Towing with a Van

rockhillmanor wrote:

Short wheel base is what is the Achilles heel of all the SUV's that people trying using as a tow vehicle. You will be very disappointed with the handling and you will be looking at 'limiting' the type of TT you can buy. i.e. The longer it is the more "tail wagging the dog" you will fight while driving down the road.

Thousands of 3/4 ton Suburban/Yukon XL owners would disagree as they tow 35' TTs with their 130" wheelbase.

IMHO do NOT get all focused in on a Utility Van. If you are buying used look for a real nice conversion van and take the seats out. They also will have the back doors.

I don't think I have ever seen a conversion van based on 3/4 and 1-ton chassis, and I don't recommend half ton vans for RVing. Very little payload to handle 8 people, let alone trailer tongue weight and conversion equipment. Cargo van - not a good idea, but Ford/GM make 1-ton passenger vans with insulation.

E350's all have the same wheelbase. The extended vans have a longer overhang from the rear axle then the standard length vans

I thought the OP was talking about that real short wheel base van they had or maybe that was Chevy I was thinking about!

I solved that problem of messing up the carpet when using it for camping.

Home Depot has this real nice thin rubber backed carpet material on the roll. It's NOT indoor outdoor. It's a runner type carpet for homes. Don't remember what they call it. Comes in nice colors too that match most vehicles AND it's cheap!

I bought a length of this and cut it to fit in the van. 6 years later hauling dogs, equipment, you name and not being careful about it and yes firewood for the campfire.....I removed it to sell the van and the carpet underneath looked like it walked off the showroom floor. Just a thought for you. :C

E350's all have the same wheelbase. The extended vans have a longer overhang from the rear axle then the standard length vans. In theory the shorter distance between axle and ball on the standard vans should make for better towing. However you also get stiffer springs with the extended length van and the overhang between axle and ball is probably no longer than with a typical pick-up truck.

We have an V10 E350 and was just what I was looking for. I wanted this exact van (1 ton, V10, 4 captains chairs). We used to tow with a 4 door truck that had a cap over the bed. The problem we had was no room for the dog in the cab with us. The van solves that issue. The down side to the van for us just so you are aware is that with the truck anything dirty went in the bed of the truck and who cares. Now firewood, sandy beach equipment, etc... all lives in the carpeted area of the van. Not as nice. I put firewood in bins in the back of the van a few weeks ago a few days before a trip. Opened van up for trip and found ants running all around the inside of the van. Just something to consider.

jerem0621 wrote:
MCSurveyor, thank you for the info on the Express van a tow rating. We were pretty shocked at the MPG the 2013 E-350 5.4 was pulling down compared to the 2002 Express we were use too. That Express Van had a 350 V8 and a 4L80E transmission and pulled down about 12 mpg. The E350 pulled down 16 on the interstate which I thought was great for a one ton van. But it has a 5.4 and a Four speed transmission. I think the tow rating is only 7400 lbs. the payload is huge though.

I will be checking out the Express with the 6.0 though. I like the features in the express, like rear passenger entry doors on both sides and when you remove the seats for cargo use the floor is flat.

The E350 had the passenger side exit only and the seat brackets are left above the floor when you remove the seats. If we go for a van it will be the short wheel base.Thanks!

Short wheel base is what is the Achilles heel of all the SUV's that people trying using as a tow vehicle. You will be very disappointed with the handling and you will be looking at 'limiting' the type of TT you can buy. i.e. The longer it is the more "tail wagging the dog" you will fight while driving down the road.

IMHO do NOT get all focused in on a Utility Van. If you are buying used look for a real nice conversion van and take the seats out. They also will have the back doors.

I took out all the seats and bench in my conversion van to haul dogs to dog shows and yes in some models the back 2 bucket seats leave a plate. Trust me you throw a carpet over them and you will forget they are even there. AND....BIG AND....the conversion vans are insulated the utility vans are not and they are REALLY loud inside.

MCSurveyor, thank you for the info on the Express van a tow rating. We were pretty shocked at the MPG the 2013 E-350 5.4 was pulling down compared to the 2002 Express we were use too. That Express Van had a 350 V8 and a 4L80E transmission and pulled down about 12 mpg. The E350 pulled down 16 on the interstate which I thought was great for a one ton van. But it has a 5.4 and a Four speed transmission. I think the tow rating is only 7400 lbs. the payload is huge though.

I will be checking out the Express with the 6.0 though. I like the features in the express, like rear passenger entry doors on both sides and when you remove the seats for cargo use the floor is flat.

The E350 had the passenger side exit only and the seat brackets are left above the floor when you remove the seats. If we go for a van it will be the short wheel base.

Thanks!

Vans make great RV tow vehicles and they are relative bargins used. You'll be stuck near 10k tow limit, but there are plenty of family RVs that are 7-8k dry.

Ford V10 is a good choice. GM 6.0L/6-spd is good, even with 3.42. Skip the 4-spds.

I'm towing with the 1-ton Chevy Express in my sig, and I'd suggest skipping by the 3/4 ton and going straight to the 1-ton. The 6.0 6-speed combo makes good power for towing and get's 17-19 mpg empty, which is fantastic compared to any other gas 1-ton vehicle. You can also get a Duramax diesel in the Express, for a large chunk of change. If you're looking at Ford, skip the extended version as it adds the length behind the rear axle, not ideal for towing. There's actually only one version of the Ford E-series that beats the Express in payload and towing, and it's the V10 with the 4.10 axle. You sacrifice gas mileage to get that title though.

Thanks everyone,

Larry, did they put the 7.3 in passenger vans? That would be a nice daily driver and towing rig.

jerem0621 wrote:
I would like to have a Van as a TV. I love all the room inside and being able to store a lot inside the vehicle. We often take 8 plus people on local trips and I can remove the seats for work.

My question is, how do the 3/4 and 1 ton vans work as TV? I will probably be looking at Chevy Express' with the 6.0 and E series vans with a V10 (not opposed to a newer 5.4)

Thanks!

Jeremiah

IMO they make great tow vehicles and I have been using the FORD flavor since 1979. When out 1978 w/460 finally got tired after 22 years I was fortunate to replace it with the one in my sig which IMO the best Van towing setup ever avaiable from the factory. I only use it to tow or take extended road trips and it now just passed the 78K mark so it will out last me for sure.

Larry

Vans make 'great' tow vehicles.

I am very surprised that more people don't buy vans as their TV. Especially if they have kids and pets.