My tow vehicle is a Chevy Express Van and I pull a Keystone Passport Elite. I am close to capacity but still have wiggle room. Have a w/d hitch with anti sway and it pulls straight and tight. Anywhere I go I am the only one using a van as a tow vehicle. My question is why am I the only one? What am I missing? Lots of pick ups and SUVs but no vans???

Welcome to the forum.Maybe the others feel it's necessary to have a 4WD to pull their RV?And possibly, they use the trucks and SUV's as daily drivers and work vehicles.Or, they think the truck or SUV looks cooler pulling the RV?Your Express tows great and you have lots of room for people and stuff.You are using what works best for you. Isn't that all that matters? :)JMO

I've been towing with a full sized Van since 1979 and they would be my first choice if capable. Except for about 6 years our two Van have been mainly used as tow or road trip vehicles and not needed or used as a typical daily driver. I love the Van on the road not for the people carrying aspect, but from the secure cargo space and it's inherent flexibility. IMO there are several reasons why you don't see more Vans towing trailers and some of the reasons might be these below:1. They are limited to bumper pull and there are a lot of 5ers 2. For the most part Van are designed for large numbers of passengers so the demographics now days put them in the minority.3. They typically are not "pretty" and are basically utilitarian BOXY vehicles and don't appeal to the more design oriented segment.4. Unless you go to the conversion types which for the most part are produced on the 1/2 T platform they Van don't have the level of "luxury" you can find in things like SUVs.5. They have a stigma of not being as maneuverable or parking friendly as most SUVs which while true to some extent it often is over emphasized. Plus unless you need the huge cargo and/or people capacity most families don't need those for "daily drivers" which is a requirement of many RVers.6. They basically are not readily available in the 4x4 flavor Larry

Good question - I've always wondered the same. I've been towing with a van for 20 years and prefer over a PU/SUV.I usually remove all the seats so I have a big open space and can place a motorcycle and 2 bicycles inside - all locked up with and protected from the weather. If I want, I can use a roof rack and take a kayak with me as well.No sure why vans are not as popular but it's ideal for me. I currently have a Chevy 3500 towing a 27 foot trailer - A dream towing vehicle, good wheelbase length, great brakes, strong engine/transmission. I currently get about 13mpg towing.LarryJM makes some good points about vans being "utilitarian" and "boxy" but it really works for us.Gerry

I thought of buying a van to haul Collies and trailer but use crew cab instead. Dealer only had the 5.4 liter Ford van. Have not looked at the new Ford vans.The old cargo vans were very noisy on the highway.

colliehauler wrote:The old cargo vans were very noisy on the highway.This misconception is another reason for the unfounded IMO stigma against Vans. While they are not "caddy or Rolls Royce quiet" both my 1979 "cargo based" custom van and my current 2001 cargo diesel 7.3L van are FAR FROM VERY NOISY and very pleasant to travel in on long road trips. My current Van has to be the noisiest Van every made with it being a cargo Van with the infamous 7.3L "clattering" diesel engine.With that being said I did now a lot of interior finishing on my current Van before I used it a lot and now after 14 years I just got it broken in since it just past the 90K mark:BLarry

Towing with a Van | Good Sam Community

Passport2250RB
Explorer
May 30, 2015
As long as you are within lb limits on tow and hitch weights, you can tow with anything. Vans can be about the same price as pick ups but a box limits load dimensions and often have noisier interiors due to the thin metal walls. Passenger vans, well all those seat can get in the way.

It's worth stating that in Europe (where I grew up), people pull TT's with sedans or station wagons all the time. See few doing that here in USA.
LarryJM
Explorer II
May 30, 2015
oughtsix wrote:
I had a van some years ago and would never go back to one. I loved the massive room for people and cargo. I hated the lack of leg room in the driver seat and the passenger seat was even worse. What really turned me off of vans was the misery of trying to do even basic maintenance or repairs on the engine. I much prefer my pickup with plenty of leg room and easy access to the engine through the large hood.

My GF has a class C and it has the same issues that my van had. It is not comfortable for me and my long legs... and the thought of having to do anything related to the engine reminds me of the nightmare of working on the van engine.

Like almost everything it's all about tradeoffs. I don't find the leg room issue that big of a deal, but you are right the engine accessibility can be a BEAR and if you think a regular Van is bad try one like mine or even worse the 6.0L PSD Ford Vans. However investing in a proper set of tools like stuby wrenches, wobble extensions, etc. can really make the job bearable.

What I see when I open my hood ... now where is that engine?????:E

Larry
oughtsix
Explorer
May 30, 2015
I had a van some years ago and would never go back to one. I loved the massive room for people and cargo. I hated the lack of leg room in the driver seat and the passenger seat was even worse. What really turned me off of vans was the misery of trying to do even basic maintenance or repairs on the engine. I much prefer my pickup with plenty of leg room and easy access to the engine through the large hood.

My GF has a class C and it has the same issues that my van had. It is not comfortable for me and my long legs... and the thought of having to do anything related to the engine reminds me of the nightmare of working on the van engine.
Grit_dog
Navigator
May 27, 2015
Because vans aren't popular.
Bill___Kate
Explorer
May 27, 2015
Quigley had a 4x4 conversion Ford Transit at the Philadelphia Auto Show. It was a nice looking conversion - this one had the Ecoboost V-6 in it. Tow rating was 6600 pounds with the 4x4. Hopefully, Ford will offer models better suited for towing as time goes on - I agree it would be nice to see 10,000 pound tow rating - there is plenty of cargo carrying capacity. I understand that factory 4x4 is offered in Europe - maybe that option will come across the pond someday too .....
jerem0621
Explorer II
May 27, 2015
colliehauler wrote:
jerem0621 wrote:
I would like to see a max tow package in the Ford Transit...give it about 10,000 lbs towing and a GCVWR around 18k..should do great with that EcoBoost.

Thanks!

Jeremiah
Isn't the Ford Transit a uni-body?

Yep...it's pleanty strong enough. I think you can option the Passenger Transit wagon with close to 3000 lbs of payload. More than enough for a 1300 lbs of tongue weight and four or five people. The EB will have no issue with the trailer weight. They simply need to give a lower gear and ensure a Cooling system that can handle the weight. It would be a great tow vehicle.

I tow with a Unibody on a weekly basis and am looking for a 17ft Boston Whaler Montauk to go in my stable. I will tow it with my unibody as well.

Thanks!

Jeremiah
colliehauler
Explorer III
May 27, 2015
jerem0621 wrote:
I would like to see a max tow package in the Ford Transit...give it about 10,000 lbs towing and a GCVWR around 18k..should do great with that EcoBoost.

Thanks!

Jeremiah
Isn't the Ford Transit a uni-body?
jerem0621
Explorer II
May 27, 2015
I would like to see a max tow package in the Ford Transit...give it about 10,000 lbs towing and a GCVWR around 18k..should do great with that EcoBoost.

Thanks!

Jeremiah
Bill___Kate
Explorer
May 27, 2015
I have always loved vans. Back in my boating days (1980's) when the kids were young (they were never very small!) we always had conversion vans to handle the boys and their friends and all the boating gear. More recently, we have been RV'ers and surf fishermen, and the kids are gone, but we have dogs and 12' surf fishing rods we like to store inside without taking apart. We have two Quigley 4x4 vans, a 1995 Chevy G20 with 5.7L gasser that has be retired to local beach work, and a 2005 Ford E350 6.0L which is our current tow vehicle.

I love the seating position, the view of the road ahead, and the fact that the front wheels are in the corners make parking and close quarter maneuvering easy. The vans may not be as fancy as the comparable trucks, but they are usually cheaper - even though 4x4 is an expensive 3rd party option.

Chevy/GMC still offers the Duramax diesel van, but Ford only has the Transit which has limited towing capacity. Sadly, our next TV will probably be a pick up .....
jerem0621
Explorer II
May 27, 2015
ktosv wrote:
jerem0621 wrote:
It's 92 inches long and 47 inches wide.

My Express is 53" between the wheel wells. A golf cart would fit with all of the rear seats pulled out.

You would be able to fit a golf cart behind the first row bench in a long wheelbase GM van allowing five passengers.

Excellent, thank you very much for the info! Opens up some options for me. I am not really looking to upgrade from the PUP but I do want to bring along my golf cart and the bicycles.

May be looking for a 5.4 E350 or a 3500 6.0 Express!

Thanks!

Jeremiah