Hello all, my family is 6 people, and I'm looking for a vehicle that can tote us all around as well as doing some state park camping (tent+ room in the back for some camping gear). On paper, the Express 3500 looks like a great platform. Wanted to ask some questions and see if I could get some insights from the community.

1. If well-maintained, how many miles can these vans go for? For context, I have a 2001 Yukon with 200,000+ on it that I've owned for a decade and put around $1,200 a year into maintaining and would hope to get into something that can match/exceed this if well taken care of.

2. On paper this van has quite an incredible towing capacity. Wondering what it's like towing a trailer with one in practice? My trailer is about 5,000 lbs wet, so well below the stated max tow weight for this vehicle but I know that there are vehicles that CAN tow a lot but don't do it WELL (underpowered, feel unstable, do very poorly in wind, etc.). Is towing with this van a reasonable experience, or white knuckle?

3. Much has been said about the lack of safety with 15 passenger vans re: rollovers. Having kids, this is obviously a concern. In your opinion, can this vehicle be as safe as a standard SUV if the driver is properly trained? Any tips/things to watch out for?

Thank you so much in advance. Much appreciated.
-T

 

Later model vans have side airbags for the passenger compartment as well as shoulder belts in all seating positions.
Not sure when that started but my 2015 has them.

I have no problem towing a 25' Airstream with my 3500 extended / 6.0 liter. Very stable and more than enough power.

 

By 2015 they also have tire pressure monitoring, stability control, and for a long time GM vans have had laminated (windshield like) glass on the side windows in the back. For longevity, they don't have the cylinder deactivation lifters like trucks and SUV's. The iron block is a durable engine. Seems like many of the problems people on this forum have are wiring and electronic corrosion.

 

I have a 2013 Express 2500 cargo extended with the 4.8L. Roughly 175k, no real mechanical issues. Had the water pump go out about a year ago, was an easy fix. The TPMS sensors are always seeming to fail. Mine didn't have modern creature comforts like power windows, power locks, cruise control and a backup cam so I put all those things in.

I'd recommend the 6.0L for towing, the 4.8L leaves a bit to be desired in the power department, but it's more than adequate for my use case (hauling dirt bikes and camping gear around). I specifically wanted the 4.8L for better fuel economy over the 6L. I once towed my buddies pop-up camper (2-2500 lbs), didn't have any trouble at all.

It's a big, giant van, so I'm not whipping it through corners. I drive it slower than a passenger car or even a modern truck. I haven't come close to a rollover. It's still capable of 80+ on the highway too