What to expect from the announcement: 4x4 van for sale

Getting a 4X4 van can be an overwhelming endeavor if you do not have the right information to help you make the right choice. 

The internet has gotten so smart over the years. It is now structured in a way that car ads start appearing on your screen from different websites immediately you browse a key word related to car sales in your search engine. The announcements of van sales are that rampant, and the 4x4 van is no different.

However, before you hop on a site or go ahead to click on one of those ads, you must know a couple of things to expect from the sale of a 4 X 4 van. These things will point you in the right direction and help you make the best decision at the end of the day.

So what should you look out for in a 4x4 van?

Chassis Option

This is where the purchase of a 4x4 van gets a tad bit technical. All vans are not built the same; they come in their varieties, and that variety is often reflected in sale announcements. When you want to get your van, there are a couple of things you should be on the lookout for and expect

As a reminder, there are 2 basic design differences in the chassis setup - the body-on-frame structure and the unibody structure.

As the name implies, body-on-frame vans are vans whose body frame is mounted on a chassis containing the powertrain. The body-on-fame, also known as the cab-on-frame, are the most durable and the heaviest design. They work well with the 4x4 vans, especially on bumpy or rough roads. For the body-on-frame design, you get coordination and articulation as the structure is built to accommodate the shock that comes with driving on rough roads. 

 

The other design is the unibody design. These vans are manufactured with the whole engine and the body frame as one piece. Uni-body vans are more rigid and less flexible to work with. They have their advantages too as their construction cuts significant mass out of the vehicle, allowing for better fuel economy.

 This is because unibody vans are built such that they do not rely on heavy steel rails like those of a body-on-frame vehicle. Unibody vans also offer better handling while driving and smooth ride comfort. Moreover, it is safer since the van's entire body can absorb the energy forces in a crash.

Suspension

It would be best if you also considered the suspension. In the 4x4 van design, there are two types - the independent front axle design (also called IFS) and a solid axle suspension design.

Just like the chassis design, the suspension impacts what you can use the van for. Vans with IFS suspensions are best suited for light off-road applications and situations where coordination isn't essential. 

Vans with IFS suspensions will perform well on the freeway, they may be a little more subject to the road's cross-sectional shape, but they handle the bumps reasonably well. Examples of IFS 4x4 vans include Transit, Timberline GM, Weldtec GM, NV Series, Factory Sprinter, Quigley/Advance. Some vans like Clydesdale offer both an IFS and a solid axle option too.

 

Solid axle vans are the chosen design for offroaders and purists who don't want to be scared about breaking anything. They are incredibly durable and are great for traction and coordination. If they are correctly set up and aligned properly, they can be friendly to drive on the freeway and will hold the road for days. There are 2 types of solid axle - the coil spring and leaf spring design. Examples of solid axle vans include CCV Econoline, Vancompass Transit, Timberline Ford Econoline, Advance Econoline, Boulder Offroad GM, U-Joint Econoline.

Thus, depending on what you intend to use your 4X4 van for ( heavy duty or light road activity), you should expect that the advertisement tells you the type of chassis option and suspension that comes with the 4x4 van. 

Engine type

Just like most automotive engines that come in either gas or diesel, the 4x4 vans are no exception. Now, most people prefer to go for diesel engines because it is proven and useful, but it isn't the right choice for everybody. They can be very expensive to work on when they break and are quite noisy. On the other hand, gas vans return significantly less fuel economy, and in many cases, towing capacity is often less. Although, the catch here is that gas vans don't pack as much power as diesel vans when you want to buy the 4x4 van .

Vehicle Condition

Another thing you should examine after a sales advert for a 4x4 van is the condition of the van. New vans can be quite expensive, and that is why most people often go for used ones. However, make sure you are absolutely sure of the condition of the van before you get one. 

When getting your van, you should expect nothing less than one in good condition. Check the odometer, the fuel tank, the tires, engines, ask about the mileage. Make sure you are critical in this process because there are a lot of scams out there that want to offload a bad van unto your neck. 

While the aforementioned may be the most important things to consider from the announcement of a typical ad of a 4x4 van, you certainly don’t want to overlook your budget size. In fact, the valuation price attached to a van sale may be the first thing to watch out for. 

Let’s quickly take a broad look at the market price of a 4x4 van.

Budget

By now, you know that when we speak of vans, we are talking big bucks, and it is significantly bigger for a 4x4 van. Unlike other vans that are mostly AWDs (all-wheel drives), 4x4 vans offer an even distribution of power to both rear and front wheels, and that requires more engineering work, and as a result, they are naturally more expensive. 

So before you go ahead to click that ad sale, you need to be prepared for the big bucks that these vans will take out of your pocket. Now the price depends on a lot of things, from the brand to the model and, of course, if it's brand new or not. 

Conclusion

So when you see an announcement for a 4x4 van for sale, don't just jump on the offer without critically examining these options. Take a look at the van's quality, its build, its suspension system... these parts in top-quality condition are the only things you should expect and demand from the seller; nothing less!