Do You Try to Preserve Resale Value?

[corky52]

I spent most of yesterday helping a friend finally change the passenger seat in his van to a Captains Chair that swivels around to provide a comfortable seat when parked.  He has been contemplating changing this seat for a couple of years, but kept not doing it because it would affect the resale value of his van.  There was a fair amount of cutting and drilling, and we only did the passenger side, there is no way the van will ever look "stock" again.

Do you worry about making your equipment hard to resell?  


Corky

 

[wagoneer]

In a word ,,,,,no. The value may actually rise, can't tell you how many times people have offered to buy me out
1997-2004 7.3 diesels hold good resale values. Some will love what you done some will not. Just do it.

 

[corky52]

You echo my feelings, but I keep seeing people worry about making major changes.

We found a nice pair of seats with bases on CL for $90, hard for me to see how the van is less for the change..

Corky

 

[karl]

I own them for my enjoyment and convenience, I modify as I like.
Usually when they leave my possession- it is to the scrap yard or for parts.

 

[Almost There]

Nope, the preserving of resale value is the last thing on my list...I'll do a whole lot of preservation work so that I can drive it longer but not with the intent of selling it.

 

[Gregg]

Whenever I have a vehicle like a van, I customize it to fit my needs, usually at a high cost. I will never get out what I already have in my van. The only thing I do to protect my investment is get the vehicle appraised and then insure it for an agreed declared value. I have done the same for my RV's.

Gregg

 

[flying kurbmaster]

personally I keep the resale near the top of my mind whenever I am altering something, I try to make it look like a factory finish, like it was always there, like it is suppose to be there, safe and not outrageous. I try to source parts of the same vintage and model or at least look the part. I like to think when I finish altering something I have added value, at least that is how I go into it. If I am worried about the outcome, I keep thinking about it till I or someone else comes up with the right idea for what I want to accomplish. If I screw up then I start thinking of ways to fix it.

 

[minimotos95]

If I had a common late model American van or a sprinter I wouldn't care, but I have a rare Japanese van that was only imported 4 years and saw poor sales so I am trying not to anything crazy like cutting a hole in the roof for a vent or doing a drop floor.

Doing so is not really for resale value as I never plan on selling it, it's more that I'm trying to do my best to preserve this piece of history.I would do the same If I had any classic American van like an A100 or a pre '75 ford.

 

[compassrose]

This question is something the Rver's obsess over. They even go so far as to NEVER use the toilet or shower so as not to affect the all hallowed resale value. And for the most part, the RVs lose value far more than the owners relaize when they go to sell it. I ran into a lot of that when we were looking for an RV several years ago. Some folks think their stuff is priceless.

I often wonder if these same people skip wearing clothing so it never loses value. Anytime I see something used with a description of "just like new" I have to wonder what was wrong with it that it was not used.

My 1995 Jeep is beat to hell. At some point I will have to do some work on it to keep it running and reupholster the interior. Maybe paint the exterior (with a foam roller) but other than that, it's my daily driver. I tow it behind the bus. It's be involved in more than one wreck (non my fault). I really like my Jeep.

My 1986 Blue Bird All American Schoolbus... paid $1400 for the shell. Put under $8 into the conversion (so far). I will never sell it. David & I always said it would be the last "house" we live in. It was true for him. I expect it to be true for me.

 

[GrantRobertson]

I plan to do a professional job on the interior AND fix up the "foundation" as good as possible/reasonable. So I expect it to sell for a lot more than its original cost and/or the amount I put into it. Most of that profit will be from all the sweat equity I will have put into it. The hours it takes to do something really well is worth it to some people. This will include things like solar panels, charge controllers, batteries, etcetera AND all the time it takes to install all of it properly. Plus insulation, vents, extra security, cabinets, counters, desk, and bed. If I reverse the passenger seat, I can always put it back if the buyer wants.

Now this will NOT include all the appliances, which will be designed to be easily removable and come with me when I upgrade to an RV or schoolie. I count "appliances" to include a portable propane stove, two of those 12V compressor fridges which I will heavily insulate, a custom built composting toilet, generator, mattress, etc.

 

[SoulRaven]

I try to keep everything portable, so that I can move everything out and it will still be a stock & pristine van, usually in better shape than when I bought it.

It's not so much about resale value, because I will have probably gotten my moneys worth out of it already, but by keeping everything portable, I can easily transfer it to a new van rather than having to start over from scratch.

The ability to move your furniture in and go is called peace of mind.

 

[Seraphim]

No, I never worry about resale value.

Anything you do to modify a vehicle is subjective in value - in depends on the buyer. You may get lucky with a buyer's preference, you may not. I try to get a good price on a vehicle, and I modify it for our purposes and preferences, keeping in mind I may undo the modification later, to keep parts for another project.

Keeping the vehicle in. Good shape, documenting repairs and maintenence, are all good ideas.

Something to keep in mind is you may be responsible for any safety issues you create: modify the wiring and the next guy has a fire due to it...

I got in the habit of having buyers sign a form that they acknowledge they buying the vehicle 'as is'. Same form used car dealers have. That alleviates a lot of responsibility issues. When people question it, I tell them it prevents people from coming back and claiming I made a verbal promise about something - and it does do that. It also does more.

More trivial thoughts and info lol...

 

[Reducto]

I bought it, I do what I want with it! Holes can be patched and seats can be replaced with junkyard parts if that's what the next owner wants. There might not be another owner, or it might be a junk hauler who doesn't care what it looks like anyway.

 

[mconlonx]

Last year, I bought a '98 van which I'd describe as mechanically sound, cosmetically challenged. I've dealt with all mechanical issues as they crop up, but haven't done a thing with the cosmetics. Maybe even made it worse, as some of a really bad paint job peeled off as I tried to remove some of the PO vinyl graphics. Meh. When I sell it, I will say it has "a unique, distressed" finished. And the next vehicle I buy, I'll be looking for the same -- excellent mechanics, average looks. Dents and scratches OK. Rust, not so much.

Pristine used or new vehicles are just too precious. I'd rather buy something that someone else already ratted out, rather than fret about that first scratch/dent, or drilling into an otherwise unmarred body. In this way, I preserve the resale value...

 

[MikeRuth]

I had thought of resale for some time, but I had not modified my van for this purpose. Now that I have made the decision to use it as a camper etc. I'm not fretting over it. I'm also of the mind that I'll be keeping this van for many years to come.
As others have said I am trying to do the mods as factory looking as possible and or as professional as possible with safety in mind.
I've added the Vent now, that was a biggy to cut that hole! LOL I have made a custom battery tray that mounts to the frame rails. Some would say that was crazy and could seriously bring down resale value, to each his own. I'm confident in the design. I'm also thinking on the reverse passenger seat change, or getting a swivel if I can make the clearances work.
I have added a roof rack and that will be for the solar panels. Might incorporate a custom box as well, with the panels on top of that. Not sure yet. It's all a work in progress and resale no longer matters to me.

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

I try to keep everything portable, so that I can move everything out and it will still be a stock & pristine van, usually in better shape than when I bought it.

It's not so much about resale value, because I will have probably gotten my moneys worth out of it already, but by keeping everything portable, I can easily transfer it to a new van rather than having to start over from scratch.

The ability to move your furniture in and go is called peace of mind.

I'm in total agreement on that.  I don't plan on selling my van, but who knows.  However, I do try to keep it nice.  After all, it may be the last van I own.

 

[corky52]

In my own case I've made a longterm commitment to the van/RV and spend money to make it useable long term.  A 1982 Ford E350 base with a 460 engine is easy to get parts for and to keep running.  The main reason I bought it was the house was fiberglass honeycomb with few leak problems and a long life expectancy.  As long as the house is sound I can keep the mechanicals running if I want to.

Single biggest problem I have is the wheels and tires are 16.5 inches and that makes tires hard to find.  Long term I plan on replacing the wheels with 16 wheels, but the tires I got off a junker I bought were brand new and in essence FREE, so I will wear them out first.

I would suggest that many here could and should look at buying cheaper older units and rebuilding them over newer units that fit them less well.


Corky

 

[highdesertranger]

ha ha resale value. why would I sell my truck it's like one of a kind, built to my specifications. the only reason I would sell it is if got totaled like my last truck, then it's going to the junk yard after I have stripped everything I need. highdesertranger