Unicell/ Chevy Van

purgoose10 · Jan 24, 2011

Some one had asked me for info on the uncell that I'm ordering. I have spent all day today going over spec's with the truck dealer. This is the first option,
Chevy Cutaway w/6.0 gas, 6spd trans/342 gears. Usual equipment to include,
AM/FM cassette with no onstar.
Big mirrors/heated
Extra cooling for engine and transmission.
Pwr windows,
Larger brakes
cloth seats
Unicell Aerocell CW cargo body. w/ 144" cargo length
52" between wheel wells, inside height 79", roll up door.
This is sitting on a 139" wb chassis.
$29,980.00

Waiting on price quote on another chassis of 159" with same type box only 24" longer that will handle 3 pallets. Also single wheel. We are looking at close to $33,000 but not done yet.

Both vehicles 9900GVW single wheel.

Will update when the information arrives.

chefdennis · Jan 24, 2011

GM is now offering the 159" in a SRW??? And you can get it with the 6.0, the 6 spd and the 3:42?? And Unicell will upfit it with a 16 ft box??

It is my understanding that the 159" is a 12300 gvw and drw for 2010 and 2011...I know there are a few companies that are swapping off the duals for single rear wheels, but that was in 2009 when the 159" was 10,000 gvw....

purgoose10 · Jan 24, 2011

chefdennis said:
GM is now offering the 159" in a SRW??? And you can get it with the 6.0, the 6 spd and the 3:42?? And Unicell will upfit it with a 16 ft box??

You are talking about the next size up box I believe with dual wheels? I don't know. I am talking about the Aerocell CW box. The SRW box cargo area is 11' 6". You can stand on the inside and have a party in it if you so desire, it's just 6" to short to put 3 pallets in. The Aerocell CW is the small what they call street wide version. It is also 11.5 feet long cargo length. We are trying to get one 14' long Street wide to go on an extended Chevy van Chassis. Will know in a few days. I don't want to get you confused on the different boxs. Go to Unicell .com and check out the pictures and stat's.
What my intentions are is to ad the electric slide and carry 3 pallets if needed.

purgoose10 · Jan 24, 2011

I had better finish what I started. You can get the 6.0/6spd and the 342 in all of the gas Chevy vans with the unicell body. I am talking the 2011 models. I don't know about the 2010 models. They have a SRW/2010 with barn doors in stock. It has a 6.0/6spd/342 gear. It is priced about 29 or 30K.

purgoose10 · Jan 24, 2011

chefdennis said:
GM is now offering the 159" in a SRW??? And you can get it with the 6.0, the 6 spd and the 3:42?? And Unicell will upfit it with a 16 ft box??

It is my understanding that the 159" is a 12300 gvw and drw for 2010 and 2011...I know there are a few companies that are swapping off the duals for single rear wheels, but that was in 2009 when the 159" was 10,000 gvw....

The dual wheel is 12,300 GVW, They are offering the single wheel with some different cargo bodies on them we are working now to find out which.

chefdennis · Jan 24, 2011

Yea my bad, i meant a 14 ft box....but again it is my understanding that the 2010 & 2011 159" cutaway is only available with the dual rear wheels and they are 12.300 gvw...I talked to the engineering dept at both Unicell and Supreme and neither if them would stretch a cutaway to accomate a 14 ft box nor would they work with a cut away that had already been stretched....I am not saying you are wrong at all, just asking.and if you can get this setup (srw, 14ft box, 6.0, 6spd, 342, 159 in wb) please pass the dealer and salesmens name on to me, I will call him....

purgoose10 · Jan 24, 2011

chefdennis said:
Yea my bad, i meant a 14 ft box....but again it is my understanding that the 2010 & 2011 159" cutaway is only available with the dual rear wheels and they are 12.300 gvw...I talked to the engineering dept at both Unicell and Supreme and neither if them would stretch a cutaway to accomate a 14 ft box nor would they work with a cut away that had already been stretched....I am not saying you are wrong at all, just asking.and if you can get this setup (srw, 14ft box, 6.0, 6spd, 342, 159 in wb) please pass the dealer and salesmens name on to me, I will call him....

I have been working with this salesman and he is just getting his head screwed on right about this unicell and expediting deal. Give me a couple of days and I will pass everything on to you in a PM. He said in the conversations with Unicell that there have been a large number of inquiries about this very subject and trying to compete with Sprinter. They are trying to figure it out now. They can get the chassis which is a cutaway of the extended Express but the amount of orders and all that stuff. They are working on a solution and hopefully I can get the first one, or two. I will pm you whenever I get information on it.

MSinger · Jan 24, 2011

So are you guys saying you can no longer get a DRW159" with a 10,000# GVWR?? I noticed the new Penske cubes are marked 12,300 on the outside but I had never bothered to look at the sticker inside the door. Did anyone ever notice that on the pre-2007 Ford Penske cubes that they had them labeled as under 10,000 on the outside but the stickers actually showed 11,500? Ford didn't even offer a DRW cutaway at 10,000 until the 2007 model year.

greg334 · Jan 24, 2011

You can still get the 159 in an under 10k gvw, the 172 you can't. The DRW is an option and part of the HD package that kicks the gvw up. The 10,000 gvw chassis is not on the books but can be ordered if you get the right dealer. GM is discouraging dealers from special orders so they can simplify their production.

Unicell buys their chassis' from GM and I understand (not confirmed) they have a standard chassis for most of their orders - meaning other options like power windows and so on are options but the meat of the drive train is the same. Ford is the same way.

For some really odd reason they are the only body maker who claims they can refit your used chassis but refuses to actually entertain that idea or they tell me they won't. Supreme, Kidron, Morgan all seem not to care - unicell = PIA.

Is it the only game in town?

I don't know, I've been seeing some sprinter chassis' lately with a European body on the back, making it a better fit for this work in my opinion.

LDB · Jan 24, 2011

I like that CW body. Wonder what the empty weight is with the 12' body. That's looking really nice as a next vehicle.

MSinger · Jan 24, 2011

Greg, I have often wondered what the true difference was between the GM DRW 10,000 unit and the GM DRW 12,000 unit. I contend it's probably just a change in the door sticker and they you couldn't tell one from the other if they weren't marked. I could be wrong. Anyone know??

greg334 · Jan 25, 2011

From what I was told, it is the axle, spring rates and the sway bar. Outside of that, it is the same chassis (different part number) and same everything.

skyraider · Jan 25, 2011

I guess this unicell thing is ok, but I rarely see one on the road, maybe they are to new to have caught on yet,,its still a sprinter and cv world out here IMHO at the moment, yep I know,,things can change overnite. PS, Im an o/o, to buy one of these is a big investment, show me the freight, dont sell me the sizzle,,, I want to taste the steak, think about it..............

purgoose10 · Jan 25, 2011

More info on the Unicell's.

159" wb and 14' box and 10K could be close.

In the mean time check this out <maxxautocorp.com>
159" wb/14'box and 10K.

chefdennis · Jan 25, 2011

I talked to the Maxx group a month or so ago. They are a update of the CargoMaxx from a few yrs ago....nice trucks with a $48-50,000 price tag....

Jack_Berry · Jan 29, 2011

just to throw in to gregs comment.....the e250 and 350 do not come with rear sway bars std. i bought a bar from hellwig for the 250 and it was a good addition. no bar on the hcv yet. not as much axle hop either.