Seeking advice on a Chevy Express / GMC Savana

[KuxW04]

Understood.
I am exclusively planning for a 6.6L with 6 speed HD trans.
WIll do research on used. Need to find a good mechanic to inspect the car, that would make me feel better.
It's a work in progress.

 

[SierraCamper]

Just another comment on the extended. I always park in regular parking spaces without any trouble. The difference in length between a regular and extended is 20". Just a bit longer then my computer keyboard. I don't notice the length when driving. If I was in downtown L.A. parking then yes. However, when we considered making our van our living quarters, I welcomed all 20" of extra interior space. On a side note, when we looked in 2021 for a late model Chevy or GMC van, we could not find hardly any extended. I found only three in Northern California with very low miles. All three had less then 20K miles. One had a clean carfax but long story short, it had been in a front end accident. I no longer "just" go by the Carfax.

 

[Aesop]

Understood.
I am exclusively planning for a 6.6L with 6 speed HD trans.
WIll do research on used. Need to find a good mechanic to inspect the car, that would make me feel better.
It's a work in progress.

FWIW, I hear that the uhaul chevy vans that they keep for 1 year and then sell are now dealer only. Meaning unlike BW in 2017 when he bought that 2015 gmc savana, uhaul now gets rid of all their fleet vehicles at one year of age to dealer auctions . Also, I see that uhaul usually goes with the cheapest engine, so 4.8 from 2015 to 2017, then 6.0 from 2018 to 2020 or so then 2020/2021 the 4.3l v6 mated to the 8speed auto. good luck finding an almost new 6.6l

 

[KuxW04]

can uHaul be trusted re: vehicle maintenance ? I have heard mixed opinions that these companies take very good care of their vehicles and have a very good maintenance schedule, and also i have heard the opposite.

1 year uHaul van doesn't seem a bad deal.

 

[Headache]

can uHaul be trusted re: vehicle maintenance ? I have heard mixed opinions that these companies take very good care of their vehicles and have a very good maintenance schedule, and also i have heard the opposite.

1 year uHaul van doesn't seem a bad deal.

I've owned a U-Haul and lucked out with it but it was older(1989), simple and back when they still had diesels(7.3 IDI). What you must understand is that previous rental trucks are rode hard and put away wet. If you buy directly from U-Haul they'll provide the complete maintenance and repair history. If you buy one from a private owner you may or may not get it. Caveat emptor. I didn't mind taking the risk.

 

[Aesop]

I've owned a U-Haul and lucked out with it but it was older(1989), simple and back when they still had diesels(7.3 IDI). What you must understand is that previous rental trucks are rode hard and put away wet. If you buy directly from U-Haul they'll provide the complete maintenance and repair history. If you buy one from a private owner you may or may not get it. Caveat emptor. I didn't mind taking the risk.

I believe I called uhaul in January 2021 asking about their former rental vans being sold after 1 year of use. then I looked into it again shortly thereafter in February 2021 or so. idk if things have changed but it seems as tho they no longer sell directly to the public their 1 year old vans. they now go to dealer auctions.

 

[Headache]

I never really paid attention to the 1 year old sales. I just knew that once U-Haul put a certain amount of money in or it was in the shop a certain percentage of time it was retired and put up for sale.

 

[Aesop]

I never really paid attention to the 1 year old sales. I just knew that once U-Haul put a certain amount of money in or it was in the shop a certain percentage of time it was retired and put up for sale.

yeah, and I found out they don't do diesels. too many stupid people put gas in their diesels and they long ago stopped carrying diesels. gas only.

 

[KuxW04]

Talked with my local Chevy dealer, the fleet gal told me they currently don't take orders for '22 model year anymore, but next week they will start ordering for '23 model year. The dealer markup is $5,000. which is a bit steep I think, but not horrible.

She said it can take from 3 months to a year for the car to come in, but she thinks since this is a '23 model, Chevy will push out more vans to begin with so the wait time will probably be less than 6months. No guarantees.

If I go ahead wit this it will cost me around $ 45k all in all for a V8 2500 with a HD 6 speed trans and rear diff locker.
I am sure by the time we put the order in it will go past that number ...

 

[Aesop]

Talked with my local Chevy dealer, the fleet gal told me they currently don't take orders for '22 model year anymore, but next week they will start ordering for '23 model year. The dealer markup is $5,000. which is a bit steep I think, but not horrible.

She said it can take from 3 months to a year for the car to come in, but she thinks since this is a '23 model, Chevy will push out more vans to begin with so the wait time will probably be less than 6months. No guarantees.

If I go ahead wit this it will cost me around $ 45k all in all for a V8 2500 with a HD 6 speed trans and rear diff locker.
I am sure by the time we put the order in it will go past that number ...

dealer markup? I told a dealer the msrp on the gmc website is $37k with the minimum options that i had on it, e.g. 6.6 v8, 6 speed auto, cruise control, g80 rear diff lock. he said it would be a 2023 savana and the price would probably go up 2 to 3 percentage points. he also said it would take months or so to get there. makes me wonder wouldn't it be just cheaper to go to Wentzville, Missouri and pick it up direct from the factory there?

 

[KuxW04]

My understanding is that these vans are built to order so there will be no vans sitting at the factory.
Plus, the factory will probably not have a sales department ...
Even with the $5k markup I am still thinking about it.
Who knows what stupid design will come next when they retire these models.

 

[Aesop]

My understanding is that these vans are built to order so there will be no vans sitting at the factory.
Plus, the factory will probably not have a sales department ...
Even with the $5k markup I am still thinking about it.
Who knows what stupid design will come next when they retire these models.

yeah, that'd be great if you could just fly to the Wentzville factory and pick it up there. no dealership involved *sigh* not yet though.

they've been making these vans since the Clinton administration, with only a major refresh in 2003. these vans have only changed a little bit since the 2003 refresh. the ones 2003 and newer are just all around better.

 

[afblangley]

I talked with a Chevy fleet dealer and they told me they sell to private people, but we neeed to sit down and spec the van to what I want (and figure out the price), and then order it. He said he doesn't know how long will take to get the van though. He said trhey typically get about 2 vans a month, and they are ordered and spoken for already.

Not many folks custom order a vehicle. It is a long process that can be fraught with anxiety and misunderstanding. I've entered the process twice (Sprinter and Transit), both times ending unsuccessfully. I will try again next year, when manufacturing is hopefully back to normal. Here's what I've learned.

Car buying is very different than truck sales: the product, process and the customer. Cars have a pretty limited number of options, vans have a literal catalog. Dealer allocations, factory production queue based on supply constraints (not order date), and the ability to spec an unbuildable order are less frequent issues for cars. Consumers inquire about color, infotainment systems, seat coverings and the like. The typical salesperson can handle this. Business owners need assistance building trucks to meet their specific needs: the appropriate suspension, alternator, wiring harness, etc. They have neither the time nor the patience to spend educating a salesperson.

Find a dealership that does high volume truck sales and that will be transparent with you. Rare is the salesperson that has real knowledge about outfitting vans. If they sound like they know what they're talking about, you probably haven't done enough research. When you're ready, make an appointment to see the fleet sales manager. They are the one actually ordering the trucks. Be prepared and be knowledgeable, they don't have time to educate you (unless you're buying a fleet).

Invest the dozens of hours it will take to become knowledgeable about the buying process, outfitting, and current production issues. Find the experts- the fanboys that live and breathe the brand. I know of the Sprinter-Source forum, Ford Transit USA forum, and the Promaster forum. Find the Chevy van fanboy forum and dig into the topics. There will be a long thread on MY 2022 order experiences. In addition, look for the thread that has the link for the dealer's order guide. This is the catalog of options, packages and compatibilities. It will probably be 50+ pages. Even if the Chevy website has a build tool, it is not complete. Find and print out the order guide book and read it throughly.

There is a wide chasm between placing an order and actually taking delivery of said vehicle. On the forums you will see people's stories about months spent waiting, cancelled orders, the black hole of communication, etc.

My comments are based on my experience with Ford and Mercedes Benz. I have no knowledge (first hand or researched) about GM. To the extent they operate differently, my comments may not be applicable.

 

[tx2sturgis]

A passenger van with windows and seats from the factory is essentially, for all intents and purposes, a car...so things like insurance, registration, etc, will be easy peasy. Just open your wallet.

But an almost identical cargo van with 2 seats, but with exposed painted steel in the cargo area, and the same make, model, wheel base, engine, everything, is an 'incomplete commercial vehicle'.

This makes a big difference when it comes to registration and insurance, and it varies from state to state. So...not only do you need to educate yourself on all the above posted information (thanks afblangley) but you should also do some homework at your local DMV, tax office, or whoever registers your vehicle where you live, but also you should talk to a couple of insurance agents and get a quote.

Prepare for some sticker shock in both regards.

 

[KuxW04]

Appreciate all your advice.

My understanding is that a private person can register a vehicle that is under 10k lbs as a normal car. The issues start when the vehicle is over 10k lbs. Will call my insurance and double check. I don't intend to register this as a commercial vehicle.

Still doing homework on this.

 

[Aesop]

A passenger van with windows and seats from the factory is essentially, for all intents and purposes, a car...so things like insurance, registration, etc, will be easy peasy. Just open your wallet.

But an almost identical cargo van with 2 seats, but with exposed painted steel in the cargo area, and the same make, model, wheel base, engine, everything, is an 'incomplete commercial vehicle'.

This makes a big difference when it comes to registration and insurance, and it varies from state to state. So...not only do you need to educate yourself on all the above posted information (thanks afblangley) but you should also do some homework at your local DMV, tax office, or whoever registers your vehicle where you live, but also you should talk to a couple of insurance agents and get a quote.

Prepare for some sticker shock in both regards.

Yeah, I had that same problem with a local/regional credit union where I'm at. They said because it only had 2 seats, that they consider it commercial, so I would have to go thru commercial loans, that's a no from me, dawg. So, I went to another local/regional credit union and they gave me no problem whatsoever. Also, yes a passenger van does seem to be more expensive rather than the same cargo variant. At least, that is according to the GMC Website. In fact, I knew of a Mexican bakery in Yakima, WA that traded in their 2017 gmc savana cargo van to the local GMC dealer there in town, and the carfax said it was used as "Personal", even though the guy used it to transport his baked goods around the area, so there are ways around that, just saying. Although, I have heard that a 3500 one ton cargo van CAN be considered a "commercial vehicle" in some states, although I have not heard the same thing about a 2500 cargo van 3/4 ton. Heck, I even called the state DMV where I lived, and inquired about possibly purchasing a 2010 GMC former Penske box truck, dually, 3500, one ton, 6l90 transmission, 190k miles, rebuilt trans, and wanted to know if I could register that vehicle as a personal vehicle and the answer I got was yes, something about it having flexfuel helped.

 

[cortttt]

I'm looking at the 6.6L or the 6.0L because I may be towing. Other than that the 4.8l in my current van has been just fine even when the van is fully loaded - up to and even once over the grow vehicle weight maximum. The V6 has a bit more power than the baby V8 I believe - but it is mated to that 8-spd which has had problems.

Where the 4.8L bogs down is on hilly dirt roads where every once in a great while - it just can't make it - it doesn't have the torque.

The 6.6L is a massive step up in power and torque and should get somewhat better mileage as well. For the 4.8L has been a sturdy workhorse - its a 205K with no problem - ditto with the tranny. I may just need more torque if I do start towing a trailer around.

 

[White Turtle]

I'm looking at the 6.6L or the 6.0L because I may be towing. Other than that the 4.8l in my current van has been just fine even when the van is fully loaded - up to and even once over the grow vehicle weight maximum. The V6 has a bit more power than the baby V8 I believe - but it is mated to that 8-spd which has had problems.

Where the 4.8L bogs down is on hilly dirt roads where every once in a great while - it just can't make it - it doesn't have the torque.

The 6.6L is a massive step up in power and torque and should get somewhat better mileage as well. For the 4.8L has been a sturdy workhorse - its a 205K with no problem - ditto with the

I'm looking at the 6.6L or the 6.0L because I may be towing. Other than that the 4.8l in my current van has been just fine even when the van is fully loaded - up to and even once over the grow vehicle weight maximum. The V6 has a bit more power than the baby V8 I believe - but it is mated to that 8-spd which has had problems.

Where the 4.8L bogs down is on hilly dirt roads where every once in a great while - it just can't make it - it doesn't have the torque.

The 6.6L is a massive step up in power and torque and should get somewhat better mileage as well. For the 4.8L has been a sturdy workhorse - its a 205K with no problem - ditto with the tranny. I may just need more torque if I do start towing a trailer around.

I have been told by a few mechanics that the 6.0 l v8 is one of the best engines GM ever made. I have a tow setup but have not used it, I have been on some steep gravel and dirt roads and it has plenty of torque.

tranny. I may just need more torque if I do start towing a trailer around.

 

[Aesop]

I'm looking at the 6.6L or the 6.0L because I may be towing. Other than that the 4.8l in my current van has been just fine even when the van is fully loaded - up to and even once over the grow vehicle weight maximum. The V6 has a bit more power than the baby V8 I believe - but it is mated to that 8-spd which has had problems.

Where the 4.8L bogs down is on hilly dirt roads where every once in a great while - it just can't make it - it doesn't have the torque.

The 6.6L is a massive step up in power and torque and should get somewhat better mileage as well. For the 4.8L has been a sturdy workhorse - its a 205K with no problem - ditto with the tranny. I may just need more torque if I do start towing a trailer around

2017 was the last year for the 4.8 in the gmc chevy vans.

 

[Aesop]

Understood.
I am exclusively planning for a 6.6L with 6 speed HD trans.
WIll do research on used. Need to find a good mechanic to inspect the car, that would make me feel better.
It's a work in progress.

are you going to go with extended chevy/gm van or non extended? I'm currently in Fairbanks, Alaska right now and before that I was in Anchorage, AK. Looking at these tight parking spaces, I am/was kind of glad I had a non-extended wheelbase chevy van. Maybe an extended cargo van would be too hard to park in some spots and possibly wouldn't be able to fit in a standard parking spot?