I am looking to buy a fifteen-passenger van. I need low cost-to-operate and high reliability. Decent air conditioning is important: not just for the driver but for the entire passenger compartment. I will pay more for the promise of high reliability. I'd like to keep mileage under 30,000. Bonus for better gas mileage.
I appreciate all your thoughts!
My 2003 Chevrolet Express has been superb! I currently have 78k miles on it and have done nothing except oil changes and tires. I tow 5000-8000 pound travel trailers a couple times a year and it does that effortlessly. The long wheelbase is SWEET! AC vents all along the roof for the rear passengers. I get about 15-17 mpg highway, 10-11 towing.
Ford vans were industry standard for a long time. Same motors I believe as in crown vics.
My father swears by Chevy Vans. His last got traded in with 180,000 miles on the clock and running strong. He had the rear A/c vents and while the steal some overhead space, they are worth it for passengers. Newer Chevy vans have an issue with white paint, it doesn't stick and starts to peel off around the roof. This may not be a big deal, but 99% of 15-passenger vans are white it seems.
Chevy GMC have the longer wheelbase ,
Ford and Dodge put the extra length out on the tail.
Get a Carfax on anything you are interested in ,
I ended up with a regular lenght GMC panel van .
I wish we would get the Toyota 15 passenger vans here
just spent 5 days using these
manual trans too
not sure why we dont get them :(
In reply to DWNSHFT :
I have no specific brand recommendation but if you are looking for a relatively new, somewhat low mile people hauler it might be wise to look at retired rental fleet. Maybe check out the car/van sales side of Enterprise or Hertz
Ford Vans from Hertz w/ 20k-ish miles for $25k-ish https://www.hertzcarsales.com/used-cars-for-sale.htm?make=Ford&model=Transit-350&normalBodyStyle=Wagon&geoZip=44870&geoRadius=500
All I can say is that I rented a Transit about a month ago and I was amazed out how well it drove. It was MILES better than any van I've ever driven. Prior to that I rented a 15 passenger Chevy and it felt ponderous at best - still better than an Econoline. As for reliability, I'm sure they're all about equal but I can't speak one way or another.
Transportation in the film industry used to use the regular ford vans. They were great and the drivers loved them.
Now we use sprinter vans and the ford transits. Without exception, drivers dislike the transit vans. They just fall apart.
They like the sprinters except they’re quite large.
The old body style Ford vans were great. 7.3 would run forever. But impossible to find one with low mileage, especially now.
The new Transit doesn't hold a candle to it. Lots of problems.
One you might have overlooked...The Nissan Van but only 12 seats (and little to no luggage room if using all 12.)
4.0L V6 for base model and optional 5.6L V8.
The van pool I am part of uses a full size Chevy.
Currently has 90K miles (~90 per day) and we have had no issues, only regular maintenance.
Cooter said:.
The new Transit doesn't hold a candle to it. Lots of problems.
What sort of problems are the new Transits having? I rented one a little while ago and was super impressed with the handling and how thoughtful the interior layout was. SO MANY CUBBY HOLES! I figured when they started dropping in price on the used market I might take a look.
What I have seen are brake issues, rear end failures, and electrical and general poor build quality problems.
Can’t speak to longevity of the Ford Transit but rented one to transport kids and grandkids to a family reunion. Drove pretty nice, got reasonable gas mileage and provided ample room for people and baggage. It’s big big bus. Put about 2500 miles on it so got to know what it was all about.
I will offer my 2 cents. I used to maintain a fleet for a university. It included 18 Chevy passenger vans and 25 Ford cargo vans.
When you said you needed good A/C for passengers, I have to say definitely skip the SBC years of the Savanna/Express. Get an LS van. The A/C is horrible in the Vortec 350 years. The airflow constantly lets hot air in front of the condenser when you stop which triggers the high side switch and you suddenly get damp, 90-degree air. Revving the engine doesn't help. On top of that, they tried to crutch the issue with a massive clutch fan. With a few passengers and the fan clutch engaged, it sapped so much power that it wouldn't shift at WOT. Flooring it in first would let it shift to second. Second gear would get up to about 4800 rpms and just hang there. Not enough rpms to tell it to shift, and not enough power to continue accelerating. All 18 of them had this problem.
The rest of the van is fantastic. Nice to drive, long wheelbase, nice headroom, good ride. But if you're looking for good A/C, hold out for a later LS van.
I have owned a couple 7.3L powerstroke Ford vans. They are my go-to, but as someone mentioned... good luck finding one these days. A not-bad alternative is a state-surplus 6.0L stroke van. Many of them had the bulletproofing done, or at least repaired with factory parts. Also nothing wrong with a 4.6L or 5.4L. You'll have to deal with either coil issues, spark plug issues, or a leaking passenger side exhaust manifold, but they are extremely long-lived engines. I had a 5.4L in the fleet with 545k and it refused to die.
So, LS chevy (or better yet, Duramax... they got a detuned version to go with the 4L85E. Still way more oomph than a gasser, but 22mpg) or nearly any of the Fords. Not a fan of Dodge, but I don't have much experience with their vans.
In reply to DWNSHFT :
We use Chevy 15 passenger vans for handicap student transport. Beat with a big stick by every yahoo that can’t get a bus license. They hold up astonishingly well. Nothing mechanical approaching 200,000 miles just tires brakes and an occasional light bulb.
In reply to DWNSHFT :
I do not know what your specific needs might be but here is a local recommendation. In Oregon, Ohio there is a very large operation of new and used busses. All seem to be high quality, low mileage. https://www.tescobus.com/inventory.aspx?F=F1|F2
Might be more than you need but thought I would share anyway. It seems that their website does not state prices.
Samples like these, a 2010 w/ 28k miles
Here's is one that stumped me a little:
Seems simple:
Until you realize that it is 14 passengers, no windows and a divider:
Will you be transporting any prisoners or coyotteing any illegal aliens?
In reply to John Welsh :
Thanks for that! I'll definitely keep that website handy.
Nice link , I think it's time to start a cheap Uber for game day parties !
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