Driving an extended van

dkrahl · 06-26-2009, 04:30 PM

This is definitely off-topic, but I figure that others who own and drive Sportsmobiles would have some answers.

I am driving a group of kids in a 15 passenger van (extended) from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles. It will probably be a Ford. Our Sportsmobile is the standard-length Chevy ('97). I'm pretty comfortable with our van and how it handles and stops. I have never driven an extended van. Will a newer Ford van handle significantly differently than ours? I do plan on double-checking the tire pressure and loading as much as I can between the axles. Are there any other precautions that I should take. I would not be so worried except that there are kids involved and want to be as safe as possible. Any input would be appreciated.

Dave

jage · 06-26-2009, 04:38 PM

Don't swerve and if you have to, don't swerve back. There is a great video about wheelbase, sway and extended vans, if nothing else it will give you a great idea of what NOT to do.

"Make Passenger and Cargo Vans Safer" on this page: http://www.activesuspension.com/videos.html

Also remember if you blow a tire accelerate (regains you control of the vehicle) and then ease to a stop. There is a good instructional video about this as well.

"Michelin Tire Blowout Video"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkwOE1yKY5c

neeemo · 06-26-2009, 05:05 PM

No biggie. Just don't drive too fast.

Tom

surfgeek33 · 06-27-2009, 09:39 AM

Dave,

The new vans, from 08 and up, have the break upgrade. Braking should be better. We have an EB SMB and before our delivery date, we rented a 15 packer from enterprise and drove it from Southern California to the Bay Area with 7 adults and 3 Kids. Driving it was great, however the TPMS kept lighting up, didn't give us any trouble though. Good Luck!

Ray

danamrak · 06-28-2009, 03:06 PM

We have a Ford extended van and really haven't noticed any difference in the driving.
Have fun on the trip.

dkrahl · 06-29-2009, 05:57 PM

Thanks for the comments guys.

Dave

**daveb** · 06-29-2009, 09:57 PM

My #1 suggestion is to always look for an escape route in a situation. Find a way out w/o having to put much thought into it. Drive like somebody on a bike... well a sane person on a bike. On my HD I always look out for the other guy. Yeah it sounds stupid, but many drivers are idiots. When I'm driving a class A vehicle, I don't have the luxury to expect quick results to mishaps due to the weight of the vehicle. The same is true if driving an ambulance or a heavy van. The amount of space between you and somebody else is critical so long distance is your friend.