'93 chevy 20 conversion van

[twokniveskatie]

<font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">yesterday i passed a little conversion van in a small dealer lot. on a whim, i went back to look. it was white, with 123,000 miles on it. sale price listed as $2500. &nbsp;looked really nice, and i loved the raised top. didn't go inside it, don't know if you can actually stand up in it.&nbsp;</font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">got to the laundromat about 10 minutes later. parked right next to the same exact van! so identical that i waited til the owner came back to the van. was a different one than in the car lot, owner said he loved it. it was the same year, '93, and he had just driven from florida. has had no significant problems with it.&nbsp;</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">so it got me thinkin....i would so love to have stand up room. any thoughts on how this van would differ from the rondyvan? i'm going to have a friend check it out mechanically, but i mean more in terms of how a vandweller would look at the vehicle?&nbsp;</font></div>

 

[twokniveskatie]

here is a listing for one similar to the one i saw<div><br></div><div><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...mp;item=280624343752&amp;viewitem=#vi-content" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...mp;item=280624343752&amp;viewitem=#vi-content</a></div>

 

[akrvbob]

You can probably stand up in it, but at worst you would have to duck your head a little. Is the one you were looking at a Chevy? Chevy makes good vans. You will probably loose mpg. I would guess you will be around 15 mpg on the Conversion van. Possibly better depending on the engine. It is reasonable to expect 200,000 trouble-free miles on that van if it has been well maintained. My 1993 F150 was trouble free for the first 200,000 miles. Just normal brakes and tires. At 200,000, things started to break.<br><br>The van will be a little wider and longer than your Astro. But your Astro is a proven commodity that gets pretty decent mpg. Drive the van and make sure you are comfortable with its bigger size. Are you still paying on the Astro? Do you think you can get what you owe on it or enough to pay for the new van? Do you think you will ever want to pull a little trailer? The van would be better at that. <br><br>You like to travel big distances so the big question to me would be will you be able to afford the extra cost of gas? I know you really want more room, but if it makes it so you can't afford to take your trips is it worth it? <br><br>Lots to consider! Bob<br><br>

 

[VanFan]

Katie,<br><br>Moby is a Chevy with the 5.7 engine.&nbsp; As you may recall, it is a low-top, but otherwise was similar when I bought it.<br><br>By the time you visited, I had pulled the 3-way electric sofa/bed out because 1) it was uncomfortable (although I was fine sleeping width-wise on the seat part when alone); 2) there was no storage space under it; and 3) it limited access to the rear.<br><br>I have also taken out one of the middle seats, and would take out the other one, except I need it to keep the bed in place for now.&nbsp; Are the seats in the van you're looking at "quick release"?&nbsp; That helps a lot!<br><br>I get up to 18 mpg on the highway and around 15 in town.&nbsp; It handles extremely well, but I have good shocks, brakes and tires--all of which have made a big difference.<br><br>The 350 (5.7) engine is a workhorse, but at under 100 K, I do have some problems.&nbsp; The rear main seal needs to be replaced, and I have an internal engine problem of some kind as well.<br><br>Does the van have cabin a/c?&nbsp; The compressors on these vehicles are poorly designed and prone to early failure (more in the trucks than vans, but still...)&nbsp; Wouldn't be a bad idea to look under the hood with a black light to see if leak detection die has been used and shows something "ugly."<br><br>You would think used parts would be easy to find, but a lot of these big old guys went to the crushers during the cash for clunkers program.&nbsp; Just sayin...<br><br>Also, be sure to consider how the position (including height) of the rear a/c box on one side and the tire jack access cabinet on the other might affect your lay out in the back.&nbsp; Not a biggie, but it is something you have to work with.<br><br>All that (and more) aside, I LOVE MY VAN!!&nbsp; Every time I drive it I think:&nbsp; "I should have ALWAYS had a van."&nbsp; It is just so right in so many ways.&nbsp; But you know that!<img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0"><br><br>Vickie<br><br><br>

 

[twokniveskatie]

<font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">thanks for the responses, guys. a few things have put a hold on pursuing this....i still owe a bit on the astro, and don't think i can make the numbers work. it has over 100,000 miles so my credit union won't even consider any sort of switch. and i still have to decide about my kayak. if i am going to keep it, then i have to have a place for it. my doc says my days of loading a kayak on the roof are over. but remember Reed with the kayak on back of the sprinter? i don't know if the kind of van i would want could do that.</font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">Reeds rig:</font></div>