The Chevrolet Express is a well-known series of vans from General Motors.
Production of the vans started back in 1995 for the 1996 model year and have been produced in two generations as the GMT600 and the GMT610.
This article answers the question “Will A Chevy Express Fit In A Garage?”…
Table of Contents
Will A Chevy Express Fit In A Garage?
Yes, a Chevy Express should fit into a garage. The average garage in America is 12 feet wide (144 inches), 22 feet long (264 inches), and 8 feet tall (96 inches).
The widest-ever Express was the GMT600 LWB model (Long Wheel Base), which was 79.4 inches.
The longest-ever Express is the current LWB model (started in 2003), which is 244 inches.
The tallest-ever Express was the 1996-1998 Savana LWB, which was 84.8 inches.
What Are The Measures Of All Chevy Express Models?
Length
| Chassis | Model Variant | Length (inches / feet) |
| GMT 600 | 1996-1998 SWB | 218.8 / 18.2 |
| 1996-1998 LWB | 238.8 / 19.9 | |
| 1999-2002 SWB | 218.7 / 18.2 | |
| 1999-2002 LWB | 238.7 / 19.9 | |
| GMT 610 | 2003-Present SWB | 224.1 / 18.6 |
| 2003-Present LWB | 244.1 / 20.3 | |
| 2003-2005 Savana LWB | 244 / 20.3 |
Width
| Chassis | Model Variant | Width (inches / feet) |
| GMT600 | SWB | 79.2 / 6.6 |
| LWB | 79.4 / 6.61 | |
| GMT610 | – | 79.4 / 6.61 |
Height
| Chassis | Model Variant | Height (inches / feet) |
| GMT600 | 1996-1998 Express | 81.8 / 6.81 |
| 1996-1998 Savana SWB | 82.5 / 6.87 | |
| 1996-1998 Savana 2500 & 3500 SWB | 82.5 / 6.87 | |
| 1996-1998 Savana LWB | 84.8 / 7.06 | |
| 1500 & 2001-2002 3500 LS LWB | 79.6 / 6.63 | |
| 1997-2002 3500 SWB | 83.9 / 6.99 | |
| 1997-2002 2500 LWB | 81.1 / 6.75 | |
| 2001-2002 2500 LWB | 82.2 / 6.85 | |
| 2001-2002 3500 LWB | 82.8 / 6.9 | |
| GMT610 | 2003-Present SWB | 81.6 / 6.8 |
| 2003-Present LWB | 82 / 6.83 |
What Is The Average Measure Of Garages In The US?
As we have mentioned, the average house in the US has a single-car garage that is 12 feet wide, 22 feet long, and 8 feet tall.
The average 2-car garage is either 24 feet by 24 feet or 24 feet wide by 30 feet long, and both of these garages would be at least 8 feet tall.
Obviously, it depends on location, but these sizes are quite typical.
In a typical shopping mall and other public parking spaces, space will be 9 feet by 18 feet, and some larger at 10 feet by 20 feet.
The US minimum width standard on a public parking space is 8.5 feet on streets and 9.0 feet in a structure.
Can I Park A Chevy Express On The Street Overnight In A Residential Area?
Because most Chevy Express vans are used for commercial purposes, there is some risk in parking them on the street overnight in a residential area.
Rules vary from state to state, but broadly speaking the rule is that you can park a commercial vehicle in a residential area only if:
- You are rendering service to a residence in that area.
- You are picking up or dropping off passengers or cargo in that area.
Neither of these things includes overnight parking. New York City has some of the strictest rules regarding the parking of commercial vehicles, as you might expect.
New York’s law says that: “No person shall park a commercial vehicle overnight in NYC on a residential street between 9:00 pm and 5:00 am.”
At times when you are parking there legally and temporarily, the maximum stay time is 3 hours.
The punishment in New York for parking illegally in a residential area is a $115 parking fine.
In some other areas, they use the vehicle’s weight as a restriction.
For example, in Los Angeles, CA, you can’t park a commercial vehicle weighing 10,000 pounds or more anywhere in a residential district except for loading/unloading and performing service duties.
Fines in Los Angeles for this type of parking infraction range from $65 to $150 depending on in which district it happens and in what kind of parking zone.
Of course, if your Chevy Express is designated as a private vehicle and a scan of the license plates by the police will reveal that, then you have nothing to fear.
As it happens, the majority of these vans are used primarily as commercial vehicles, especially for transport services.
Can I Park A Chevy Express On The Street Overnight In A Commercial Area?
Yes, you can. If you park your Chevy Express on the street in a designated commercial area and you meet any other parking requirements that are demanded by that location, such as meter fees, then you can stay there overnight.
In New York City, for example, there are eight commercial districts as designated by the city zoning board.
It is okay to park your Chevy Express overnight in any available public street parking spot in these districts, provided you meet any and all other requirements as indicated.
Los Angeles has seven commercial zones, in which the same types of rules apply.
In American cities, every district within each city can have its own rules, so it’s important that you work on knowing the parking rules in your place of residence.
Other Parking Problematics
The Chevy Express is a fairly large van, and so other parking problematics might include fitting properly into parking spaces.
The average public parking spaces in the US are large enough to accommodate a typical Chevy Express van, but if other cars have parked badly, or if the space is surrounded by other cars, then a Chevy Express can make accessing the van and other cars tighter.
What Garage And Door Sizes Do I Need?
To accommodate any size of Chevy Express, you will need at the very least a garage with a door and roof clearance of 8 feet.
These garages are typically 22 feet long and 12 feet wide, which is also enough to fit any size of Chevy Express.
If you have a Chevy Express and another vehicle, then you will need a double-car garage of the size and scope we describe further above: 24’x24’ will be sufficient.
Anything bigger will offer more space.
Length and width are not normally the problem for the Chevy Express and garages, but rather the roof and door height.
The vast majority of Chevy Express vans are under 7 feet in height, which makes them suitable for a garage door and roof height of anything of 7 feet or over.
That’s in line with what most garages are.
One model, the 1996-1998 GMT600 Savana LWB model, which is still circulated in some circles, especially as a work van, is just over 7 feet in height.
For this model, the door would have to be comfortably set at 8 feet or more to ensure a good fit.
Furthermore, garages storing Chevy Express vans could not fit additional materials hanging from their ceiling as some garages do to save space.
The ceiling would have to be absolutely clear to ensure a proper fit of the van through the door and into the garage.
Does The Size Of The Wheels Change The Measures Of The Van?
Typically, no. As wheel size increases, the aspect ratio of the tires actually stays the same, meaning the overall wheel diameter is actually the same.
It’s intuitive to assume that upgrading from 16-inch alloy wheels to 18-inch wheels will add up to 2 inches to the height of your vehicle, but this doesn’t happen for the reason we just stated.
Therefore, the size of the wheels won’t change the ride height or clearance gap of the van. They will stay the same.
Does The Competitor Ford Transit Fit In A Garage?
The long-running Ford Transit van is a big competitor of the Chevy Express.
In its latest generation, which has been in production since 2013, the width of the van is not a problem. The maximum width is 83.7 inches (a typical garage is 144 inches wide).
Length can be a problem on the Transit vans with the longest wheelbases.
They measure up to 266.1 inches in length, but the typical garage is usually only 264 inches long. That leaves a critical gap of 2 inches.
Height is an even bigger problem for the Transit Van and the garage. Some vans are alright, with heights starting at 82.2 inches and the typical garage being 96 inches tall.
The Transit goes up to 110.1 inches in height, however, which is far above the typical garage height.
So, unless you have an unusually large garage space, there’s a good chance that a Ford Transit van will not fit into a garage.
What About A Chevy Express Conversion Van?
When you look at Chevy Express conversion vans, then the dimensions can change quite dramatically from those of the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer).
Models for 7 and 9 passengers are usually within the right length boundaries (up to about 244 inches), but height can get tricky depending on how the roof is adjusted.
With a sport roof, for example, the overall height is raised to 94 inches, which is very close to the 8-feet (96 inches) height of a typical garage.
If you are purchasing a Chevy Express conversion van, then you should look very carefully at the dimensions because they can easily go beyond the OEM and therefore create problems for garage storage if you have a garage somewhat close to the typical dimensions we have described above.
RELATED POSTS