The time has come to buy a new van. I recently drove a ford transit full size, and was surprisingly impressed. I plan to get behind the shell of both the Nissan NV and NV200 this week. I've previously driven a transit connect (2009), and was quite underwhelmed.

So, I'm heavily leaning Nissan regardless just for reliability. My main point that I go back and forth on is full size or compact. I love the idea of a compact van and the great gas mileage that goes with one. That said, the transit connect I drove at my previous job never got a shelving package, so keeping organized was next to impossible, but I could cram it full of tools and product. I got a look in the back of the ADT van last week, and with a full shelving package, I guess I could fit my tool bags, a 55" TV, and a receiver, and little else. I seem to recall having trouble fitting a 65" into the transit connect.

I'm in love with the idea of a full size van with a good Adrian steel package with lots of drawers and bins so I can have damn near everything I need contained in the shelves, and have plenty of room left for tools, boxes of cable, and all the product for a small to moderate installation in one trip. I'm not in love with gas mileage on a full size van.

Most of my jobs are a 65 mile drive, though the closer ones (15-20 minutes away) are picking up. That is playing a huge factor right now. Both directions on the 65 mile drive involve going over a hell of a mountain, also.

Those of you who have small vans, weigh in on whether you have enough space and organization to get by, or are you regretting not going full size? Those of you with full size vans, is the gas mileage killing you? Is it not as bad as I think?

I'm not dead set on Nissan. I'm open to any manufacturer if the reliability is there.