Anyone with a cube van?

[Jefferson3000]

Hey everyone. I've searched the archives for info on this and found SOME info, but here goes: I am looking into the possibility of selling my van and customizing a cube van. If you have one, or have had one, I have a few questions.

1. What kind of mileage do you normally get? (Please state make and gas or diesel.)

2. What kind of sleeper that doesn't have you sleeping in the box?

~~~ a. Possibly a 36" model mounted with a 12' box? (Would a small sleeper like that have direct cab access, or would I need to enter it separately?)

~~~ b. Anyone know of a "crew cab" style cutaway, where I could make a bunk inside the cab. (I am not OTR all that much, but it does help when I am.)

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[FAST JIMMY]

I have a 2000 Chevrolet cube van with a custom sleeper. 12' box with 5' sleeper. Plenty of room in sleeper,as you can walk all around. I put some shelving, cot with memory foam to sleep on and a large inverter to power TV, microwave, small fridge and some lights. Truck rides awesome. Newer complete tune-up, and fluids changed. under 100K miles. I get an average 12 miles per gallon. I will be selling this truck soon. With such low miles you can stay with current carrier or sign with a new one.
Thanks, Jim

 

[Aviator]

Here is one

Here is a cube van with a sleeper in I built a couple years ago. Link has info and photos.

http://www.expeditersonline.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=373&forum=DCForumID16

Edited to add:

We had 2 deep cycle batts in the thing with a batt isolator so we could run the deep cycles down, and leave the starting batt fully charged. Then with an inverter and a 110 ceramic heater with a themostat, you could go to sleep on the coldest nights and it would keep warm in there. Later, I added a remote start that ran the truck for 15 minutes. If the batteries got down so the inverter was chirping, you could grab the starter off the wall, hit the start button and go back to sleep.

Aviator

 

[Jefferson3000]

RE: Here is one

Wow Aviator, that's a great looking rig you have. Thanks for sharing the pics.

Thanks to you guys for replying to me. This thread seems to have been kind of dead since I posted.

Most of my stuff is local, however I have the occasinal OTR delivery that would make some sort of sleeper necessary. I had actually thought of speccing this truck from ground up and get an actual manufactured truck sleeper. AA sleeper has a coffin type sleeper.

I love the idea of the sleeper built in the box. Very neat. Would it be possible to open up that door from cab to box to be any bigger? It would be nice to have this kind of setup feel more "connected" to the cab. By being more open, I mean could it be enlarged enough that I could tilt my seats back more into the opening?

 

[davekc]

RE: Here is one

Another site to consider that has been listed before
www.unicell.com






Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[arkjarhead]

RE: Here is one

I personally don't have a cube van, but I did talk to guy at the detroiter not to long ago in cube van leased to landstar express america. He said he was doing good with them. He said they kept him moving and the pay was good. He told me he even got to haul some c unit loads and did good on those. That's about all I know. I know it isn't much.

 

[LDB]

RE: Here is one

Check the GM brochure http://www.unicell.com/pdfs/Aerocell_GM.pdf for the Aerocell and you can see the two options available. On the far left side at the top it shows the walk through door and the sliding access door. With the walk through they cut out the original roof of the van and you can stand up between the seats to move into the back. With the standard sliding door you have to duck down but you have a 200# capacity shelf all the way across the front. I wouldn't try a full 200# up there but you could use Rubbermaid boxes or something similar and put all your clothes etc. up there pretty easily. On their main page they have a calculator that will estimate your fuel savings compared to a regular van as well. Based on 50,000 city miles and 300,000 highway miles at $2.80 fuel price the vehicle lifetime savings estimate is $10,890.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5507, 5508, 5509
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[davekc]

RE: Here is one

The one I seen up close didn't have a upper shelf. It was all open in the front with a sleeper.
There was a wall farther back to seperate the freight from the sleeper.







Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[terryandrene]

RE: Here is one

Leo:

The fuel saving aerocell advertises is it's model compared to a cut-away van with a conventional box add-on. It does not advertise a savings compared to a regular cargo van; I doubt there would be a saving there.

 

[Jefferson3000]

RE: Here is one

Hey everyone. Thanks for the responses. I have considered the unicell. I've seen a few various models around town. Just hadn't really found too many people who actually had one.

Hey Leo,

Thanks for pointing out the standup in the GM version. I downloaded that PDF, but somehow missed that element. I love the idea of me being able to open up the cab to feel a little bigger. Standard cutaway is real small and closed.

This has been my thought on this. GMC makes a cutaway with 158" wheelbase to take up to a 16' box (G3500). That setup is registered at 10,000 GVW. Next, check out this sleeper here: http://www.aatrucksleeper.com
Go to the heading for Flat Top. I was thinking maybe a 36" to 48" model and 12' box on back. Does this look workable?

 

[LDB]

RE: Here is one

I didn't mention it but yes, that's compared to a standard box van like you see from various rental outfits.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5507, 5508, 5509
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[MSinger]

RE: Here is one

Just be cautious. With the weight of the box and the sleeper you may not be able to carry much freight without being overloaded. Even if your gvwr is 10,000#, if the actual weight of the vehicle with the freight is over 10.001# they can get you for not logging as well as being overweight. You could end up with a camper that is not much good for anything else.

 

[tazman]

Just a quick note

Supreme does offer a crew-van product on its cutaway Spartan series...
I believe they have a picture on the website www.supremeind.com
It primarily designed for hauling personnel to construction jobsites...I've sold a few to commercial painters and drywall contractors.

The comments about pass-through full height access from the cab to the box can be accomplished by having a front fiberglass (i.e. Aerocell)
installed on the box...By law (I think) Body builders must have that front bulkhead extend from the floor of the box to the top of the box so you would have to cut out any fiberglass bulkhead to allow access to the top of the van roof...from inside the box...

P.S. - I sell Fords GM's and even Sprinters...I'm really liking the GM Duramax diesel for the cutaways....Couple of my customers are seeing 19-20 MPG on 12 and 14 foot box vans (12,000 GVWR)...and they are extremely quiet too !!!!!!
Frank in Pa.
(yes I'm still around)

"The Beast in the East"

 

[Jefferson3000]

Hey Taz,

Do you happen to have the exact link for this crew van thingy? I couldn't find it. Might be looking at the wrong thing.

 

[greg334]

Hey Taz

Got another question for you if you can find it out for us.

What is the weight of the box itself?

Say for a 10 foot spartan box, nothing fancy?

The reason I ask is that a GMC duramax cutaway chassis (139" WB) comes in a little over 5500lbs leaving a little over 4000lbs for everything else and wonder if I could meet the 2500lb min for FedEx with the a duramax, box and all the gear?

 

[tazman]

Supreme says the SRW Spartan body at 12' is around 1400 lbs.
Using your numbers on the chassis (5000 is about right) you have about 3100 lbs to play with (don't forget fuel an driver)....
It would be close.....at 9600# GVWR....

Hope that helps

"The Beast in the East"

 

[greg334]

Thanks Taz,

Yes that is bleeding edge close.

The 5500lbs (actually 5568lbs for the chassis I had here) includes fuel with a 35 gal tank.

Add another 70lbs for the 55 gal tank.

Add 1400 lbs for the box.

400 lbs for personal equipment (including driver).

Add about 150 lbs for everything else.

a little over 7500lbs if I added right.

1400lbs for a 12 foot, how much would a 14 foot weigh?

I am wondering if the upfitter could derate a 11,000 gvw truck to 9,999 gvw?

 

[tazman]

Here in Pa...you can register a vehicle at any GVWR down to the actual weight of the unit.
The upffiter will supply you with a 2nd stage MSO and a weight slip....but you are not bound to that ...

I regularly register our wholesale parts trucks (16' cube Isuzu NPR's)
rated at 12k GVWR...to 9990 so they can travel over certain bridges while delivering in NJ.

Also to go to a 14' unit...you will need to be a duallie chassis....
@ 12,400 GVWR for GM

Bottom line is build whatever you want....register at what your state will allow ...........

Thanks,

Frank in Pa.


"The Beast in the East"

 

[greg334]

Well the problem with that is many states (michigan for one) will not reconginize what the truck is registered as but what the sticker says on the door jam or what the upfitter's sticker says. The assumption is that you could register the truck as a 14K truck but only have a 10K GVW.

I know that the 14' box will need a G3500 chassis, but I am wondering what the weight difference is between the 12' and 14' box?

 

[tazman]

You could move the PA (just kidding)

Supreme says the weight go up 300-400 lbs...as you are now a wider unit (since you are a duallie)

I just did one for a customer and he was at 1700-1800
for the duallie

How about a Sprinter chassis cab with a 14' Spartan box with a crew box added before the cargo bulkhead....then have them cut an access door on the curbside (since the Sprinter chasis has no pass-through)
You'll need a 158 WB unit I think the GVWR is 10,200....

Frank

"The Beast in the East"