How much would you offer for this van?

[Dreighen]

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/rvs/2765630478.html<div><br></div><div>I think they're asking too much for this van but I really like it. I am going to get my financial aid &amp; tax returns soon and want to finally get my camper van.</div><div><br></div><div>This is the kind of van I want and this ad has been up for a while. &nbsp;Anyhow, what would you offer them based on the ad? Or how much do you think it's worth?</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Thanks!</div><div><br></div><div>Dre</div>

 

[Les H]

Nice van. I'd guess it's a 96-98 from the grille and headlights, Mabye newer than that. High chasis is nothing, just means it was tall for them to climb up into, my bus sits up high off the ground. And while I agree with AJ on having it checked out thoroughly if you are interested, I find that EVERYTHING costs more than I think it should. I would probably offer $6 or $6500 and see what happens from there. Those class B's sell high, and hold thier value very well.if you can determine the year, and all
Options that are included, you can check NADA prices as a guideline.
Les

 

[VanTramp]

They are decent rigs. The ones I have seen do ride a little higher than Taj or our other Dodge van, probably some kind of spring add-on in the back to support the additional weight of the camper. Taj has strong suspension, but RT's are a bit lower than other class B's from what I have seen.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>The price really depends on how nice it is. I think it is a bit high for that style as well, if in good shape, $6K like Les said is probably not far off. Dodge based B's do generally command a pretty good price in those years. (94-98). &nbsp;I may be biased, but they really are great rigs.</div>

 

[Dreighen]

Wow, thanks for the awesome info guys. This is why I love this site <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[Seraphim]

Just researched the value on my 95 Falcon with 51k miles - pretty much the same thing you see here. Mines on a Ford chassis.

High retail wasn't listed.. Have to go back and look at the other values.

Give me a sec....

Average retail on mine was 6960, low retail was 5550.

Those numbers are for MY unit, not the advertised one.

They are a good rig.

Go to the link below and crunch the numbers using details from the Horion:

NADA

If he can put a scooter in back, where's the bathroom? Should be in back by the doors....

Looking at the shape of the topper, that's an earlier model than my 95: 95 and later had a flat top, not dipped like the one in the photo. Run the NADAnumbers as a 93, take off value for the missing toilet / shower, and remember the NADA value is what you'd pay a dealer, not a private owner.

Confront him with the info and offer him 4k. Depends on how badly he wants to sell and you want to buy...

You can always offer more, but it's difficult to decrease an offer, unless you suddenly discover a problem.

 

[VanTramp]

I wouldn't go as far back as 93. There were too many significant changes to the Dodge vans in 94. They don't even look close. So maybe run it as a 94 instead.&nbsp;

 

[Guest]

Im not sure on the price without researching it more but it doesn't seem bad to me. Even if you check out prices for a basic van of the same year , mileage and condition and then add in the conversion . I mean does it really have a generator? A real onan or whatever generator? Thats worth a lot right there. Im in Michigan so I tend to drool over some of the vehicles out there because they are not rusted. The vehicles in Mich are better than they used to be but crawl underneath and you will still find rusted brake parts etc. Like 4x4 said pay very close attention during a cold start for slight rattles or rapping noises from the engine. After driving it shut it off and let it sit for awhile and restart, listening again and watching for smoke.<br>Take a good mechanic with you to look at it. Look for sludge on the dipstick. be sure the trans fluid is red, not brown or black and does not stink. Lay on the ground and look for wet areas under the engine, trans, radiator and rear end. Drive it for several miles and watch for any smoking or trans slippage. Brake at different speeds to see if it shakes or pulses the brake pedal. Grab the edge of the doors and lift to&nbsp; feel if the hinges are worn. Have they been towing with it? My main rule for used car buying is to not buy anything funky If the interior is filthy, or it has dents and dings, loose door hinges, scratches or smells, forget it. If you buy a nice ride and the engine or trans goes bad you will be putting money into a nice ride. It may hurt but it wont hurt as much as putting it into a funky one. You can replace the engine or trans, you cant make funk go away.<br><br>

 

[ped]

<P>$4.5-5K. He's highballing it to counter craigslist trolls I bet.</P>

 

[Seraphim]

I wouldn't go as far back as 93. There were too many significant changes to the Dodge vans in 94. They don't even look close. So maybe run it as a 94 instead. 
__________________
-Mike
97 Roadtrek 170P "Taj Ma Trek"
HTTP://WWW.VanTramps.Com


The Dodge chassis may have been done differently,. Wish the advertiser would have put the year on it...

I think we all agree he's on the high end of the ballpark.

They stopped making them after 96, I believe.

 

[Seraphim]

Ran it as a 94 with standard features only - didn't ask for mileage
Got 4300 to 5100 dollars. Low to average retail.

Maufacturer, by the way, is International Vehicles (Intervec)

 

[VanTramp]

&nbsp;My main rule for used car buying is to not buy anything funky If the interior is filthy, or it has dents and dings, loose door hinges, scratches or smells, forget it. If you buy a nice ride and the engine or trans goes bad you will be putting money into a nice ride. It may hurt but it wont hurt as much as putting it into a funky one. You can replace the engine or trans, you cant make funk go away.<br><br>

<div><br></div><div>While the basic idea of this is solid, I can't agree with it. Taj had a noticeable funk when I bought her. Going price for similar rigs (at the same mileage) in our area was $12k at the time. The "funk" was due to the previous owner's dog. I paid $4988 for the rig, and after several hours of cleaning (with Sweet Katie's wonderful help BTW, Thanks again Kate!) and buying new cushion material for the rear lounge ($490), the funk was really pretty much gone and the rig was very comfortable and livable. 99% of the smell was the cushion.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Since then, out of choice, not necessity, I have replaced the front buckets with new leather captain's and ALL the carpet with cork flooring. Also, made new curtains all the way around. End result is a very nice, clean, comfortable rig that we have lived in for years. Spending what I did originally allowed me to make the changes I have as well as adding a ton of other improvements and still has me close if not under what I could have spent on a cleaner one back then.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Now, I wouldn't trade it for a new one of that vintage if it were even possible.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Class B's are a often worth putting a little more work into. Not like a regular vehicle. Just the overall layout and design was enough that I would have bought it even if I would have had to gut the interior to make it suit me. Solid drivetrain was nice, but not even necessary. My main interest was the fact that it was a drop-floor, hightop that was aerodynamic for better mileage, would allow me to stand up completely straight etc, had extra storage compartments outside etc. Basically a good platform to build from. The appliances, plumbing, shower, holding tanks etc, just meant I had a bit less to do, but they were not what sold me.</div><div><br></div><div>Hope that helps perspective a bit <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

 

[Guest]

&nbsp;My main rule for used car buying is to not buy anything funky If the interior is filthy, or it has dents and dings, loose door hinges, scratches or smells, forget it. If you buy a nice ride and the engine or trans goes bad you will be putting money into a nice ride. It may hurt but it wont hurt as much as putting it into a funky one. You can replace the engine or trans, you cant make funk go away.<br><br>

<div><br></div><div>While the basic idea of this is solid, I can't agree with it. Taj had a noticeable funk when I bought her. Going price for similar rigs (at the same mileage) in our area was $12k at the time. The "funk" was due to the previous owner's dog. I paid $4988 for the rig, and after several hours of cleaning (with Sweet Katie's wonderful help BTW, Thanks again Kate!) and buying new cushion material for the rear lounge ($490), the funk was really pretty much gone and the rig was very comfortable and livable. 99% of the smell was the cushion.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Since then, out of choice, not necessity, I have replaced the front buckets with new leather captain's and ALL the carpet with cork flooring. Also, made new curtains all the way around. End result is a very nice, clean, comfortable rig that we have lived in for years. Spending what I did originally allowed me to make the changes I have as well as adding a ton of other improvements and still has me close if not under what I could have spent on a cleaner one back then.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Now, I wouldn't trade it for a new one of that vintage if it were even possible.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Class B's are a often worth putting a little more work into. Not like a regular vehicle. Just the overall layout and design was enough that I would have bought it even if I would have had to gut the interior to make it suit me. Solid drivetrain was nice, but not even necessary. My main interest was the fact that it was a drop-floor, hightop that was aerodynamic for better mileage, would allow me to stand up completely straight etc, had extra storage compartments outside etc. Basically a good platform to build from. The appliances, plumbing, shower, holding tanks etc, just meant I had a bit less to do, but they were not what sold me.</div><div><br></div><div>Hope that helps perspective a bit <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

 

[Guest]

Obviously everyone would have a different opinion of what funky means. Your van sounds like it just had superficial issues. I guess the main thing I was trying to emphasize to the op is to not get burned on the van if he does not know how to shop for one. You or I probably know right away what we are looking at but I dont know how good the op is. I have been shocked to see some of the vehicles that people buy used. They end up needing a transmission and the door strike area has cracks in the sheet metal from sagged door hinges. When you get done with the trans the car is still a piece of crap. Its sad to see how bad a person can be had on used car sales and I hope it didn't happen to the op. Buy the way, when I make it out that way I will try to camp near you. That is if you don't mind that I may have my friend Sig with me. He's 40. <img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br>

 

[VanTramp]

By funk I meant smell of course and it was pretty serious even after the dealer's lame attempt at a detail job. Original owner was a smoker and that little dog he had was probably in the van it's entire life. On a car or pickup, I wouldn't have bothered but with a good platform class B, it was worth it. That was my main point, just that with a good B, it is worth a little more work.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>We are definitely in agreement though, I hate seeing people getting taken on bad deals. There are a ton of scammers out there and when shopping, if a person doesn't know what to look for, they should try to bring someone who does. A little more hassle when shopping can save so much money/heartache in the long haul.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Hey, you mentioned coming out this way to camp? You mean here on the OP? That would be great! I can show you several great free campgrounds (well, free outside of the new annual discovery pass that is), or other places that are great for parking/staying including some good NFS land. Sig is definitely welcome! They are cute at that age LOL! Scuttlebutt(Beretta) will enjoy hanging out with him, he is 40 too <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">&nbsp;</div>

 

[Guest]

By funk I meant smell of course and it was pretty serious even after the dealer's lame attempt at a detail job. Original owner was a smoker and that little dog he had was probably in the van it's entire life. On a car or pickup, I wouldn't have bothered but with a good platform class B, it was worth it. That was my main point, just that with a good B, it is worth a little more work.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>We are definitely in agreement though, I hate seeing people getting taken on bad deals. There are a ton of scammers out there and when shopping, if a person doesn't know what to look for, they should try to bring someone who does. A little more hassle when shopping can save so much money/heartache in the long haul.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Hey, you mentioned coming out this way to camp? You mean here on the OP? That would be great! I can show you several great free campgrounds (well, free outside of the new annual discovery pass that is), or other places that are great for parking/staying including some good NFS land. Sig is definitely welcome! They are cute at that age LOL! Scuttlebutt(Beretta) will enjoy hanging out with him, he is 40 too <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> <br><br>Thanks for the offer. I'm going to try to get out to Quartzite next winter for at least a vacation&nbsp; week or so to get the wife interested. Eventually we will probably be meeting a few of you.<br></div>