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This may be a silly questions but this is from personal experience:
I have never driven a van but I have noticed that most of the “slower” drivers are driving vans(at least the ones I have encountered so no offense to anyone who may drive a van). I remember my dad had an older work van that would only go up to about 80 or 90 MPH. (This was a very old van though) Any reason for this? Is it the way the van is built or is it just the driver?
I should add, the speed limit for our freeway is 60 MPH.(the least is 45) These people are going about 45-50.
This may be a silly questions but this is from personal experience:
I have never driven a van but I have noticed that most of the “slower” drivers are driving vans(at least the ones I have encountered so no offense to anyone who may drive a van). I remember my dad had an older work van that would only go up to about 80 or 90 MPH. (This was a very old van though) Any reason for this? Is it the way the van is built or is it just the driver?
I should add, the speed limit for our freeway is 60 MPH.(the least is 45) These people are going about 45-50.
aerodynamics, weight-to-power ratio, transmission geared for hauling.
I've driven a couple dozen 15 passenger and high top extended conversion vans. I am usually one of the faster drivers, but in these I didn't want to drive over ~70. Those vans are like sails. A stiff sudden wind can equal an attempted lane change on the highway. Not fun with a dozen guys or a ton of gear.
I can't speak for those folk driving V-10 or turbo diesel powered vans ...
but mine is definitely on the pokey side with a 5.2 Dodge V-8 and modest HP driving a well equipped Class B RV.
I get to use the OD lock-out frequently to climb grades and small hills at altitude around WY. So I stay to the right and try to keep out of the way of faster traffic; I'll pull over if needed to accomodate traffic if I get a few folks behind me.
The trade-off is I get much better fuel economy at 60-65ish than I do at 75 mph (the legal limit on our Interstate Highways).
I've driven a couple dozen 15 passenger and high top extended conversion vans. I am usually one of the faster drivers, but in these I didn't want to drive over ~70. Those vans are like sails. A stiff sudden wind can equal an attempted lane change on the highway. Not fun with a dozen guys or a ton of gear.
I've owned quite a few work vans and minivans for various practical and work-related reasons over the last 30 years and agree with this...vans in general are neither nimble nor sporty; they are utilitarian beasts. I will typically drive a van much more conservatively than I would a higher-powered, less-utilitarian vehicle. My 8-cylinder Ford work van has plenty of speed and power if I romp on the go-pedal, but probably uses a gallon of gas every time I do that to pass LOL.
I'm not a slow driver by any means and nor will I be driving 50 in a 70 (depending on winter road conditions) but I definitely drive differently depending on the vehicle.
Also consider that many people driving "work vans" may actually be working and driving their employer's vehicle on the job, or parents ferrying around children, and people who enjoy driving in a more sporty manner probably tend not to buy vans of any sort in the first place.
Vans are hauling a lot of weight and tend to not be very aerodynamic but if you get a Van properly loaded (some weight down low like luggage under the seats) and with dual fuel tanks you can probably gain enough time with steady cruising over having to stop for gas more often. I used to wish my Van was equiped with dual controls so I could take a break and let my passanger drive without stopping.
I think it's a combination of van drivers learning by experience that beyond a certain speed their fuel economy falls off, and that most vans I have driven did not have the confidence-inspiring handling that encourages "sporting" driving.
As demonstrated by Ms. Sabine, a driver who knows what they are about can go pretty fast in a van - I think it's just that most van owner/drivers are not interested in going fast.
On a related note you see a lot of Gold Wing motorcycles going rather slow. The Wing is not an inherently slow bike by any means, but it attracts a lot of riders who for whatever reason are not interested in pushing the envelope. (I know this because one group I used to ride with in Colorado included a guy with about an 84 Wing, and he kept up with the rest of us hooligans quite well, thanks...)
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probably tend not to buy vans of any sort in the first place.
