How did you get your van?

[dragonstar85]

I’m in the processing of looking at used vans and was wondering how you all found your vans? At the moment I’ve been browsing local newspaper (tiny town so rare chance but worth a shot), Facebook, Craigslist, and copart.com but figured there’s most likely other places to look online or elsewhere. Any suggestions would be awesome. I’m looking at every type of van out there so that’s not really important. Thank you for reading and any input.

 

[sub2rainEN]

To keep from driving myself nuts, I limited my searches to a few quality RV brands. I’m not physically able to do a build myself now, so I wanted something with all the basics already done. I narrowed it to a 26’ or preferably less Lazy Daze, an Airstream B190 van, and some models of Winnebago Class Cs.

I had a few fall through. I nearly got a Falcon similar to the B190, but my funds were in the mail and someone else had cash on hand. I ended up with a B190. This was basically my first choice, although I don’t like driver side or folding beds. I liked that they have ovens. Ironically, I ended up with one without the oven, but there is room for it and seems a simple DIY. I vacillated because I thought a C would feel more like home and have much more storage. Yet, I was drawn to a van because of the easy parking and not wanting to go from a Kia Soul to a 26’ RV!

Anyway, I found my B via the B190 Enthusiasts website. The seller had gone through hell with flaky CL people, until he happened to run into someone with another B190 who directed him there. You don’t have to be a member to view posts. They have pre-populated Craigslist searches and links to useful sites, like one that aggregates listings for all Ford vans. If you prefer Chevy or Dodge, I’m sure there are similar sites.

I also made Craigslist searches for my preferred vehicles and locations I was willing to travel to. For me, it helped to narrow down my search in these ways. There is just so much out there and I really wanted something quality, since I can’t do the build or many repairs or updates. If you think about what few things are important to you — year, mileage, make, engine, size, price, blank slate, high top — you can narrow your search, while still having good options. I feel like I found the right rig and at half the cost of others, even in expensive CA. I’d been willing to buy one on the other side of the country for the same price a month earlier. It felt lucky that the one I bought came up just after that deal fell through and I had cash on hand.

You never know when someone wants to get rid of just the van you’re looking for. Check estate sales, rental car companies, local governments, auctions, and other companies/organizations with fleet vehicles. From watching Bob’s and others’ tour videos, there are so many ways to find a good van.

Good luck!


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[dragonstar85]

I originally was going to go with a rv but for similar reasons like you, easy parking, I have a Nissan Sentra (even though I have drove a semi once or twice and learned to drive in a larger truck I know I got use to smaller cars. Last car was a small Saturn sooooo I rather work my way up again. Lol) plus I plan on working as a travel so a van seemed so much more practical in the long run to get to work until down the road when a rv and a tiny car/motorcycle towing being behind the rv becomes more practical (once I get on the road and start saving up for it. I pretty much know it’ll be another decade before I could even think of a rv with a small vehicle towed behind in this area with the pay rate and cost of living).
I’m not really loyal to one brand of vehicle (ok ok ok so I became part of the Saturn cult following especially the pre-2001’s and Buicks are pretty tough cars. My poor Buick went threw Hell and back many times with me and my abuse towards it but that car held up strong lol!) so I’ll take a look at any brand. I’ll give those listings a look.
Thank you for the ideas and the well thought out post. It gave me few more ideas of where to look. At the moment I’m looking around for a idea price range and once the little bit of debt I have left (only few hundred to go! Phew!) I’m taking every spare penny I have and going over my budget with a fine tooth comb to save up for a van.

 

[ratfink56]

In my case I was scouring the internet and the local used car lots. Went to look at a van in my town and drove past the one I ended up buying. It was on consignment at a pawn shop. Had been sitting there for a year because it's so ugly. Rusty roof and flaking paint. But only 101k miles and ex U.S. Government vehicle. Mechanically excellent. Seller wanted $3500. I offered $1500 and he couldn't say yes fast enough.

 

[MrNoodly]

I searched the entire Southeast. AutoTrader, TruckTrader, Cars.com, CraigsList, specific Google searches, U-Haul, all the local used commercial vehicle lots, on and on... I finally found it on CraigsList. A small business was downsizing their fleet.

 

[jacks18614]

Try autotrader, KBB, Edmonds, car fax dot com

 

[wmyers4u]

Mostly avoided the usual local sources. People around Knoxville TN think used vehicles are made of gold or platinum or something.

Ended up purchasing a 2006 Chevy Express cutaway on eBay with 125k miles. It was a Verizon fleet vehicle (fleet maintenance). I've only had it since 3/10 and am currently planning my build but I am satisfied with the vehicle and couldn't beat the price anywhere in my local market.

 

[dragonstar85]

In my case I was scouring the internet and the local used car lots. Went to look at a van in my town and drove past the one I ended up buying. It was on consignment at a pawn shop. Had been sitting there for a year because it's so ugly. Rusty roof and flaking paint. But only 101k miles and ex U.S. Government vehicle. Mechanically excellent. Seller wanted $3500. I offered $1500 and he couldn't say yes fast enough.

Sometimes you find the best things at the most random time and places. I’ll be keeping my eyes open even in the unlikeliest places then. I wouldn’t mind if the body needed a little cosmetic repairs. Thank you!

I searched the entire Southeast. AutoTrader, TruckTrader, Cars.com, CraigsList, specific Google searches, U-Haul, all the local used commercial vehicle lots, on and on... I finally found it on CraigsList. A small business was downsizing their fleet.

I didn’t even think about those places! Thank you! I’ll check them out.

Try autotrader, KBB, Edmonds, car fax dot com

I definitely will! Thank you!

Mostly avoided the usual local sources. People around Knoxville TN think used vehicles are made of gold or platinum or something.

Ended up purchasing a 2006 Chevy Express cutaway on eBay with 125k miles. It was a Verizon fleet vehicle (fleet maintenance). I've only had it since 3/10 and am currently planning my build but I am satisfied with the vehicle and couldn't beat the price anywhere in my local market.

I feel ya! In my area it seems people feel the same. I seen a vehicle that had no engine that wasn’t a classic or anything special like that for the asking price of $5000 here once. Claim that the body was “perfect.” It had rust on the bottom sides..... I promptly sent the ad to my Dad so he could share in my shock and ow. Lol!
I’ll peeking around ebay. Thank you!


Thanks guys! You all gave me way more places and ideas to go to than I thought I would get. ??

 

[eDJ_]

I saw mine sitting in front of an Automotive Machine & Parts Business.  The Business had a sign stating it was going to go out of business at the end of the month.  So I went in and the counter clerk was a guy I had known from another parts place where I bought parts for my much older Van.  He was glad to see me again and after we spoke a bit he asked me about my Van.  I told him what brought me in was to ask about the white E 350 high top sitting out front.  Could I afford it etc.

So he tells me he will ask his boss and for me to stop back in in a couple of days.

Fast Forward!  He says the boss wants "X$" for it and I figure I can do that.  I ask if we can look at it cause it's dead in the shop.  So we go out and he tells me the story.  Low mileage, solid vehicle.  He suggest the boss really shouldn't have bought it in the first place cause there wasn't that much  use for it.  Says the boss needs to use it to haul a bunch of blocks, cranks, heads etc to another shop who bought that stuff out.  Then if I want it,  I can pick it up.  The shop was 300 miles away so I figured if it is going to haul that load there and make it back it would work for me.  I figured that since he had purchased it new,  his accountant had written it off the books over 5 years as "capital equipment".   (so anything he could sell it for was a windfall)

That's how I got mine.  Recently I drove it to Paducah, KY and back averaging 65 mph and it ran like new.

So remember this.....keep your eyes open and don't be in a big rush to buy the first rig you see.  If you are still living at home,  consider getting to know some of the guys on the Trash Collection Trucks. (ask them to be on the look out for what you are looking for....these guys can find anything for ya !


This photo is of a later model than mine but is about what my rig looks like:

 

[closeanuf]

This is probably the worst time of year to be looking for any used vehicle.  People are getting income tax refund money and buying everything in site.  When I was selling used cars we lived for tax refund season.  Add to that the fact people start thinking about summer vacation this time of year so anyone selling thinks their stuff is gold.  It's a yearly cycle.

 

[eDJ_]

Agreed.   Usually August, October, November, and December on "used" vehicles.

People are trying to sell their used vehicles in these months to get down payment money for a "deal" on a new car.   By not  playing the "Trade In" game you'll generally get a much better price offer.   New cars are beginning to show up as early as August-September so those wanting a new model will try to find a buyer for their old rig.

Remember,  if you buy a 2019 in August of 2018....it will be a 2019 model for 17 months.  If the vehicle is used in
business as "capital equipment" (and 1/5 of it is depreciated/written off the books for 5 years)  it may get a years depreciation in the first year with only 5 months of use.  (depending on the accountant)  So at the end of the last year of deprecation it may be sold in July so a deal can be found on a new one right off the Truck and this cycle repeated.   That is if the vehicle is depreciated instead of writing off the fuel it uses.  Businesses have those two options. 

So if you know someone who works for a supply company where they deliver using Vans,  you may find a deal on a write off Van with reasonable mileage on it.

 

[MotorVation]

This is what I posted on Facebook during my search. It was getting frustrating at this point:


Craigslist van ad decoding for dummies:

Work van: Don't bother to read further
Doesn't mention AC: AC doesn't work
Doesn't mention mileage: Has well over 200,000 miles on it
AC needs to be charged: AC needs expansion valve or compressor or both
Needs tuneup: Skipped timing, needs intake manifold/plenum gasket, needs ECU, sensors, stripped spark plug threads or any number of dastardly expensive problems
Needs alignment: Needs front end rebuilt
Selling for grandfather: All or any of the above plus dry rotted tires and smells like egg farts

I did eventually find my van on Craigslist for a reasonable price

 

[sub2rainEN]

My van is essentially an E350 Club wagon with a high top and RV guts added. My friend’s wife said we should have told her that, it’s the van every florist uses (she worked for a florist before she got married).

I’m glad so many people had ideas about how businesses buy and sell vehicles. If you’re looking for a blank slate, I’m sure there are plenty. I often see work vans for people upgrading or going out of business on CL. They often have shelves or racks, so they weren’t for me. But if you can put in the sweat equity, there are countless options.


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[tx2sturgis]

A local fleet re-seller had a stock of nice, well-maintained, fleet vans and trucks.

Many of these places also sell regular new and used cars and trucks...you can also find some of these dealers on www.commercialtrucktrader.com

 

[dragonstar85]

I saw mine sitting in front of an Automotive Machine & Parts Business.  The Business had a sign stating it was going to go out of business at the end of the month.  So I went in and the counter clerk was a guy I had known from another parts place where I bought parts for my much older Van.  He was glad to see me again and after we spoke a bit he asked me about my Van.  I told him what brought me in was to ask about the white E 350 high top sitting out front.  Could I afford it etc.

So he tells me he will ask his boss and for me to stop back in in a couple of days.

Fast Forward!  He says the boss wants "X$" for it and I figure I can do that.  I ask if we can look at it cause it's dead in the shop.  So we go out and he tells me the story.  Low mileage, solid vehicle.  He suggest the boss really shouldn't have bought it in the first place cause there wasn't that much  use for it.  Says the boss needs to use it to haul a bunch of blocks, cranks, heads etc to another shop who bought that stuff out.  Then if I want it,  I can pick it up.  The shop was 300 miles away so I figured if it is going to haul that load there and make it back it would work for me.  I figured that since he had purchased it new,  his accountant had written it off the books over 5 years as "capital equipment".   (so anything he could sell it for was a windfall)

That's how I got mine.  Recently I drove it to Paducah, KY and back averaging 65 mph and it ran like new.

So remember this.....keep your eyes open and don't be in a big rush to buy the first rig you see.  If you are still living at home,  consider getting to know some of the guys on the Trash Collection Trucks. (ask them to be on the look out for what you are looking for....these guys can find anything for ya !


This photo is of a later model than mine but is about what my rig looks like:

Nice! I’m not into much hurry at the moment. I figure just keep my eyes open just case a good deal comes along. Mostly I’m seeing places to look while I’m saving up and seeing the types of vans to choose from. 

This is probably the worst time of year to be looking for any used vehicle.  People are getting income tax refund money and buying everything in site.  When I was selling used cars we lived for tax refund season.  Add to that the fact people start thinking about summer vacation this time of year so anyone selling thinks their stuff is gold.  It's a yearly cycle.

I didn’t think about that. But a very good point. I’m still saving up but I figured start looking now so I can get a good idea what I’m doing and looking for.

This is what I posted on Facebook during my search. It was getting frustrating at this point:


Craigslist van ad decoding for dummies:

Work van: Don't bother to read further
Doesn't mention AC: AC doesn't work
Doesn't mention mileage: Has well over 200,000 miles on it
AC needs to be charged: AC needs expansion valve or compressor or both
Needs tuneup: Skipped timing, needs intake manifold/plenum gasket, needs ECU, sensors, stripped spark plug threads or any number of dastardly expensive problems
Needs alignment: Needs front end rebuilt
Selling for grandfather: All or any of the above plus dry rotted tires and smells like egg farts

I did eventually find my van on Craigslist for a reasonable price

LOL! That’s hilarious! I feel like that’s how it was when I was looking for my car. I only wanted the car for a handful of years so when a friend was moving south she didn’t need two cars and start out told me the car is a typical Northern Michigan case of rusty but trusty. She was very right in saying that. Car has only rusted more but it keeps going despite it sounding like it doesn’t want to go on much more. Lol

My van is essentially an E350 Club wagon with a high top and RV guts added. My friend’s wife said we should have told her that, it’s the van every florist uses (she worked for a florist before she got married).

I’m glad so many people had ideas about how businesses buy and sell vehicles. If you’re looking for a blank slate, I’m sure there are plenty. I often see work vans for people upgrading or going out of business on CL. They often have shelves or racks, so they weren’t for me. But if you can put in the sweat equity, there are countless options.


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If it has a blank inside, awesome. If I find one with shelves and all that I’ll be willing to remove them. I got lucky in I have family who have all kinds of different tools that they borrow out.

A local fleet re-seller had a stock of nice, well-maintained, fleet vans and trucks.

Many of these places also sell regular new and used cars and trucks...you can also find some of these dealers on www.commercialtrucktrader.com

I’ll take a look! Man I’m so glad I asked here. So many sites I didn’t even think about.

 

[sub2rainEN]

This thread has me looking forward to the day when I can either gut mine or build from scratch. I bought it partly to save on expenses so I can afford aquatic therapy. Hard to get with insurance and then only 2 visits/week.

Once I’m strong again, I’d love to DIY my van (full overhead bunk, stairs would be awesome, height wasted in rear) or build a tiny home on a class C chassis.


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[dragonstar85]

That sounds like a awesome idea! And I’m glad it has you looking forward to it. ?

 

[sub2rainEN]

I’m always amazed at the ingenuity of self builds. It’s really inspiring.


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[dragonstar85]

I love reading and watching videos of people doing that. It’s the part of YouTube that’s a rabbit hole for me. Lol But so many awesome ideas you can get from watching and reading about other’s builds.

 

[frater secessus]

I am a big fan of letting computers do the work they are good at.   The thing that paid off for me the most: 

1. several carefully constructed craigslist searches (inclusions, exclusions). 
2. I collected the RSS feeds for the searches (lower right corner of any CL search page).
3. and used an RSS reader to read them as they came in.  The RSS reader keeps you from looking at the same listing over and over.

As Chef Tell used to say, "Very simble, very easy" once you set it up.  It's on autopilot.