Opinion on this Van I may Buy?

[vanman2300]

Here's a van I think looks pretty good: http://southcoast.craigslist.org/ctd/4859884539.html

It comes with an unspecified warranty and it doesn't mention the condition of other areas like ball joints, suspension, etc but it is worth a look. I'm curious what you all think about it and/or any concerns I should keep in mind if I go to look at it. Frankly, the mileage is low and I didn't notice excessive wear on the driver seat to indicate frequent stops or high mileage. It also looks like it didn't tow anything since there is no hitch or wear showing in the rear to indicate towing so it may not have been really worked. Anyway any opinions would be appreciated.

 

[highdesertranger]

it does look pretty good. it almost looks too good for a commercial van. btw all those bins on the inside can be sold for pretty good money. rack too. I would go look at this one. highdesertranger

 

[Wabbit]

Not really an opinion on the van. I googled the dealer for reviews, yelp had a couple bad reviews about them(1 star out of 5 on both reviews), google reviews were 1 decent(4 stars) and the other was 1 star. I would stay away, but if you're close, prob can't hurt to go look. G'luck!

 

[cyndi]

I didn't see the van when I searched their inventory. that's a red flag
http://www.narragansett-auto-sales.com//newandusedcars.aspx?ClearAll=1&~

It's a good deal if it's real. Call them.

 

[jimindenver]

I have no idea about price comparisons in your area but that's a good looking van. I'd love it for towing.

 

[minimotos95]

I have that rack(3 bars) on my van, I'm sure it will hold more weight than the gutters will support. I traded a drill for it but the guy was selling it for $150 used.
It looks clean, I would go take a look at it. The price is pretty close to what it books at. I bet they own it for less than $4500.

If you don't like the dealer or they seem shady remember you can always go to another dealer and tell them you want that specific van, sometimes you can even get a better deal going through a different dealer if the dealer has had the van sitting on the lot for a while. A good salesman will also locate everything else he thinks is competitive in the region and show you other options.

 

[vanman2300]

Thank you to all the responders so far. High Desert Stranger, good point on selling the bins and rack so that will take some sting out of it if it's a good deal. Is Craig's List about the best place to sell things like that?

Cry'n Bryan thank you for the heads up on the reviews I haven't checked them out yet. I will still go to see the van since I am very close to the dealer (in fact I could walk there in under 15 minutes it's so close).

Vandella, thank you also for the info. Around here, in Rhode Island, everyone is trying to do things as fast as possible and not necessarily doing things well as a result. I'm thinking they do a sloppy job of keeping everything up to date but it is possible they are doing a bait and switch. If they don't have it I'll leave immediately because I strongly believe in this old saying: The way you start out a business relationship is usually the way it ends. If they start out trying to scam me I'm sure if I buy then in the end I'll be scammed.

 

[vanman2300]

They also have this one too: http://southcoast.craigslist.org/ctd/4850992731.html

I think it was mismarked and I see KBB has the highest price possible of $2000. It is a E150 6 cyl but still low mileage at 116K and also looks in great shape. It kinda tempts me but it isn't as beefy as the E250 however less than half the price probably.

 

[jimindenver]

I saw those racks too. They would make it too easy to get a couple of solar panels up there. Even one big one would shade the van and provide charging.

Low mileage vehicles exist. Our 04 f 150 was used in our garden branch and sees limited but regular use now. It has 43,000 miles on it and looks/runs like it's new. There is no way I could get a truck in that shape for what it books at. (nor will I sell it for that)

Those miles are nothing for a work truck. Have it checked out before you buy. Just assume the warranty is BS, they usually cost you more than they cover. Last thing is don't get fixated on just this van, continue looking and comparing.

 

[jimindenver]

I'll add that I had a

 

[TravelDerby]

I have basically the same van but a 2004 E-350. The van looks nice, but IMO it's a bit overpriced (As are most used vehicles at dealerships). I'll freely admit to being a bargain shopper, but I purchased my 2004 with 123K miles on it for $2300 about 4 years ago.

One issue that you'll need to be careful with is that E-350 cargo vans often require commercial insurance policies due to the weight capacity. I use mine for my business, so it was not an issue. If you're not working with the van it doesn't make sense to pay the extra cost of a commercial policy.

 

[jimindenver]

I was going to add that I had a 75 and a 91 with the 300 inline in it and that's a hard engine to kill. It's also a lot easier to work on than the new fangled 5.4 V8 on my Expedition. I could tune up a 300 in a hour or two, rebuild the carb in a afternoon and a water pump or timing chain was a nice day in the yard. I couldn't touch the fuel system on the V8 and changing the plugs is an adventure as each has it's own coil that is covered by a ton of stuff.

I agree about the e350 but in another way. Being heavier built doesn't mean it wont wear out if you use it lightly. It just wont wear out faster if you load it down all the time. Everything that has to be repaired on it will cost more than it will on a lighter duty truck. A E150 is no slouch either, we loaded down and ran the heck out of those vans. I had a 2001 with a V6 and it didn't have the same punch or tranny as the older vans did.