Vans!

[manx_20]

fc-150 on ebay LINKY

[Otis the Sasquatch]

Originally Posted by vtwin

Today, never heard of this company.

Very rare. I read about them in Vintage Truck magazine.

[STANIMAL]

Originally Posted by manx_20

fc-150 on ebay LINKY

''Close to running condition''

[header]

The van bug bit me

I found an E350 extended (1999) with a new engine put in about 70xxx miles ago. Runs well but has a little rust. Looks great from the few photos he had but he will send me some better ones tomorrow.

Asking 2600 for it, I think I can get it for 2200. What should I look for when I check it out? I'm pretty sure i'll buy it, it ticks all my boxes but would still like to know what to look for in this particular year.


Thanks guys

[MasterMarine]

Originally Posted by boardrider247

Anyone running a newish Chevy express van with AWD?
Curious if they are any good at all or not even worth considering. I know it won't be as good as a true 4x4. I'm not looking for a offroad vehicle though, just something that could handle snowy/icy roads.

I have one for my work vehicle. I think it is a 2011. It works well driving on logging roads. It is unfortunately a half ton so is a bit close to overloaded with all the cabinets and tools and parts in it. I like how it handles on the gravel roads. It seems to work well in the snow too.

I do not like the lack of ground clearance. Mine is about 2 inches closer to the ground than my coworkers 3/4 ton 2 wheel drive Chevy vans. I already had the front suspension come apart on a Forest Service road while headed to a radio site because the rubber mounted cross member contacted the extra tall crown in the road and pulled the end off of one of the torsion bars. That kinda sucked. There are lots of important parts that kind of hang out the bottom of the thing. I used to drive much faster on the same logging roads in my old 92 Chevy work van than I dare do in the new one...

I have a 2002 VW Eurovan Weekender as my personal vehicle and it handles and brakes better than the Chevy on the road. Nicer to drive overall. No way I am putting a bike in it though. I have a hitch carrier for my trail bike and a 3 rail trailer for my dual sport or for when I want to take 2 bikes.

[boardrider247]

Originally Posted by MasterMarine

I have one for my work vehicle. I think it is a 2011. It works well driving on logging roads. It is unfortunately a half ton so is a bit close to overloaded with all the cabinets and tools and parts in it. I like how it handles on the gravel roads. It seems to work well in the snow too.

I do not like the lack of ground clearance. Mine is about 2 inches closer to the ground than my coworkers 3/4 ton 2 wheel drive Chevy vans. I already had the front suspension come apart on a Forest Service road while headed to a radio site because the rubber mounted cross member contacted the extra tall crown in the road and pulled the end off of one of the torsion bars. That kinda sucked. There are lots of important parts that kind of hang out the bottom of the thing. I used to drive much faster on the same logging roads in my old 92 Chevy work van than I dare do in the new one...

I have a 2002 VW Eurovan Weekender as my personal vehicle and it handles and brakes better than the Chevy on the road. Nicer to drive overall. No way I am putting a bike in it though. I have a hitch carrier for my trail bike and a 3 rail trailer for my dual sport or for when I want to take 2 bikes.

Awesome!! Thanks for the reply.

I'm currently running a 3/4 ton diesel 4x4 dodge pickup. It is a great vehicle but I don't really need the load capacity. Most of the driving I do with it is going on road trips snowboarding with the wife and two dogs. So something with a large cargo space awd and decent road manners is what I'm looking for.

[STANIMAL]

Originally Posted by boardrider247

Awesome!! Thanks for the reply.

I'm currently running a 3/4 ton diesel 4x4 dodge pickup. It is a great vehicle but I don't really need the load capacity. Most of the driving I do with it is going on road trips snowboarding with the wife and two dogs. So something with a large cargo space awd and decent road manners is what I'm looking for.

EuroVan is the answer. It's just the right size and a bike will fit inside.

[MasterMarine]

Originally Posted by STANIMAL

EuroVan is the answer. It's just the right size and a bike will fit inside.

The Eurovan is the answer for me but I would rather have my dirty stinky oily bike outside on the three rail trailer or the hitch carrier. It is bad enough having my riding gear in the van after a day of riding! The bikes may start out the day being clean but they never are at the end.

I love having a place to change in and out of my riding gear that is warm (or cool depending on the season) and dry.

It is a great vehicle (at least as long as the transmission keeps working and the timing chain doesn't fall off). They do have some known issues and are expensive but I work on my own stuff so am not afraid. I have made some improvements like air bags, Scanguage to monitor transmission temperature and a transmission cooler with thermostat to hopefully avoid problems. I have hauled 3 bikes and a ton of gear to Nevada from WA twice now and it works great. Last year the ride was a bit warm because the AC was low on freon but that was easy to fix when I returned home.

I am planning a family trip to Lake Powell this summer and it will be perfect for the job. Nothing like having a place to prepare and have lunch right in your car!

About the AWD Chevy Express, it seems to be a good vehicle but we would be better off to get some 3/4 ton real 4x4 conversions here at work. We have to access radio sites during bad weather and the ground clearance of the AWD is just not enough. As I mentioned, I am pushing it on the weight limit too. It lists to its port side since all the cabinets are on that side. It did that even before I loaded them up. We have a fairly heavy trailer that we use for doing fiber optic repairs and I am not allowed to tow it with my van due to its low GVWR rating and internal work rules and procedures.

[STANIMAL]

Originally Posted by MasterMarine

The Eurovan is the answer for me but I would rather have my dirty stinky oily bike outside on the three rail trailer or the hitch carrier. It is bad enough having my riding gear in the van after a day of riding! The bikes may start out the day being clean but they never are at the end.

I love having a place to change in and out of my riding gear that is warm (or cool depending on the season) and dry.

It is a great vehicle (at least as long as the transmission keeps working and the timing chain doesn't fall off). They do have some known issues and are expensive but I work on my own stuff so am not afraid. I have made some improvements like air bags, Scanguage to monitor transmission temperature and a transmission cooler with thermostat to hopefully avoid problems. I have hauled 3 bikes and a ton of gear to Nevada from WA twice now and it works great. Last year the ride was a bit warm because the AC was low on freon but that was easy to fix when I returned home.

I miss mine . Trannys and chains are really the only downside on the VR6's . Seems like you have plenty of inside knowledge of the EV .

[MasterMarine]

Originally Posted by STANIMAL

I miss mine . Trannys and chains are really the only downside on the VR6's . Seems like you have plenty of inside knowledge of the EV .

What really sucks is that the timing chain is on the flywheel side of the engine so you have to remove the transmission to change it. That means engine and transmission removal from what I have found. WTF VW? I guess you can take care of the timing chain when the transmission eats it.

There is a Yahoo Group called EV Update. I joined it well before I bought mine and have learned a lot from it about the Eurovan. I lucked out and bought mine from the original owner for an amazingly good price. He had all the records since new including the original invoice and window sticker even and actually understood that the transmission needed to have the transmission oil changed at least every 40,000 miles so it had been done regularly.

I am not sure I would recommend an EV to someone who is not a do it yourselfer tho. They are getting old and will have many little things start going wrong with them. The Weekender and Camper versions are crazy expensive to purchase too. Some of the parts are quite costly too like brake parts. I am sure something like a starter would cost considerably more for the EV than for a similar year GM van.

[STANIMAL]

Originally Posted by MasterMarine

What really sucks is that the timing chain is on the flywheel side of the engine so you have to remove the transmission to change it. That means engine and transmission removal from what I have found. WTF VW? I guess you can take care of the timing chain when the transmission eats it.

There is a Yahoo Group called EV Update. I joined it well before I bought mine and have learned a lot from it about the Eurovan. I lucked out and bought mine from the original owner for an amazingly good price. He had all the records since new including the original invoice and window sticker even and actually understood that the transmission needed to have the transmission oil changed at least every 40,000 miles so it had been done regularly.

I am not sure I would recommend an EV to someone who is not a do it yourselfer tho. They are getting old and will have many little things start going wrong with them. The Weekender and Camper versions are crazy expensive to purchase too. Some of the parts are quite costly too like brake parts. I am sure something like a starter would cost considerably more for the EV than for a similar year GM van.

All true , but after owning a few , I still get an itch to buy another . I prefer the 5 cyl manuals , slow but reliable . The VR6 MV I had was a great road trip vehicle .The kids miss that one the most .

[boardrider247]

Originally Posted by STANIMAL

EuroVan is the answer. It's just the right size and a bike will fit inside.

I've owned a few vw vans over the years and really like them. But the tow rating isn't going to be enough for me.
Nor is it awd or 4wd. And I don't think I could ever bring myself to buy a vw with a automatic transmission.

Whatever I buy will be fullsize. A 3/4 ton 4x4 van would be great but they are expensive and rare. If I could get a good buy on one that would most likely be the winner.

[Ko]

Does anyone have any experience with an E350 7.3PSD in cold temps? I'm about to cross the Labrador and I'm not sure whether or not I should put a piece of cardboard/something on the front grille to block some cold air. The van takes a long time to warm up at warmer temps, I'm leaning towards putting something just cause it can't hurt it, so maybe it helps?

Perhaps I should be thinking of installing studded tires instead of worrying about engine temps

Ko

[EvilClown]

Lookie what's down in FM. (Not mine. Just passing it along.)

[cjbiker]

Originally Posted by EvilClown

Lookie what's down in FM.