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Old 03-18-2019, 04:10 PM   #1
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Express 1500. Worth Building or wait for 2500/3500??

Hello,

I'm in search of another van and really like the GMC/Chevy vans. I found a 2013 AWD GMC van in good shape for 57k miles on a 5.3LS I like, but it's a 1500. I plan to do a build with a fold out bed, interior bike racks, heater, some basic cabinets and room for our Dometic fridge. I don't want to have water or any other onboard systems. On the exterior, I plan to do a roof rack for skis and kayaks and aftermarket bumpers. If I tow anything, it'd be a utility trailer.

Should I be worried about it being a half ton chassis opposed to a 3/4 or 1 ton?

Thanks for the input. Coming from a VW, a lot of this is new to me.

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Old 03-18-2019, 05:26 PM   #2
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You would have to see how much payload you have left after adding stuff. Most people find that after adding what you have mentioned, they only have 200 pounds left for people and dogs and stuff. I don't really know what happens if you go over the limit (certainly won't explode) but a 2500/3500 will be worth it if you are close.
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Old 03-18-2019, 07:55 PM   #3
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Express 1500. Worth Building or wait for 2500/3500??

If you want a GM AWD van you’re pretty much stuck with a 1500, unless you get really lucky and find an older and very rare 2500 that someone ordered. I think all of the later model ones are 1500s. You could always upgrade the suspension for a higher weight rating.
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Old 03-18-2019, 08:10 PM   #4
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There is a huge thread on the Chevy AWD's on Expedition Portal in the van forum. Guys have build these things out heavily. It's a robust chassis and I wouldn't worry about building one out if you upgrade the suspension accordingly. The thread there is about 100 pages long. I tried to get all the way through it during the year or so I had one of these in my driveway and never finished. More info there than you'll ever need.

Rockbender (username, real name Josh) on here has a really nice homebuilt one. You can search the builds and see what he did. It's fully set up with a CCV top and a 50ish layout for a family of four.

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Old 03-18-2019, 08:11 PM   #5
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The curb weight is around 5300 and GVWR is 7200, meaning I'd have 1900lb to play with. I'll have to add it up. Thanks for the idea, didn't think of it that way. We tend to pack pretty light with just essentials.

I do like the AWD van though. Much simpler in terms of needing parts, conversion (or lack of thereof), so I'm tempted.
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Old 03-18-2019, 08:28 PM   #6
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I can assure you that millions of these are super extremely totally overloaded by virtually every contractor there ever was. I see them dragging *ss every day. If you need something to worry about then there you have it. Personally I would not worry.

Bring on the build and take lots of pics!

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Old 03-18-2019, 09:26 PM   #7
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86scotty thanks for the info and I kind of figured as much. I see them around town all the time with way too much stuff in them and for sale with over 200k on original drivetrains. If I end up getting it, I'll definitely start a build thread.
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Old 03-19-2019, 05:23 AM   #8
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Agree with all above. I will say weight seems to add up quickly.
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Old 03-19-2019, 09:41 AM   #9
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A common upgrade is to replace the rear leaf packs with Suburban 2500 ones. It’ll add some lift and practical weight carrying ability. As has been said, check out Rockbenders build. The 1500 AWD is a great platform.
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Old 03-19-2019, 12:30 PM   #10
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A common upgrade is to replace the rear leaf packs with Suburban 2500 ones. It’ll add some lift and practical weight carrying ability. As has been said, check out Rockbenders build. The 1500 AWD is a great platform.

Yep, and those leafs are super cheap new online.
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