seeking recomendations for a towing vehicle that will seat 7

[v7]

we have a minivan now, but it can barely pull a PU.

we are looking to get a TT and replace our car.

Chevy express seems like a good option to me, we don't mind not getting a fancy huge SUV (suburban / yukon) for the difference in the cost ~30% less for the van.

would love to hear your thoughts.

(are there any PUT that seat 7? or is a 5ver out of the question)

[v7]

Land28BH wrote:
I would suggest a one year old off rental/lease 3500 Chevy/GMC with the 6.0L. That is what I just purchased. 21,500 for 2013 with 14K miles. We went with the shorter wheelbase for daily driving and we are only a family of 5. I haven't towed the TT yet but pulled the boat last week (24' pontoon) and was completely impressed by it's towing capability. Love the 6 speed transmission.

Only problem with the E350 in the off rental plan is that they will not have the V10 engine. I am also not a fan of the large rear overhang on the extended chassis. The GM twins change the wheelbase for the extended chassis.

the expresses i saw were V8,
is that all right ?

[carringb]

v7 wrote:
Thanks,

do the seats come off? it comes with 12 , but we could do without the back row.
The seats in all modern vans all come out easily, other than being heavy (probably a 2 person job for most).

do the middle seats come off ?
Yes
they are not recline-able are they ?
Only the middle seats in the E150 with the Premium or Chateau package. Otherwise, your best be is a Commuter Van conversion. That's what I have, and it has 14 captains chairs that all recline. It was converted by CVCandMore for Enterprise RideShare.
i saw a couple with low mileage (~14K) ex rentals, shouldn't be a problem, right ?

It wouldn't bother me. I bought mine from directly from Enterprise with 105,000 miles on it. Just hit 377,777 last night.

[v7]

Thanks,
took one for a test drive yesterday. steering wheel seemed to be at on an odd angle when the upper part was further away from me sort of like / instead of the usual (for cars | ).

only later did i think that it may adjust.

do the seats come off? it comes with 12 , but we could do without the back row.

do the middle seats come off ?

they are not recline-able are they ?

i saw a couple with low mileage (~14K) ex rentals, shouldn't be a problem, right ?

[Land28BH]

Just thought that I would add an update and comment on everyday drivability.

I did a test tow this weekend with the TT and it probably comes in around 8500 lbs. Did a 40 mile interstate roundtrip through some pretty hilly terrain (but not mountainous). Very impressed with the towing characteristics. The six speed tranny is the ticket. It literally put the power to the ground better than the 2008 Ram2500 6.7 Cummins that I briefly towed with. Oh sure, the truck had way more power and torque but the van really handled the load well and put the power to effective use with the increased gearing. I averaged around 8.3Mpg on the meter for this short run so I would expect around 9 to 9.5 in more typical terrain.

Around town, the van is super easy to get in and out of places. It fits in most parking garages (just barely - can be a bit nerve racking...I have touched the hanging signs a couple of times). It is as easy to park as my wife's Impala. Visibility is great (Get a backup camera if it doesn't come with one). I also have rear park assist which is helpful. I have seen around 17-17.5 mpg on highway travel. Averages around 10mpg in my short low speed commute to work with lots are starts/stops. It is big and biggest problem is height off the ground. I am putting running boards on for the ladies. I am fine with it but I am used to climbing into trucks. The only complaint that I have is the rough ride which I believe may be due to the general tires. Also a very annoying issue with the TPMS that will not let you lower the air pressure in the rear tire below 75psi which is ridiculous. The fronts are spec-ed at 50psi and I run that on the back but constantly getting warnings that I have to clear from the message system. Oh yea, it is pure white. Need to do something about that...LOL

You absolutely cannot beat the value of the van and it's capabilities. Similar vehicles would have cost me 15K - 20K more for same capability.

[Ric_Flair]

[mcsurveyor]

The regular wheelbase Express is very easy to use daily. Visibility is fantastic, turns pretty tight, probably the easiest vehicle of it's size to handle in a parking lot.

Not sure what else to say, it's a utility vehicle, doesn't have a lot of the bells and whistles that come standard these days, but for hauling 7 or more people and all their stuff with room to spare, it's got no competition for the price.

[v7]

Thanks guys,

how's the van for day to day usage ?

[chevor]

I vote chevy diesel 3500 van. Its hard to think anything other than diesel once you have owned one.

[mcsurveyor]

Another Chevy Express owner here. We love our van. Tows our 7700 lbs TT very well and payload is not an issue. I would recommend skipping the 2500 and go with the 3500. The van rides beautifully, there's no reason to not get the 1-ton.

Empty, we get 18-19 mpg on the freeway. Does just fine in the snow. Hauls everything we bring with us and still has plenty of room. Awesome vehicle.

[BurbMan]

Surprised folks still recommend the Excursion since the newest one you can buy is a 2005 model, 9 years old. They made 2500 Suburbans up until 2013, but 2006 was the last year for the big 8.1L V8. The new 1500 Suburban is more capable towing than previous years, but as you noted, $$$.

If you want/need 4x4 in a van, Quigley converts new vans and also had a pre-owned inventory.

[carringb]

Give it about another month and half, and the new Transit Wagons will start shipping. They can have either the 3.5L EcoBoost or the new 3.2L PowerStroke. More space than current Ford and Chevy vans, and more car-like too. And 20+ MPGs.

[ependydad]

If you want to tow a fifth wheel - either a 3500/4500 truck with cowtown sleeper in the back or a big ole van and an Automated Safety Hitch.

[Tystevens]

v7 wrote:
re off-roading, do you camp in remote places? or do all campgrounds have some gravel/mud bits to traverse

Nah, you'll probably never need 4 wheel drive in a campground. At least, we never have. I've only used 4wd with with the trailer in 2 circumstances: towing up or down very steep unpaved forest service roads getting to a boondocking campsite (think old logging or mining roads); or moving the trailer around on slick grass or a bit of snow and trying to avoid wheelspin.

I have 4 wheel drive tow vehicles only because of the other uses I have for them, not really for the towing part.

Good luck!

[v7]

Thanks APT.

yeah, trims are less important for us, and I did notice that the vans are certainly less nice than the suburban.

we went to a dealership yesterday to see a Suburban, and the guy was falling over himself with excitement about the back seats folding up on the flick of an electric switch.

totally useless. I'll probably fold the seats 4-5 times a year and I am happy to do it manually and have less things to break. (otoh we love the DVD in our minivan. we'll have to get something for the van.)

re off-roading, do you camp in remote places? or do all campgrounds have some gravel/mud bits to traverse

[APT]

Full sized vans are unpopular. They have a terribly market image, thus the lower used values even as a % of new compared to SUVs. I don't know what happened first, but OEMs aren't putting much into them either. A "loaded" trim and equipment van is similar a base/LS Suburban. If that's okay with you? you'll save lots of $ with a van. We love our loaded Suburban 4WD and wouldn't drive a van. But I respect anyone willing to! We are paying a lot more for it than a capable van.

4WD is unnecessary for just about any on-road situation with either our Suburban or a full sized van.