Help with my Van Research

[michelle68]

[font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]I'm thinking of getting small-ish cargo van and slowly converting it for camping. I work from home and we are currently a 3-car family so I envision using it a few times a week to run local errands if all the other cars are busy. [/font]

[font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]What's important to me:[/font]

• Reasonable price, ~10K or under.
• Able to fit a wide bed, my hubby will probably stay home if the bed is too narrow. Another 
• Reliable, been reading that some brands (Fords?) are prone to high maintenance.
• Decent gas mileage, would like to get at least 15 or above.
• Larger than a standard mini-van but small enough to drive around town

If anyone has started out on a budget and found that certain brands fit this bill, I'd love to learn more. 

Thanks!!

 

[Mattkcc]

I have a 2011 Chevy Express I bought this year for $11,000. From Kansas City to Denver I averaged 21+mpg at 65mph. Going over the Rockies I got 18mpg going much slower. The newer Chevy vans get decent gas mileage in fact I get the same mileage as my 2006 Highlander with a 6cly. My Express is a 1500 and drives more like a car then a truck, I use mine for camping and don't need a one ton van.

 

[michelle68]

Thanks, I've actually started looking at the Chevy Express because it seems to be a good fit for my needs. There are a lot of Ford Econoline and Transits available in my region but I've been reading reviews from business owners who say that they have nothing but maintenance issues with Ford cargo vans. I appreciate your input!

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Almost There]

If you want a 'smallish' cargo van but under 10G then the simple answer is probably a GMC Safari/Chev Astro van.

Much larger than any other so-called 'mini-vans' on the market, reliable and easy to find parts for since there are still a ton of them on the road. Unfortunately, you'll have to go back a decade in years because the last year of production was 2005.

Depending on what hubbie considers to be a 'wide' bed, you  may not get much else in the van other than under bed storage but since it's not for full-timing it can be made to work.

Be prepared to get one that needs to have 'some' work done on it but you should still be able to bring the total purchase and initial repair bill in under budget.

 

[michelle68]

I would have never guessed to look for an Astro Van or Safari but look what I found on Craig's List:
https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/d/chevy-astro-van-with-bed-or/6639888820.html
1994 with 112k miles - with a platform bed already built! I wonder if this would be a good "starter" van to see how we feel about camping in a van.

 

[michelle68]

I think my husband is going to stay no to this - I'm thinking it's maybe a little too ancient myself (and too small)  :dodgy:

 

[Almost There]

Personally, I'd look for something a bit newer but unless you go to a full size cargo van like the Chev Express/GMC Savana/Ford Econoline you're not going to find anything larger than the Safari/Astro in the 'mini van' classification.

The Astro/Safari is the largest of the mini-vans by far in terms of interior space and headroom.

 

[Riverman]

I would search for a newer Chevy full-size van, say around a 2005 and up. They hardly ever give any trouble, parts are available every where you travel, and a full-size van has so much more room that you will like.