Is it safe to add a 3rd row back seat to an AWD Chevy Express 1500?

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

I am trying to find a large van to carry more than 8 people on icy/snow-packed roads. The Chevy Express (and GMC Savana) have an awd option but it only seats 8. I could have a back seat installed by someone, but would that be safe? The other option would be to buy a 12-passenger model and just use studded snow tires and put sand bags in the back.

2

Are you sure you can have a back seat installed? Usually the 12 passenger vans are longer than the 8-passenger, so it seems like in order to cram in an extra seat you’d have to scoot all of the seats forward.

Also, IMHO, full-size vans are death traps in ice and snow even with AWD. If you have to do a lot of highway driving under winter conditions I would strongly suggest you consider an extended length full-size SUV (Suburban or Expedition) instead. If you do insist on a van, I would say you defintely need studded tires, even if you get AWD.

3

I think all full size four wheel drive vans are conversions. Its just some you can purchase through a new car dealer with a factory warranty. I found this http://www.quadvan.com/ on the net

4

I think that you can just in the last few years get a 1/2 ton GM van with factory all-wheel drive. (Since I believe all the 12-passenger vans are 3/4 tons, this is probably why the OP can’t get one)

I suppose doing a 4x4 conversion on a 12-passenger van is a possibility, but these make them even MORE top heavy and prone to rolling, and plus the 4x4 doesn’t really help all that much on the highway.

5

Thanks. I will check out Suburbans/Expeditions. They seem more expensive. Do they come with an awd option? I have heard the awd is better for icy roads than fwd. But I guess that is debatable.

6

Think of being a passenger in a fully packed 12 person van on icy/snowy roads. Even if these vehicles are rated for 12 people road conditions can change the safe number of people you can carry.

7

All things being equal, AWD would be better than rear-wheel drive (all of these large vehicles are RWD based). But AWD doesn’t really do much to address the weight distribution and handling problems with the full-size vans, so they’re still pretty dangerous.

The full-size SUV’s are lower to the ground and are wider which makes them a lot more stable, both in general and especially on snow and ice. They’re probably avaliable with either an automatic part-time 4wd or full-time 4wd (which is sort of the same thing as AWD).

Another possibility would be a FWD or AWD minivan.