Chevy express van options

[old_]

Hello all, I used to browse this forum years ago. I am glad to see it is still active!

I am getting a 2013 Chevy express cutaway van with the "work truck" front grille. It has 5"x7" sealed beam headlights. I would like to upgrade.

Should I convert the front grille to the high trim composite headlight front grille (probably junkyard components with OEM housings)? I doubt the composite lights are anything special but if they would be better than any of the sealed beam upgrades I would convert to composite.

If I stay with the existing work truck grille should I go with Koito H4 housings (with quality bulbs and relay harness) or should I go with an LED option? Would LED be significantly better than the Koito H4? I see there are LED housings with built in heaters now, this is of some concern because I do live in an area that receives snow in the winter. Not sure how much of a problem unheated LEDs are, I have not used any LED headlights before. I would certainly want a high quality LED option, not ebay/amazon junk.

The vehicle is a cutaway van with a Spartan service body. Tail lights are 4" round recessed stop/turn/tail incandescent trailer style light. Is there a recommended LED upgrade for these type of lights?

Thanks!

 

[-Virgil-]

Hello all, I used to browse this forum years ago. I am glad to see it is still active!

Welcome back!

I am getting a 2013 Chevy express cutaway van with the "work truck" front grille. It has 5"x7" sealed beam headlights. I would like to upgrade.

Well, you're already ahead of the game with your WT front end, which means you have many choices of good headlamps. Not like the composites where your only options are factory parts or cheap-junk copies of factory parts.

If I stay with the existing work truck grille should I go with Koito H4 housings (with quality bulbs and relay harness)

Koitos with good bulbs are certainly a solid option that should be on your list of considerations. Probably no need for a relay harness, and putting one in could make you run into two issues. 1, GM's high charging system voltages mean feeding your bulbs with fat pipes (wires) will give them an unreasonably short life. And 2, I forget what year the DRLs were moved from the turn signals to the headlamps on those vans, but 2013 might have been after that change. Headlight-type DRLs have to be deactivated if you want to install a relay harness, unless they're the type that runs the low beams at full normal voltage and all the other lights that usually come on with the headlights (front and rear position lights, sidemarker lights, license plate and instrument panel lights, etc), or if there's an ambient light sensor to automatically switch on all those other lights when it gets dark enough.

or should I go with an LED option? Would LED be significantly better than the Koito H4?

There are LED options that give better performance than the Koito H4s...and LED options that give much worse performance than the Koito H4s. It really depends on how many dollars you want to spend and how much/how difficult your night driving is.

I see there are LED housings with built in heaters now, this is of some concern because I do live in an area that receives snow in the winter.

Well, there's snow and then there's snow. If you get the fluffy, light kind, then you probably don't need heated lenses. If you get the slushy, heavy wet kind then you probably do.

I would certainly want a high quality LED option, not ebay/amazon junk.

That's a good start!

Tail lights are 4" round recessed stop/turn/tail incandescent trailer style light. Is there a recommended LED upgrade for these type of lights?

Yes, for sure. What's best depends on how many lights you have on each side. If the stop (brake) light is produced by a different light than the turn signal, that's one situation. If it's a combined stop/turn, that's another situation.

You'll probably get reliable advice if you send Dan Stern an email, too.

 

[eggsalad]

I converted a similar Express box truck to LED markers and rear lights some years ago, and I learned a fun fact that might be useful to you...

If a person got a standard van (cargo or passenger) GM installed a flasher unit that worked with incandescent bulbs only, BUT if the van came from the factory as a "cutaway cab", they installed a universal electronic flasher unit that works fine with either incandescent OR LED fixtures. That way, the company that built/installed the cargo box could install any type of tail lights they wanted, and not wind up with "hyperflash".

 

[old_]

I converted a similar Express box truck to LED markers and rear lights some years ago, and I learned a fun fact that might be useful to you...

If a person got a standard van (cargo or passenger) GM installed a flasher unit that worked with incandescent bulbs only, BUT if the van came from the factory as a "cutaway cab", they installed a universal electronic flasher unit that works fine with either incandescent OR LED fixtures. That way, the company that built/installed the cargo box could install any type of tail lights they wanted, and not wind up with "hyperflash".

Thank you for this, I was wondering about that. My van came as a cutaway so it sounds like converting the tails to LED shouldn't cause any problems.

 

[old_]

Welcome back!

Thanks!

Well, you're already ahead of the game with your WT front end, which means you have many choices of good headlamps. Not like the composites where your only options are factory parts or cheap-junk copies of factory parts.

I will stick with the WT grille then.

Koitos with good bulbs are certainly a solid option that should be on your list of considerations. Probably no need for a relay harness, and putting one in could make you run into two issues. 1, GM's high charging system voltages mean feeding your bulbs with fat pipes (wires) will give them an unreasonably short life. And 2, I forget what year the DRLs were moved from the turn signals to the headlamps on those vans, but 2013 might have been after that change. Headlight-type DRLs have to be deactivated if you want to install a relay harness, unless they're the type that runs the low beams at full normal voltage and all the other lights that usually come on with the headlights (front and rear position lights, sidemarker lights, license plate and instrument panel lights, etc), or if there's an ambient light sensor to automatically switch on all those other lights when it gets dark enough.

Noted. I am not sure of the DRL position/operation, the van is at the dealer for some minor repair work so I can't check until next week.

There are LED options that give better performance than the Koito H4s...and LED options that give much worse performance than the Koito H4s. It really depends on how many dollars you want to spend and how much/how difficult your night driving is.

I am thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of $400. Night driving will probably be infrequent for the most part but driving in rural areas with gravel roads and wildlife is common. If there is an option with a significant jump in performance the budget could be stretched.
Would LED be significantly or only marginally better than H4 housings? I suppose I am looking for a "good bang for the buck" solution. I noticed Hella also makes a 5x7 H4 housing. Is the Koito significantly better?

Well, there's snow and then there's snow. If you get the fluffy, light kind, then you probably don't need heated lenses. If you get the slushy, heavy wet kind then you probably do.

I am in Nebraska, we do get both types of snow unfortunately

Yes, for sure. What's best depends on how many lights you have on each side. If the stop (brake) light is produced by a different light than the turn signal, that's one situation. If it's a combined stop/turn, that's another situation.

There is a single combo stop/turn/tail light on each side of the van. I might be able to add another light on each side if that would be better. There is also a single 4" recessed reverse lamp on the rear of the vehicle. I noticed heated LED tail lights are available, good idea?

Thanks!

 

[-Virgil-]

Night driving will probably be infrequent for the most part but driving in rural areas with gravel roads and wildlife is common.

That would sound to me like the Koito lamps and good bulbs, with correct aim of course, would be entirely adequate. On those rural dark roads, hit the high beams!

I noticed Hella also makes a 5x7 H4 housing.

Yes. It's not a very good one.

There is a single combo stop/turn/tail light on each side of the van. I might be able to add another light on each side if that would be better.

It depends on how much better (more crash-preventative) you want the rear lights to be. The best would be to reconfigure it so your turn signal back there is split off from the stop light, and go with a red stop/tail + amber turn. It's not all that hard; there are modules available to prevent you from having to rewire the vehicle, and even if you only have space for one light per side, there are combo 4" LED lamps that provide the two colors and three functions. If you don't want to go that far, then it would be a matter of picking out a good LED stop/tail/turn light.

There is also a single 4" recessed reverse lamp on the rear of the vehicle.

Just one lamp, not one per side, you're saying? And it's incandescent right now, or LED?

I noticed heated LED tail lights are available, good idea?

Only if you're going out in severely heavy snow/ice storms. Short of that, they're not needed or helpful.