Possible Opportunity to Start Vandwelling Life

[Pikachu711]

Hi everyone. I'm currently in a situation where it's very possible that I be able to start my "van dwelling" lifestyle as soon as January 1, 2014. I need your opinion how & if I should proceed if this is something I should start on the first of the year in 2014.

My Mom recently passed away and is leaving each of the kids approximately $15,000. I'm also inheriting my Mom's Ford Crown Victoria as well. Mom meticulously maintained her car and it runs great. It currently has a little under 100,000 miles on the odometer. The average mileage the car is 12/18 MPG city/highway respectively. Here's the primary question I'd like to ask your opinion. Should I start my "van dwelling" life in the Crown Vic which I know runs VERY well or sell it and buy a van I know very little about?

I'm inclined to buy a van but the only thing holding me from buying a used van in which I don't know the maintenance history whatsoever. I cannot rely on a seller to be totally honest about what maintenance the prior owner. I'm inclined to keep the car that I know was well maintained and have some piece of mind. If it came right down to it I'm inclined to keep the car which I know was well maintained.

I'm currently living with a friend and have some cash savings so between the $15,000.00 cash plus my saving I could start my new life as a van dweller. Since I'm living with a friend so I have no issues of having commitments to clear (aka high rent, utilities, cable, phone, etc.) before I leave my hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. I've been saving money and this inheritance puts me over the top as to starting my new life as a van dweller.

My questions are as follow:
(1) Do I sell a well maintained car and buy a used van of unknown maintenance history?
(2) Stay in Las Vegas longer and save more cash to buy a newer van?

Any comments from you would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Don't have any ideas about what you asked but I'm sorry you lost your mom.
dragonfly

 

[Pikachu711]

I suppose the primary question I have is to buy a used van in lieu of keeping my Mom's well maintained Crown Vic. The CV was well maintained and should give me many more years of reliable service. My major concern is buying a used van and taking a chance with no verifiable maintenance history.

 

[owl]

Because the CV was well maintained doesn't mean it isn"t going to start giving problems. Any vehicle can break down at any time. Have a mechanic go over the van before you buy. You will be much more comfortable and happy.

 

[wagoneer]

Crown Vic make excellent tow vehicle. Get a TT and hit the road

 

[AltTransBikes]

Hi Pik
I've often contemplated how much a roll of the dice that any used vehicle can be. Sometimes ya get lucky, sometimes not. Certainly pre-inspection and a professional eval by a trusted mechanic can mitigate somewhat the lottery effect on a used rig (though finding that 'trusted mechanic' itself might be a real chore).

Does newer mean better, in terms of buying a used van? Sure, most probably so. Guarantees or a warranty can be your friend. I contemplate the difference of looking for and buying a used vehicle from a private sale with little in the way of follow-up warranty usually (but maybe a better price???) and buying used from a dealer/car lot and perhaps having some kind of warranty included in the sale. Still, the dice roll on any vehicle is there. I bought a brand new Ford van from a dealer in 1985 and the water pump was bad in the first few hundred miles.

Another thought comes to mind if you were into that sort of thing: The Crown Vic could make a decent tow vehicle for pulling a trailer of one configuration or another, keeping in mind it's vehicle tow rating of course.

 

[wagoneer]

Used vans are a great way to go I got a retired fleet maintained 2001 E350 diesel. for 3500 put in another 3500. and with 200k on the clock looking at another 200k I love it. 18 mpg and will tow any trailer

 

[TheMadTitan]

I'd trade the CV in and use it to help offset the cost of a van. Even a standard size van is going to be much better than the CV for sleeping and such. There definitely is an argument to be made for the TT route, but I prefer not to tow. That much would be up to personal preference. I can tell you I've been averaging at least 16 mpg before the conversion, and I fit a queen sized bed in the back. We plan to move to a smaller bed once we do the actual conversion (this one is the mattress from our previous apartment) the space to breathe is worth it imo.

 

[PastTense]

You need to tell us what your plans are as to what kind of life you plan to lead before anyone can give you useful advice.

For example suppose you are interested in stealth camping in an urban area. You can certainly do this in a used cargo van provided you move the van frequently. However the Crown Vic and travel trailer are going to stand out and it will quite obvious that someone may be living there. In terms of maneuvering the vehicle if you can drive a Crown Vic you can drive a van. But if you get a travel trailer it takes significant practice just to back up easily--when you first try the trailer wants to go in the wrong direction. And parking-wise there are lots of places you can park a van that you can't park a Crown Vic/trailer combination. But if you are going to be living in the wide open spaces the above considerations don't apply.

Or were you just talking about the Crown Vic by itself? By itself I don't see how you can do cooking and going to the bathroom--and the sleeping is going to be in an odd position and unpleasant--and you are going to have very little storage space.

 

[Pikachu711]

Hello Everyone. PastTense does bring up a good point. For the time being I cannot entirely just stop working and live without some type of part-time job eventually. I'm only 55 years old and still have a few years to go before I can totally enjoy van dwelling without some type income. So much for having a total life of carefree travel.

I have considered the TT option but you lose the "stealth" factor. That makes buying a TT not a great option since I will have to eventually work part-time until I can totally retire. I'm inclined to buy a van for the convenience factor. The thought of trying to get comfortable trying to sleep in the back seat of the CV doesn't sound overly appealing. So having said that I will most likely sell the CV and buy a van. That was my original plan. As much as a CV blends into most parking situations, so will a "normal" cargo van. As I mentioned earlier, the thought of finding a comfortable sleeping position in the back seat does not sound appealing I will most likely buy a van regardless. At 5'10" I know the back seat will isn't the place for a comfy nights sleep.

I can't even begin to start my new life until the the first of the year. It's going to take a month to go through Mom's home and deal with the accumulation of "stuff" so I'll most likely drive to Quartzsite to do a "meet'n'greet" in January. I'll then drive back to Vegas to finalize my preparations to a van dwelling lifestyle. The Quartzsite trip will give me a "dry run" of living in a Crown Vic.

Thanks for all the comments! I'm still in the middle of the grieving process so that's why I'm asking this question about a CV as a viable option for van dwelling. In all likelihood I will most likely sell the CV and buy a used van.

 

[caseyc]

Would it be feasible and affordable for you to buy a new/used van plus keep your inherited car too? As much as I like my van, I would hate to have to drive my van around to do all the various mundane things of life like driving to buy groceries, laundry, etc. Just parking the van alone is a hassle. At least for me it is. That's why I also drive a car too as a second vehicle.

 

[Bear Catcher]

Pik, I'm sorry for the loss of your mother. I lost my oldest brother in August of 2012. That is something we don't like or understand. But, we must go on.
It's been several months now. But, if you haven't made the decision yet, I'll suggest you look at, price and test drive a few vans. Then make your decision.
I think a step van (one like the bread truck) would be a great choice if you are able to install all the needed accommodations.
Good luck with your decision.

 

[vanguy]

it's hard to let go of a car that you know is reliable. i had a 2004 chevy cavalier that i bought brand new. it wasn't easy to let that puppy go. 68,000 miles on it when i sold it a month ago. but i knew i had to. i had lived in it once for 3 months and i can't do that again.
sold it to get a 1994 chevy van and haven't regretted it. in the few weeks i've had it it's proven to be a good, reliable van.
once you have had the van a little while, you'll feel much better about it, i think.
good luck with your decision.

 

[Pikachu711]

caseyc, it is possible for me to keep the car and still buy a used van. But it is somewhat impractical to own, register, maintain and insure two vehicles. It just doesn't make sense to keep the two vehicles if it came right down to it from a financial position if I'll be only driving one of them at a time. In all likelihood I will most likely sell the Crown Vic and put the cash from the sale in the bank. I'm VERY tempted to take the plunge and do what it takes to do it right.
I know that I can most likely find a good used van here in Vegas. There always seem to be vans available here so I don't see a problem buying a van that is somewhat reliable. I know of a local mechanic who I trust who will give the van a "look-see" before any cash is transferred.
As I mentioned in a prior message I still have another month to deal with all of Mom's stuff. This will give me the time required to get set up properly.
Additionally, Thank You for the kind words to all who kindly express concern at the passing of my Mom.

 

[wagoneer]

Vegas has a ton of small shuttle bus companies that are fleet maintained
they will be selling older stock to buy newer. Find that Ford E350xl hi-top diesel 1998-2003 bullet proof 7.3 Ltr. motor good for 500k. worst case new set of injectors 3k to replace all bad trans 2.5k That,s what I would do.