Driving a van is like driving a car in a booster seat. It takes 10 seconds to get used to it. In many ways it is easier to drive a van than a car because most vans have no nose, so easy to tailgate people and generally be an asshole.


The end

You have to learn to use your mirrors when backing up but.....should be self explanatory. I'm guessing this may end up being a career for you.

>>5906927

Dudes bang on, if you've got a minute to familiarize yourself with it I'd recommend practicing with only mirrors to back up with, it can really throw some people. And if you haven't driven a vehicle with such a long wheelbase before try to keep that in mind when cornering in city traffic.

Shouldn't take long to get used to.

van driving/ownership stories?

>>5906950
>be van driver.
>have anger management problems.
>frustrated by people driving 10mph over the speed limit - fucken slow cunts.
>when driving down hill, fucking floor the gas pedal and overtake everyone.
>block everyone on the way up.

lol>>5906958

>>5906950
I used to own a van. One job i had i used to have to drive company vans all the time, because our regular driver was an alcoholic and we could never find him.

>>5906973
Probably passed out in the back of the van.

>>5906974
Oh no, he'd drive the van to a bar and pass out in there.

Lucky the bar was like 200 feet from the shop, so i'd just walk there and get the van.

Getting a feel for where the rear of the vehicle is comes in handy. Try to get a van with windows in the rear if possible. The blind spots on the mirrors aren't as bad as you'd think, and honestly I've driven economy cars with bigger ones.

>>5906958

Vans bring out the worst in people. You stick Queen Elizabeth behind the wheel of a Transit and I guarantee you that in 2 weeks she'd be undertaking a 5 series that is going going 90 in the outside lane, hanging out the window swearing and trying to throw a cigarette at it.

>>5907001

As long as you have two fat mirrors you don't need to see directly behind you.

I actually find it relaxing not being able to see someone tailgating me as they are covered up by a fat rear end. I find parking easier as well for some reason.

My second car/work beater is a 1987 Mitsubishi Van (Eurofags call it a Delica). Mad windows so blind spots not so bad, low 20s mpg, general shitter. All it does is give people an a excuse to ask me to help them move.

>>5907014
dat aerodynamic antenna

>>5907014
that's fucking awesome, honestly

>>5907014
I remember my neighbors had a van like that when i was growing up.

We were kids and always made fun of how poor they were and how shitty their van was. The father ended up hanging himself on his kid's swing set. Not sure if the two were related.

Driving a full size van for work is what i do. furd econoline 250. driving the van is not that big of a deal. it's the a-holes who dont like driving behind you that will do anything to get in front of you are the problem. I think vans are right behind semi trucks in what people think they need to get in front of or cut off in traffic. I use my horn and middle finger on a daily basis.

sometimes i have to drive this:
http://img.yauto.cz/photos/2349/507367/Iveco_Daily_35S14_2_3_HTP.jpg
with trailer

only thing to remember is:
be slow around corners

>>5907014

This version is best version

>VANS GENERAL
Okay.

>>5906921

Just wondering. Do you guys over in US need a special license to drive a van?

>>5907141
No. Only larger "lorries" require a commercial license. Like, about this big or larger. You can rent something like this without a commercial license, and I think RVs are exempt? Not sure on that one.

>>5907177
Yeah, RVs only require a normal license.
Which is scary considering most of the people with the time/money to purchase one are north of 60.

>>5907094
Sadly, mine's the only one 'merka ever got.

It's pretty cool for what it is, except your knees are the crumple zone

>>5907177
Correct. As long as its personal and non-commercial a standard class C covers everything up to 26,001lbs

Pennsylvania for my case

>>5907003
Dat mental image

>>5907141
You dont need a special license for straight vehicle unless it has pure air brakes.

Some medium duty stuff might make a model that has one version with hydraulic brakes, one version with air brakes, same size and gvwr and all that for both though, but you need a cdl for the airbrake model, not the hydraulic brake one.

If it has a combo system, like hydraulic assist air, you dont need a cdl.

>>5907064
See
>>5906958

It's like driving a truck.
You'll probably enjoy the new seat height, and they're surprisingly light being just sheet metal.

I took my driving test in a 1996 Chevy Express conversion van. When I got in with the instructor, a state trooper who was hanging out at the DPS got in the back to ride along. I have no idea why he did that, but speaking from experience those seats are mighty comfortable.

Other than rubbing the tires on the curb when I parallel parked, I passed with no problems. I would fucking hate to have to work on one, though, especially with the fancy doghouse on the passenger models.

>>5908636
Not because the seats are comfortable, but because a head on collision in that vehicle means instant death to anyone in the front seat.

Smart Statey

>claims he can change a gasket
>counter claims he cannot service one

you have never worked on a car and cannot change the oil, nvm the head

>>5908797

he wasn't administering the test, though. The DPS employee was in the passenger seat. He just wanted to come along for the ride.

>>5906921
how to drive a van
1) get in, let your body assume the correct van attitude
2) vans are sluggish under 20mph, never go under 20mph
3) mirrors; you best learn where the end of the van is son. I also have a habit of doing turns/ manoeuvres (you will do lots of these lol turning circle) starting slightly from the opposing lane for ease but that's your bag
4) there is also special super secret van bingo where for every cyclist you nearly kill you get 10 points.
5) vans are high so don't take corners like senna unless you got an illegal weight load on the back to keep that bitch from rolling. break early and never round a corner. you can get away with this shit in a car but not a van.

>>5908805
I can blindly follow directions in a service manual if someone tells me exactly what is wrong with a car, I can't identify what is wrong with something and fix it...

The car I learned to drive in was a 2001 dodge grand caravan. 3.8L V6, twas nice.

Just gave my grandparents back their 92 dodge B250. Was driving it to work while my Taurus was in my garage. Nice ride, 5.2L 318, full size bed and curtains on the windows.

>>5909680
>while my Taurus was in the shop
Rare_sight.mkv

>>5909695
Yeah, my fault. Water pump died and blew the back head gasket.