Ford cargo van 2500 extended vs short base
- Thread starter Sprintit
- Start date
guido4475
Not a Member
Why limit yourself to a cargo van that will only haul 2 skids? Why a E250? And the lack of creature comforts as well. Why not get a Spartan body Ford e-350 van? 12 ft body, single rear wheel, stand up, walk around, 3 skid capacity is the best bet without buying a Sprinter. Or even consider buying a Cargo Max.Expect 12-14 MPG out of one, but I'll take the more gas usage over being cramped any day...plus, it has given me more load options.GVW on these are 9,600 on the older ones, and the new ones are being ordered with the 9,900 GVW package, single rear wheel. They actually are a cutaway motorhome chassis with a 12,300# GVW, but de-rated to 9,600 or 9,900 GVW...Please don't make the same mistake I did and buy a standard cargo van....You'll do so much better with a Spartan, or similar vehicle..
Guido, your response is 100% correct; but it sounds like the OP already has his van.
Sprintit, don't be afraid to do some local or regional work for a year or so. Your van is more suited to this as opposed to long-haul expediting, and you'll learn after only a couple months what you want in a vehicle after you've slept in it overnight after a 500-mile run, a few times. Good luck
Sprintit, don't be afraid to do some local or regional work for a year or so. Your van is more suited to this as opposed to long-haul expediting, and you'll learn after only a couple months what you want in a vehicle after you've slept in it overnight after a 500-mile run, a few times. Good luck
I haven't bought the van yet . My first instinct was to go with a sprinter but the more I read in EO and ask some advices here I came to realize sprinters are not for starters and I started looking for cargo vans mostly ford e350 extended . But most of the vans on the market are the shorter once. I found a lot of e350 extended but most of them are pre 2008 models some are real good with low miles for around or under 9k .
I think thats about as good as you'll get for a one ton Ford.
guido4475
Not a Member
My old Van, the Ford E-350, 7.3 diesel, got 20.6 MPG when completely empty, running 65-70 MPH...
Personal thought: The Ford extended vans have quite an overhang. Chevy extended vans stretch the wheelbase so the rear wheels are at the rear of the van, Fords are built on the same standard base whether it's a regular van or an extended. That overhang can hurt you when you're carrying one heavy skid on the tail since leverage will want to lift your front wheels. This is one time I give the nod to GM, since the longer wheelbase makes for somewhat easier handling if you have one skid on the tail. Otherwise-- personal preference, you can find people who swear by the one and at the other from either side of the Ford-Chevy debates.
Why not have the single skid pushed foreward over the rear wheels?
Different engine,silly goose.
The reach of the forklift. You have to be able to get the skid out, and so many places just don't have long-reach forks. I carry a chain with hooks on each end and that helps, but the problem remains that Ford has that overhang.