First of all, I didn't have to "search and search" because I used magic to bring the van to me. (I've explained that in the "My van ... White Cloud" link at the bottom.) I'll never forget the first time I saw it, rolling down Cooper Street, right by the Walgreens parking lot I was standing in. I only had one thought: "That's my van! I want that!" I was running toward it, frantically waving both arms high in the air. The driver had to stop at the corner because the light turned red, and by golly, he saw me.
I wanted the van to have a serious "issue" or two, to bring the price way down, and it definitely did. Not only was the inside totally trashed out (and being used to haul trash), but he had also cut the back wall out from floor to ceiling to be able to haul away tall items (which had resulted in the side windows being smashed out as well). So even though he had rebuilt both the engine and the transmission, and recently put on four new tires, he sold it to me for only $2,400. ONE HECK OF A DEAL!!! Perfect for me. Perfect for him.
So you only need to decide what "terrible" issues you'd like to deal with, and watch for them. It sure worked for me! You can see in the image of my van on the left, that I replaced the back wall with plywood painted white. I screwed those back doors permanently shut since there is nothing for them to latch to. And I replaced the windows with dark plexiglass from Amazon. The plexiglass -- in addition to being cheap -- was a dream to work with because it was easy to cut the rounded corners exactly right with a hand-held jigsaw. (You could never do that with glass.)
I'm on a fixed income too. If he had demanded more than $2,400, I'd have been out of luck with no way to come up with the money.
I also built it out myself slowly. I could have done a better job had I not been forced to move into it as soon as I got it, with no place to use as my "workshop" other than the van itself! (I won't go into how hard THAT was to deal with. I'll just say there are a few bad memories there I'd rather forget.)
Drive it only to nearby locations the first few weeks, trying things out while you learn what you need, save up some money, and make friends with a talented and honest mechanic who can make sure the transmission and motor won't die when you do take off.
I'm 75 years old and know EXACTLY what you are talking about, and yes, the back pain tends to be the worst. And I've become so weak now, that I use this pulley system to lift water and propane in and out of the van. My point is this: You are not alone. Don't ever think you are. Getting old isn't fun, but we all do it successfully.
Then "Get the heck out of Dodge!" Watch how this guy built his empty van into a comfortable home in just one day, WITHOUT EVEN A SINGLE POWER TOOL!
Bob Wells suggested offering a neighbor $100 a month to park in their driveway. If you do that, you can take the money you've been sinking into that "hell hole apartment" and invest it all in van improvements, making your new home ever more cozy.
