Seeking advice on a Chevy Express / GMC Savana

[KuxW04]

From the point of view of interior space, extended would be ideal, but I understand that is just a bit over 20 feet long, which is almost Class B RV size. The standard length is about 18.5 feet.

So from the travel point of view, standard would be best. If I will be forced to live in in in the future, the extended might be better.

Main thing I found out, it is possible to finance and buy these vans through the dealers, and there are lots of them for sale, but they are overpriced right now.

 

[Aesop]

From the point of view of interior space, extended would be ideal, but I understand that is just a bit over 20 feet long, which is almost Class B RV size. The standard length is about 18.5 feet.

So from the travel point of view, standard would be best. If I will be forced to live in in in the future, the extended might be better.

Main thing I found out, it is possible to finance and buy these vans through the dealers, and there are lots of them for sale, but they are overpriced right now.

yeah, like I said I found a few gmc savanas for sale most kptabl with the 6.0 liter and a little mileage like 15k on the odo. but they are way overpriced and it makes more sense at least for me right now to buy one at msrp direct from the factory where it will be cheaper, however it does look like I still need to go thru the dealer for that unfortunately. I did find out about that there is a thing called GM Financial which can help finance a purchase of a gm vehicle.

 

[KuxW04]

The lady at my local Chevy dealer said the same thing, they can finance, and actually said they have a few banks they deal with, and can also take trade-ins, but the value of the trade in is calculated at the time when the van is ready to be delivered. So if you want 6 mo or a year, the trade in value will decrease during the wait time.

 

[Aesop]

The lady at my local Chevy dealer said the same thing, they can finance, and actually said they have a few banks they deal with, and can also take trade-ins, but the value of the trade in is calculated at the time when the van is ready to be delivered. So if you want 6 mo or a year, the trade in value will decrease during the wait time.

I think you're more likely to get more for your "trade-in" after getting your new van of course, by selling your old rig (if you want to) on Craigslist or fb marketplace. stealerships imo are just like pawn shops in that regard, of trade ins. they give you less for trading in, when you could just sell it yourself. again, that's just my opinion, not stating it as a fact.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Extended would be the way to go for me. Parking a rig 18.5 feet long or 20 feet long, almost no difference because I will NOT be trying to shoehorn the thing into compact or densely crowded car slots.

The pickup I have now is 20 feet long bumper to bumper and it's a little more effort to park in crowded lots, but not THAT much more effort.

Just like when pulling a trailer, I find a spot along the curb, or the fence, or maybe even taking up two spaces inline, whatever I need to do to park the rig, (with or without a trailer) I will do. So maybe now and then I would have to take an extra minute finding a nice spot, or going around the block, or whatever. Backing up into your 'blind spots' out of an angled parking area is the real issue...so I tend to spend a few extra moments finding a pull-thru slot, even if its farther from the business door or the service. I generally cant fit in ANY drivethru windows, the rig is just too tall, so forget those.

But that extra 18 inches of interior living and storage space in a van will be appreciated every day.

 

[KuxW04]

I have a paied off 4runner that i love and dont want to get rid of, But I really cannot justify 2 vehicles. The van will give me more interior living space. The 4runner has very little interior living space but gets me everywhere I want to go from the offroad point of view. I could probably get $30k + on my 4runner on the private market, which will offset much of the value of the Van.

I also know the Chevy Suburbans have 4wd and interior space is almost like a van. New they are about $ 70K + no way I want to spend that much even if I had the money. Used ones are not very cheap either. But 4WD makes the suburban like a 4runner and a Chevy express in one. Not sure about reliability of their V8 and transmission.

 

[Aesop]

Extended would be the way to go for me. Parking a rig 18.5 feet long or 20 feet long, almost no difference because I will NOT be trying to shoehorn the thing into compact or densely crowded car slots.

The pickup I have now is 20 feet long bumper to bumper and it's a little more effort to park in crowded lots, but not THAT much more effort.

Just like when pulling a trailer, I find a spot along the curb, or the fence, or maybe even taking up two spaces inline, whatever I need to do to park the rig, (with or without a trailer) I will do. So maybe now and then I would have to take an extra minute finding a nice spot, or going around the block, or whatever. Backing up into your 'blind spots' out of an angled parking area is the real issue...so I tend to spend a few extra moments finding a pull-thru slot, even if its farther from the business door or the service. I generally cant fit in ANY drivethru windows, the rig is just too tall, so forget those.

But that extra 18 inches of interior living and storage space in a van will be appreciated every day.

"But that extra 18 inches of interior living and storage space in a van will be appreciated every day."

good point. I'm currently staying in my chevy express 1500 awd. standard length, non extended. and I was thinking how if I needed to I could have storage on the roof or on the rear tail hitch. which would free up more room inside, however that put any stuff out there on the outside of the van in danger of being stolen, however that would probably delete any stealth so to speak. however as someone else said, forget about stealth, with how prevalent #vanlife is. everybody knows about it. everybody knows that when they see a cargo van or even a passenger van or even conversion van that most likely someone is living in it or camping in it. so yeah, forget about stealth. the best thing Maybe is to just have a regular white cargo van with no stickers or anything else on it just to make it look like a regular work van, heck maybe even put some fake decals to make it look like a contractor van lol.

 

[Aesop]

I have a paied off 4runner that i love and dont want to get rid of, But I really cannot justify 2 vehicles. The van will give me more interior living space. The 4runner has very little interior living space but gets me everywhere I want to go from the offroad point of view. I could probably get $30k + on my 4runner on the private market, which will offset much of the value of the Van.

I also know the Chevy Suburbans have 4wd and interior space is almost like a van. New they are about $ 70K + no way I want to spend that much even if I had the money. Used ones are not very cheap either. But 4WD makes the suburban like a 4runner and a Chevy express in one. Not sure about reliability of their V8 and transmission.

oh I forgot to mention. when I built the gmc savana van on the gmc website. apparently adding windows costs extra. so it is the cheapest option to have those little metal plates or whatever they're called on instead of glass windows which can break and you need to have them tinted for privacy anyways.

yes, those little metal white sheet plates don't open for air ventilation, however they do provide privacy and security which imo are more important. you don't need to have them tinted and they can't break, well not easily anyway. and for air ventilation, you could just leave the doors open when you are in there for the night to cool off and then close the doors when you are ready to go to bed. as for backing up, I got the vantop h610 dual back up camera and front dash cam recording camera and I use it all the time for backing up. just like when 2018 and newer vehicles are required by law to have backup cameras.

 

[afblangley]

everybody knows that when they see a cargo van or even a passenger van or even conversion van that most likely someone is living in it or camping in it. so yeah, forget about stealth. the best thing Maybe is to just have a regular white cargo van with no stickers or anything else on it just to make it look like a regular work van, heck maybe even put some fake decals to make it look like a contractor van lol.

Most people who see a van are too busy thinking about their own life to "see" the van (or any other vehicle). And the few that do notice it are not thinking that someone is living in it. Who in their right mind would voluntarily choose to live in a vehicle?!?

The only folks who notice vans are fellow van owners (or those interested in vans) and those that are annoyed by where the van is parked (ie. in front of their house/school/business/playground etc. When your vehicle has become a nuisance, it doesn't matter if its white, purple, or rainbow colored. It doesn't matter if it has a decal, wrap, or bare. It doesn't matter if it is a cargo, passenger or conversion. Those characteristics do not determine whether a van is noticed or not.

With regard to van characteristics, base it on what you like and what's comfortable for you. When I was shopping, I would have accepted any color but white. I have to look at my van everyday and I don't like white. I ended up with grey. I wouldn't enjoy spending time in a windowless metal box. I like looking out at my surroundings. I have windows all around and cover them when I want privacy. Its your vehicle, get what makes you happy without regard to "stealth".

Focus on being considerate, respectful, and courteous. Stealth will take care of itself.

 

[cortttt]

I have a paied off 4runner that i love and dont want to get rid of, But I really cannot justify 2 vehicles. The van will give me more interior living space. The 4runner has very little interior living space but gets me everywhere I want to go from the offroad point of view. I could probably get $30k + on my 4runner on the private market, which will offset much of the value of the Van.

I also know the Chevy Suburbans have 4wd and interior space is almost like a van. New they are about $ 70K + no way I want to spend that much even if I had the money. Used ones are not very cheap either. But 4WD makes the suburban like a 4runner and a Chevy express in one. Not sure about reliability of their V8 and transmission.

I've thought of that - be nice to have 4x4 - but if you look in a Suburban and look in a van - a van - even the low Chevy vans - have so much more space. I have an extended van - I would stick with an extended unless I was hauling a trailer around. I've found I need every bit of space I can get - and they fit in almost all parking spaces.

 

[SpinnerUp]

As a van owner I thought I'd stick my 2 cents in here..I own a 2017 GMC Savana with the 4.8L V8 and the fuel mileage is good. 20 MPG freeway unless I'm in a real hurry, towing my motorcycle trailer or the A/C is running full bore. 16-17MPG otherwise. I bought it as a repo from a dealer 3 yrs ago with 6k miles on it. Had been used for a failed mobile pet grooming van. No overloaded, dogged plumbing or painting company usage. According to Kelley Blue Book, it's currently worth $8-10K more than I paid for it. Due to production issues, prices for new vehicles are up and used are up as well since there are few tradeins coming to market. My guess is when the dealer stock comes back up, prices for used are going to drop quite a bit with the flood of trades that hit. If you need/want a vehicle now you might as well bite the bullet and go for it. Nobody's vehicle will be keeping the same crazy resale value in a few years. As far as driving ease, previously I was driving a long bed extended cab Silverado diesel pickup. It's about the same overall length as my van. Parking IMHO is a bit easier with the van because you are sitting much higher and are also closer to the front corners of the vehicle. It makes it a lot easier to see your corner clearances. I always park aways from the store or whatever so the folks don't slam their doors into the sides of the van and there is plenty of space to park...Oh, I'm 5-7 and sleep across the van so have gobs of room. Wouldn't want to try it in a Suburban

 

[KuxW04]

@SpinnerUp - thank you good info. 16-17 is not bad at all for a V8. I get that in my 4runner in the city.

 

[Aesop]

@SpinnerUp - thank you good info. 16-17 is not bad at all for a V8. I get that in my 4runner in the city.

personally, I would stick to a non extended van. remember, if you get a extended van, you cannot take that extra length off. ever. however you can get something that hooked onto the hitch of the van (if equipped) and have that extra storage space.

 

[SpinnerUp]

personally, I would stick to a non extended van. remember, if you get a extended van, you cannot take that extra length off. ever. however you can get something that hooked onto the hitch of the van (if equipped) and have that extra storage space.

An extended GM van is only 20" longer than a standard van. You also gain that additional length inside for protected storage. If you add a hitch carrier(if that's what you are talking about) to a standard van your overall length then equals or exceeds an extended van. Plus what ever you haul on the carrier is exposed to the elements and much easier to pilfer if not enclosed in a secure container. If 20" inches makes that big of a difference with access to wherever the OP wants to go, I would suggest that maybe a van is not an appropriate travel vehicle..of course I may have completely misunderstood your post, if so apologies for my density

 

[Popeye8843]

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

I don't know much about Uhaul maint but after a year or more of searching/researching used Chevy vans on just about every site out there I finally found mine! It turned up Jan '21 at a Stuart, FL dealer for a trade w/everything in it I wanted & more. 2018 Chevy Express 3500, 4.6L, extd 15 pass van. Previous owner did me a huge favor by removing seats, installing a legitimate circuit breaker box w/ 4 GFI outlets, a 4in air vent & 100% blackout windows! Ready? 25k mi./$(US)18k!!! Patience is my virtue!

 

[Giggles]

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.

I have a 2008 Chevy Express Cargo that I converted into a camper van, and I love it. I had a couple issues when I first got it, because it used to be an FBI surveillance van and they were using the engine to charge their massive battery bank, and because of that the engine coil needed to be replaced. I also needed to replace a rubber seal that was causing the a/c to malfunction. But other than that, I love it. It's been very reliable!

When I got it, it had 7500 miles on it, and now it only had 31,450 miles on it right now, but I highly recommend it. I can park in a regular parking lot, and it gets 16-17 mpg.

The ONLY thing I kind of wish is that I had gotten a 2500 or 3500, because I was thinking of getting a trailer to tow behind my van so I could take my elderly parents on some trips, and the 1500 can only tow up to 4500 or 5000 pounds.

But other than that, I'm happy with my Chevy van.

 

[SierraCamper]

Those former FBI vans are well constructed inside. We have a family member with a former government nuclear chase vehicle. I know that might sound really silly but after seeing this van, I believe it. It is built like a tank and had most of the proprietary electronics removed prior to purchasing. It has 4WD, 7.3 Diesel and the front and rear bumpers look like they came off a tank. LOL

 

[Aesop]

Those former FBI vans are well constructed inside. We have a family member with a former government nuclear chase vehicle. I know that might sound really silly but after seeing this van, I believe it. It is built like a tank and had most of the proprietary electronics removed prior to purchasing. It has 4WD, 7.3 Diesel and the front and rear bumpers look like they came off a tank. LOL

now this I gotta see pictures of.

 

[SierraCamper]

now this I gotta see pictures of.

It might be going up for sale. I will check with them.

 

[user 29503]

I won't tell you what the best option is. There are people on here who know far better than I do. I'll only share personal experience. I have a Chevy G10. It's not an Express, and it's a little bit of a different animal as far as builds go. And that actually is the thing. It's rounded, the ribs were a little inconvenient to build on and around, but most of all, I'm a tall guy, and I can't stand up.
As far as the build goes, I was strategic and it's going to feel as spacious as it can be. However, as much as I love it, I do really wish I had a Sprinter to stand up in and have more floor space with. Plus I love how they ride and their interior. I wasn't rushing, however, I wasn't as patient as I should have been looking out of state. Most of them near me had a bajilliion miles on them or were pretty beat up. And that was actually the story for most of the vans period. My G10 was so clean and the price was right. So, maybe I'll have a sprinter on my next build.
I would look at both an Express and a Sprinter type van. Gauge what you'd be more comfortable in.