Difference in height between a 2500 and a 3500?
 

Do the 2500 passenger vans sit lower than the 3500 models? I just got my first Express van (an '09 3500) and it sits REALLY high. In fact, once I brought it home, I realized I can't park it in my garage. I've heard 1-ton passenger vans tend to be top heavy and have a tendency to roll in accidents, so I'm wondering if a 2500 would have sat any lower (I know the 2500's have smaller wheels/tires, but does it have a differently-configured chassis?)
I originally considered a few 2500s because I'm only hauling kids and don't need the weight rating of the 3500, but then I learned that adding the back row to a 2500 was going to be more work than I thought. However, now I'm wondering if they would have sat lower to the ground, or felt different to drive, especially on my windy mountain roads.
My current idea is to put smaller wheels/tires on my 3500 to drop it an inch or two; is that a crazy idea? I was hoping I could find a take-off set of wheels from a Silverado, but perhaps those are a different offset.

have much clearance do you need. Have you considered pricing out a bigger garage door?

Only shy by an inch or so. And it's the header that would need to be replaced... not just the door.
I was just noticing a small U-haul box truck today with an Express van front; it looked like it sat so much lower than mine. It was probably a 1500 (I don't think the 1500's came in a passenger style... right?). Anyhow, I just wanted to confirm if the 3500's sit higher because I may go back to looking at converting a 2500 with extra seats, if it is in fact lower.

My 02 2500 has the heavy 2500 chassis. (8600gvw) so it has the 8 bolt lugs and 10 ply tires. Its it roughly 6 foot 10. Too high, but gm and ford don't care.....the newer current vans have been too high since they came out.....and for what?
Maybe a light 2500 chassis with the 6 lugs will be lower, but I bet not by much.
How about investing in an air suspension? Have no idea of the cost though.

Head over to the dealer with your tape measure.


In one sentence you say you "heard" that 3500 vans are top heavy and tend to roll over in accidents... But in the next sentence you are asking if its ok to get smaller wheels and tires? Really? What do you think?

Van height
 

My 2011 Express 2500 is 81" tall with stock wheels/tires.

Thanks for all the comments and measurements. I'll have to go measure mine and see what the height is.
Regarding the 2500, I wasn't aware that it came in both a heavy duty and light duty configuration. Maybe I should keep my eyes open for a 2500 with the six-lug wheels to test drive; it would be interesting to compare the feel behind the wheel, even if it's still the same height as mine.
As far as the tire/wheel combination goes, I don't claim to be an expert, but I thought a different rim (probably wider) with lower profile truck tires WOULD give me a wider, slightly lower stance to help with stability. I didn't realize that sounded like such a stupid idea, but maybe I am wrong.

Check out the tires size calculator at 1010 tire.com You will the difference a little circumference makes on rpm, speed readings, and so on.

Theoretically yes.. a wider tire could be more stable. But my point was... you are messing with the geometry and design of a 3500/ 1 ton truck. Why take any chances and mess with that? You say you will be hauling kids... leave the wheels and tires alone. Its not a sports car. Use a good load range E tire, keep them properly inflated and your van will be plenty stable.


You also need to consider how your van will ride loaded or with passengers. If you are thinking of adding another row to a 2500... how does that change your payload. Perhaps the 3500 is what you need and you have to park it outside or modify your garage.


First step in considering any commercial vehicle is to total up your POTENTIAL payload. Then see what model meets your requirements.. allowing for extra. You don't want to be at the max payload all the time. This will tell you if a 2500 or a 3500 will suit your needs. No guessing, no modifying or seeing which one rides smoother.


Maybe you should consider a 2wd Suburban? They have 1500 and 2500.

I'm much less concerned with parking it in the garage than I am with all the stories I keep hearing in the news about 1-ton vans rolling over on the freeway and killing all the passengers when the roof sheers off. Seems to happen a lot here in California. I really had been eying a Nissan NV for this reason (and the high-back reconfigurable seats) but the resale price on those are still way outside my budget. I also looked at some Ford F150 passenger vans but ultimately decided on the more modern Express.
I really appreciate the feedback/advice about the tires; my experience is with 4x4 trucks so I didn't realize changing the wheel/tire combination on a 1-ton commercial vehicle would affect other things so much. (Heck, half the used Express vans I looked at had custom, non-spec tire/wheel packages so it seemed pretty common to me to switch things up.)
For the record, my van is also sitting around 81 or 82 inches in height.