Work truck vs work van

irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:

03Panther said:

In reply to P3PPY :

Haven't read the rest, yet, but want to say "I agree with your reasoning 100% a beater truck can be cool. A van? Gotta be nice!

meh, just put some All-Terrain tires on it and maybe a roof rack and a beater van can look cool(ish) too :)

We have VERY different definitions of "beater"

That's a nice looking van - HT tires, or off road. 

I have done this dance so many times.  Like 8 or more.

I would always get a $5000 truck with 4wd and hate it because it was a truck.  Then I would get a $5000 van with 2wd and hate it because it was 2wd.  The AWD Express/Savanas are finally in my price range, so I got one and happier than a pig in s#!t.

The van is over 12' from the doghouse to the back door.  It's over 4' tall, dry lockable storage, doubles as a camper, and I can put seats in for up to 8 passengers (but it spends most of its time as a 2 or 5 passenger)

It is essentially a Silverado in terms of brakes and suspension and can tow 7500.  I'm sure it could tow more just fine, but that's what the owner's manual says.

If you offered me a free truck, I would sell it and keep my van.

I've done both, had 2 vans and a Ranger for years in the fleet, right now it's a gmt400

Both have their uses, vans very much suck for dirty things and if you want one tool, you are gonna have to climb over everything to get it.

But truck beds aren't secure nor waterproof. It depends what your priorities are

SV reX said:

Vans can only bumper tow, and I don't like how they tow.

I'm certainly not an expert on the subject, but my 2008 E350 hitch is frame mounted.

myf16n said:

SV reX said:

Vans can only bumper tow, and I don't like how they tow.

I'm certainly not an expert on the subject, but my 2008 E350 hitch is frame mounted.

My Chevy Express van tow hitch is also mounted ,/ bolted to the frame , the bumper  is pretty lightweight and not made for towing.

irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:

meh, just put some All-Terrain tires on it and maybe a roof rack and a beater van can look cool(ish) too :)

Or paint it black and gray, with a spoiler and red diagonal stripe? :)

I interpret "bumper tow" as meaning opposed to 5th wheel/gooseneck, so frame-mounted traditional receivers are still "bumper tow".

In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :

^^^ CONFIRMED, I'm not an expert. LOL

Another advantage to a truck over a van is ease of access for wrenching. The packaging of my E250 means a lot of jobs are more difficult than they would be on the F250. I had to have three elbows to adjust my steering box. On the F250 it's so easy. 

^^  I PITTY THE FOOL"

myf16n said:

SV reX said:

Vans can only bumper tow, and I don't like how they tow.

I'm certainly not an expert on the subject, but my 2008 E350 hitch is frame mounted.

All of my vans (E250, E250, Express, G20) have had frame mounted receiver hitches.  The one on my current Ezpress van is a GM original option that I think was made by Reese or Curt.  7500 non-distributed, 10k distributed is on the label.

Mine tows brilliantly.  Although there are subtle differences, it's basically a GMT800 Silverado 1500 underneath.  Calipers, brake hoses, rotors, bearings, springs, hubs, wheels, shocks, ball joints, and tie rods all interchange between my van and a Silverado.

CyberEric said:

Another advantage to a truck over a van is ease of access for wrenching. The packaging of my E250 means a lot of jobs are more difficult than they would be on the F250. I had to have three elbows to adjust my steering box. On the F250 it's so easy. 

I can't argue with that.  Just getting the radiator out of my van is daunting.

In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :

Oh.... bumper tow makes sense

Antihero said:

I've done both, had 2 vans and a Ranger for years in the fleet, right now it's a gmt400

 

Both have their uses, vans very much suck for dirty things and if you want one tool, you are gonna have to climb over everything to get it.

 

But truck beds aren't secure nor waterproof. It depends what your priorities are

I get it, but most trucks these days, you're not able to reach anything in the bed without getting in it.  My dad literally uses a stepladder to get in his, and he has a long stick with a metal hook on the end he uses to reach stuff.

An I just throw a tarp in the van for things like mulch or dirt.

I worded that poorly. I didn't mean bumper, I meant vans can't bed tow (fifth wheel or gooseneck)

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

You aren't totally wrong there about new trucks.

I've hauled dirt in the back of the van, did suck

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

Not always true. 
 

My truck has a step like this:

Its OEM. From 2012. 

I guess the next part of the challenge then is this: show me a BEAT UP van that looks not creepy

SV reX said:

My truck has a step like this:

Its OEM. From 2012. 

My nephew called mine the handy old guy step.  I was never clear on whether it was the old guy or the step that was handy.  I was clear on who the old guy was

I happen to like pickup trucks so that's what I've been driving for the last few decades but from a practicality perspective my Econoline worked every bit as well as the trucks that I've owned for everything except hauling motorcycles and doing four wheel drive stuff. 

One thing to keep in mind with vans is that just because the cargo is inside doesn't mean that you don't need to secure it.  In fact it might be more important to secure it in a van than a truck.  In a wreck everything in the back is going to travel to the front at roughly whatever speed you were going before impact.  When I was a volunteer fire fighter I responded to two separate accidents with fatalities caused by unsecured cargo in vans. 

RacingComputers said:

In reply to Spearfishin :

You looked at prices on the Sprinter and etc. lately?

 

YRMV

Actually, yes I have.  During the height of the #vanlife craziness combined with supply chain issues, used Sprinter and Transit prices were insane.  But recently I've seen prices for used ones down to more realistic levels as new vans start to accumulate on dealer lots and demand for used ones has dropped off. 

"Realistic" = mid-teens for a Sprinter under 10 years old with 100K or so miles and doesn't look like it's been to hell and back a few times.  YDMV (Your Definition May Vary)

I'm hoping to be shopping for a Transit 250 or 350 within a year or so. 

I definitely agree with the comment about properly securing cargo in a van.  Even when I haul heavy items in my minivan, I strap them as close to the back of the driver's seat as possible.  Or I really tie it down to the seat attachment loops in the floor.   I watch a lot of van-build videos and sometimes how things are secured during the build is frightening.   No, man-bun-boy, a few zip-ties attached to some flimsy plywood is not adequate for fastening your battery bank inside your van... 

I've put well over 2 million miles on cargo vans. They are terrible to live with day in and day out. The road noise and rattles SV reX mentioned are a real thing. Listening to that racket is probably part of the reason I'm deaf. 

I've also put several 100k miles on conversion vans. They are a great travel vehicle, especially if you have kids. 

In the world of old and busted, give me the truck. The candy van is going to get odd looks, the conversion van is going to look like it has leprosy as everything aftermarket peals. The old truck will just look like an old truck. 

I can dig the love for trucks, I just can't ignore that in the same footprint as a truck, a van has WAY more cargo space, and (if you have the seats) way more passenger capability.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

The question wasn't about vans vs trucks. It was about old worn-out work vans and old worn-out work trucks. In that situation, I'll take the truck every time.