Quote:
Originally Posted by JustKip
Isn't a cutaway the same van with a bus body instead of a box? How does that make any difference for the addition of 4X4?
I'm 6'1" and most van based buses don't have enough headroom even for me.
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A cutaway vehicle is a van chassis with the body cut off at the B pillar behind the driver seat. Frame with gas tank, engine, tranny, nose, and cab of a van but no body in the rear. The companies who buy cutaways from the OEMs then put shuttle, shorty, or box bodies on the exposed frame behind the cab.
On shuttle and short buses the passengers side is often cut closer to the A pillar to make room for the entrance door. On box vans the rear of the cab is usually straight.
One big reason to go with a box van (cutaway with a box connected to the rear of the cab) rather than a short bus was the full 7' height in the box and that is with a flat floor and no wheel wells sticking out.
Another reason was the stealth factor. Even with windows cut high up in the box this is going to look commercial, like a mobile testing lab, rather than recreational. The vehicle I bought was actually a water quality testing unit and I wish they had left the stickers on it.
The U-joint conversion works on any E-series chassis regardless of body style. They convert a lot of class C RVs from NY and MA for beach camping where 4WD is required by the state. I know that they are working on other platforms as well but you would have to contact them about specifics.