How much did your van cost?

[Madpeep]

I'm having trouble finding a "good" van to start off with. Maybe I'm not looking at the right price range. How much did you spend purchasing your current or most recent van? Cash and trade-ins can be added. For example: $6k cash and a $2k trade in can be $8k in the poll.

I figured I'd buy a van for $3k or less and then spend another $1-2k in maintenance. I'll still have some left for modifications. Am I delusional?

 

[jaxtonsgram]

We found our van on craigslist. We bought it to use for our son in a wheelchair so it has a lift which usually increases the cost. It is a 2006 dodge extended hightop. We paid 5000 3 years ago. It did have about 150000 miles. We've been lucky and have only put a couple hundred for maintenance. It had been part of a business that transported people. For once we got lucky. I'm hoping to be able to use this in hopefully 2 years. 
Good luck to you, nora

 

[Mobilesport]

I have way way way more then its worth .
Probably about $25000 cash
And a additional $25, 000 worth of time/ labor.
I bought the initial van , in 2009  it was a 1996 chevrolet Express hightop conversion van , I paid $3000 for the van and a additional $22000 in parts , accessories and gear , new engine install and repairs of different sorts

 

[accrete]

We bought our Chevy AWD cargo van new in 2010 for ~27K. Stock, bare bones, but included an up fitter's allowance and we had the Fiberine 24" top put on and included in a Zero % 60mo financing from GMAC. Over the next five years we would put in another ~15K in mods all paid with cash.

Thom

 

[Mobilesport]

We bought our Chevy AWD cargo van new in 2010 for ~27K. Stock, bare bones, but included an up fitter's allowance and we had the Fiberine 24" top put on and included in a Zero % 60mo financing from GMAC. Over the next five years we would put in another ~15K in mods all paid with cash.

Thom

@Eccrete
Can you give a rough estimate of the amount of time you have in your mods or did you hire people to do them?
I remember seeing your van online a few years back , I think I followed a very long build thread for it too , nice van you have there.

 

[accrete]

...Can you give a rough estimate of the amount of time you have in your mods or did you hire people to do them?
I remember seeing your van online a few years back , I think I followed a very long build thread for it too , nice van you have there.

Greetings and THX for the VanKudos : ) OK..here goes...

Yes it's been around for a few years over at the "Sportsmobile Forum" in the DIY/Homebuild section. Nice group of peeps and invaluable info for any wishing to build. For curious minds our build thread is _at this link_.

OK, so great Q on the build process/time line. I'm winging this from memory, could be off a few months here and there but here goes:

1) October 2010 Stock van purchase from fleet dealer after they had the unit transferred from an out of state chevy dealer inventory (i found it online and asked the fleet manager to get it here : ).

2) November 2010 Delivered van to Van Specialties in Portland Oregon to have them install the Fiberine 24" Bubble Top/Roof Vent/Fiamma F45/Front Passenger Swivel. These were all included in the purchase price as GM was running a year end special with up fitting items and the Zero% loan i mentioned.

3) December 2010 DIY: Installed interior insulation (my wife and i... guys, have your spouse wear a shower cap... 3m77 adhesive spray is a mess!)

4) January 2011 DIY: Installed platform bed, Froli Sleep System, upper storage compartments, Fender Flairs/Mud Flaps, 3m DiCore Carbon Fiber hood wrap (PITA !!! will never do that one again!)

5) ~~~ First trip ~~~ ? April 2011. All systems worked as planned/designed.

6) 2013 Feb/March: Took van back to Van Specialties to have them give interior a facelift. We purposely did the interior in a DIY manner to test ideas. We had them do the following; 1) Drop Headliner/LED lighting, 2) Build platform bed with side closet and "Bathroom Closet". This is how van sits to this day. All is working well for our needs.

7) 2015 March Had a local shop install the Boulder Off Road lift kit and went to slightly oversized tires at 265/70/r17 < easier to come by as they are stock size for most chevy pick ups.

8) 2016 January Ordered custom Aluminess bumpers through Van Specialties (local dealer for Aluminess) and the installed the bumpers in April 2016. Bumpers included a rear swing away box that would be used as a "Chuck box". This is working great and is everything we'd hoped for in an easy camp kitchen. Even in the most inclement weather situations we've enjoyed preparing/cooking our meals outside.

9) April 2016 Sold Fiamma F45 Awning. < < A great well made item, we just believed sooner or later, in our predominantly windy areas that it might not be able to handle the crazy winds.

10) May 2016 Local fabricator on Oregon Coast (Western Fabrication) that is well known for building beautiful one-of-a-kind private and commercial aluminum fishing boats...I'd known him for ~20 years and believed he could easily fabricate a simple aluminum rail we could lash any of our camp tarps to. We are please with the result and the combination should hold up to any wind/weather we might find ourselves in.

...June 2016... ? We are enjoying the van as it sits and are not actively dreaming/scheming any further tweaks/mods : )

 

[GotSmart]

Ny van cost me $500.00.  I have another $3,500 or so into it, plus labor.  At shop rates,  another $6,000.  

This includes a complete solar / electrical system, and a replacement of the brake system, steering, rebuilding suspension, tires.  Instal of motor / AT.  Recently I have reskinned and rebuilt the interior, and I am hanging the shelves tomorrow.  

So $10K for something that has a market value of about $2,500.     

I Did It MYYYY WAYYYYY!!!!  

 

[lterry]

I bought mine for $2500 last October, and I've put about $200 in it so far. I figure that I'll eventually put way more into it than it's worth but I'm fine with that. The way I figure it, the "worth" should have more to do with how much I actually value it, not what some book says its value is. So as long as my van is worth enough to me, I'll put money into it.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

So $10K for something that has a market value of about $2,500.     

I Did It MYYYY WAYYYYY!!!!  

I don't know if you saw it or not, but over in another thread, Almost There mentioned that she had negotiated an "Agreed Value" insurance policy with her company to cover what her van  - with mods like the high top she had installed - was ACTUALLY worth, rather than the "blue book" value.

It would be nice, in the event the vehicle was stolen or wrecked, to actually be reimbursed for what it's worth.

I'm interested in this because I just dropped $3500 on a winch bumper and electric winch for my 4x4 pickup, and will be dropping another $2500 into a shell for the back. 

Didn't mean to hijack this thread, if there's any interest in this, perhaps the mods can split it off into it's own thread . . .

 

[steamjam1]

I'm having trouble finding a "good" van to start off with. Maybe I'm not looking at the right price range. How much did you spend purchasing your current or most recent van? Cash and trade-ins can be added. For example: $6k cash and a $2k trade in can be $8k in the poll.

I figured I'd buy a van for $3k or less and then spend another $1-2k in maintenance. I'll still have some left for modifications. Am I delusional?

I paid $800 for my shorty back in 2012. I then spent about $1000 to get it ready for van dwelling (New tires, brakes, solar, small parts and interior install) Then another $1200 to convert it to 4x4 a few years later.

 

[Wanderer]

I bought mine as as a custom van and did laugh when I found out the original buyer paid 18K....I paid 3 K

But have had it 4 years now and...well, it's time to look for another one....Prefer a cargo as I can build it out....

 

[GotSmart]

I don't know if you saw it or not, but over in another thread, Almost There mentioned that she had negotiated an "Agreed Value" insurance policy with her company to cover what her van  - with mods like the high top she had installed - was ACTUALLY worth, rather than the "blue book" value.

It would be nice, in the event the vehicle was stolen or wrecked, to actually be reimbursed for what it's worth.

I'm interested in this because I just dropped $3500 on a winch bumper and electric winch for my 4x4 pickup, and will be dropping another $2500 into a shell for the back. 

Didn't mean to hijack this thread, if there's any interest in this, perhaps the mods can split it off into it's own thread . . .

Keep the receipts.  Aftermarket items can be covered.  I had a TA where I even was reimbursed for my tires with 2 1/2 miles on them.

The new "custom Chevy High tops" are now about $70K

 

[BigT]

I paid $16,000 for my 2010 Transit Connect.  At the time it was 4 years old & had 50,000 miles on it.  

The interior & add-ons, which include solar, toilet, bed, built-in tables, solar shower, carpet, window coverings, water, etc. I built myself for less than $2,500.  

 

[GrayWhale]

Well if the transmission takes a dump, then that's $2000 right there. And more money to fix whatever else needs fixing.

Your best bet is to get it checked out by a mechanic first. In my state, the safety inspection requirement is very strict and costly. I often try to see if the owner would inspect it first. If he doesn't want to be bothered and I really wanted it, I'd offer to pay for the $70 inspection fee. I've ended up not buying and losing  $70 fees, multiple times due to finding out that thousands of dollars of work would be needed to pass.

 

[GrayWhale]

I don't know if you saw it or not, but over in another thread, Almost There mentioned that she had negotiated an "Agreed Value" insurance policy with her company to cover what her van  - with mods like the high top she had installed - was ACTUALLY worth, rather than the "blue book" value.

I wonder how much this extra insurance costs.

 

[Mobilesport]

This is a interesting thread , it would be nice If there was a part 2 of it showing what you got for your money with pictures of your van and gear , kinda like Accretes post.

 

[Madpeep]

I figured if my questions were too specific and requested photos, fewer people would've participated. I know the amount of $ spent doesn't give us much information because there are so many variables, but it did answer my most pressing question. That over half of the people in the poll found a suitable van in my price range. Which means that I don't have to rethink my plan. Just keep up the search

 

[Mobilesport]

I figured if my questions were too specific and requested photos, fewer people would've participated. I know the amount of $ spent doesn't give us much information because there are so many variables, but it did answer my most pressing question. That over half of the people in the poll found a suitable van in my price range. Which means that I don't have to rethink my plan. Just keep up the search

Good thinking , that poll really gives you a good perspective

 

[BigT]

This is a interesting thread , it would be nice If there was a part 2 of it showing what you got for your money with pictures of your van and gear , kinda like Accretes post.

If you want to see what their rigs look like, simply go to the member's profile and look at their posts.  I'm sure lots of folks have shared their projects.  
I know I have. 

imo, posting pics of your build process would overcrowd this thread and get a warning from a moderator to create a separate thread on the subject, which likely has already been done several times.

 

[GotSmart]

I figured if my questions were too specific and requested photos, fewer people would've participated. I know the amount of $ spent doesn't give us much information because there are so many variables, but it did answer my most pressing question. That over half of the people in the poll found a suitable van in my price range. Which means that I don't have to rethink my plan. Just keep up the search

I have several build threads.  I also have the advantage of having the time and skill to do most of the work.  

There is a lot of great information here.  I love the way the tribe talked me through some bad ideas and pointed me in the right direction.  

You can learn from my almost mistakes.  

https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Rebuild-91-Dodge-short-van

https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Renogy-rooftop-installation-using-racks

https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Starting-the-solar-set-up

http://www.dodgetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5149673#post5149673

https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Starting-the-build