Chevy van is it a good buy?

[Grim Beret]

hi I looked at a Chevy high top van it drove smooth had a lot of power there's no rust on the bottom the engine looks pretty normal they want $9,000 for it it is a 2009 but it has  222,000 miles on it. Is it worth getting that this is my first van and I'm also new to car buying! Does anyone have any advice or thoughts on the subject? thank you

 

[Ballenxj]

222,000 miles seems like a lot for a 2009. That's over 24k per year. Did they use it to travel? If so, then probably mostly highway miles, and maybe not as bad as it sounds.
One thing to keep in mind, you may be looking at the transmission going soon with that many miles. Of course that might depend on maintenance as well.
IMO, you're rolling the dice at that mileage. Do they have maintenance records? Any major repairs? Regular oil change and tune ups?

 

[John61CT]

Lotta money

adding a third party hightop can be $2500+, but still. . .

 

[Grim Beret]

I don't know any answers to those questions however the seats look great which tells me that it was probably highway miles I test drove it and it was pretty nice it seems to shift okay I was thinking a high top cost about 4000 to install so it's really about a $5,000 van I will keep those questions in mind when I go see the guy about the van tomorrow thank you

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[cortttt]

I don't know any answers to those questions however the seats look great which tells me that it was probably highway miles I test drove it and it was pretty nice it seems to shift okay I was thinking a high top cost about 4000 to install so it's really about a $5,000 van I will keep those questions in mind when I go see the guy about the van tomorrow thank you

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A good mechanic should tell you all you need to know

 

[BigT]

Is the van in California??  That's an SF Bay Area price!   :s  
No way would I pay $9,000 for a van with over 200,000 miles on it, no matter what year it was!  Yikes!  

But that's just me.

Shop around.  You should be able to find a high-top install for less than $4,000.

 

[ArmorAbby]

Agreed, in regards to getting high tops cheaper.... or if low-budget like me and others DIY PMF high top for a couple hundred.

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[Grim Beret]

No, Kansas city, MO! I've been looking at vans for over 6 months and none of them are far from 200,000 miles in my price range! $9000. Is the highest I'll go. I almost fell for a scam last time $1500 for a nice Chinook style. I'm running out of time I don't have much choice I'll keep your thoughts in mind I'm gonna tell the dealer what you said ha ha Thanks a lot!

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[Minivanmotoman]

FYI, low miles, cheaper price, rust free.
Worth flying in for?
Dealers are more expensive, shop Craig's, verify by a mechanic, don't be in a hurry cause you might regret, research online how to buy a used car.
Someone had a good post here on that.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/rvs/d/class-coachman-21ft-loaded/6431286849.html

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/d/chevy-passenger-van/6468764231.html

 

[Minivanmotoman]

Here ya go. Drive a little, save a lot.
Low miles 128k, hitop for $3500.
Get inspected by a mechanic, if good, you're off to the races.

https://quincy.craigslist.org/cto/d/2006-ford-350-cargo-van-tall/6456059229.html

 

[ZoNiE]

That's a lot of miles for any vehicle that you may be relying on as sole transportation that you may use to take you far from civilization...
That said, it all depends on the maintenance records.

 

[Riverman]

I'd sure buy one without any rust.

 

[BigT]

No way would I pay $9,000 for a van with over 200,000 miles on it, no matter what year it was!  Yikes!  

I wanted to edit / clarify this statement, but I waiting too long.  

I wouldn't buy any van with 200,000+ miles on it for any price, and esp. not for $9,000.00.  
(you can bet the seller wanted to ask $10,000 for it but knew the 5-digits would scare away buyers) 

By the time you pay DMV tax, reg, title, etc.  You're into it for more than $10,000, unless you can get the seller to fib on the bill of sale and say you only paid 50 bucks for it.  

Too many things can and likely will start to fail on a vehicle with that many miles on, and that's likely why it's for sale.  

Again, just my $0.02

 

[steamjam1]

Yikes. My '86 hightop class B RV was lass then half that price with less then 100K on the clock!

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

Here ya go. Drive a little, save a lot.
Low miles 128k, hitop for $3500.
Get inspected by a mechanic, if good, you're off to the races.

https://quincy.craigslist.org/cto/d/2006-ford-350-cargo-van-tall/6456059229.html

That would fit my budget perfectly but can't do it now as I'm on an island and can't look at it and have no place to park it on the mainland. I hope I run into something like that in a few months when I am ready.