Shortest full sized conversion van?

[MK7]

Not including the Astro, which model of conversion vans are the shortest? <br><br>Length-wise, not height.<br><br>Thanks.

 

[David]

I would think the older model Chevy/GMC vans. The body style they used from the 80's &amp; 90's.<br><br>If not the shortest, it had to be pretty close for anything full size made in the last 20 years.&nbsp;<br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://cdcssl.ibsrv.net/autodata/images/?IMG=U2CTGEM1.jpg&amp;width=390" class="bbc_img"><br><br><br>If you go further back, perhaps the older 60's-70's Ford &amp; Chevy Cab over Vans.<br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MHBFcO7DUK4/TnZZrN28z5I/AAAAAAAAABs/Tt83OIKrXSo/s1600/DSC_0216.JPG" class="bbc_img"><br><br><br>Chevy actually made some of these that were set up as camper vans much like the VW Vanagon.. There were even some with pop tops, but finding one in any sort of decent shape would be pretty hard.

 

[MrNoodly]

Dodges, I think. The 1500 series Ram Van was 187.2" bumper to bumper, which is twenty-something inches shorter than Chevy/GMC and Ford -- unless you go back to the 90s and earlier when they made shorty vans. The question is whether conversion companies ever used short vans.

 

[James AKA Lynx]

Please do not go for anything smaller than a 3/4 ton (2500). By the time you put people fuel and some gear you are over 1000 pounds.<br><br>James AKA Lynx

 

[MrNoodly]

That's true, James. With that in mind, 3/4 ton Dodges are a little shorter than 3/4 ton Fords and Chevy/GMC.<br><br>Also, the overall length will depend on what type of rear bumper is installed and whether there's a spare tire mounted on the back.

 

[MK7]

Thanks for the info guys. <br><br>Can someone explain what does "3/4 ton (2500)" means? Is that the maximum it's rated to carry?<br><br>I was looking for something with a V8 but not too long like a Chevy Express. I like the idea of being on the more nimbler side, if that's even feasible with a conversion van &amp; high top.

 

[MrNoodly]

It depends on what you mean by nimble. Vehicles with shorter wheelbases (distance between front and rear wheels) can usually turn in tighter circles than those with longer wheelbases. Standard length, current generation, Chevy/GMC vans have a 135" wheelbase. Standard length, current generation Ford vans have a 138" wheelbase. That means, in theory, Chevy vans can turn slightly tighter than Fords. However, it also depends on how sharply the front wheels can turn. The feeling of nimbleness also depends on the steering ratio -- how far you need to turn the steering wheel in order to get the front wheels to turn a certain amount. I'm guessing that if you were to drive a Ford and Chevy back to back, you probably wouldn't notice any difference. (Extended vans are a totally different story.) The last generation Dodge 3/4 ton vans have a 127.6 wheelbase, so they're theoretically nimbler than the other two brands.<br><br>If by nimble you mean not feeling like you have a lot of bulk following you around, then a shorter van probably won't make much difference. &nbsp;A foot or two longer or shorter will still feel huge <em><strong>at first</strong></em> if you're moving up from a sedan. But most people adapt sooner than they thought they would. Then, if they got the shortest van they could, they're left wishing they'd got a longer one. The time to adapt is much less than the time wishing you had more space.<br><br>But if nimble means you want to parallel park easily, well, yeah, then you need a short van.<br><br>Oh, another thing that can make a van feel less massive is the size of the front windows. The easier you can see out, the less it feels like you're driving an aircraft carrier. The Dodge windows are smallest -- higher at the bottom and farther forward. That can make some people feel caged in.

 

[David]

Don't forget that you can get the Chevy Express as All Wheel Drive. Same with the Astro and and the GMC counter parts. I've yet to drive one but I've heard they&nbsp;handle&nbsp;a lot better than a standard 2wd van.

 

[MrNoodly]

Factory all wheel drive is available only on the half ton Express/Savana 1500 passenger van, not the 3/4 and 1 ton versions, not on cargo versions.

 

[James AKA Lynx]

You can have made 4 X 4 on vans, Cost is from $ 10,000 to 20K.

 

[MK7]

Thanks MrNoodly for that explanation. <br><br>I think Dodge will be a good choice for me. <br><br>Seeing a few Chevy Express, I thought they were massive...but didn't know that they had different sizes.

 

[caseyc]

I thought I'd throw in a couple observations of my own.&nbsp; Prior to my 1995 Ford E150 conversion van, I never owned a van before, nor an SUV.&nbsp; Hence, the van at first seemed huge to me compared to my sedan and sports cars.&nbsp; But after a few weeks, driving the van around town is easy!&nbsp; Going reverse for parallel parking is still a challenge, but even this has improved ever since I got a backup camera installed.&nbsp; A backup camera for going reverse is a MUST in my opinion!&nbsp; The one thing I did notice is that my Ford van has a couple inches more headroom&nbsp;for the front seats (even though it's a low top van)&nbsp;compared to other vans from other manufacturers.&nbsp; That extra couple inches of headroom while I'm driving does make a difference for more comfort.

 

[James AKA Lynx]

3/4 ton 2500 used to mean 1500 pound carrying load. vrs the 1000 pound 1/2 ton, called 1500. However it has changed and now one must look at the dry weight vrs the overall loaded weight. The 2500 is rated to carry 1500 pounds of stuff or more. That includes. people and gas.<br><br>I do know of people with the 3500, 1 ton, that is 2000 pounds carrying load. But not to many people.<br><br>James AKA Lynx

 

[MK7]

Thanks for the info.<br><br>Looks like I'm going for a Dodge. Just checked out a Ram 2500 conversion with a V8 and it's about the size of an Astro. I really like this size much more than say a bigger Chevy Express. And I'm more comfortable with a V8 especially once all the stuff is loaded inside....the MPG should be about the same as a V6.

 

[simply lesa]

check out the pics of my sons shorty conversion van ... he might b persuaded to sell as he would like a little more room..btw is a v6 too
send me an email.

 

[MK7]

Thanks Simply Lesa, but I need a V8, which is why I went with Dodge for the motor size and being smaller, rather than an Astro.

 

[mwbean]

I am looking to buy a van that has the least amount of windows in back and is very
short. I am going to be sleeping in it at work it has to fit in a regular parking spot
(per employer's parking regs) 3 nights a week. any feedback would be appreciated

 

[moorejames]

Dodge Ram 1500 Shorty. Mine is a 2002 and has a 109.4" wheelbase and is 187.2" long. It's also got the 3.9L magnum 6 cyl engine.

I'm not so worried about weight. The seats I ripped out weighed a ton, and I also removed all the steel reinforcing plates they had bolted to the deck to attach those seats to. It was a ton of weight. I'm replacing with a lightweight cot and kitchen setup.

The wheelbase is only 2" or so longer than my honda civic.

 

[Almost There]

I am looking to buy a van that has the least amount of windows in back and is very
short. I am going to be sleeping in it at work it has to fit in a regular parking spot
(per employer's parking regs) 3 nights a week. any feedback would be appreciated

A regular length van will fit in a regular length parking spot.

It's only when the parking spots are meant for compact cars that you run in to a problem.

 

[GotSmart]

I am looking to buy a van that has the least amount of windows in back and is very
short. I am going to be sleeping in it at work it has to fit in a regular parking spot
(per employer's parking regs) 3 nights a week. any feedback would be appreciated

https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Selling-the-short-van

I have this classic for sale! 109.3 inch wheelbase.  Already converted with power for everything.