Large Van Passenger Restrictions

[badger bob]

Sprinter vans a great vehicles, but their initial cost with their Mercedes Diesel is about double what CAP pays for their 15 passengers. CAP does not drive enough miles per year to jsutify the initial cost and maintainance costs.

Great vehicle if you drive 50,000 miles per year for a 6 year life-cycle but not so good if you drive 6,000 miles per year on a 20 year life cycle.

[afgeo4]

Sprinter vans a great vehicles, but their initial cost with their Mercedes Diesel is about double what CAP pays for their 15 passengers. CAP does not drive enough miles per year to jsutify the initial cost and maintainance costs.

Great vehicle if you drive 50,000 miles per year for a 6 year life-cycle but not so good if you drive 6,000 miles per year on a 20 year life cycle.

Is that also the case with the V-6 gasoline engine?

[mynetdude]

those sprinter vans don't look big enough to hold more than 8-9 including driver. They are tall though, wouldn't that increase the CG?

[badger bob]

I believe their normal passenger configuaration is 10 pass.

Again, their cost is significantly more than Ford or GM vans so they are not going to be purchased by CAP

[davedove]

Not to my knowledge and my unit has a 15-pax van. The only times we don't carry a full load is:
1. there isn't a full load.
or
2. there is too much gear for a full load.

While there could be state laws affecting the situation, these are probably the most common, especially the part about too much gear.

For instance, our squadron has a seven passenger van.  Seven people with 24 hour gear is a tight fit.  There is no way we could also fit in the 72 hour gear with seven people.

[floridacyclist]

We have a 15-pax, but we removed the rear seat to improve cargo capacity and weight distribution

[gistek]

...We're looking for a 4-seat high-wing airplane fuselage with a straight back (no rear windshield) to make a utility trailer / rolling billboard out of. ...

The last time I was at the Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, PA they had several fuselages in their "graveyard." I know the township wanted them to get rid of the stuff in the graveyard, so I don't know if they still have them. Maybe there's a similar museum in your general area.