The RT HAVEN to be unveiled at Tampa RV Show

[angelmroman]

Just received an email from RT. They’re unveiling their newest Model...The HAVEN, built on the Transit Chassis. IMO, this is the end of the Chevy Models .
I’ll be there

[rowiebowie]

You're probably right. But it will be sad. I love my Chevy Express-based 3500 motor home. Stable ride, handles well, 6.0L engine is a beast, and 15+ MPG in over 10,000 miles (and I drive at speed limits). Plus, at 9 ft. height and 20.5 ft. length, I can park it anywhere.

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[peteco]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

You're probably right. But it will be sad. I love my Chevy Express-based 3500 motor home. Stable ride, handles well, 6.0L engine is a beast, and 15+ MPG in over 10,000 miles (and I drive at speed limits). Plus, at 9 ft. height and 20.5 ft. length, I can park it anywhere.

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Agree, I hate to see the Chevy Roadtrek probably go away. I am not sure who to blame, both Roadtrek and GM I suppose. At least the Express/Savana vans are still in production, which will help with parts supply in the future. There is a reason GM still makes them, they sell a lot, so many people still prefer them over the alternatives.

[Doneworking]

I suspect that we won't have to worry about parts for those Chevy vans for a very long time. I wonder how many jillion of them are around. They were the go to work van for plumbers, carpenters, electricians, etc. for a long time.

And that 6.0L will give a lot of years of service. I suspect by the time it is a problem I will be dead so that is one thing I am not going to worry about

[warpig]

Are there any details or pics out there yet?

[booster]

What I hear by far the most about the Chevies, from people shopping for a B, on the downside, is the low, head bonker, entrance height. Probably twice as often as the more as the more commonly recited "obsolete body on frame design".


If Roadtrek gets rid of the Chevies, they gain big time in the factory, though, as they will be able to reduce the fabrication area of the shop floor dedicated to cutting off roofs and doing accessory openings, by a very large amount.


The biggest loss for us in not having the Chevies available would be the end of any availability of an aisle shower with toilet facing in, which is an incredible space saver in a small van.


We are counting on our Chevy to hold up as long as we do, fingers crossed.

[Bud]

Originally Posted by angelmroman

Just received an email from RT. They’re unveiling their newest Model...The HAVEN, built on the Transit Chassis. IMO, this is the end of the Chevy Models .
I’ll be there

Interesting, seems Roadtrek did something like this with the last Big rv show in California, the watt thing. Nothing since? Anyone know anything about the watt thing since it was to be for sale prior to now?

Bud

[mumkin]

They are getting out of the Chevy because GM is getting rid of the Express/Savana. My Chevy dealer in MN told me that they couldn't even get a 1500 any more... which is why RT stopped taking orders for the 170. The writing is on the wall. I wonder if they will be making a short Transit.


I tried to search up photos, but like a few other people... nothing to be found yet.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by mumkin

They are getting out of the Chevy because GM is getting rid of the Express/Savana. My Chevy dealer in MN told me that they couldn't even get a 1500 any more... which is why RT stopped taking orders for the 170. The writing is on the wall. I wonder if they will be making a short Transit.


I tried to search up photos, but like a few other people... nothing to be found yet.

That's interesting as GM dropped the 1500 vans several years ago.

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/g...ans-83947.html

GMC Savana and Chevrolet Express 1500 Vans Quietly Dropped for 2015

I didn't realize Roadtrek even used the 1500 GM vans. I thought they were all at least 2500 or 3500 models. From what I can find in the below linked Roadtrek 170 Versatile brochure it's made on a 2500 van.

https://www.roadtrek.com/wp-content/...re-08-2016.pdf

Also discovered that GM has been using Navistar to build some versions of their vans for the last few years so they can build more pickup trucks.

https://www.autonews.com/article/201...idsize-pickups

I would not be surprised to see GM drop the vans altogether so they can make more money on pickup trucks. They already announced dropping the small vans earlier this year. GM appears to be in down-size mode to survive.

https://www.autonews.com/article/201...ress-small-van

[mumkin]

Sorry... that was a typo. I meant 2500...

[Leland]

Maybe getting rid of express but I doubt the're getting rid of the small block. It's as American as baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie as they say. It's hard to find a bad word about the engine in how may years?

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by mumkin

Sorry... that was a typo. I meant 2500...

That is even more interesting. If they can't get 2500 Chevy vans then GM may already beginning to drop the van. Sounds like it could go the route of the Volt. But GM won't be closing a plant, just converting it to pickup truck manufacturing. The full size crew-cab pickups are now the new family sedan. Top three selling vehicles in USA are Ford, GM and Ram pickup trucks.

[Doneworking]

I just searched the Chevy website and a couple of others for new Express vans using a 100 mile search radius from my zip code. That covers almost three million people. I got three hits for new 2018 and 2019 Express vans.

Now, it may be a glitch, I did something wrong on both sites or there simply aren't that many of these great vans around here. I tried this several months ago with a fifty mile radius (just out of curiosity) and came up with less than ten. So, maybe the writing is on the wall.

It would be interesting to see if others around the country got similar results in their area. I am in Oklahoma City.

[booster]

I just looked at one of the larger dealers in the Mpls area and they have five 2018 Express vans on hand at the moment.

[mumkin]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

That is even more interesting. If they can't get 2500 Chevy vans then GM may already beginning to drop the van.

As I said, the Chevy dealer told me last summer that they were unable to order a 2500 van... and Roadtrek had already removed the 170 from their website. Only for the 190 and 210 on the 3500 are they still taking orders.


GM has been in talks about switching to a European style van for the last few years. They did go in partnership with Nissan on the small work van, but apparently weren't interested in the big ugly Nissan full size vans.

[booster]

Originally Posted by mumkin

As I said, the Chevy dealer told me last summer that they were unable to order a 2500 van... and Roadtrek had already removed the 170 from their website. Only for the 190 and 210 on the 3500 are they still taking orders.


GM has been in talks about switching to a European style van for the last few years. They did go in partnership with Nissan on the small work van, but apparently weren't interested in the big ugly Nissan full size vans.

I just did the inventory search of nationwide from a Chevy dealer website and lots of Express vans listed of both 2500 and 3500 versions, so it certainly looks like both are available.


Perhaps the person you spoke with was confusing it with cancelled 1500, but I don't see anything indicating 2500 is going away yet.


They do still seem to be doing upgrades, so that often means the end isn't eminent. EG 2.8 diesel with 8 speed automatic.

[mumkin]

Originally Posted by booster

Perhaps the person you spoke with was confusing it with cancelled 1500, but I don't see anything indicating 2500 is going away yet.

I doubt it... we were discussing 2500 vans - that Roadtrek was cancelling them because of the difficulty of getting any of the vans from GM... and it was the service manager... and my 170 was right in front of him.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by mumkin

As I said, the Chevy dealer told me last summer that they were unable to order a 2500 van... and Roadtrek had already removed the 170 from their website. Only for the 190 and 210 on the 3500 are they still taking orders.

GM has been in talks about switching to a European style van for the last few years. They did go in partnership with Nissan on the small work van, but apparently weren't interested in the big ugly Nissan full size vans.

I don't know? Looks like sales of the Chevrolet Express van are still pretty solid based on this data.
Chevy Truck Sales Numbers, Figures, Results | GM Authority

GM only reporting sales quarterly now - no new numbers since September.

GM dropped that small van Nissan partnership earlier this year, as I posted earlier. It appears that GM's real goal is to beat Ford as top half-ton pickup truck. So far this year they are doing well - it would be a first in over a decade.

Personally I doubt they will bring in a new van form Europe. That would be expensive gamble against the Ford Transit that is now selling about twice as many as Chevrolet Express. GM likely to continue steady sales of Express. It sells more than the Suburban anyway. They appear to be focused on pickups as they make the most profit.

[mumkin]

Who knows what Chevy is doing... I don't think they know...

[Bjones7788]

The Chevy Roadtrek 190s on the 3,500 chassis have a series of towing advantages over the Sprinters and newer vans available from other companys.
1. The Sprinters have more "sail" or vertical side surface to catch tractor trailer bow waves and gusty cross winds which is significant when towing a large enclosed trailer with lots of sail area.
2. The 6.0 liter Chevy gas engine has more horse power and torque than the little Mercedes diesels and from what I have found the newer vans offered by other manufacturers on the market currently.
3. The lever arm from the rear axle to the hitch ball on the 190 Chevys is shorter than on the Sprinters so the mass and momentum of the item in tow has less leverage on the tow vehicle which is a key consideration in driveability while towing and in trailer sway control when towing heavy loads BUT actually critical in an emergency braking with aggressive turning maneuver to avoid a crash.
BJ (Towing toys coast to coast and border to border for border for decades)