? I’m looking at a Dickinson propane fireplace. Your in Oregon, I’m just a bit north in Washington.

If ground clearance is not a problem (and its not really much of a problem anyway) I would go with extended. The extra space is worth it; the extended van fits in the same parking places as a regular van (and no I would not parallel park) and you get another 2 feet or so -which you may end up treasuring.

 

[Almost There]

I'm short so sleeping crosswise is fine for me. Anyone much taller than me will probably want their bed running lengthwise which is where having the extended body van comes in handy.

It's also, IMO, a necessity if there is more than one adult living in the van - it allows for a full size bed for sleeping back to front and still  have room for any kind of countertop/kitchen/bathroom layout as well as the extra storage needed for 2 peoples stuff!

If you can get an extended body then great but they are harder to come by.

 

[xNateX]

I think people can adjust and work with and around any number of situations, meaning that both the regular and extended versions can work just fine. A lot depends on what is available when you're ready to purchase, unless you're the type that can plan something out and wait as long as necessary for your plans to fall into place.

I have an extended. I also sleep in a hammock, and it's a simple matter to remove my "bed" and open up a ton of floorspace. But I also have a ton of equipment (toys) inside and my "build" (or lack thereof) is minimal. And yet, I still want more space. So much so that I'm actually considering a travel trailer towed behind my extended van.

It can be a process, this vanlife thing. It's easy to know what the next step is, but hard to know where you'll end up.

 

[gp]

I had an 06 Ford extended with a high top. Got 8 mpg city, 13 highway, and handling was awful. Really awful! Just got a 2013 Chevy 6 cyl SWB. I'm getting 20 mpg, and it handles like a car. Undecided if I will put a high top on it. I'm trying a rolling stool first because I like the low clearance and good mpg. If it gets to be a problem, I'll put a high top on it.  Even so, it will be way better than 8 mpg!

 

[QinReno]

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Hey Q, thanks for real life answers, if it’s not to much trouble could you describe you floor plan? Like kitchen on the passenger side batteries on drivers side shelves vs drawers. Fold out desk or permanent, things like that. Also what heat source are you using? I’m looking at a Dickinson propane fireplace. Your in Oregon, I’m just a bit north in Washington.
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Hi again, I've been off-grid for many days, camping in BLM and NF lands around Sisters and Redmond Oregon. I bought the smallish Buddy heater, but not used it. It's home in Reno. Just using a good sleeping bag. My lashup is essentially a "metal tent", one step above tent on the ground. Basic minimalism fills all the needs. There is no kitchen, I cook outside or put the Coleman stove on the floor near the side doors and stand outside, if it's too windy for outside cooking. I really don't want too many food odors in the van. 

Re floor plan - there are only 3 pieces of "furniture" in the van, and all temporarily attached. A couple of boards (not even attached) support the mattress, which is crosswise at the very back, behind the nasty vertical strut over the wheel hump on the GMC van. To the left side is a (beautiful) folding computer desk with pullup shelf. To the right side in front of the mattress is a small end table, which has (2) 35-AH batteries, the solar charger, and a few 12V interfaces bought on ebay. 100W solar panel I put outside on sunny days. That's the entire not-really-a-conversion. But it has everything I need. 8 cardboard storage boxes "exactly" fit under the mattress. 

I bought a solar shower, and it warms water quite nicely, but it's worthless as a shower to due low-flow. I bought a garden sprayer to dump the warm/hot water into from the solar bag, but have only used it at home in the tub, and it worked well with plenty of pressure. Water is just bottled. So it's much like tent camping, but no soggy tents. Links of all gear in next post.