Anyone who is in the market for a new Chevy Express van in Dubuque or the surrounding area should check out what Runde Chevrolet currently has available in their online inventory.  The Express cargo van has been around for years and its real world reliability is tried and true.  Many local businesses have utilized this van over the years for deliveries, hauling cargo, carrying tools, etc.

The van is available in either a 2500 or 3500 model and which one you opt for will be based on how you plan to use it and how much cargo you’re planning to transport in it. If you’re going to be towing something, the 2500 Express will do just as good as the 3500 van because they have identical towing capacities.  But when it comes to hauling cargo in the back of your van, the Express 3500 will provide a higher payload capacity than the Express 2500.  This is mainly because the 3500 features beefed up springs, a slightly stronger frame, an upgraded suspension, larger brakes, as well as the payload upgrade that was already mentioned.  

Standard Wheelbase vs. Extended Wheelbase
You also have the choice of a standard wheelbase or the extended wheelbase and whichever one you opt for will directly determine how much interior cargo room you’ll have in the van.  The extended wheelbase version is 20 inches longer than the standard size and although 20 inches doesn’t sound like much, when you translate that into additional cubic feet of cargo space, you’re looking at a substantial amount of additional room in the extended version.  And if you’re planning to use your Chevy Express van in Dubuque to make deliveries, you’re probably going to want as much cargo space as possible.

A second advantage of the longer wheelbase is a smoother ride.  Anytime you move the front and rear wheels of a vehicle further apart, you’re going to experience a better overall ride quality.  That’s one of the reasons why a Chevrolet Suburban is going to ride so much better than an electric Chevy Bolt.  The longer wheelbase combined with the better ride quality is also going to produce a better towing experience if you’re planning to tow a trailer behind your Chevy Express van in Dubuque or the surrounding area.

Three Engines to Choose From

The standard engine for the Express cargo van is the 4.3 liter V-6, but you’re going to find that dealers normally order these vans new from the manufacturer with the optional 6.6 liter V-8 gas engine.  And for a van of this size, you’re going to want the bigger engine … especially considering the hilly terrain in and around the Dubuque area.  For the record, there is also a 2.8 liter Duramax Turbo Diesel engine available, but the cost of the Duramax is roughly $2300 more than the gas V-8.

Chevrolet doesn’t document what the average fuel economy on the Express cargo van is mainly because your gas mileage will directly depend on what you’re using the van for, how much cargo you’re carrying, and if you’re planning on pulling a trailer behind it.  The variance in fuel mileage from one van owner to the next could be huge depending on what the van is being used for.  We can say for sure that the van comes with a 31 gallon fuel tank so you’ll definitely be able to drive a long distance in between gas station stops.

Utility is When You Have One Pair of Shoes; Luxury is When You Have Two

The Express is built for utility and although it has a lot of the modern day “necessities” on it (i.e. power door locks, power windows, a/c, cruise control, remote keyless entry, rear view backup camera), it doesn’t really have any luxury features to speak of.  And that makes sense because if it’s a utility van, you’re going to be using it to do work and there’s really no need for luxury features in a van like that.  Even the design of the van focusses on utility.  That’s the main reason for the “boxy exterior styling”; after all, a box shape is going to be capable of hauling the most cargo.  If you were to curve the exterior styling, you would undoubtedly lose some interior space.  Nonetheless, it’s still a very nice looking van and the layout of the front grill and headlights is definitely related to the styling you’ll see from other full-size Chevy trucks. 

There is more than ample room in the front seat area of the Express which means there’s going to be plenty of headroom and legroom for taller drivers and there’s also quite a bit of storage up front.   The large open space between the two seats allows for basically anything you want to put there.  And there’s also plenty of storage in the cubbies and bins of the front doors that are capable of holding everyday items like work gloves, water bottles, and other miscellaneous tools.

Plenty of Accessible Cargo Room

The access to the cargo area is optimal.  With the double doors on the back of the van, it helps to make loading and unloading the van a snap.  The rear doors open up almost the entire width of the van so climbing in and out of the van throughout the course of a workday is never a problem.  In addition, you also have the side doors for quick access to cargo.  The side cargo doors are located on the passenger side of the van and they open up in suicide fashion similar to the rear door setup.

Now despite the fact that the Express cargo is a large full-size van … I mean it’s very tall, wide, and boxy and you wouldn’t really expect it to offer a great overall ride.  But the Express will likely surprise you as it produces a ride experience that’s actually quite pleasant.  The van is easy to maneuver, it offers a smooth ride, it accelerates at a good rate and that makes merging with heavy traffic quite simple.  For anyone in the market for a full-size cargo van in Dubuque, the Express is a very qualified candidate.

Overall, the Express is a solid cargo transporter and it’s clear that Chevrolet has done a lot over the years to make it a solid choice for someone who might be looking to by a Chevy Express van in Dubuque.  Runde Chevrolet also offers customized commercial cutaway versions of the Express van.  A cutaway version is when the rear end of the van is professionally cut out by a company like Monroe Truck Equipment, and they install a customized rear utility body or box on the van.  Below are some examples of the cutaway commercial Express vans that Runde’s has sold over the years.  If you’re interested in ordering something like this, please give our Chevy Sales Staff a call at 866-735-5200.  They’d be glad to provide you more information about the Express cargo van or figure you up a price quote.