Express 3500 12 passenger van ? Towing experience?

[MARK_VANDERBENT]

Came across a sweet 2009 van . Has ton of room we need, and is all set up for towing. We have a 32ft bunkhouse that's 6000 pounds. Looking for any feedback from those who have one?? It's really long!

[MARK_VANDERBENT]

May need New exhaust manifold gasketsand upgraded bolts. Had that done on my truck and was not to bad.

[MARK_VANDERBENT]

Thanks. The one I'm looking at is cherry . Very clean just rust in front edge if the hood. Bug shield may be in future. It has 330,000 miles like my suburban, and is a one owner and they took care of it meticulously. Checking to see if it has any rebuilt trans or not?

[fitznj]

If can you can hold out for a slightly newer one (2010+, with the 6L90,

Can you elaborate on this? I'm selling my 2008 van and looking for
a newer one next year; Your comment piqued my curiosity.
thanks

BTW - I agree with your comment in the shocks - the standard ones
really can not cope - upgrade when you need new ones.

[carringb]

The Express 3500 should be a great match for your trailer.

Yes, the 6.0 Express will easily match the 5.3L Suburban for fuel economy.

The 6.0 isn't a torque monster, so you do have to spin in up to make power. Also, with the 4-speed, grade-ability isn't great (tall gearing, low stall speed in the torque converter). Max launch grade with your trailer will be about 15%.

If can you can hold out for a slightly newer one (2010+, with the 6L90, you'll have a much better powertrain for towing.

#1 improvement you can make is replacing the worthless OEM shocks with good monotube, like Bilsteins. Otherwise it'll wallow like a drunk pig when it's loaded.

And yes, 100% of White Express vans will eventually start peeling their paint. The colors don't seem affected.

[MARK_VANDERBENT]

Thanks for those mpg numbers. Those are right at my suburban 5.3 are. You sure you have a 6.0????

[fitznj]

One data point:
Empty local driving - 13-14 mpg
Empty highway - 17- 19 mpg @65mph
Towing - 11-12 mpg

One odd thing I found when I went from a 5,200lb camper to a 3700 lb camper is
that my fuel consumption stayed EXACTLY; My conclusion is that trailer frontal
area has the biggest impact on fuel economy;

I would expect your fuel consumption towing would be closer to 10MPG as you
are towing approx 1,000 lbs than my heaviest camper.

[MARK_VANDERBENT]

Thanks for the feedback! Sounds promising that the van will work well for replacing my suburban. One more thing I am wondering is the empty mpg and towing mpg? I know rear end size has impact.

[colliehauler]

In the past the short overhang (axle to rear of vehicle) made for a very stable towing platform. I don't know about extended vans.

[fitznj]

The biggest problem you have with extended vans, towing or not, is cross wind on the highway

Never had this problem with 4 different vans. The only time you feel
the wind is when a 18-wheeler is overtaking, the side gust hits
the trailer first and you feel a slight wiggle - but this happens
with all the tow vehicles I have towed with.

[Sea_Six]

I towed a 6000 lb 32' bunkhouse with a 2001 E-350 extended cab van for over a year.

It towed just fine.

[BB_TX]

Can't help with the towing. But we had 4 white Chevy Express 3500 15 passenger vans for our business, one 2009, two 2010, and one 2013.. And they were great vehicles. BUT. Check the paint carefully. The 2009 and both 2010s paint peeled badly on the hood, back door, and down the sides under the rain gutter. Two we had to have repainted twice. After a lot of pressure and hassle, GM agreed to cover part of the costs, but not nearly all. If you watch while out driving, you will see a lot of white Express vans with bad paint.

[drsteve]

HD vans make excellent tow vehicles, especially if you have a large family, and a big dog or two. You get lots of enclosed storage to keep your gear out of the weather. The long wheelbase makes for a stable towing experience.

The ride height is lower than a pickup, making it easier to load gear and passengers.

As with most tow vehicles that are not 1 ton duallys, just keep an eye on payload and you'll be fine.

[theoldwizard1]

The biggest problem you have with extended vans, towing or not, is cross wind on the highway. This is made much worse if the vehicle does NOT have dual rear tires AND does have 12+ more passengers !

People sit in seats that are about 3' off the bed. This make for a high center of gravity. Add in a driver not accustomed to driving this vehicle and you have a recipe for disaster ! One good gust, the driver over-corrects and the rest is history.

[fitznj]

I've towed with vans for years. My latest is a Chevy 3500 passenger van.
I remove the seats and can take all my toys with me.
How does it tow? Sensational.
My previous camper was 27ft and 5,300? lbs; The 6.0L engine has plenty of
torque and the transmission is bullet proof. Tows like a dream. Heavy duty brakes
work well.
The passenger version has windows (good), insulation (good) and finished inside
(good);
Mine is a 2008 with 80K miles and has never missed a beat - the wheelbase makes
towing super easy;
The only downsides:
1 - if it's white then eventually the paint will peel on the hood/roof.
2 - if you drop a gear or two on hills then there is some engine boom but
otherwise no problem.
3 - it's a van....... don't expect creature comforts.

I'm leaving for a 3,000 mile journey in Jan - I expect the van to behave perfectly.

Fee free to ask my other questions.