Chevy Express Spartan

[jerad]

i'm looking at a Chevy Express with a Spartan 12 ft bed. wide rear double doors and a side door. 78 inch high if i remember right. used to be fed-ex. this guy is just finishing up on getting promasters by the end of the year, he has 2 one with a 4.8 and the other with a 6.0.
my main question is what kind a gas mileage would i expect out of either one? load size 2,000 lbs.

thanks

 

[Treadmill]

About 12-14 mpg.

 

[jerad]

so would that be 12-14 mpg with either engine size? and that load size?
i know so many questions.

thanks

 

[Treadmill]

That was a 2007 with a 6.0.

 

[jerad]

sweet. thanks

do you think the 4.8 would get better gas mileage?

 

[Treadmill]

In theory it should. I don’t know how much better maybe 2-3 mpg more.

 

[jerad]

thanks

 

[Treadmill]

How many miles on these trucks. Also remember alot of city driving on these trucks tears them up faster. Is the back door opening able to be wide enough to fit a 48x48 size pallet through?

 

[jerad]

they are the full size doors that go all the way to the edges. 150,000 miles

 

[guido4475]

sweet. thanks

do you think the 4.8 would get better gas mileage?

Not at all, IMO. the 4.8 will struggle more pulling the van and its load. So the transmission is constantly upshifting and downshifting to compensate for the lack of power. And the transmission isn't very durable in those, either. I know of several veteran expeditors who have had bad luck with that chevy 4.8 setup, and sold them because of this, and a few that slid by okay. If anything, get the 6.0 one, or a Fordwith a 5.4.

 

[LDB]

I had a 2009 Chevy G3500 with the 6.0 engine. I didn't have the extra drag of the big box. I drove for maximum mpg and was pretty good at it. I averaged 17.1mpg in mine. As already mentioned, I think the mpg savings of the smaller engine are going to be consumed in working harder to do the job. I doubt there would be more than 1mpg difference between the two choices when loaded. Good luck.

 

[guido4475]

Exactly

I had a 2009 Chevy G3500 with the 6.0 engine. I didn't have the extra drag of the big box. I drove for maximum mpg and was pretty good at it. I averaged 17.1mpg in mine. As already mentioned, I think the mpg savings of the smaller engine are going to be consumed in working harder to do the job. I doubt there would be more than 1mpg difference between the two choices when loaded. Good luck.

Exactly.

 

[Moot]

...used to be fed-ex ... load size 2,000 lbs.

Definitely go with the 6.0.

Was this a FedEx Custom Critical van or FedEx Ground? Big difference between highway miles and city delivery miles. How did you come by the 2000 lbs. load capacity, did you weigh it?

 

[Solar]

I’ve had 3 different pickups, 4.8, 5.3, and 6.0 chevys.
4.8 is a good engine for a 1500 doing 1500 type loads. Not what you’re wanting.

Definitely, hands down, get the 6.0. The fuel difference is minimal.

 

[xmudman]

Not at all, IMO. the 4.8 will struggle more pulling the van and its load. So the transmission is constantly upshifting and downshifting to compensate for the lack of power. And the transmission isn't very durable in those, either. I know of several veteran expeditors who have had bad luck with that chevy 4.8 setup, and sold them because of this, and a few that slid by okay. If anything, get the 6.0 one, or a Fordwith a 5.4.

NEVER let the transmission hunt!
Ya might lose 1 mpg downshifting and letting the engine rev a bit higher (say 3000 on a gasser), but your trans will tolerate that much better than constant shifting. An automatic transmission’s worst enemy is heat, and hunting causes heat to build up in a hurry.


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[jerad]

...used to be fed-ex ... load size 2,000 lbs.

Definitely go with the 6.0.

Was this a FedEx Custom Critical van or FedEx Ground? Big difference between highway miles and city delivery miles. How did you come by the 2000 lbs. load capacity, did you weigh it?

no but for a one ton van that capacity is listed at 2,000 lbs according to the fed ex guy

 

[kg]

I would recomend the 6.0 but am less than enthused with the trans.

(Replaced at 225000) mostly big hill driving. My heaviest load was an occasional 2200lb.

Best of luck
Stay safe KG

 

[jerad]

i also noticed that it is a 6.0 flex-fuel as well.
if run regular gas and not corn stuff. can i expect the same MPG as with a standard 6.0?
i thought they get worse MPG or is that only if you use the E85?

thanks

 

[xmudman]

i also noticed that it is a 6.0 flex-fuel as well.
if run regular gas and not corn stuff. can i expect the same MPG as with a standard 6.0?
i thought they get worse MPG or is that only if you use the E85?

thanks

My experience with the old yellow van was that on E85 it got about 70-75% of what it would get on unleaded; this means you should only pay 70% of the price of unleaded. For example, if unleaded is $2.69, you should pay $1.87 for E85.

I would run a tank of E85 through Old Yeller every 80k or so, to “clean out the lines”. Seemed to work


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