High mileage, how much is to much?

alaskabear99687 · Oct 31, 2018

I was able to find a couple older posts but now having issues trying to delete this one. Todays Monday right?
:huh:
I am in the process of finding a vehicle to get things moving. Right now I am looking at 2-5 months reality since I am in Alaska and don't want to purchase here then drive thru Canada to the lower 48. I plan on researching a vehicle down there (probably Arizona area) but as I am looking at vans and trying to narrow things down I noticed there are a great many newer vans that have 100/150 thousand miles and that just seems like a lot for me to start off with.

We can even keep this to the Chevy/GMC cargo style vans. I am also looking at the mini van market but finding they seem to be as much as the larger vans as far as $$ goes for a little bit of fuel savings.

Anyway, thanks for any input and if this is a repeat thread Im sorry. I did a search and didn't find one.

Van-Tramp · Oct 31, 2018

Back many decades ago 150k was a full life of a gas engine. That just isn't true anymore. Especially for newer engines (1990+) which can go many more hundred Ks.

It all comes down to how well maintained the engine was during those miles. Frequent oil changes and servicing of parts as they need will keep an engine going for a long time. Neglect will kill it in no time at all.

I believe it is better to have an engine with 100k on it than an old motor with only a few. If the engine doesn't run some miles it corrodes quickly. You don't want to get a low mileage van that has been sitting in a field for a decade.

John61CT · Oct 31, 2018

And with GMC Chevy, even a new / reco motor is not crazy expensive, you'll be able to keep getting parts cheap for decades.

If you don't wrench yourself, easy to find experienced mechanics.

QinReno · Oct 31, 2018

Hello Bear, if you get to the Quartzsite area this winter, the entire town will be full of every type of RV imaginable, and you can have fun looking around. Also, Phoenix is huge and will no doubt have many vans for sale. If you go to cargurus.com, you can easily search for Chevy and GMC vans for every price range and mileage, and compare everything.
- https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...SelectingHelper.selectedEntity=d115&zip=85001

Minivanmotoman · Oct 31, 2018

Craigslist to comparison shop.
100-150k miles can be midlife for the GM V8.
Should easily do 250-300k with maintenance and if it wasn't abused. Govt auctions is another good place to buy. But if your going for this mileage, better be a cheap price, newer van. The longer and more patient you are, better your chances of finding a deal. Study the market and you will know when the right price mileage deal comes up. Phoenix are rust free rigs but the sun does beat the paint and interior. Check tires for cracks or dry rot, will need to be replaced.
These are as good as it gets reliability wise and maintenance is reasonable with ample supply of parts.
As for mileage, big question is how much will you be doing? If you are going to be doing 20k+ miles per year consistently, get a newer lower mileage unit of less than 100k. If you're doing less than 10k per year, save money by buying a unit with 100-150k miles and it will last for years. That is another important consideration.

John61CT · Nov 4, 2018

If you save $5K set it aside so you're ready when a pricey work needs doing.

In the end at 300K, may have cost as much as the lower-mileage, but now you've got know-good reliability on the major components, maybe even upgraded.