Small cargo vans

[ganchan]

Just to confuse myself even further, I'm now starting to consider a small cargo can (City Express, Transit Connect, etc) along with the full-size cargo vans I've been pondering. Of course I'd lose a significant amount of interior volume, but I'd still have enough room for a fold-out twin futon bed/couch, a crude galley of sorts, a rolling chair, my trusty lap desk (which eliminates the need for an actual desk), and maybe a milk crate or two. The MPG would be much higher than that of a full-size van, and handling and parking would come a lot more easily to me (I'm used to tiny cars). 

The biggest issue I have with the idea is that I'd have to rent out a 5x5 self-storage unit, because I've absolutely got to hang onto many years' worth of tax records for my small business. (It's my understanding that the IRS will want the original hardcopies, not digital scans, if an audit occurs.) I might store some other items there, too, in case I graduate to a bigger RV that can accommodate them or go back to apartment living someday when I'm too old and infirm to RV it.

I imagine a cargo van would be much tougher (and therefore longer-lived) with much higher towing capacity. I'd be seriously limited if I wanted to add a trailer to a small "city van."

Are these vehicles easier or harder than their big brothers to convert and live in?

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

"The MPG would be much higher than that of a full-size van,"...

This seems to be "common knowledge".  My 89 dodge van got 14 mpg.  

Doing a google search on "gas mileage transit connect" I find:

gas mileage transit connect city 22 hwy 30

Doing the same for city express yields: city 24 hwy 26

I couldn't find mileage for my Mercedes Sprinter (with 4 cyl engine and high top), but having driven it I know I get about 22 in the city, 25 hwy driving at 70 mph, 28 mpg hwy driving 63 mpg.  Yes, I get 28 .mpg in my Sprinter van.  With my 28 gallon fuel tank I have 700 mile range.

Of course that's diesel, which costs more than gas, but my oil change intervals are 15,000 miles, and they run 500,000 miles or more.  I know I won't convince anyone, but those are the facts.  And by the way, low fuel prices are going to be here for awhile (a year or more).

I'm sure you can live in a mini van, I just don't know why anyone would.  I'd have to learn how to pee sitting down (or go outside).  My 89 dodge cargo van was too small.  The sprinter is just right.


by the way Bob (forum owner) , I spent a fair amount of time trying to get this post to format correctly.  For some reason, line breaks get inserted without me doing it, and the font changes when it feels like it.  I cut and paste a lot.

 

[Patrick46]

you only need to retain 7 years of back tax paperwork. (FYI)

7 boxes ain't that much, and the storage unit should be tax deductible too!

 

[SoulRaven]

The Ford transit Connect weights MORE than my full size 8 foot box 1992 Chevy pickup truck!

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Honestly you should just stick with a full sized van. Once you put a bed in there it really isnt that much room. Basically, you have 6x10 feet space to live in. It ain't much!

That said, you can still park it in a regular parking spot and the amount of mpg while far from awesome is not 6 mpg like Class Cs.

I think the standard cargo van is as close as you can get to "perfect" for a vandweller... IMO.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

Mercedes Sprinters are amazing but if you can't afford one there are other high mileage options that work just as well as the full size vans here are a couple of mine

1993 Toyota Townace 2ltr engine, 33 mpg imp about 28 US


 
the cupboard door up front doubles as a table as well as a chair where the floor lifts to make the larger bed, this entire unit is held in by three screws and can be a cargo van in less then 5 minutes.

1993 Dodge Caravan poptop 


both of these have fridge and stove the caravan even has a thermostatically controlled heater

I think both these vans would be good options or any other mini van if your layout was well designed

 

[ganchan]

I guess MPG isn't everything. I'm seeing numbers like 11/17 for the full-size Chevy Express (approximately half the MPG of the Transit Connect). I know I won't be buying any kind of high-top (out of my price range). 

I'd be afraid to buy something super-old with a million miles on it, even though the price tag would be a powerful inducement.... 

And I still dream of attaching a little cargo trailer or 13-foot fiberglass egg one of these days. So yeah, full-size looks like the most functional option available to me.

 

[akrvbob]

Those numbers for the Chevy Express are wrong. My girlfriend and I drove hers to Alaska and we averaged 17 mpg. She regularly gets 18-20 on the freeway with the 5.3 V8. Great engine!

It'll tow a fiberglass trailer and you'll never know it's there.
Bob

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Yeah, I think it depends on how well the engine is maintained but for city driving a full sized van should get between 12 to 16. Also, dependant on how much your stuff in the back weighs.

 

[ganchan]

Well, I also need to remind myself that fuel is a controllable expense. If my gas budget is under strain, I can just stay put for a while, then pull up stakes and move on whenever I'm flush again.

 

[BigT]

A mini/transit van and small storage unit are my plan as well.  
If I can just dump all the useless junk I own and get down to the bare minimum that I need to live, I'll be all set.  

I found it quite easy to install (the beginnings of) my camper kit in my Ford TC, and it's super comfy.  So far I'm only using it for camping trips, but it's a start, and a good way to see how well it will work long-term.  



The above photo is how I have it set up for daily driving duties.  If I go camping I add a camp-toilet and a 3 gallon bottle of water with a pump.  
I plan to add a solar panel to the roof and a pair of golf-cart batteries for running accessories.  

 

[SinnTek]

Those numbers for the Chevy Express are wrong. My girlfriend and I drove hers to Alaska and we averaged 17 mpg. She regularly gets 18-20 on the freeway with the 5.3 V8. Great engine!

It'll tow a fiberglass trailer and you'll never know it's there.
Bob

Beat me to it... The Chevy Express I have gets around 15-20 MPG so it's definitely not bad mileage for a half ton cargo van.

 

[Tkdplayer]

I'm in my little gmc safari cargo van , all I have is a mattress portable urinal and Wal-Mart bucket with lugabaloo seat. I've only been urban camping for a couple weeks in this as long as you can manaveur well it's doable. I just need to figure out some cooking does anyone know if I could run a small rice cooker from the cigarette lighter?

 

[gramakittycat]

I'm new to this but truck stops sell allsorts of things you can run from a cig lighter that is if you are only looking to run 1 thing. I've seen many cooking options here ,check out the thread on cooking.

 

[akrvbob]

By far your best choice for cooking is a small 1 burner Coleman propane stove. Some people prefer the small, square butane stoves but the bottles are harder to find and cost more.

I've been cooking on a propane stove inside a van for 13 years and never had a problem with it.

A super easy way to start is to buy a plastic tote like Sterilite or Rubbbermaid and store all you cooking supplies in it. Get it out, set the stove on top of the tote, and cook away. The heat goes up and the plastic won't even get warm. I keep a 11 pound bulk bottle in mine and cut a hole in the side to run the adapter hose through so I don't have to buy green bottles.

Bob

 

[SoulRaven]

As a side note, some stoves are better suited for use in vans than others.

This picture is probably worth more than words.

 

[highdesertranger]

a little off topic, but on some post on this thread the pics are fine, in others I can't see them. is it just me or are others having this problem. highdesertranger

 

[ganchan]

I'm actually pretty impressed with this Transit Connect conversion:

http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-Ford-Transit-Connect-d2037#listing=101973301