Van based chassis cab?

For the second time in the last six months I've seen a pretty epic work truck bassed on a single van cab. These aren't cut up vans, but factory cabs with proper rounded corners, I checked. I've seen a few of the cabs on U-Haul trucks of various vintages but I can't seem to figure out how to search for them. I'm pretty sure I need one for a build in my head. Help me out?

Fleet sales, or commercial sales.

Chevy: http://www.gmfleet.com/chevrolet/express-cutaway-van.html

Ford: http://www.fleet.ford.com/fleet-showroom/?brand=Ford&md=TransitChassis&yr=2016&sg=commercial-trucks

http://www.truckpaper.com/list/list.aspx?ETID=1&catid=293&bcatid=27

Or buy an old box truck and just rip the box off.

This is called a cutaway, if you're looking on Craigslist.

it's a shame it doesn't match the bed...

MadScientistMatt wrote: This is called a cutaway, if you're looking on Craigslist.

Brilliant! This is what I was looking for. I know I could find an old box van and de-box it, but I wanted to expand the search. The first one I saw was like the one above with the pickup box but an older E series with the square F truck box on it. It looked cool, but slightly hacked. I think I could have fun with one.

Klayfish wrote: Or buy an old box truck and just rip the box off.

X2. Where I live you can get better deals on used box vans than the real things because in our booming construction economy, good trucks and vans are at a premium.

mad_machine wrote: it's a shame it doesn't match the bed...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/oPwrodxghrw

So close yet so far.

mad_machine wrote: it's a shame it doesn't match the bed...

Looks like something a set of body-lift spacers could fix, although I rather have the lower loading deck and who gives a berk how it looks.

I keep pondering something like this since nobody makes an RV that does what I want.

I keep pondering something like this since nobody makes an RV that does what I want.

At first i thought you meant 'function as a pickup truck'.

Because of this thread I searched my own CL and found this:

Bears Bus

Must be a sign the bears have lost all hope?

There was one camping out at turn 6 at the runoffs, it looked real clean with a matching bed cover. He had a big sticker on it that said, it's not a van its not a truck, it's a VUCK! Or something like that.

mad_machine wrote: it's a shame it doesn't match the bed...

That's a Dodge (or, ugh, RAM) bed. I wonder how a Ford bed would look.

Mike wrote:

mad_machine wrote: it's a shame it doesn't match the bed...

That's a Dodge (or, ugh, RAM) bed. I wonder how a Ford bed would look.

What is the benefit of this vs. a truck? Better turning radius? Overall shorter?

For me, I'm looking at getting a really useful (8 foot plus) bed on a short wheelbase. Although that's just a justification, in reality I just want to put together something that I think is cool. I'm personally thinking 4wd (not hard core, just back road stuff) and an aluminum utility bed like you see on a lot of Aussie trucks. Slide in a truck camper when needed and have a super compact back country camper, leave it empty and do truck stuff. Smile all the time because it looks cool.

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine:

Yes, pretty much. Shorter wheelbase and thus shorter overall length and tighter turning radius.

The part that would bug me is the limited front seat leg room, which is why I'm drawn towards "Super-C" RV's that are based on a pick-up chassis rather than a cutaway van chassis. But they do add a fair bit to overall length.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

Mike wrote:

mad_machine wrote: it's a shame it doesn't match the bed...

That's a Dodge (or, ugh, RAM) bed. I wonder how a Ford bed would look.

What is the benefit of this vs. a truck? Better turning radius? Overall shorter?

There's a guy in my neighborhood that's been trying to sell one of these with the same bed for the last year. It's the last year model with a 7.3 PS diesel, had 55k miles or something, and it could be yours for $6500 according to CL. Other than the massive roofing company decals, it's not a bad looking tru...va....thing. Not sure if he ever sold it, but it's not on CL right now. I'll have to check next time I drive by.

I've seen Sprinter cutaways..maybe look down that avenue??

There was something similar to this parked near where I used to work. Same (very similar) low sided dually bed, I don't think it was a 4 door though, but it did have a sleeper on the back, I've always heard them called "hotshot sleepers." It was that ugly root beer brown and white two tone, with a 5th wheel hitch in the bed.

In reply to bigdaddylee82:

I think Centurion was making these for a while. They're the same folks who were making four-door Broncos.

And thus continues the battle in my head between the frustration of driving an extended cab F250 4x4 in the city and the PITA of working on a van...

There are no perfect answers, but the van-with-a-bed things look dang cool.

Found this one just this morning...

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/ctd/5204825801.html

Ransom wrote: ......but the van-with-a-bed things look dang cool.

And ultimately, this carries a lot of weight.

Ransom wrote: There are no perfect answers, but the van-with-a-bed things look dang cool.

To each his own, I guess. To me they look like the "after" picture from a crash test of a regular pickup.

I like the shorter overall length of the "vucks" I wish the Big three would actually produce them instead of the penis extenders they now call trucks.