JoshIsLosingIt
Member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2015
- Messages
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(caution: lengthened detailed story)
Hi
I am new here and I wanted to introduce myself and share a little about me. My Name is Josh and I have spent the majority of my life in the Raleigh NC region. I worked for a security company there from 2002 all the way until I decided to move up to New Hampshire to be closer to my parents in 2014. I was basically in charge of running security operations for one of our client's National headquarters. My parents moved up there in 2010 for some reason, and I just thought it would be nice to be able to see them more often. Also, I was just getting extremely burnt out from the grind and lack of further advancement.
Well, shortly before I left my job, I got sick with pneumonia, and was admitted to the hospital. They said that it was a good thing that I got there. It seems like things from that day in April 2014 were just the start of some extremely unfavorable times to come. Actually, on the way to the hospital, my 2002 Ford Ranger's engine seized up. I had this vehicle for a couple of years, and it did require a little bit of work, but nothing serious. I do partly blame myself for not being more conscientious in checking fluids and such. So, my dad flew down from NH to come see me in the hospital as he actually came down because I had bought him a ticket to come help me move. So, we had the vehicle towed from the side of the road to a shop. The shop said that the engine was basically useless. At this point, all I could think about is " how am I going to get my stuff moved"? So, I made some phone calls, and a friend of a friend's dad had a 2001 yellow chevy silverado 1500 for sale. It was one of those old DOT work trucks. It had a lot of miles (over 200,000). I really wasn't feeling it, but I absolutely needed something. So, I went ahead and took it. It drove ok around the block and all. I figured since it was a friend of a friend, that surely had to be a good thing. So, we went and got all the paperwork, plates and all for it.
On the way up to New Hampshire, (roughly 100 miles outside of Raleigh) the transmission started acting erratic, and slipping. The check engine light was flashing and all. We managed to get it to a dealership. To make a long story short about that; they said the tranny was fried and wanted 5 grand to replace it. That just wasn't an option at that point. I had saved some money up before leaving, but my funds were quickly dwindling. We ended up renting a Uhaul truck and a tow behind so that we could haul the truck up to NH. That was around 1100 bucks.
So, we got to NH, and I was still recovering from being in the hospital. After about a week, I decided that I need to start figuring out what I am going to do about the truck. We took it to a local shop who confirmed that the transmission was in fact bad. So, I had to end up shelling out around 3 grand more for them to replace the tranny with an autozone transmission. I just felt that the engine had to be good and strong, and putting a new transmission in should just give me a fine running truck from here on out. Nope! The check engine light came on, and I brought it back to the shop. They couldn't figure out why the check engine light was on. See, in NH, if that check engine light is on, you cant pass inspection, and therefor can't get you're vehicle legal to drive. So, I ended up taking it to another shop. This time, they found that the compression was low in one of the cylinders. I did not really know what this meant because I am not very mechanically inclined. I figured he could just throw a 50 dollar part at it, charge me for an hour or 2, and I could pay him, and be on my way. So, you can probably imagine the shock when he told me that I would actually need a brand new engine.
I had to go home and relax. I told him that I would think about it. After weighing my options with my father, I came to the conclusion that buying a new engine was the only viable option for me. I had already bought the truck, put a new transmission in it, and had also gotten ball joints done on one side while it was in the mechanic shop. I figured that SURELY a new tranny and a new engine would just give me another 10 years of trouble free, worry free service. In the past I had always had reasonable reliability from all of my previous cars and trucks. So, I basically used all of the money that I had saved for a year to make this big move, and put a new engine in it. I got the vehicle back about a week later. I was at least happy that my troubles were finally over, and I could get on with my life, and try to get back on my feet.
At this point, I basically transferred security companies to the NH office that we had, so I was making an income. I figured that it was going to take some work, but I would get back on top again. About a week or 2 later, the check engine light started flashing, and I was not feeling good about this. I took it back to the shop that installed my new Jasper engine, and they took it in to look it over. They diagnosed it as needing a new catalytic converter. Again, I was back to the same predicament about having spent all this money that I was in when deciding to put an engine in. So, I hesitantly borrowed some money from family members, and got it done. It seemed that after I got it back, it was finally in good shape. I figured from here on out, i'm finally "set". I knew of course I would have to replace some things as needed like brakes or maybe some worn out lines from time to time or spark plugs. Actually, for the next 6 months, the truck ran pretty good.
About 2 months later, I found someone that was looking for a roommate, and I moved in with him. Towards the end of December, I decided that New Hampshire just wasnt for me. It was just really cold, and things were getting weird with my parents, and I just decided it was time for me to make a change. I decided to head to Florida for the winter. I was amazed at the difference in how much rent is between the 2 places. I couldnt find anything for myself for under 900 a month up there, and I simply cant afford that. I was only making like 10 bucks an hour. I had saved up a good chunk of money from the busy holiday season (I forgot to mention that I do a lot of buying and selling of merchandise online), and decided to just rent an apartment and spend more time in my buying and selling projects. So, I came to Jacksonville Florida.
The truck rode great all the way down here. I ended up staying in an extended stay hotel room for about 3 weeks while I looked for a place. When I started looking at the places that were so incredibly cheap on the CL ads, I soon realized why they were so cheap. Since I was only doing the buying and selling, and didn't have a reliable source of income, I needed something affordable. I ended up renting this apartment for 600 in a less savory part of the city. I just focused on buying and moving product as quickly as I could so that I could maintain my living expenses and try and save some money. Sadly, this wasn't working quite as well as I had predicted it would. I was still getting by, though. So, for all intents and purposes, everything in my life appeared to have become somewhat manageable.
Now, fast forward 6 months. About 3 months ago, I started having cranking issues with my truck. So, the first time, I brought it in, they said I needed a fuel pump for like a grand. So, I was like "o brother"! I told him "ok." So, I get it home, and a week later, same problem. So, I take it back so he can fix it. I mean, after all, I did just pay a grand, rite? So, I have it towed back. He then tells me it needs an ignition coil. :s At this point, I nearly don't even care anymore, really. So, he puts that on, I get it home and it works fine for about a week. Then, after a week, it starts doing the same problem. I decide to take it to another guy from CL. He says it was wires plugs and he did something else, and I paid him 250. I get it back, and within a couple days, same problem. So, I send it back to the local shop that did that work. They got it running, and said they couldnt find anything. (I knew though, I knew.) When it got back here, it started fine. Another thing that I forgot to mention was that this mainly only happened after the rain. So, I did some googling and found that this could vary well be a distributor cap that has gotten water in it. So, I called Good Year, and told them to check it out again, and to also look at the Dis cap. They called me back and said that it was spider injectors. I asked how much that was, and everything was going to be 1200. Well, at this point, Big Josh was starting to enter into the red with cash. I told him to just do it. So, 9 days later, I get it back, and it seems to run fine except the tranny was running like crap. He said it had nothing to do with them :\ Then soon after, same problem. I ended up having it towed to Pep boys. I wanted new eyes. They figured it out and called me back within a couple hours and told me that I needed a distributor cap. He said that there was a hairline crack in it. So, I happily paid them their 463 dollars, and got my car back. I then towed my truck down to the transmission shop because I wanted to see why the transmission was acting up. He found that it was a throttle body sensor. He said that he didnt do anything other than trannys but his friend down the road handled it. So, he dropped it off to his friend. I paid the 250 for the tps, and had it towed back here. After all this time, could it be so? Could it be that we have finally gotten this truck to where it needs to be? Absolutely not lol. Within the week, I start it up and the truck starts shaking violently. So, I had it towed back to the guy who put the TPS in. I paid him his 65 dollars, and he told me there was no fuel getting to cylinder 6. So, I called the Good year where I just paid 1200 bucks a month ago and told them that there is no fuel going to cylinder 6. Now you have to remember, at this point, Good Year doesnt like me very much, and I don't care for them very much either. So, a few days ago, I had it sent back. They made me wait a few days, but did find that the spider was bad, so they replaced it. They ALSO told me that my compression is low in cylinder 6. (This was yesterday)
So, yesterday afternoon, I decided that I'm done. I'm going to forget about the 15 grand + that I spent in parts and labor, and just sell it to somebody that wants to mess with it cheap. It still runs and all, but I'm not putting anymore money into it. I even cancelled the purchase that I had setup with a business that sells used truck toppers. Since yesterday when I made that decision, I have just had the most beautiful sense of inner peace that I've had in a long time. See, for over the last couple of weeks, I started thinking about some very serious stuff. I've basically burnt through my life's savings, and the sales stuff is really slow. I used all of my buy money on repairs and all. Somehow, I came across the whole van dwelling culture on youtube, and it then also led me to this forum. I spent a week watching every video I could find, and reading anything and everything I could on this lifestyle. At first, I said there is just no way! The more I thought about it though, the more things started making sense to me. See, my lease expires in Jan, and I cant without a doubt be absolutely sure that I can afford this place, and most definitely not now that I am going to have to find another vehicle. I think signing a lease at this point would be further setting myself up for failure. I have to say, the last week or two have opened my eyes in almost a spiritual way. I have felt so inspired by watching all of these van dwellers actually making it, and being happy.
I've always been somewhat of a Nomad myself. I worked 15 years by myself on 3rd shift. I don't agree with about 90% of the injustices that I see on a daily basis. I guess being a van dweller really is who I am. Also, there were multiple times over the years where we would watch places like construction sites, or open fields and such. There were dozens of times I would sleep the night in my truck (and I actually didn't mind it at all) Then, I found out you can get gym memberships and things like that. I even learned that you could put solar power in you're vehicle (and it wasnt super expensive). That is a huge one for me. See, I have had sleep apnea since around 2000. I require a bipap machine to sleep with. So, when I started putting all of this information together, it became quite apparent that I could actually have a place to live and not have to be obligated to 750 a month in rent, utils, cable internet ect ect.
I have a severe weight problem. I started about 1 month ago at rite around 609 lbs. Over the years, my weight just kept on growing and growing and growing. It was then that I decided that I needed to make some changes, and they needed to happen yesterday. So, I quit drinking cold turkey. I used to drink at least a 12 pack of beer a day to myself. I would eat at least a large pizza daily and usually Chinese food delivery of 2 dinner portions as well. (not at the same time of the day) I started seriously thinking about how much money I was spending every day. It was like 40 dollars. I had just fell into such a deep depression since I got to Florida that I would just eat away my pain. So, a month ago, I decided to really really give it a good try this time. I've done well before, but usually it was just for a few days or maybe a week. This time was different, though. This time, I started prepping meals and buying nothing but eggs, meats and vegetables. I've now gotten down to where I only eat once a day, and its usually a nice big chicken stir fry or something. I cut out the carbs, and just eat the fat from butter or olive oil and the protein from eggs or chicken, and I have broccoli. This month, I've lost nearly 70 lbs. The first week, it was mostly liquid. The weight loss has drastically slowed from what it was doing, but it still goes. I went from eating 6-8000 cals a day down to around 1000-1200, and I actually feel more healthy than I ever have in the nearly 20 years that I've been over 400 lbs.
Rite now, I am in a sort of spiritual journey in search of enlightenment and self understanding. I am trying to be as positive as I can, and learn to be more accepting of others. The van dwelling videos have led to me watching videos about homeless people. I now see the struggles that these people go through on a regular basis, and it makes me sad. It really makes you think about how this could happen to any of us at any time. Our trucks could break down, and we don't have thousands of dollars saved up, or lines of credit to get repairs. It puts things into a very real perspective for me. I've started to really think about the resources that I DO have in life as opposed to the ones I don't So, I guess I could spend the rest of my life being bitter about the 19+ grand that I lost over the last year and a half, or I can use the experiences that have heavily cost me to become a stronger person.
I have decided to take up an interest in basic mechanics once I get my next vehicle. Once I get my van, I want to buy a Chiltons manual, and read read read! Having to go to a mechanic and pay the money that he tells you to pay without any guarantee that the problems will even be fixed, or not knowing if he's trying to eff you over is oppressing to me. I simply can not live like this anymore. So, basically, I'm just preparing for the next chapter of my life. I'm preparing for getting a van, and getting that going. I'm going to be working on selling whatever I don't need, and I want to be able to travel and find inner peace. Im so mortified of anyone trying to sell a used car or a mechanic, that I'm certain I will most likely need to get into therapy after I have gotten my life stabilized. Rite now, im selling off the last of my inventory. I'm hoping to get around 4 grand together to buy something. I'm just so nervous about buying another vehicle because I'm so scarred of repeating this situation. The true fact is that I cant ever see myself paying for a major repair again. If I bought a van, and the engine blew up on it, I'd most likely just scrap it. I can't trust that the mechanics or the people making the engines are going to do it rite. Im having a terrible time trying to look on craigslist for vans because with all that has happened, all I can see (in my mind) are cheats, thieves and liars. I feel guilty about this because I'm sure thats not completely true. I'm sure there are some people with good vehicles on CL, but I just am so skeptical of anything anyone tells me now. I guess I'll have to work on this somehow. I've spent the last 2 days reading any and everything I can about vans, and even mini vans. I check out all makes and models on repairpal to see what the reported problems are.
In conclusion, it looks like I am trying to get 3 or 4 grand together somehow, and buy either a Chevy astro van or a Ford Econoline e250. Those are the 2 types that I am getting a good feeling about. From most things that I have read, it appears that the astro van is bulletproof (but I err on the side of caution with those claims). Many good things were said about the e250, and it appears to be one of the more favorite types for the van dwellers. I have considered getting one of those conversion type vans from the 80s or 90s, but I read that they just aren't made nearly as well as the cargo vans. Anyway, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to read my experiences, and please feel free to offer up any suggestions that you think would help me get myself straightened out again. Its nice to find a forum that has a lot of nice folks. Thanks again
Josh
Hi
I am new here and I wanted to introduce myself and share a little about me. My Name is Josh and I have spent the majority of my life in the Raleigh NC region. I worked for a security company there from 2002 all the way until I decided to move up to New Hampshire to be closer to my parents in 2014. I was basically in charge of running security operations for one of our client's National headquarters. My parents moved up there in 2010 for some reason, and I just thought it would be nice to be able to see them more often. Also, I was just getting extremely burnt out from the grind and lack of further advancement.
Well, shortly before I left my job, I got sick with pneumonia, and was admitted to the hospital. They said that it was a good thing that I got there. It seems like things from that day in April 2014 were just the start of some extremely unfavorable times to come. Actually, on the way to the hospital, my 2002 Ford Ranger's engine seized up. I had this vehicle for a couple of years, and it did require a little bit of work, but nothing serious. I do partly blame myself for not being more conscientious in checking fluids and such. So, my dad flew down from NH to come see me in the hospital as he actually came down because I had bought him a ticket to come help me move. So, we had the vehicle towed from the side of the road to a shop. The shop said that the engine was basically useless. At this point, all I could think about is " how am I going to get my stuff moved"? So, I made some phone calls, and a friend of a friend's dad had a 2001 yellow chevy silverado 1500 for sale. It was one of those old DOT work trucks. It had a lot of miles (over 200,000). I really wasn't feeling it, but I absolutely needed something. So, I went ahead and took it. It drove ok around the block and all. I figured since it was a friend of a friend, that surely had to be a good thing. So, we went and got all the paperwork, plates and all for it.
On the way up to New Hampshire, (roughly 100 miles outside of Raleigh) the transmission started acting erratic, and slipping. The check engine light was flashing and all. We managed to get it to a dealership. To make a long story short about that; they said the tranny was fried and wanted 5 grand to replace it. That just wasn't an option at that point. I had saved some money up before leaving, but my funds were quickly dwindling. We ended up renting a Uhaul truck and a tow behind so that we could haul the truck up to NH. That was around 1100 bucks.
So, we got to NH, and I was still recovering from being in the hospital. After about a week, I decided that I need to start figuring out what I am going to do about the truck. We took it to a local shop who confirmed that the transmission was in fact bad. So, I had to end up shelling out around 3 grand more for them to replace the tranny with an autozone transmission. I just felt that the engine had to be good and strong, and putting a new transmission in should just give me a fine running truck from here on out. Nope! The check engine light came on, and I brought it back to the shop. They couldn't figure out why the check engine light was on. See, in NH, if that check engine light is on, you cant pass inspection, and therefor can't get you're vehicle legal to drive. So, I ended up taking it to another shop. This time, they found that the compression was low in one of the cylinders. I did not really know what this meant because I am not very mechanically inclined. I figured he could just throw a 50 dollar part at it, charge me for an hour or 2, and I could pay him, and be on my way. So, you can probably imagine the shock when he told me that I would actually need a brand new engine.
I had to go home and relax. I told him that I would think about it. After weighing my options with my father, I came to the conclusion that buying a new engine was the only viable option for me. I had already bought the truck, put a new transmission in it, and had also gotten ball joints done on one side while it was in the mechanic shop. I figured that SURELY a new tranny and a new engine would just give me another 10 years of trouble free, worry free service. In the past I had always had reasonable reliability from all of my previous cars and trucks. So, I basically used all of the money that I had saved for a year to make this big move, and put a new engine in it. I got the vehicle back about a week later. I was at least happy that my troubles were finally over, and I could get on with my life, and try to get back on my feet.
At this point, I basically transferred security companies to the NH office that we had, so I was making an income. I figured that it was going to take some work, but I would get back on top again. About a week or 2 later, the check engine light started flashing, and I was not feeling good about this. I took it back to the shop that installed my new Jasper engine, and they took it in to look it over. They diagnosed it as needing a new catalytic converter. Again, I was back to the same predicament about having spent all this money that I was in when deciding to put an engine in. So, I hesitantly borrowed some money from family members, and got it done. It seemed that after I got it back, it was finally in good shape. I figured from here on out, i'm finally "set". I knew of course I would have to replace some things as needed like brakes or maybe some worn out lines from time to time or spark plugs. Actually, for the next 6 months, the truck ran pretty good.
About 2 months later, I found someone that was looking for a roommate, and I moved in with him. Towards the end of December, I decided that New Hampshire just wasnt for me. It was just really cold, and things were getting weird with my parents, and I just decided it was time for me to make a change. I decided to head to Florida for the winter. I was amazed at the difference in how much rent is between the 2 places. I couldnt find anything for myself for under 900 a month up there, and I simply cant afford that. I was only making like 10 bucks an hour. I had saved up a good chunk of money from the busy holiday season (I forgot to mention that I do a lot of buying and selling of merchandise online), and decided to just rent an apartment and spend more time in my buying and selling projects. So, I came to Jacksonville Florida.
The truck rode great all the way down here. I ended up staying in an extended stay hotel room for about 3 weeks while I looked for a place. When I started looking at the places that were so incredibly cheap on the CL ads, I soon realized why they were so cheap. Since I was only doing the buying and selling, and didn't have a reliable source of income, I needed something affordable. I ended up renting this apartment for 600 in a less savory part of the city. I just focused on buying and moving product as quickly as I could so that I could maintain my living expenses and try and save some money. Sadly, this wasn't working quite as well as I had predicted it would. I was still getting by, though. So, for all intents and purposes, everything in my life appeared to have become somewhat manageable.
Now, fast forward 6 months. About 3 months ago, I started having cranking issues with my truck. So, the first time, I brought it in, they said I needed a fuel pump for like a grand. So, I was like "o brother"! I told him "ok." So, I get it home, and a week later, same problem. So, I take it back so he can fix it. I mean, after all, I did just pay a grand, rite? So, I have it towed back. He then tells me it needs an ignition coil. :s At this point, I nearly don't even care anymore, really. So, he puts that on, I get it home and it works fine for about a week. Then, after a week, it starts doing the same problem. I decide to take it to another guy from CL. He says it was wires plugs and he did something else, and I paid him 250. I get it back, and within a couple days, same problem. So, I send it back to the local shop that did that work. They got it running, and said they couldnt find anything. (I knew though, I knew.) When it got back here, it started fine. Another thing that I forgot to mention was that this mainly only happened after the rain. So, I did some googling and found that this could vary well be a distributor cap that has gotten water in it. So, I called Good Year, and told them to check it out again, and to also look at the Dis cap. They called me back and said that it was spider injectors. I asked how much that was, and everything was going to be 1200. Well, at this point, Big Josh was starting to enter into the red with cash. I told him to just do it. So, 9 days later, I get it back, and it seems to run fine except the tranny was running like crap. He said it had nothing to do with them :\ Then soon after, same problem. I ended up having it towed to Pep boys. I wanted new eyes. They figured it out and called me back within a couple hours and told me that I needed a distributor cap. He said that there was a hairline crack in it. So, I happily paid them their 463 dollars, and got my car back. I then towed my truck down to the transmission shop because I wanted to see why the transmission was acting up. He found that it was a throttle body sensor. He said that he didnt do anything other than trannys but his friend down the road handled it. So, he dropped it off to his friend. I paid the 250 for the tps, and had it towed back here. After all this time, could it be so? Could it be that we have finally gotten this truck to where it needs to be? Absolutely not lol. Within the week, I start it up and the truck starts shaking violently. So, I had it towed back to the guy who put the TPS in. I paid him his 65 dollars, and he told me there was no fuel getting to cylinder 6. So, I called the Good year where I just paid 1200 bucks a month ago and told them that there is no fuel going to cylinder 6. Now you have to remember, at this point, Good Year doesnt like me very much, and I don't care for them very much either. So, a few days ago, I had it sent back. They made me wait a few days, but did find that the spider was bad, so they replaced it. They ALSO told me that my compression is low in cylinder 6. (This was yesterday)
So, yesterday afternoon, I decided that I'm done. I'm going to forget about the 15 grand + that I spent in parts and labor, and just sell it to somebody that wants to mess with it cheap. It still runs and all, but I'm not putting anymore money into it. I even cancelled the purchase that I had setup with a business that sells used truck toppers. Since yesterday when I made that decision, I have just had the most beautiful sense of inner peace that I've had in a long time. See, for over the last couple of weeks, I started thinking about some very serious stuff. I've basically burnt through my life's savings, and the sales stuff is really slow. I used all of my buy money on repairs and all. Somehow, I came across the whole van dwelling culture on youtube, and it then also led me to this forum. I spent a week watching every video I could find, and reading anything and everything I could on this lifestyle. At first, I said there is just no way! The more I thought about it though, the more things started making sense to me. See, my lease expires in Jan, and I cant without a doubt be absolutely sure that I can afford this place, and most definitely not now that I am going to have to find another vehicle. I think signing a lease at this point would be further setting myself up for failure. I have to say, the last week or two have opened my eyes in almost a spiritual way. I have felt so inspired by watching all of these van dwellers actually making it, and being happy.
I've always been somewhat of a Nomad myself. I worked 15 years by myself on 3rd shift. I don't agree with about 90% of the injustices that I see on a daily basis. I guess being a van dweller really is who I am. Also, there were multiple times over the years where we would watch places like construction sites, or open fields and such. There were dozens of times I would sleep the night in my truck (and I actually didn't mind it at all) Then, I found out you can get gym memberships and things like that. I even learned that you could put solar power in you're vehicle (and it wasnt super expensive). That is a huge one for me. See, I have had sleep apnea since around 2000. I require a bipap machine to sleep with. So, when I started putting all of this information together, it became quite apparent that I could actually have a place to live and not have to be obligated to 750 a month in rent, utils, cable internet ect ect.
I have a severe weight problem. I started about 1 month ago at rite around 609 lbs. Over the years, my weight just kept on growing and growing and growing. It was then that I decided that I needed to make some changes, and they needed to happen yesterday. So, I quit drinking cold turkey. I used to drink at least a 12 pack of beer a day to myself. I would eat at least a large pizza daily and usually Chinese food delivery of 2 dinner portions as well. (not at the same time of the day) I started seriously thinking about how much money I was spending every day. It was like 40 dollars. I had just fell into such a deep depression since I got to Florida that I would just eat away my pain. So, a month ago, I decided to really really give it a good try this time. I've done well before, but usually it was just for a few days or maybe a week. This time was different, though. This time, I started prepping meals and buying nothing but eggs, meats and vegetables. I've now gotten down to where I only eat once a day, and its usually a nice big chicken stir fry or something. I cut out the carbs, and just eat the fat from butter or olive oil and the protein from eggs or chicken, and I have broccoli. This month, I've lost nearly 70 lbs. The first week, it was mostly liquid. The weight loss has drastically slowed from what it was doing, but it still goes. I went from eating 6-8000 cals a day down to around 1000-1200, and I actually feel more healthy than I ever have in the nearly 20 years that I've been over 400 lbs.
Rite now, I am in a sort of spiritual journey in search of enlightenment and self understanding. I am trying to be as positive as I can, and learn to be more accepting of others. The van dwelling videos have led to me watching videos about homeless people. I now see the struggles that these people go through on a regular basis, and it makes me sad. It really makes you think about how this could happen to any of us at any time. Our trucks could break down, and we don't have thousands of dollars saved up, or lines of credit to get repairs. It puts things into a very real perspective for me. I've started to really think about the resources that I DO have in life as opposed to the ones I don't So, I guess I could spend the rest of my life being bitter about the 19+ grand that I lost over the last year and a half, or I can use the experiences that have heavily cost me to become a stronger person.
I have decided to take up an interest in basic mechanics once I get my next vehicle. Once I get my van, I want to buy a Chiltons manual, and read read read! Having to go to a mechanic and pay the money that he tells you to pay without any guarantee that the problems will even be fixed, or not knowing if he's trying to eff you over is oppressing to me. I simply can not live like this anymore. So, basically, I'm just preparing for the next chapter of my life. I'm preparing for getting a van, and getting that going. I'm going to be working on selling whatever I don't need, and I want to be able to travel and find inner peace. Im so mortified of anyone trying to sell a used car or a mechanic, that I'm certain I will most likely need to get into therapy after I have gotten my life stabilized. Rite now, im selling off the last of my inventory. I'm hoping to get around 4 grand together to buy something. I'm just so nervous about buying another vehicle because I'm so scarred of repeating this situation. The true fact is that I cant ever see myself paying for a major repair again. If I bought a van, and the engine blew up on it, I'd most likely just scrap it. I can't trust that the mechanics or the people making the engines are going to do it rite. Im having a terrible time trying to look on craigslist for vans because with all that has happened, all I can see (in my mind) are cheats, thieves and liars. I feel guilty about this because I'm sure thats not completely true. I'm sure there are some people with good vehicles on CL, but I just am so skeptical of anything anyone tells me now. I guess I'll have to work on this somehow. I've spent the last 2 days reading any and everything I can about vans, and even mini vans. I check out all makes and models on repairpal to see what the reported problems are.
In conclusion, it looks like I am trying to get 3 or 4 grand together somehow, and buy either a Chevy astro van or a Ford Econoline e250. Those are the 2 types that I am getting a good feeling about. From most things that I have read, it appears that the astro van is bulletproof (but I err on the side of caution with those claims). Many good things were said about the e250, and it appears to be one of the more favorite types for the van dwellers. I have considered getting one of those conversion type vans from the 80s or 90s, but I read that they just aren't made nearly as well as the cargo vans. Anyway, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to read my experiences, and please feel free to offer up any suggestions that you think would help me get myself straightened out again. Its nice to find a forum that has a lot of nice folks. Thanks again
Josh
Jan
