Panel & Walk-in Vans
Traditional vehicles have the numbers, but bigger trucks have their advantages.
Tom Berg
Equipment Editor
In the world of pickup and delivery trucks, cargo vans are almost as old as the automotive industry. That's because there has always been freight that needed the protection of enclosed bodies. And then as now, vans carry tools and supplies for tradesman and utility workers. The pickup-based "panel truck" has given way to the stubby but roomy panel van. And the once ubiquitous milk truck - bulged out to carry bakery and other products - became today's walk-in van.
Vans are the first commercial vehicle to use high-tech hybrid powertrains. Hybrid diesel-electric package vans will soon be working for FedEx, United Parcel Service and other big fleets that want to cut fuel use and lower emissions. The stop-and-start nature of urban routes make vans a natural for hybrid powertrains, which use regenerative braking to capture the moving vehicle's kinetic energy and reuse it for starting out "launching," as engineers call it. This greatly reduces brake wear as well as fuel use and exhaust fumes. They'll cost more to buy but will eventually pay for themselves. Diesel-hydraulic powertrains are also in the works, but neither type of hybrid is available for ordering today.
Conventional powertrains are still the order of the day, but even they are better at saving money. Gasoline engines offer improved life and low up-front costs, while light-and medium-duty diesels typically employed in today's vans claim superior fuel economy and longevity, quietness and virtually smokeless operation. In January, all diesels used by van makers will have exhaust-gas recirculation; this will add some cost but not the consternation felt by owners of heavy trucks who, until recently, have been staying away from new trucks and their EGR'd diesels introduced in October '02.
If you run panel vans, you now have only two U.S. manufacturers from which to choose - Ford and General Motors. Chrysler Group's Dodge Division dropped its Ram Van late last summer. In its place is DaimlerChrysler's Sprinter, a larger European van. It has a five-cylinder diesel less than half the size and claiming more than twice the fuel economy of traditional American V8s used in the Ram and its competitors. The German-made Sprinter, sold with Dodge or Freightliner badges, is slowly catching on, with DC expecting to sell between 8,600 and 10,000 this year and double that in '04.
DC introduced the first Sprinter version for Europe in 1985, and the current model came out in '97. It is manufactured in Germany and sent in kits to the U.S. for assembly. DC considered building a complete plant in Georgia, which would have used more North American content, but has nixed that notion in favor of continuing the present kit-assembly operation at a Freightliner factory in South Carolina.
Ford and GM say they have no plans to respond to the Sprinter by adapting their Eurovans for use here. That's primarily because demand for American-style vans remains large, with annual sales now clipping along at 325,000 and reaching as high as 410,000 in '99 and '00. The ratio of cargo vans to passenger "wagons" is about four to one. Dodge will continue to compete in this market until early next year because it still has thousands of Ram Vans in the pipeline after wrapping up production.
Domestic cargo vans are still highly popular because they are totally familiar products with high utility, car-like performance and reasonable prices (incentives may still be available from domestic builders). Their large V8 gasoline and diesel engines are pleasing to drive and have the power and torque to haul heavy loads better than Eurovans, Ford and GM believe. But if the Sprinter creates a strong trend, Ford and GM will doubtless adapt with similar products.
Panel vans were flat-front compact trucks when Ford, GM and Chrysler brought them out about 1960. In the '70s they grew short noses and became full-size light trucks. They have grown in carrying capacity, and many models are decidedly medium-duty vehicles. For the '03 model year, Ford bulked up the E series into Class 5 with the E550 cab-and-chassis, which it called a short conventional, but it's been dropped. Class 3 and 4 cab-chassis models represent a growing segment because they can be fitted with a variety of body styles. Cabless stripped chassis are used for motor homes, buses and walk-in vans.
Panel vans, cab-chassis and lighter-duty low-cab-forward trucks compete for sales to operators of pickup and delivery trucks, so there's some blurring of what constitutes the market for walk-in vans (also called step vans - GM's old trademarked name). Compared to panel vans, the market for walk-ins is small. About 10,000 are sold annually, depending on how many are ordered by the big parcel delivery outfits in a given year.
Walk-in vans offer high "cube" for extra freight and lots of working room, and their aluminum bodies often last 20 years. Considerable research has gone into identifying sources of noise and vibration, and body makers now offer improved sound-deadening packages. In addition, the latest engines are quieter. Walk-ins are highly maneuverable and have good visibility to the front and sides. They're easy to get in and out of, and drivers can move directly from the cab into the cargo compartment. It all adds up to less strain and greater productivity for drivers who, as sales and crafts people, have other things to worry about.
Buyers of walk-in vans can choose from three chassis manufacturers - Freightliner Custom Chassis, International Truck and Workhorse Custom Chassis; two builders of complete vehicles - DC Sprinter and Workhorse; and three body makers - Union City Body, Utilimaster and MS Truck Body (the MS is for Morgan Corp., which recently acquired Grumman Olson's body design and plant in Sturgis, Mich.).
Workhorse, which makes what used to be GM's P chassis as well as a heavier model, recently introduced a QuickSpex program for eight vocational applications that it says make up about 80% of fleet sales. It combines various models of its chassis with aluminum bodies from its sister company, Union City Body. Bodies are outfitted to haul various commodities, tools and supplies. The applications are contractor, bakery, laundry, multi-stop, newspaper, package delivery, snack food and utility.
Vocational equipment is also offered by makers of panel vans. Ford, GM and DC work with upfitters to outfit their vans with shelves and cabinets inside and roof-mounted ladder racks, some of which swing down for ease of loading and unloading. Dealers who go after fleet and commercial sales also arrange installation of such equipment with local suppliers. The truck market is only just reviving from the recent recession, and everyone wants your business.
Ford Motor Co.
Econoline full-size vans are the E-150, E-250 Super Duty and E-350 Super Duty, with GVWs from 7,000 to 9,400 pounds. Standard cargo volume is 256.5 cubic feet, and an extended version has up to 309.4 cubic feet. Interior options include EconoCargo polyethelene foam insulation and a Racks and Bins system for shelves, drawers and cabinets. Separate bodies can be mounted on cutaway chassis (with open cab rear) and chassis-cab (enclosed cab rear) in E-350 Super Duty and E-450 Super Duty with GVWs of 9,600 to 14,050 pounds. All models can be had with three wheelbases. The 4.2-liter gasoline V6 has been dropped from the E-150 for '04. Various models are powered by gasoline 4.6- and 5.4-liter V8s and a 6.8-liter V10, all with four-speed automatic transmissions. New for '04 is the 6-liter International-built Power Stroke diesel V8 with a TorqShift five-speed automatic.
General Motors Corp
Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana full-size vans are available in 1500, 2500 and 3500 series with Vortec gasoline V6 and V8 engines, Hydra-matic transmissions, two wheelbases and GVWs from 7,200 to 9,600 pounds. Cargo volume for standard and extended-wheelbase versions is 225.1 and 261.6 cubic feet. All-wheel drive is optional on the 1500, and a StabiliTrak electronic anti-rollover logic now works with ABS in extended 3500 models. Swing-type 60-40 doors are standard on the curbside and optional on the driver's side. Exclusive optional Pro Package includes exterior pull-up panels that allow access to interior tool shelves and storage bins on the left side (though without the swing doors). Cab-chassis models of the heavier series are also available, and there's a cargo version of the Astro mid-size van with the 4.3-liter V6 in RWD or AWD.
International Truck & Engine
International's Class 5 through 7 model 1652 SC (stripped chassis) offers six wheelbases and seven axles with GVWs of 21,500 to 28,000 pounds. It uses International's own 6-liter VT-365 V8 diesel and 5-speed Spicer manual or Allison automatic transmissions. It can be custom built or buyers can choose a Diamond Spec version with twice the standard warranty coverage and roadside breakdown service for the vehicle's life.
DaimlerChrysler Sprinter
As a Eurovan-style cargo van, a five-door Freightliner or a Dodge Sprinter, it comes in 2500 and 3500 series with two roof heights and three wheelbases, and in GVWs of 8,550 and 9,990 pounds (the latter with dual rear wheels). New for '04 is a cab-chassis version in the same GVWs that will take specialty bodies. An Electronic Stability Program on 2500 models, aluminum 16-inch wheels and new seat fabric are also new. There are also bus versions, and an RV model is on the way. All are powered by a Mercedes-Benz 2.7-liter diesel, which is now certified in California. With a five-speed automatic transmission, the engine makes the Sprinter surprisingly quick and highly economical on fuel.
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp.
Class 3 through 7 chassis-only models come in three series: MT35, with GVW of 10,000 pounds; MT45 SR (straight-rail), with GVWs of 14,000 to 19,000 pounds; and MT55 (also with straight frame rails but no "SR" in the designation), rated at 20,500 to 30,000 pounds in various wheelbases. FCCC offers Mercedes-Benz MBE904 (plus the larger 924 in January) and Cummins ISB-4 and ISB-6 diesels; 95% are sold with Allison automatics, and FCCC might offer the M-B Automatic Gear Shift, a six-speed automated mechanical transmission newly available in other Freightliner-family vehicles.
Workhorse Custom Chassis
Workhorse offers the P series, with five wheelbases and GVW ratings from 8,600 to 16,000 pounds, and the W series, with three wheelbases and a GVW of 19,500 pounds. It offers GM's Vortec 4800, 6000 and 8100 gasoline V8s, and is just phasing out the 5700 V8 (the last use of the venerable 350-cid GM "small-block" V8). Gasoline engines are popular with many users, especially those who use their vans as workshops with low annual miles. It also offers a 6.5-liter V8 diesel from AM General (the same ex-GM diesel used in the Hummer) and the Cummins ISB-4. Transmissions are Hydra-matic and Allison automatics and a New Venture manual.
