Planning to buy Chevy Express AWD

[ClubWagon]

I'm a long time reader of the site but I just joined recently. I'm getting ready to sell our suburban (primarily my wife's vehicle) and get an AWD Express or Savanna. I'm wanting to stay under $15k. Everything I've seen so far that's within 150 miles of me has been 08 and older. So it looks like I'm going to be in the range of 03-08. So I have just a few questions....

First and most important is seating. I have to have a minimum of nine seats. I've only seen a few with factory 12 pass seating. Those were all 2003's. Everything else has been 8 pass. I'm more familiar with my E350 than the GM vans and I havn't been able to look at one in person yet. Hoping to do that this week. So at this point I'm thinking of three opts. First opt: pick up another GM bench seat and brackets to add a fourth row to have 12 seats. Second opt: move the second row bench to make the fourth row then get a couple of bucket seats to make up a second row then have 10 seats. Or the third opt: take one row of seats from my E350 to make the fourth row. This is the cheapest opt since I already have the seat. I would just need to get another set of brackets. I'm assuming the 3 person seat will fit but not sure about the 4 person seat. The other thing is the upper seat belt mount. Does anyone know if the mount would be there to provide a fourth row if it was an 8 pass from the factory?

Second is there any common issues or problem areas I should be looking for on the 5.3, the drivetrain or the van in general?

As for the last question what is the largest tire that can fit on it with the stock setup.

I'm a mechanic by trade so I'm not worried by any amount of work that needs to be done. In the end It's all just nuts, bolts and wires. All comments, questions and other ideas are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[jdharrin]

I have an 07 8 passenger and although it does the job for me, the 1600# payload makes itself known with only 8 (non-fatties) on-board. I plan to do the 3/4 ton suburban spring mod soon which should help. On your 4th row options, my money is on adding a GM seat from a 12 passenger, especially with the seatbelts, regularly see them on CL here for cheap. On tires, like many here I'm running LT265/70R17 with no mods or issues. If nobody chimes in on your seatbelt mount question, I'll go investigate on mine.

 

[86cj]

The GM vans use two big tall rails down the whole length of the van bolted through the floor multiple times and covered up with alot of heat shields from below. While the seat rails go all the way back I am not sure the driver side 1/2 ton rail has all the mounts for the seat to drop in. I think no 12 seat is due to GVW of 7300lbs and legal issues.......

2009 brought some minor changes to the Vans but 2009 also brought changes for everybody due to passenger head safety requirements, we got more airbags and lost the drivers side door on passenger van option, cargo only. The incomplete vehicle builders I think still could though (another reason to buy a conversion van). Keep a look out for the rare factory conversion van with both doors they are 03'-05'? I think....
The 12 and 15 passenger van now (probably since 09') has laminated glass on the rearmost side windows and air bags all the way back, the 1/2 ton has regular rear side glass because nobody rides back there.

I wonder if that laminated side glass has better insulation? It's got to be better for a Grizzly van invasion..........Humm..........

 

[simple]

I've heard the stabiltrack feature that some vans are equipped with can be a headache if a sensor goes out. Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

[ClubWagon]

Thanks for the reply. That's what I figured to with the payload being 1600#. But with me adding a fourth row it would just be seating 9. So with me and my wife our kids and a stroller we would barely be half of that. Switching to this from our suburban is just to have a little more space and still have Awd. The factory gm 4 seat bench is what I'd prefer to do. That would a great help if you could check your mounts if its not too much of a pain to do.

 

[ClubWagon]

Thanks that pic helps a lot. So that rail is raised above the carpet right? And the seats just latch into those notches? Like I said I'm more familiar with the ford vans. I've still yet to set eyes on an Awd near me. I tried going to look at one today but it was sold before I could get there. 2wds are almost just as hard to find. It would be awesome to find one with barn doors on both sides!

 

[ClubWagon]

I just had a thought... Does anyone know if the 4 seat bench mounts are the same as the 3 seat bench? Because if they are I wonder if I could just swap the 4 seater for the 3 seater. That would give my 9 seats I need right off the bat and more time to figure out how to add a fourth row. But then again that almost sounds way too logical work. LOL!!

 

[mikracer]

I know with the ford vans, the 4 person bench has the brackets at wider points than the 3 person bench. All you have to do on a Ford is drill new holes to bring the brackets in and you're set. I imagine worst case would be that you would need to get some square tubing welded in to the seat frame, then mount the brackets to it.

 

[njtacoma]

From my searching for long and short 3500 passenger vans I thought both the 12 and 15 passenger rear bench was wider and had wider mounts. The newer rear bench splits as well so you can have only have half of it in at a time, but these have 4 rails on the floor to accommodate the split. Follow this LINK to see what I am talking about, or search ebay for express bench seat.

I keep waffling between 3500 135" wb and 155" wb, but thinking 2wd and a locker to accommodate fire roads, etc.

 

[ClubWagon]

I knew the fords were different widths. I have a 4 seat ford bench setting in my garage. It's only been in my E350 twice in 7 seven years. So usually it's just used as a "garage couch". It's just a pain in the butt to move in and out and I'm constantly hauling something around so the seats in it come in and out often. That was one reason why I wondered about taking the brackets out of the ford and bolting them into the Chevy to make the fourth row. The express is just going to be used as a kid hauler/grocery getter anyway. So the seats won't be coming out often if at all. My main thing with this whole thing is still with seat belt mounts...

 

[ClubWagon]

I see what your saying on those seats. It showed those as 2008-2013. So did they change the mounting system in 2008? I just looked too and found what the seller called an 05 four person seat and it just had the two brackets. But I couldn't tell if it was wider or not. So I guess it would just depend on what year I get to what factory seat would "drop in".

 

[njtacoma]

My research is that "something" changed at the 2008 mark, but I don't think it would matter if you installed the matching floor brackets.
Doesn't really help with installing the ford bench in the van, however.

If the ford seat physically fit, it would seem easy enough to get the right brackets and bolt them to the floor of the express. Change out seatbelt ends for the outside seats so the chevy mounted 3 points worked and you would be good to go. That would get you to 9 seats, with the regular rear cargo area of the express van. I think it is 53ish inches from seat to back door.

 

[ClubWagon]

I found this when searching today. It says it's an 04 express 1500 awd 12 passenger. Unfortunately it is no where remotely close to me so I can't go and investigate it. So now I wonder if it's factory what years was this a possibility or if someone just did what I want to do...

http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/626351489/overview/?emc=emailShare

Thanks again to everyone who has commented!

 

[mikracer]

Looks factory to me. Otherwise they went through the hassle of finding the seatbelts and pillar trim pieces to make it look factory.

Also, that seems like a pretty good price for an AWD van.

 

[jdharrin]

so no 4th row shoulder belt brackets in my 07 8 pass. but a provision for the bolt on bracket is there, should be straightforward enough to add. RE: the floor mounts, the rails in mine are under the carpet and do go all the way to the back but they change from fully boxed to c-channel open facing up behind the 3rd row bench. The factory benches mount via holes just big enough for the seat feet. I think you could make something work with 4 grade 8 bolts and spacers in for the 4th row that would be as secure as factory but just not as finished looking. I took some crappy cell pics of 3rd row shoulder belt mount and what looks like provision for 4th row...