re -- "I don't know what I am doing"
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My take:
* I know slightly more than yesterday about what I am doing.
Experience is a good teacher, other people's experience is a great teacher.
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a)
If I was me, I would plead insanity.
I would plead incompetence, anything to get my deposit returned.
I would cry and rend my clothes and make a scene and threaten congressional action.
Drooling optional.
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If the sellers refuse to return my deposit, I would walk away.
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Based on the information you provided, you are acquiring a -- at minimum --us$50,000+ light-duty (very light-duty) van.
And you are buried for most of the next decade making strangulating payments on a depreciating liability.
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CenWaudrey, that is way outside my comfort zone.
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b)
Based on the information you provided, I get the impression camping and full-time live-aboard are new to you, hence the "... don't know what I am doing...".
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Would you mind if I offered a suggestion?
This would be based on my experience...
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If I was me, I would:
* get the oldest beat-half-to-death van or truck-camper to gain some experience
* join a caravan of experienced travelers to gain some experience
* stroll a RecreateVehicles park/resort and chat with folks about their recommendations about vehicle needs... and learn from their experience.
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If I was me, I would read blogs by travelers with a new Ram Promaster 2500 hight roof.
I would pay particular attention to tales of warranty delays and parts non-existence.
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About four years ago, we were SCUBA diving and surfing in Central America.
Of the probably twenty Sprinter-type vans in the neighborhood -- operated by first-time campers -- three-quarters were down for major repairs...
...as in 'replace the whole dang engine'...
...shipped over from Arizona or Florida.
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I admit it.
Stranded in the sticks -- Minneapolis, Baltimore, Detroit, Trashville, Memphis -- terrorfies me.
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My suggestion:
* Get your deposit returned, or abandon it.
* Get a beater, toss in some car-camping gear, go have fun.
The thought of squeaking-by, buried in payments... you might as well be talking chinese.
To me, that is incomprehensible.
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A couple months ago, I met a retired fed while we were doing laundry.
She was stuck in town, waiting for her appointment at the Mercedes Benz dealership to replace a sensor and clear a coding issue.
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At that point, she was five weeks into waiting.
Until the sensor was replaced, her beautiful new Sprinter-type conversion was limp-limited to fifteen (15) mph for fifteen (15) minutes, then the on-board computer initiated a cooling-down stop.
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Last we heard, she had it towed a hundred miles to another Mercedes Benz dealership, because their wait was shorter.
That was after waiting here for five weeks.
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Incomprehensible.
jim
