VAN DRIVERS: Off The Wall or Off My Rocker?

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
When your driving those long boring stretches I at least start thinking about life, the business and sometimes an idea sticks so thats why this writing.
Seeing that they are stretching everything these days, I said to myself why not stretch a van?
I am thinking extended van body inserting 2-3 feet not so much for more payload but the comfort factor.
One cut behind the side doors extending the driveshaft, the rewiring and if necessary an extra support beam added to the frame.
Would this be feasible? It would cost a few thousand dollars the comfort over the life of the van could be worth it. Yes...No?
Then there's the legal aspects of it, as long as the registered gross weight isn't increased.
And yes if you didn't install a bulkhead 3 skids would be possible.
 

teacel

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Probably could be done!!! But why not just buy a cut-a-way and add a longer unicel body on it. May cost about the same, but wouldn't affect the warranty. Why not get a cut-a-way, add a hot box behind the seats, then a unicel box for cargo?
 

Lawrence

Founder
Staff member
OVM,

It's been 3 or 4 years ago, but there used to be a
Ford E-350 S T R E T C H cargo van in the Detroit area.

I met up with the driver one day and asked him who did the
work and if they would do it again. It belonged to a Body shop
in the Metro area - I saw it for sale a year later in the MI truck trader.

So it can be done.

By the way - it looked fantastic. Every B unit driver's dream.

Lawrence,
Expediters Online.com


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OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Lawrence, Made of the dreams of us van guys!

Tony, I think Juju and I are leaning toward the e350 unicell anyways as they have an outlet a couple miles from us. I seen that one unicell with the barn doors someone had posted BUT I got to thinking If it's all fibreglass one good hit of the lift truck and game over. The bigger the hole shot the better! True?
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
*pickin my chin off the floor!* Gawd they are sweet!

It would seem I've accepted a trip into the bowels of hell yesterday.
Wappingers Falls NY south of Poughkeepsie on route 9 for tomorrow! Biggie storm coming! forcasting 18 in to 3 feet and freezing rain with high winds.
 

jujubeans

OVM Project Manager
Gawwwwwwd Tony..I LUV that red one..and the black one is really classy.
hey..if we got that we'd have a classy chassis!!


jujubeans:7 :7
 
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