Need to buy cheap van

[Jeremy]

So i purchased a 97 VW Transporter Diesel with the intention of driving it across the country but it broke down on the way back home beyond repair. I managed to sell it for parts but all in all I've lost about $2200.

Now I'm way short on cash and need to get another van (I've now flown "home").

What are peoples opinion on cheap (sub $1500) cargo or passenger vans? The ones i've found at usually early 90's with around 250,000km on them or early 00' contractor vans with 350,000km.

Currently considering this one: http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/...le/1001603940?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

I won't be driving very much (maybe 5,000km a year) as I'm going back to school, living in the van.

I obviously don't want to buy something that's going to break down on me again. It seems I can get a minivan in reasonable condition for my price range, but i'm worried I'll go crazy wintering in it!

 

[Donedirtcheap]

You are on the right track now that you are looking at one of the big three. Its wide open as far as what you will get for the money but again, you are on the right track with the Ford as there are parts available and tons of junk yard parts. I would set up a cardboard box somewhere before I would venture into VW territory. I'm not badmouthing VW and I have owned them. There is too small of a market and they are too specialized. With a Ford you can buy a starter at the local parts store on a Sunday and its cheap.

 

[akrvbob]

As wonderful as diesels are, the repair costs on them are so extreme as to make them no-go for me. That goes double for any Volkswagen, gas or diesel. The're wonderful but they're going to eat you alive in repairs.

You can get an amazingly good van for $1500--if you have time to look. It sounds like you don't so that will make it harder. Just do the best you can with the money and time you have.

The single most important thing is to have it checked out by a good mechanic. I know money is tight but this is one way you can't be stingy. Some engines have a great reputation so you think they are all great. But if it was abused it could still be crap. The only way to know is to have a mechanic check it out.

Any van from Ford, Chevy or dodge could be a great van, or total crap--it all depends on how it was maintained!!

If you have the time to look the best engine in a van is the Ford 300 inline six. The next best(in my personal order of preference) is the Dodge 318, after that Ford 302, chevy 350, ford 351, dodge 360, chevy 305.

Bob

 

[Patrick46]

Our own Mr. Van-Tramp just posted this...

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=10262

 

[PastTense]

Patrick, it's over 1,000 miles from Calgary, Alberta to Boulder, Colorado--that's probably too far--as well as being in a foreign country for the OP.

 

[Jeremy]

Thanks for the advice, making me feel better about ditching the VW now.

Is there a general rule for if its better to get a newer van with higher mileage, or an older one with lower mileage?

I've found a few conversion vans I like, but up north here they almost always sit around unused for the majority of the year, which I understand can be killer for a vehicle. I'm a bit worried about not going stealth too.

Thanks!

 

[Willy]

Don't forget the Dodge slant 6. I don't know about Calgary, but here in BC there are tons of decent vehicles going cheap. Just have to get on Craigslist and start looking. As for mileage, I don't think I've EVER had a vehicle with less than 200,000 Km. ..Willy.

 

[LeeRevell]

The Ford 300ci straight six is a legendary motor too, strong and reasonable economy, easy parts availability. Nearly the equal to the 302 V8. I find it to be a bit easier to work on, being narrower in the bay.

 

[Patrick46]

Don't feel bad about ditching the VW is you hadn't built up a personal relationship with it yet.

To me, VW's are alot like Harleys...cult-like following and you pay too much just for a nameplate. (which doesn't explain why I own and ride Harleys)

lotsa fine rigs out there...ya just gotta start kicking tires.

 

[akrvbob]

There is a controversy of getting an older one versus a newer one. I understand the arguments for the old vans and I totally disagree. Today's vehicles are much more reliable, last many more years, get much better MPG.

I think there is only one good argument for getting an older van; they are easy to work on.

That's a darn good thing because you are going to be working on it all the time! Now, if you are a good mechanic and do the work yourself, that may be a good reason to buy an older vehicle. Most of us aren't so since we are going to take it to a mechanic anyway, we are better off with the vehicle who will need the fewest repairs.

I suggest you get a 90s or newer with fuel injection. Fuel injection is so far superior over carbs it's amazing.

Even better is to buy a 1996 or newer because it has OBD II. That is another quantum leap in auto technology. I'm assuming that is also true in Canada, but I don't know that.
Bob

 

[Canine]

I had bought a VW Rabbit that had been sitting out in a farmer's field for a few years. The price was right, so I brought it home. The parts were crazy expensive and generally not in stock ($75 dollars for four spark plug wires!? And those were the cheap ones!). And since it had been sitting in a field, the mice had found home in it. Some of the wires were chewed. In a few months it shorted out causing damage far too expensive to repair. Buying a vehicle that has been sitting might sound like a good idea, but look closely for rodent damage, rotted hoses, cracked radiator with no fluid, etc. When I bought this I was trying to think outside the box for a good deal. It was a good idea- Not!

When searching online for a van, use different spellings of the same word. The GMC Savana may be misspelled as Savanna with two "N's". Search individually for "cube van", "box van", "cargo van", etc. Also don't search only in the RV section or the car/truck sections- search all the sections at once. Sometimes people will post their ad in the wrong spot. Then after a month they wonder why their product hasn't sold. By this time they may very well be in the mood for some dealing which would be very much in your favor. Not because their product has little value, but because few know about it because it is hiding in the wrong spot. Doing individual searches for each keyword and for each nearby city is a pain, but eventually something will come up. If you are lucky, it will be sooner than later.

If you come across a possible good deal, don't wait. Don't think, "Oh, I'll do it in a half an hour after lunch." If it is truly a good deal, it won't be there when you finally decide to call.

Perhaps buying a passenger van from a church would be a good idea. They tend to be older with a few miles on them, but they are generally well maintained. I've not went this route, so I can't speak authoritatively on this method.

Sometimes city or county auctions are poorly advertised and you can get a good deal because relatively few people are bidding. BUT you are extremely limited on how you can evaluate them. You can't take it into a mechanic nor can you drive it. You will be lucky if you are allowed to start it. If the vehicle is a government vehicle, you can be assured it is likely mechanically sound. If it was confiscated, towed in on parking violations, or otherwise from a private owner, then that is taking a big chance. I refuse to purchase confiscated vehicles, but some people love it and have had good luck.

 

[Vic.]

Are you concerned about space in a mini van?

 

[Donedirtcheap]

"I suggest you get a 90s or newer with fuel injection. Fuel injection is so far superior over carbs it's amazing"

This is indeed a key point. Years ago it was common for engines to not last 100,000 miles and the reason was cylinder wash and oil dilution. It was often caused by sticking choke plates and choke heater mechanisms. When a carburetor has a sticking choke it causes the engine to run rich. A choke equipped engine in rich at start up.The over rich mixture causes the ever so slight film of oil to be washed from the cylinders. It also causes oil dilution and advances the wear of all the moving parts. When engine block mounted fuel pumps started to leak they quickly diluted the oil yet were still able to keep the engine running resulting in very rapid wear. In tank pumps are not all that bad.
The engineering and production advancements of electrical parts used in fuel injection systems and computer feed back systems is one of the most profound advancements in automotive history. It has been around far before the ninety's but was not suited for mass production with the available technology.
Fuel injection, bungee cords, weed eaters, duct tape, blue tarps, cordless tools........

 

[Ken in Anaheim]

Jeremy; another option is to check out your local RV storage yards. Look for something that appears to have not moved in quite a while and see if the manager will forward a message to the owner of your (possible) interest in buying/looking at it. Lots (LOTS) of RV's were bought for the one "epic journey" and then just stored. Sometimes your interest will cause the owner to (finally) realize he's not going to be using it again and see a possible easy way to get out from under the storage and licensing fees.....
KinA

 

[Patrick46]

Great idea from Ken!! ^^^

 

[PastTense]

I was just talking to my cousin last night who had bought an old minivan for a few hundred dollars. It needed some front end/steering work so he took it to a mechanic--$1000. He had his daughter take it to a nearby city for new tires--and the rear axle went out. So a couple thousand in expenses (front end, rear axle, tires) after he thought he had gotten a deal on this cheap van. It's really critical to get some good mechanical advice before buying.

OP you might also put a wanted ad in Craigslist. Has anyone mentioned checking bulletin boards at grocery stores, laundramats...?

 

[Jeremy]

Thanks for the thoughts.

I've since expanded my search to include Astro's and Safaris. Not a lot on the market here right now. I can't believe what some people think their vans are worth!

 

[Canine]

I've also searched for "ambulance". They are almost certainly extended versions, and they are built heavy duty- that includes the passenger area. Most are pass through design. Lots of shelving. Lots of lighting. The alternators are around 300 amp and that will get you by quite nicely if you need to charge your house batteries in a pinch. They tend to have a lot of miles, but are very, very well maintained. Many are diesels, so that is a deal breaker for me, but perhaps you prefer those. Some are 4X4, too. Most have a mid to high top for those of us vertically gifted.

I've also used programs called readers, but have had extremely poor luck with them. I think I was using them wrong. You download a reader, tell what sites to search (Craigslist, Ebay, etc.), what keyword to search for ("van" "rv" etc.), and what city(ies) to search in. This way you need only open up that reader and it does all the searching for you instead of you searching each keyword and each city individually. Unfortunately, when I compared my reader results to actually doing each one by hand, I had much better results doing it by hand instead of going through a reader. I tried 3 readers and they all performed similarly. Many are free, some you pay for, and some, usually the paying ones, can send you a text or an email letting you know the latest results.

 

[TucsonAZ]

The Ford 300ci straight six is a legendary motor too, strong and reasonable economy, easy parts availability. Nearly the equal to the 302 V8. I find it to be a bit easier to work on, being narrower in the bay.

I was going to mention this, I have the motor in my F-250, I would shop vans in this case based on the motor. I think 1995 was the last year and I have seen the E-250s in good shape with this motor for under $1,000 as people tend to dismiss the inline 6 but my truck pulls and pulls and pulls, even with a 6,000 pound 5th wheel behind it the motor does great.

I've owned Dodge, Ford, And Chevy vans and would take the Ford with an inline 6 over any other.

 

[PastTense]

I can't believe what some people think their vans are worth!

Well prices are negotiable. If you see something you like you can always offer them what you think it is worth--sometimes they will accept!