Two vans - decisions

[closeanuf]

Bob bought a new van and said his will be for sale.  Not sure when but it is extended.

 

[mothercoder]

Bob bought a new van and said his will be for sale.  Not sure when but it is extended.

Really?  That would be great but I'm in MD and he's in AZ (I think). 

 

[Mobilesport]

i wouldnt want either one,if going for standard van i would pick something here
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/search/cto?query=chevy+express&sort=date

if you can i would hold tight until a true hightop came around

I vote for the Dodge but after hearing what (Every Road Leads home) said about
that particular Dodge engine , I would at least talk to a couple of mechanics and see
what there opinions are of this Dodge engine , I know I've heard the 318 Dodge
engine is supposed to be very good ,I think the hightop on the Dodge is the perfect height for
in the city , I have that height of roof on my Chevy Express and it's perfect for the city , boondocking at rtr or simular I would get even a higher top.

 

[steamjam1]

My thoughts: The Dodge magnum 3.9L is an excellent engine. Coupled with the 42RE as long as you add a tranny cooler you have a bullet proof combination. The little V6 will get 16mpg or so... I don't know about towing more then something very small... It's not the engine, its the brakes..

The ford is OK.. Looks like crap tho.

The dodge shorty is going to smaller, but easier to maneuver in parking lots then the extended Ford..

 

[closeanuf]

My opinion:  I worked at a Dodge dealership in the mid 90's and they ordered conversion vans with the 3.9L engine and most customers were less than satisfied with the performance.  I'm not saying it isn't a godd engine; I just feel like it's underpowered for a large  van especially one with a high top than catches a lot of wind.  In case you don't know the wind blows just a bit in the southwest. JMHO

 

[Dgorila1]

I'd keep looking, the dodge is too short and underpowered and the ford just makes me wonder why they half assed the paint. You can find plenty of unaltered, extended E350 passenger vans in good shape for a good price that would make excellent full time rv conversions. With the windows darkened with limo tint and interior blackout curtains it looks like an unassuming normal van with plenty of build room inside. With the extended van you could even build a partition in the back to have a storage area for tools, bikes, etc that is accessed via the back doors and still have plenty of living space.
     I've driven two almost new extended Chevy passenger vans recently (2016 models) and I was not impressed with either one. The side mirrors are manual (not power) and have a limited viewing area (lots of blind spots), and they were both WAY under powered. 
          I like the Ford Transit Extended Hightop and the Nissan NV, but the $30,000+ price tags put them out of reach. The Transit has awesome headroom though for a tall person like me (6'4" - I can stand up inside and not hit my head). The Nissan NV beats all other vans out there right now for towing and load capacity by far. Kinda ugly with that car like nose but if you need some serious hauling capacity the NV is one to consider.

 

[Ballenxj]

Bob bought a new van and said his will be for sale.  Not sure when but it is extended.

There's an idea.

 

[DannyB1954]

The Dodge is a half ton, (Decale in pic says 1500). You will be limited to how much you can fix it up.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

i wouldnt want either one,if going for standard van i would pick something here
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/search/cto?query=chevy+express&sort=date

if you can i would hold tight until a true hightop came around

I was going to say i'd wait for a Chevy but bit my tongue.  I think a better one will come a long as well.

 

[Gary68]

barn doors would be a must for me and there are non white with windows express vans just not as many

 

[mothercoder]

I'd keep looking, the dodge is too short and underpowered and the ford just makes me wonder why they half assed the paint. You can find plenty of unaltered, extended E350 passenger vans in good shape for a good price that would make excellent full time rv conversions. With the windows darkened with limo tint and interior blackout curtains it looks like an unassuming normal van with plenty of build room inside. With the extended van you could even build a partition in the back to have a storage area for tools, bikes, etc that is accessed via the back doors and still have plenty of living space.
     I've driven two almost new extended Chevy passenger vans recently (2016 models) and I was not impressed with either one. The side mirrors are manual (not power) and have a limited viewing area (lots of blind spots), and they were both WAY under powered. 
          I like the Ford Transit Extended Hightop and the Nissan NV, but the $30,000+ price tags put them out of reach. The Transit has awesome headroom though for a tall person like me (6'4" - I can stand up inside and not hit my head). The Nissan NV beats all other vans out there right now for towing and load capacity by far. Kinda ugly with that car like nose but if you need some serious hauling capacity the NV is one to consider.

Sure, a high top would be great.  But the Transit and NV are way out of my price range.  I'm looking at $4500 max for a van.  A $4500 high top van is a unicorn around here.

 

[DannyB1954]

How about this? https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/5985232592.html

 

[CautionToTheWind]

Check around local churches in your region. NC/SC/FL and Texas

Place a craigslist ad when you get serious.