Nomad by nature

[The Ethiopian]

Greetings nomads , I was born in Ethiopia but I lived in U.S for more than 30yrs and yes I am U.S citizen . I worked all my life and I am sick of tired of the slavery wages and stress . I will be giving up my section8 housing to live in camper van. I really like the adventure and the freedom of living in a camper van. I really believe that will improve my over all health because living in APT is making me sick. I want peace and quite to improve my health. I been reading Bobs blog and I learn a lot so I like to thank him. I really think Bob is the god father of van dwelling. Right now I am shopping for camper van since I don't have the technical know how to convert a van into a camper van. I hope the insurance is not expensive. I get a $900 disability every month so I am okay for income for now.

 

[Patrick46]

Hey there.

Welcome to the forum. You should feel at home here.

I'm not going to try and discourage you from buying a camper van, but just to let you know that there's ALOT of other options available out there besides a campervan.

I say this because CV's tend to hold their value pretty good, and if money's tight, then there are alot of older motorhomes available for cheap, and they come fully equipted with everything you need, so there's nothing to convert.

Are you planning on traveling, or staying put in one basic area?? What part of the country are you in??
There are some areas where members know of rigs that are for sale, and could maybe give you some needed insight.

Hello from Oregon!!

 

[The Ethiopian]

@ Patrick46 , thank u . I live in Sacramento area and I saved up same money to buy camper van. I am looking for $5000 to $6000 range. My plan is to do exactly what most of u doing and if same time the fund allow it do same traveling.

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This one look good but need work. https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/4283922490.html

 

[PastTense]

Do you realize that you need to keep a cash reserve in case things go bad--for example a timing chain breaks and destroys the engine?

 

[The Ethiopian]

Hi past tense , I am aware of that that and that is why saved up at least $2000 just for that reason.

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I bid on this camper van so I wonder what u guys think ?http://www.ebay.com/itm/321293619173?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Thanks

 

[Patrick46]

it wouldn't suprise me if that van reaches $15000.

that's a nice rig.

 

[The Ethiopian]

They are asking $7900 cash at door.

 

[akrvbob]

Ethopian, welcome to the forum!! I think you have an outstanding plan and the best time of your life is waiting for you ahead!! I know many people who are able to live in their vans on even less than $900 a month so if you are careful and frugal, you can live very well on that!

I think a Class B is a great choice and the one on ebay looks great! It has the 302 V8 which is a great old engine. It will be easy to find parts and is very reliable. However, it is a little small for a heavy van so it will struggle hard up hills, but put in a lower gear and it will crawl up anything eventually.

$8000 would be top dollar for it, so I would try to get it for less. No matter what, have a mechanic check it out first. It will probably cost $100 but is worth every penny!!

Whatever you get, when you hit the road you are always welcome in my camp!
Bob

 

[FrugalandFree]

Hello, Welcome and Best Wishes Ethiopian!

 

[blkjak]

welcome from s.w. florida .... blkjak

 

[The Ethiopian]

Thank u everyone. Bob i took your advice and call.a mechenic to check it tomorrow morning. The van have 53 thousand milles on it ,may be that is why the price is high .i have until tomorrow to decide if i want buy or not. If the mechenic okay do u think i should buy?. I putting a vote the community . Something to talk about lol. I know i will make the final.decision.

 

[PastTense]

The Ethiopian: That eBay camper van is over 400 miles away. You haven't checked it out in person have you? You should always check it out in person and try to bring someone knowledgeable along (such as a mechanic).

Have you looked at these two sources:
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rva/
http://sacramento.claz.org/classifieds/vehicles/rv?m=100

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Note for the above sources you can put in a maximum price as well as restrict listings to by owner only (instead of owner plus dealer) for Craigslist. Note there are going to other Craigslist for nearby metropolitan areas as well--depending on how far you want to travel.

For Claz you can change the distance as well as put in a maximum price.

For both you can search by various keywords--but these might be too restrictive (for example you can search by
class b
which is the type of camper you seem to be interested in--but some of the listings will be class b but will not have that term in the listing.

 

[Patrick46]

Huh....I guess this shows how much I'm outta the loop when it comes to pricing.


...no wonder I have a hard time selling my schtuff!

 

[user 423]

+1 on the engine size. With all that equipment on an extended van plus the extra weight of water,batteries,etc. it will be pretty underpowered. I'm really surprised it's not at least a 351. Also, I believe an '87 would still have a carburetor, which is not so great.

(Did they overdo it on pics or what?!)

 

[akrvbob]

It's really hard for me to tell you what to do. Class Bs really hold their value so they cost more. The low mileage does shoot the price up. The pictures do look GREAT!

If the mechanic gives it the okay I think it is a beautiful van and you would be okay to get it. Use the mechanics estimates of repair costs as a negotiating tool. If he thinks it needs $500 worth of repairs, ask him to knock that off the price.

Tires can be deceptive. They can have great tread and still be old and sun damaged and needing replaced. That's often the case with low-mileage, seldom driven vehicles. Have the mechanic look for tiny cracks in the sidewalls which are signs of sun damage. New tires will be $600. If they are brand name tires they will have a code on the side that will tell you the date of manufacture if you Google it.

Whatever you get I suggest you replace ALL the fluids in the vehicle unless he has receipts showing when it was last done. That way you are confident they are all good and start keeping it on a regular changing schedule.
Bob

 

[Unchained]

Just a word of caution on the odometer. Vans that old only have a 5 place odometer, so it is possible that this one has rolled. The easiest way to know for sure is to check the Carfax (unless all maintenance records are provided).

In our recent van hunt for my boss, we found one claiming only 80,000 miles. Checked the Carfax and the odometer had rolled... twice. The van had 280,000 miles on it!

 

[rvwandering]

The van does look great! Even if the odometer has rolled over it has obviously been well cared for. The interior doesn't look as if got very much use - no scuffs or scratches on the cabinetry or walls. The only sign of heavier use than 57,000 miles that I can see is some wear on the steering wheel. The seats in the front have covers that appear to be removable. Have the inspector check the original seat condition. If they haven't been covered previously the seats will show some wear if the mileage is higher than listed.

 

[The Ethiopian]

Thank u everbody for your sound advice and i really value your experence . I will ask for carfax for sure and follow all your suggetions . As soon as i hear from the mechenic today i will update everyone.

 

[The Ethiopian]

May be i shoul buy one of thse http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/ctd/4286376148.html

 

[PastTense]

OP, you told us "I don't have the technical know how to convert a van into a camper van."

People can do conversions from simple to very complicated. For example I would consider a key requirement that the van be insulated.

What mechanical skills do you have?