Hello from Prince William Sound Alaska

[alaskabear99687]

Howdy everyone, I was just getting my first registration and all that. it told me to verify my email and comeback here enter y login and an activation code but there was no place to enter the code?? Hopefully its ok as Im  making a posting LOL.

I am kinda in the same shoes as many are n the fact that my wife and I have been planning for the last couple years to retire early and start traveling but about 14 months ago we split and now next week the divorce will be final (giving up 50% of everything) and on top of that I have just lost my job of 17 years and one final pound of salt and gallon of lemon juice I have been diagnosed with "Charcot foot" a degenerative bone disease so cannot work like I used to or trained as. BUT I am not telling you this as a sob story just as an interdiction to Hello and Im gonna be picking your brains in an attempt to start my new life since my old one has died an very painful death. 

Anywho, the first thing I have done is decided I will be going with either a chevy or ford van similar to Bob's because I just want to keep it simple and cheap. The next step is trying to purchase something like that in Alaska is a lost cause as it will be super expensive and then I would have to drive it south plus reno it with expensive Alaskan supplies 

SO what I need from the forum is some input on where in this great country of ours is the better place to find good quality used vans without breaking the bank I don't have? I have been using craigs list but the sheer number of them makes it interesting so any help on narrowing it down will be helpful. Thanks and more brain picking to come later.

 

[Moxadox]

Howdy AKBear, sorry to hear things have *ahem* gone south for you. Hope life starts looking up for you, but not necessarily map North, not at this time of year in a van, anyway. So here are my first thoughts:

--No rust. You definitely want to get a van that's been kept in a rust-free place, like Arizona for instance, but especially southern AZ because they do have snow in northern AZ. These vans will run for decades, but rust takes them off the road quicker than anything.

--Be sure to run a Carfax on any used vehicle whatsoever, because flooded vehicles from the hurricanes are flooding the market. They rip out the guts so it looks great, but underneath there's electrical damage and mold.

--Before buying out of state, be sure you know how you're going to register and title it in AK. I just bought a truck in ID and had to register it in North Carolina (I'm physically in CO while doing this). What a nightmare.

And that's about all I know for the present. I'm sure others will chime in!

Oh, and: if you come across a 4x4 van, grab it! I just came off 3 years in a 4x4 van. Had more fun than was legal.

The Dire Wolfess

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums alaskabear! Everything is okay with your registration because you're here! Good luck with your van search and the start of your new life.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[AMGS3]

Hello and welcome to the forum AlaskaBear.

Mox is right, avoiding rust is key to finding a vehicle that runs forever.

Here's a link to a Wikipedia page about states that use salt on the roads. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Belt

Not purchasing a used vehicle from these states will help you avoid older vehicles that have severe rust problems. I'm from MN and finding a used rust free vehicle that's always been titled in this state is impossible. I drive a 99 Ram that, when asked about the color, I describe as "more rust than anything else." It's spent it's life in Wisconsin and Minnesota and you can tell. About a quarter of the rear bumper has crumbled away.

I have a cousin who owned a used car lot and swore by used cars from Arkansas and Kansas car auctions because they were usually not driven in salt slush in the winter and not usually affected by flooding. You still have to do your homework on each potential purchase, but cutting out the rust producing states will cut down on a lot of the potential rust buckets.

~angie

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

 

[alaskabear99687]

Howdy AKBear, sorry to hear things have *ahem* gone south for you.  Hope life starts looking up for you, but not necessarily map North, not at this time of year in a van, anyway.  So here are my first thoughts:

--No rust.  You definitely want to get a van that's been kept in a rust-free place, like Arizona for instance, but especially southern AZ because they do have snow in northern AZ.  These vans will run for decades, but rust takes them off the road quicker than anything.

--Be sure to run a Carfax on any used vehicle whatsoever, because flooded vehicles from the hurricanes are flooding the market.  They rip out the guts so it looks great, but underneath there's electrical damage and mold.

--Before buying out of state, be sure you know how you're going to register and title it in AK.  I just bought a truck in ID and had to register it in North Carolina (I'm physically in CO while doing this).  What a nightmare.  

And that's about all I know for the present.  I'm sure others will chime in!

Oh, and: if you come across a 4x4 van, grab it!  I just came off 3 years in a 4x4 van.  Had more fun than was legal.

The Dire Wolfess

Thank you for the input, I wouldn't have thought about the north/south AZ differences.

 

[crofter]

Welcome and Howdy from the lower 48!

From one who's done it, I have to say that finding a great van is not that difficult. Look for used fleet vans that are being sold off.  Some have low miles and still warranty. I found mine online where there were a few to choose from after I got there to see all the dings up close.  Thee are lots of helps on here, and inspiration with the videos.  Best     ~crofter