Above 100,000 miles: Ford/Chevy/Dodge vans?
Hello all! I am planning to move up to a full sized van. In my price range that usually means over 100k miles. I have not ruled out a Class B, but I think I prefer the DIY route -- buying a plain...
Forum Discussion
Watching paint peel from Express vans was one of the reasons I chose to buy an E-350. On the Chevy vans prior to the Express, seemed like the paint just faded, as it does on most everything else from that era after 20-30 years in southern plains sunlight.
Ford and Chevrolet use the model numbers differently for vans than for trucks. Particularly in 2000 and earlier, when 3500 or 350 meant a dually truck, a van with the higher numbers was usually the same as a 2500 or 250 with the smaller V8 as a standard engine. This gave buyers needing 3/4 ton carrying capacity (GVWR 8000-9600 pounds) an option for economical smaller engine for urban use in 2500, larger engine in 3500 for towing and highway use, and optional big block (or V-10 for later Ford) for heavy towing.
Frame and suspension of an E-series (since 1975) was pretty much the same as on pickups of equivalent year, F-150 to E-150, F-250 to E250/350. Since the 1990s, the pickup has evolved, the van has retained 1990s twin I-beam with its own improvements.
Frame of Dodge and Chevy pickups has not been shared with the van. Dodge van never had a frame, was unibody from first to last versions. Chevy van (to 1996) was also unibody. The Express (introduced 1996) got body-on-frame construction, its own frame, but some chassis components similar to pickup parts, 1500 to 1500, 2500 to 2500/3500.
Engines and transmissions? It all depends on model year. In 1992 Ford switched from Windsor small blocks and 385-series big blocks (in a light truck, almost always the 460) with C-series transmissions in early days, later E4OD to "modular" Triton OHC engines and the 4R and 5R series electronic transmissions. Chevrolet made the switch from their classic small-block V8s (302, 350, 400) to the modern LT series (4.8, 5.3, 6.0) in 1996, and eventually dropped the big block.
If you don't plan to tow heavy, you would probably be fine with small v-8 in a 2500 or E-250, and if not building a heavy conversion, a 1500 or E-150, although those are rarely found in the roomier "extended" versions. Even a V-6 might work.
I would not bother with Dodge vans at this date. Though Dodge made a very good van, and it was quite popular for RV conversions, parts are getting harder to find the longer it has been out of production.
Early 2000s puts you in the final generation of Ford's E-series (from 1992) or GM's Express/Savannah vans (from 1996). You might find more Ford vans on the market, since they had a huge advantage on fleet sales market share when new. This had a lot more to do with factory and dealer options packages to meet commercial needs, and how Ford handles fleet sales, than it did with basic quality of the truck.
Ford and Chevrolet use the model numbers differently for vans than for trucks. Particularly in 2000 and earlier, when 3500 or 350 meant a dually truck, a van with the higher numbers was usually the same as a 2500 or 250 with the smaller V8 as a standard engine. This gave buyers needing 3/4 ton carrying capacity (GVWR 8000-9600 pounds) an option for economical smaller engine for urban use in 2500, larger engine in 3500 for towing and highway use, and optional big block (or V-10 for later Ford) for heavy towing.
Frame and suspension of an E-series (since 1975) was pretty much the same as on pickups of equivalent year, F-150 to E-150, F-250 to E250/350. Since the 1990s, the pickup has evolved, the van has retained 1990s twin I-beam with its own improvements.
Frame of Dodge and Chevy pickups has not been shared with the van. Dodge van never had a frame, was unibody from first to last versions. Chevy van (to 1996) was also unibody. The Express (introduced 1996) got body-on-frame construction, its own frame, but some chassis components similar to pickup parts, 1500 to 1500, 2500 to 2500/3500.
Engines and transmissions? It all depends on model year. In 1992 Ford switched from Windsor small blocks and 385-series big blocks (in a light truck, almost always the 460) with C-series transmissions in early days, later E4OD to "modular" Triton OHC engines and the 4R and 5R series electronic transmissions. Chevrolet made the switch from their classic small-block V8s (302, 350, 400) to the modern LT series (4.8, 5.3, 6.0) in 1996, and eventually dropped the big block.
If you don't plan to tow heavy, you would probably be fine with small v-8 in a 2500 or E-250, and if not building a heavy conversion, a 1500 or E-150, although those are rarely found in the roomier "extended" versions. Even a V-6 might work.
I would not bother with Dodge vans at this date. Though Dodge made a very good van, and it was quite popular for RV conversions, parts are getting harder to find the longer it has been out of production.
Early 2000s puts you in the final generation of Ford's E-series (from 1992) or GM's Express/Savannah vans (from 1996). You might find more Ford vans on the market, since they had a huge advantage on fleet sales market share when new. This had a lot more to do with factory and dealer options packages to meet commercial needs, and how Ford handles fleet sales, than it did with basic quality of the truck.
