GCWR for the Express 2500 or 3500 the 6.0 V8 is 16,000 pounds. The empty passenger van will be about 6300 pounds for the standard length, 6700 pounds extended length, with all the seats installed. You can reduce the weight some by taking out the seats you don't need (the benches are something over 150 pounds each, a bit to handle).
This is going to leave you with something less than 10,000 towing capacity, to be further reduced by anything you load into the van. Load the van to 9000 pounds (typical GVWR) and towing capacity is down to 7000 pounds. Load the van to 8000, towing capacity is 8000 pounds. But this is still better than a 2500 Suburban with the same engine, and passenger/cargo loads, because the Suburban starts out heavier when empty.
To get 10,000 tow capacity available, you would need to find an Express 3500 passenger van with the Duramax 6.6 diesel. This raises GCWR to 17,000 pounds, leaving a little more to spare for what you need to carry, but not much more because the engine adds so much more to the empty weight of the van.
The passenger van with the most GCWR to spare is the E-350 with V-10 and 4.10 axle, for 18,000 to 18,500 GCWR depending on model year, and empty weight at about 6300-6700 pounds. You can load it to 8000 - 8500 pounds and still have the 10,000 tow capacity. These vans are really hard to find and the engine sucks fuel like crazy when pulling hard, and with the steeper gearing doesn't do much better when not towing.
Another alternative is a V-10 Excursion with the 4.10 or 4.30 axles, but just as with Chevy, the van can tow more than the SUV because the van is not as heavy as the SUV.
If looking at the Express 2500/3500 as a tow vehicle, I would be looking for a trailer around 7000-8000 pounds when towing it, and at the upper weight you'll have to be more careful about how you are loading the van.
You will find Express 2500 12 passenger and Express 3500 15 passenger vans coming out of rental service 1 year old with 20,000 to 25,000 miles priced at about $25,000. They might come off lease with 2-3 times that mileage and sell $18,000-20,000. Try to find a large SUV or a 2500/3500 six passenger pickup for less than twice that price.
Two years ago I was able to get an 8-month old E-350 12 passenger van, 19,000 miles, for $20,100. You don't find those anymore, and the ex-rental E-350s will not have the towing capacity you want, because Ford does not supply the V-10 to the rental companies, they have no need for it. The V-10 E-350 in towing configuration has to come from someone who ordered it that way, usually with expectation of towing.
Tom Test
Itasca Spirit 29B
