Nissan NV3500 Passenger Van?-Page 2: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Jan. 2, 2012 9:22 a.m. jrw1621 SuperDork

belteshazzar wrote:

saw some of these at Enterprise Rent a Car. great indication they'll show up affordably as a used truck in a year or so.

Also possibly a good indication that slaes of these vans are not meeting Nissan expectations so they are selling them cheap to fleets as a way to keep production up toward needed levels.
As so a smart move to get some of them out there on the roads and put some potential buyers behind the wheel.
Jan. 2, 2012 9:36 a.m. belteshazzar SuperDork

before today, i'd never seen one on the road
Jan. 2, 2012 9:51 a.m. Ian F SuperDork

I get the impression the high floor is a result of the Titan base platform. Granted, I don't recall the floor of my Ford.being much lower than a typical 2wd pick up.

I have trouble getting past how ugly they are, but I understand the foot well room is much better than any other van.
Jan. 2, 2012 9:59 a.m. jde Reader

Ian F wrote:

I get the impression the high floor is a result of the Titan base platform. Granted, I don't recall the floor of my Ford.being much lower than a typical 2wd pick up.

I have trouble getting past how ugly they are, but I understand the foot well room is much better than any other van.

There's very little shared with the Titan beyond the engines, and a couple other bits. (Worked with it last spring; most of the details have vanished from memory, though.)

Foot well is more like a truck, as is engine access, given the styling.
Jan. 2, 2012 2:43 p.m. DoctorBlade Dork

I thought they were sharing the frames as well, but then I don't work up there.
Jan. 2, 2012 5:22 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

DoctorBlade wrote:

Autoblog has more, and more pics too.

I can't see how a rear-view mirror is useful in that van. Otherwise, I'd take mine in black.

Place I used to work at bought a brand new ford cargo van. No windows at all behind the driver's and passenger doors.. It still had a rear view mirror hanging from the windshield
Jan. 2, 2012 7:28 p.m. jde Reader

DoctorBlade wrote:

I thought they were sharing the frames as well, but then I don't work up there.

Yeah, they look like a Titan with a box, but it's a unique platform

Frame, brakes, and hubs are different and significantly beefier.

Pretty sure rear end is different, don't remember about the tranny.

From a rear 3/4 perspective, there's a contour that has a teeny bit of a '50's Suburban or IH Carryall look to it.
Jan. 2, 2012 8:42 p.m. Ian F SuperDork

mad_machine wrote:

Place I used to work at bought a brand new ford cargo van. No windows at all behind the driver's and passenger doors.. It still had a rear view mirror hanging from the windshield

When I had my conversion van years ago, the windshield mirror fell off one year. Mind you, I always drove with the rear shades shut so the mirror was redundant. Besides, the view out the rear windows was so restricted it may as well have not been there. At the next inspection, my mechanic reinstalled the mirror (I had stuck it in one of the seat pockets and forgot it). I asked why. "Because it has to be there.... I know... it's useless... but it has to be there..."

Gotta love DOT regs...
Jan. 2, 2012 8:50 p.m. SyntheticBlinkerFluid Dork

One passed me on the interstate. Meh. It looks weird and the body lines are odd. It wasn't a high roof model.

It did remind me of the old panel trucks of the 50s and 60s.
Jan. 2, 2012 8:52 p.m. DoctorBlade Dork

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote:

It did remind me of the old panel trucks of the 50s and 60s.

I get that when I look at them for a bit. That light comes on and you suddenly think "Oh, yeah. I see it now." I wish them well however.