VANS -which full size van to choose

[jcl]

Originally Posted by bibbs

A white window van looks more like a shuttle bus to me. A panel van looks like a tradesman on the way to work. Hitched to an airstream a tradesman on vacation. Hmmm suspicious
They do come in silver with windows, add a silver trailer, now that is a good looking rig!

Fair enough. We could add that a pickup truck looks like a farm vehicle. Add some hay bales for the complete look.

[OTRA15]

Just saw this 2019 Transit 350 HR with Quigley 4x4 at a Ford dealer. Apparently they are being sold by Ford dealers, complete with all warranties. Not sure of the cost. Wondering if the tow capacities have been increased?

Peter

FWIW

[Sneakinup]

Originally Posted by bibbs

A white window van looks more like a shuttle bus to me. A panel van looks like a tradesman on the way to work. Hitched to an airstream a tradesman on vacation. Hmmm suspicious
They do come in silver with windows, add a silver trailer, now that is a good looking rig!

Wow. Now I know how it feels to be racially profiled. I guess an Easy Rider Rifle Rack on a pickup truck seems appropriate... along with that bale of hay.

[OTRA15]

Ford has announced an all-electric Transit van coming to market in 2021.

Yes!

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f46...-a-206062.html

[skyguyscott]

Originally Posted by bibbs

A white window van looks more like a shuttle bus to me. A panel van looks like a tradesman on the way to work. Hitched to an airstream a tradesman on vacation. Hmmm suspicious
They do come in silver with windows, add a silver trailer, now that is a good looking rig!

What does this van look like?

[SYC2Vette]

You will also be able to get the 2021 GMC/Chevrolet full size van with the new 6.6L Gasoline engine same as the 2500/3500 trucks. I believe the 3500 van is 10,000 towing, but that seems conservative and maybe accounts for 15 people equivalent in the van.

I still think that a hybrid of some kind would be the best "electric" tow vehicle just so you have something to get you over the top of the mountain when your "miles remaining" gauge is plummeting.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by SYC2Vette

You will also be able to get the 2021 GMC/Chevrolet full size van with the new 6.6L Gasoline engine same as the 2500/3500 trucks. I believe the 3500 van is 10,000 towing, but that seems conservative and maybe accounts for 15 people equivalent in the van.

I still think that a hybrid of some kind would be the best "electric" tow vehicle just so you have something to get you over the top of the mountain when your "miles remaining" gauge is plummeting.

Yes, a larger Chevy Volt powertrain would be perfect for trucks an Van's.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by Sneakinup

Wow. Now I know how it feels to be racially profiled. I guess an Easy Rider Rifle Rack on a pickup truck seems appropriate... along with that bale of hay.

Kinda sucks but I wouldn’t be seen in a van in this day and age. Especially in a neighborhood or near a school.

[rmkrum]

Originally Posted by Countryboy59

Kinda sucks but I wouldn’t be seen in a van in this day and age. Especially in a neighborhood or near a school.

Our first “RV” was a 1979 GMC long wheelbase van I converted using a kit of blueprints to make the interior panels. The only scary bit was cutting the huge holes in the sides for the windows. All the parts were available from catalogs even then, if you knew where to look.

It had nice custom captain’s chairs, a matching convertible seat/bed in the back, propane tank and two burner cook top, a cold water sink with a hand pump, a compressor fridge with an auxiliary battery to run it, and extra lights. The kids slept on the heavily padded carpet. Carried a cassette toilet. No shower. Awning was a blue tarp and a couple telescoping poles. Had a 12 volt powered evaporative cooler for hot desert days.

Went a lot of beautiful places with it. Only issue was no dash air conditioning, or we would probably still have it. It was quite capable of towing a smallish Airstream.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by SYC2Vette

You will also be able to get the 2021 GMC/Chevrolet full size van with the new 6.6L Gasoline engine same as the 2500/3500 trucks. I believe the 3500 van is 10,000 towing, but that seems conservative and maybe accounts for 15 people equivalent in the van.

I still think that a hybrid of some kind would be the best "electric" tow vehicle just so you have something to get you over the top of the mountain when your "miles remaining" gauge is plummeting.

GM announced last year that they didn't see a future for hybrids, and were instead focusing on full electrics. See their recent announcement of new all electric vehicles. The phrase I recall from the GM president was something to the effect that "Why should we ask customers to pay for and carry the additional weight of something that they won't need much of the time?"

[wildhorses]

Originally Posted by Countryboy59

Kinda sucks but I wouldn’t be seen in a van in this day and age. Especially in a neighborhood or near a school.

It's that kind of ignorance that keeps used van prices low! Keep it up!

[Sneakinup]

Love my van!

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by wildhorses

It's that kind of ignorance that keeps used van prices low! Keep it up!

Well I don’t own one. You can thank the media!

[Hittenstiehl]

But Countryboy if you are repeating it then you are perpetuating it also.

With the popularity of #Vanlife those stereotypes are becoming a thing of the past.

Delivery style vans will always be used for nefarious things as they blend into urban environments well.

The comment about traveling with a shed (van) sounds appealing for all it's storage capacity.

[OTRA15]

Finally got around to weighing the van, mostly loaded for camping, at 6,240 lbs.. Add another 760 for driver, gen, coolers, ice, clothes etc. . . . and round it up to 7,000, well within the guesstimates before for our 2017 Ford Transit 350 IMO.

[click on orange arrow to go to the earlier post, to see all the details and another earlier post]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

. . .
On the registration the weight is 4781. We added a bench seat, so I am guessing the total with driver and gas is going to be at least 5500. The van's GVWR is 9500, and GCWR (as stated earlier) is 12600.

I want to do a full weigh-in with and without the trailer eventually, at which point the axle ratings will come into play, depending on load distribution in the van. With the FC20 maxing out at 5000, there is some room for tools, camping and road gear, a small Yamaha tri-fuel 1000 generator, and so forth. At least a comfortable margin of error I hope. When I get to this stage of gearing up for serious towing, the additional numbers you suggest will get filled in. I have relied on Ford's representations about the overall towing capacity for now.
. . .

Travel safe,

[OTRA15]

FYI there is a new thread picking up this van-as-tow-vehicle theme:

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f46...tv-221174.html