May purchase a passenger van which means windows. Where would I go to get a gaurd to cover inside of window?
windows on van
- Thread starter Everything Apax
- Start date
Hauling freight. And I appreciate input.
guido4475
Not a Member
I am sure I am asking this question not only for myself, but for others as well wondering the same thing: Why a window van? Even with tinted windows, it just doesn't sit too well with some companies, and shippers as well. Why not a standard one ton cargo van?
I don't care what kind of guard you put on the windows, if you can see through them to see what, if anything, is on board then you are asking for more trouble than you need.
I had a Ford E-150 back when I was running local, it had windows in the rear doors. I blocked them with paneling, braced that with angle stock from the hardware store.
I had a Ford E-150 back when I was running local, it had windows in the rear doors. I blocked them with paneling, braced that with angle stock from the hardware store.
Monty
Expert Expediter
Window vans are easy to buy, Ford has all those "program" vehicles, from car rentals, etc.
Price is good!
I had one myself with Roberts, My solution was to paint the windows black, on the indside. (It looked good from the outside).
Then I cut plywood and covered the glass to protect it from the cargo inside the van ...
Price is good!
I had one myself with Roberts, My solution was to paint the windows black, on the indside. (It looked good from the outside).
Then I cut plywood and covered the glass to protect it from the cargo inside the van ...
All I run are window vans. One thing in Pa.is window vans are considered station wagons so 1 ton window vans get standard passenger car plates for $36 a year. 1 ton cargo vans are considered trucks and get truck plates for $198 a year. Also with no markings I completely blend in as an average motorist.
rainbowwar24
Active Expediter
I think window vans are the way to go. They are cheaper to buy than a cargo van. I'm talking used. Exact same heavy duty as a cargo van. People are freight! They are already insulated. Wall to wall carpet. Most have rear air and heat. lights all around inside and 12 volt outlets. Take the seats out, put in plywood down the center and you're done. No need for E Track. You can hook your straps to where the seats were clipped in. Tint or paint the windows black, maybe put some plywood up the sides for added protection against theft. You would never have to pull into a scale! My friend uses them for expediting. When he does get pulled over, they never even give his van a second look. They think it's a passenger van. But heck, Most all cargo vans I see at truckstops have 4 windows anyways. 2 on the side, and 2 in the rear. In my personal opinion, it's a win win situation! Go for it!!!
Best ask your carrier(s) first, IMHO...
guido4475
Not a Member
I have to disagree with the two of you on that...or at least ask why you consider it unprofessional?
It seems to me that if you take the steps to black out the windows, possibly insulate them also which would be cheap and easy to do, you could have just as good of a setup as if you started with a cargo van. Why is it unprofessional to use a window van, if it is modified correctly?
I understand if you have shag carpet on the walls, lava lamps and disco balls, but if it's setup to haul freight when the doors open, seems like just as good as anything else to me?
zorry
Veteran Expediter
Having two E350 window vans in the family I was wondering the same thing.
One primarily hauls people/personal stuff,the other is used as a business vehicle for home improvement type stuff.
I was going to ask the same question as Rocketman.
The lumberyard people never laugh at the windowvan when I buy hundreds of dollars of their stuff.
One primarily hauls people/personal stuff,the other is used as a business vehicle for home improvement type stuff.
I was going to ask the same question as Rocketman.
The lumberyard people never laugh at the windowvan when I buy hundreds of dollars of their stuff.
A professional uses the right tools for the job. Anything else is a kludge. It may get the job done, but it's not exactly the most professional (or elegant) way to do it.
Blacking out or otherwise covering the windows is certainly better than leaving them open, but it's tacky and unprofessional. This is, of course, purely my opinion. But, it's not at all unlike loading the dash with papers, maps, pens, pencils, books, magazines and all manner of assorted crap. It looks tacky, unrefined, unorganized, unprofessional.
Many cargo vans have rear windows. But they aren't really cargo vans. They're work vans that are used by plumbers, electricians, mechanics, or in the case of my first van, a fire extinguisher technician who repaired and renewed fire extinguishers. I blacked out the rear windows with glued-on Reflectix bubble pack. It worked well enough, but I had no illusions of just how professional it looked.
Again, this is purely my opinion, and it's worth exactly what you paid for it. But I cannot believe that I'm the only one who shares that opinion, so it goes back to my original statement that it comes down to under which level of professionalism you wish to project and conduct yourself. If you are comfortable projecting "professional enough", then that's what you should do.
You know those vans you see every now and then with the big, honkin' gaudy looking padlock on the rear doors? Unprofessional. Tacky. Inelegant. Use the right tool for the job, and the right tool for that job isn't a cargo van with a tacky looking aftermarket lock, it's a box truck with a proper locking system or a professionally modified cargo van with the proper body and doors.
But that's just me. But there's no getting around the fact that your level of professionalism is reflected in everything you do and in how you present yourself and your tools.
zorry
Veteran Expediter
If I had a professional looking driver pull in with a clean vehicle,windows covered nicely and good securement equipment I would think "Here's a bright guy. Either using a vehicle he already owned or he got a deal on a window van."
Key words are clean and professional.
The windows would not bother me in the least.
As a matter of fact it would add an undercover/will blend in sort of secure feeling.
Key words are clean and professional.
The windows would not bother me in the least.
As a matter of fact it would add an undercover/will blend in sort of secure feeling.
What I like about window vans is they're fully loaded and usually way less money than an extended cargo van that doesn't usually even have cruise.