With a new house, in a new development, why not make the move in a brand new way?
Forget U-Hauls or borrowing a friend’s pickup truck, I reached out to Nissan and was promptly delivered a shiny new NV 2500, using the new entry to the commercial vehicle segment to facilitate my own new adventure.
During a tumultuous week, I learned a few important things – about this new truck’s capabilities, and about moving a family.
Duh! Sure, it’s obviously big, but parked in my driveway next to my wife’s Mazda5 I’m pretty sure I could fit the Mazda inside it.
But forget its hulking exterior dimensions, the cargo area is what’s important and that measures 120 inches long and 70.2 inches wide. The standard roof height is 55.8 inches, although my High Roof tester stretches to 76.9 inches. A protective floor eats up a bit of that, as will your boots, still, anyone up to about 6’2” should be able to stand upright in it.
SEE ALSO: Nissan NV Cargo Van Review
Of note, the high roof models are only available as 2500 or 3500 HD versions and come exclusively with the big V8, not the smaller V6.
Despite all that size it still took five loads to move my house. And that didn’t include the major furniture or my kids’ play structure/swing set. I didn’t want to move it, but our buyers insisted we take it with us.
There are less obvious places to stow cargo too. I fit an LCD TV behind the driver and passenger seats thanks to a center console that doesn’t go all the way back. Plus, like an overhead compartment like on a plane, there are big cubbies above the driver and passenger to hold small bags or other items.
It’s a far cry from the lane-sensing, self-steering, auto-braking technologies Nissan is capable of delivering in its Infiniti models, or the revolutionary AWD system in the GT-R, but the NV still surprised me with technology including the two things anyone with a truck like this could ever really ask for: Bluetooth and a backup camera, both of which come on the top-trim SV model.
For anyone who drives a truck like this regularly, or uses it as part of a fleet, Bluetooth is perfect. For me, it was more than perfect. Sure I spent a lot of time during the move in the back of the truck, loading and unloading, but I also spent plenty of miles behind the wheel despite just moving 10 minutes away. It’s nice to be connected, especially when your home phone is disconnected.
SEE ALSO: Nissan NV Specs
As for the backup camera. It’s better than nothing, though hardly perfect. The screen is tiny and watching my father in law wave me back through the mirrors worked better. The built in sensors were a bit too sensitive, but they at least made sure I didn’t run him over.
Then there’s the technology you hope you never use. The NV comes with front airbags, side-impact airbags roof-mounted curtain air bags, as well as a tire pressure monitoring system (so you know when you’ve run over a nail. . . for the second time that week). Nissan also equips the NV with Vehicle Dynamic Control, a fancy name for stability control, which will save your butt if you lose control.
I’ve moved many times before, though they were all more simple than this one. Moving into apartments and from an apartment to townhouse I’ve driven my share of Econolines and GMC whatevers. They were all pretty terrible.
Obviously ride quality on a true body on frame truck is never going to be spectacular. Still, the NV was smooth on the road.
SEE ALSO: Mercedes Sprinter to Get AWD
The most praise, however, goes to the throttle. It’s much more progressive than normal truck gas pedals. As a result, it accelerates smoothly and doesn’t have the nothing, nothing, instant-on reaction with a wave of torque slamming your China hutch into the back doors of the van.
The big 5.6-liter V8 used in the HD model makes no shortage of pulling power with 317 hp and 385 lb-ft of torque, and it’s nice to be able to control it.
If there is a down side it’s that fuel economy isn’t great. We averaged around 15 mpg. Perhaps it’s time Nissan swapped out the 5-speed auto for a transmission with an extra gear, or two.
You know that friend you have? The one you only have because he has a pickup truck and you think you’ll need to borrow it some day?
Well, it’s time to break up with him. . . and find yourself a friend with one of these.
It can haul heavy loads like a pickup (this 2500 model has a payload rating of around 3000 lbs) and because of the high roof you can really make the most of that.
Stack boxes to the sky. Throw in mattresses without worrying they’ll fall out the back. Or toss in a lazyboy without worrying you’ll look like a hillbilly. Plus, there’s no need to be concerned about rain.
The sliding side door also provides a unique advantage. If you organize your load carefully, you can retrieve items from the back without having to climb over (or unload) everything else.
One of the biggest advantages over a pickup came when I was hauling the last useless bits (broken desks, unwanted wedding gifts and lamps. . . lots of lamps) out of the old out house and to the dump. You don’t need to secure it, cover it up or tie it down. . . just toss everything in. Just watch you feet when you swing open those rear doors.
About the only thing my NV could have used would have been a ramp.
With the right crowd that is. That crowd, in this particular instance, is all of the contractors and trades working in my new subdivision. Being one of the first families to move in, we’re surrounded by dust and dirt and booms and trucks and lots and lots of manly men. These guys know trucks. They all drive trucks. And they beat on trucks.
I know Nissan did me a huge favor, sourcing me an NV for my move, but honestly, with all the free marketing I gave them, they should but cutting me a check. My shiny white NV 2500 was like a big ad parked in my driveway; lusted after by every guy that drove past in his rusty, squeaking ‘90s-era cargo van.
And they did more than just look. The installer for our gas appliances had a look around the thing and seemed seriously interested. What does he drive? A GMC he lovingly refers to as “junk”.
What particularly impressed him were the 57 integrated attachment points for cargo systems. Much less fancy, I just used them to hook bungee cords up to, to keep stray items in place.
And whether you’re a pro or just an amateur mover, you have to love the swing around doors that stick to the sides with magnets.
Priced from $25,750 our tester retails for $31,490. Manufactured in Canton, Mississippi find out more about the Nissan NV here.