Safest high mileage on a truck that you can get

[kimkelb89]

I want to get a truck camper and everything I've read, and everyone has said, is to not get a half ton because it's dangerous and limiting to the type of camper you can get.

My budget is low for both camper and truck (5k) and I've been looking into 3/4 tons. I was turned off to the high mileage (250 - 300k) but I see a quite a few, especially Ford, going over 350k and even approaching 400k.

In your opinion/experience, is it a good idea to buy a 3/4 ton with over 200k? If so, how much over (considering a truck that was not abused)? And is a Ford likely to last longer at the high mileage because they seem to be mostly Ford. 

They are a mix of gas and diesel and I have no experience with diesel and only know basic car maintenance. Thoughts?

 

[packnrat]

pending maintance. a gaser can get 500K miles.
but most are toast bt 200K miles.
a diesel is just broken in by 200K miles.
but if any motor is not taken care of it will fail early in its life.
watch out for some motors as from the factory they have built in fail items. so research said motors before dropping the coin.

 

[MrNoodly]

a diesel is just broken in by 200K miles.

If you're talking about just the engine and transmission. Meanwhile, the rest of the truck is suffering the same wear and tear as gasoline engined trucks.

 

[Wanderer]

If you're limited to $5K, then I'd shelve the PU/Camper idea and go for a Van

I was perusing my area for 3/4 ton and the good or fair ones are $6K and higher.

 

[Riverman]

I second the van idea. Buying a truck and trailer for $5k would almost be impossible in my area.

 

[kimkelb89]

Thank you for the feedback. You confirmed my suspicions that getting even a decent pu with high mileage would be tricky and risky, especially since I don't have a lot to work with.

I've been pushing the van idea aside due to my fear of messing up the conversion and/or being physically limited in doing it. I had back surgery last year and am doing really well and about 80% recovered but my muscles are weak still and I'm restarting PT this week. I can't afford to live where I am past mid-March or I risk eating into the money I have for this. And renting as I am right now even with 2 roommates isn't sustainable on SSD. I'll be working again later this year, just not quite yet.

Does anyone have any idea how to connect with other van lifers in the Austin TX area who wouldn't mind helping with the physical labor of the conversion in exchange for slices of pizza or a humble monetary payment for work? I would pay for all products and tools needed. I just need the physical help.

 

[rm.w/aview]

Thank you for the feedback. You confirmed my suspicions that getting even a decent pu with high mileage would be tricky and risky, especially since I don't have a lot to work with.
I've been pushing the van idea aside due to my fear of messing up the conversion and/or being physically limited in doing it. I had back surgery last year and am doing really well and about 80% recovered but my muscles are weak still and I'm restarting PT this week. I can't afford to live where I am past mid-March or I risk eating into the money I have for this. And renting as I am right now even with 2 roommates isn't sustainable on SSD. I'll be working again later this year, just not quite yet.

In your thread titled (re)establishing...life..., the portion of post #7 regarding van life is more relevant now.

 

[kimkelb89]

In your thread titled (re)establishing...life..., the portion of post #7 regarding van life is more relevant now.

I'm trying to find the line between reaching out for help and not burdening others with my problems. I'm finding that, after much contemplation and research, I really need to reach out for help on the conversion. Once upon a time, I could do it with one hand tied behind my back. Well, the less dominant hand at least.  But now, I need to humble myself a bit and ask for some help.

 

[rm.w/aview]

No shame there my friend, you're in good company here. Start inexpensively simple & practical, and grow from there. Camping gear in a van within your budget is a great way to start, I did this in a very small apartment for 18 months knowing it was temporary.

 

[DLTooley]

No shame there my friend, you're in good company here. Start inexpensively simple & practical, and grow from there. Camping gear in a van within your budget is a great way to start, I did this in a very small apartment for 18 months knowing it was temporary.

Lots of company!

 

[rgs80074]

I am not going to disagree with anyone who's said anything as i don't have the experience.

first off i am not a van dweller so my van is not being used like everyone else although i'd still like to get it set up for short term living camping etc.

my van is a 1997 dodge ram van b2500

when i bought it, it had 189k miles on it, now its at 192.5k and its running good.

in fact after i bought it i realized it was not well taken care of previously, not sure if it was just the previous owner or multiple owners or what.
the van has flaws but over all is a decent van.

when i first bought it (well after i purchased it) i was told the transmission was leaking (it was not) but after purchasing it i had a host of things to replace on it to get it to be a dependable vehicle.
had water leaks all over had to replace just about every water hose there is
alternator
battery temp sensor
thermostate and thermostate housing it actually had a hole in it
of course new belt
did a transmission filter change and replaced the leaking transmissing lines
cat coverter went out about 6 months after owning it
the break caliper froze up aobut a month after that replaced both calipers, pads, rotors, and brake lines
replaced a couple of sensors think water temp sensor and a large sensor on the back of the engine (had to have a special socket for it)

i do need to take it in for a brake service to get all the air out of the lines.

after that i would be willing to hop into it and drive cross country

at this point everything left to fix on it is minor issues
brake flush
find out why the doors down unlock and lock on their own when the button is pushed have to manually lock and unlock with a key
get a better cold air intake system on it, it works now but i don't think its getting the right amount of air
the ac system probably the most expensive thing to work on either fix whats there or find a new way to get ac into it.


wish i never got rid of my 1995 ford econoline exnted cab now, that woudl have been a perfect van to convert as ti was bare bones. but when i sold it (cause i didn't need it) it had like 205k on it maybe more i know it was over 200k

i consider myself lucky on vehicles it seems i don't get the problems so many others did or had, like my jeep (yes it still has work to be done on it too) so many gremlins i read about on their forums and for hte most part i don't have those problems.

as with any older vehicle especially when you buy them with no background on them you have to expect to replace things, but as with the van i'd have no problem hopping into the jeep and driving cross country.

of course the kia is a 2013 so its still good only 51k miles on it, its made multiple trips from florida to ohio/michigan, that one would need an oil change before doing any long drives right now.

and of course even replacing an engine or transmission if the vheicle is in good condition is often cheaper than buying something else/new especially if you can get them installed cheaply or get them cheaply.

just my two cents

ryan

 

[velojym]

There might be more on the market where you are, but Ford doesn't have a lock on the high-mileage used truck.
My Suburban has over 200k, and is doing great. Just got back from a trip home to NM and back, not a hiccup. I see many of these, and the pickups, with well over 300-400k miles, in addition to the Fords and Dodges
in the area.
They use more gas than smaller vehicles, but they're so COMFY for those long distance trips.

It really comes down to the individual vehicle. None of these manufacturers support that sort of mileage, and it all depends on how it was treated and maintained.
As an old friend told me about his odometer-rolled-over-so-many-times-he-stopped-counting '78 K10, "It ain't really Chevy no more... it's just My truck, and I take good care of My truck."

 

[user 37446]

Depending on whats left after the Houston floods, and everyone buying up the older vehicles, and the flood salvage vans and trucks showing up to be resold, you may want to look farther away than Houston. Try the OKC Craigslist.

Anything 3/4T and under $5K is likely very well (worn) used. I wouldn't shy away from a half-ton van, its the weight you lug around more than the 1/2 vs 3/4.  If you follow the poster's advice here: "[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]No shame there my friend, you're in good company here. Start inexpensively simple & practical, and grow from there. Camping gear in a van within your budget is a great way to start, I did this in a very small apartment for 18 months knowing it was temporary." then any van, even a minivan, will do.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]So check around for a cleaner, older van that's not over 200K, preferably one that has receipts for work, and take a knowledgeable mechanically inclined friend with you and give it a try. Just keep the weight down (think being a backpacker with a metal tent) and you won't need a 3/4. Stay far away from diesel if you don't have a large savings account. They are great for what they are designed to do, but not especially good when you can't wrench on them yourself. Not to mention they are rare in vans anyway.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Best of luck and report back.[/font]

 

[derekio]

at this point everything left to fix on it is minor issues
brake flush
find out why the doors down unlock and lock on their own when the button is pushed have to manually lock and unlock with a key


Just curious Ryan, I have that same van. And I also have that same problem with the door locks. did you ever fix it? and how?

 

[Rabbit]

Pickups tend to carry a premium just because they're pickups and currently in high demand. Full-sized vans are built essentially like trucks and last roughly as long, but the big factor is maintenance. When you buy an older vehicle, you're shopping for an excellent previous owner as much as anything else. More than most other things, even.

Also, if you buy a van you don't need to buy the truck camper at all, and these tend not only to be high-priced but also, when older, to leak at the junction where the over-cab extension meets the main body. And leaks are ruinous-- you _must_ fix them, and it's often costly.

Best of luck to you! I really hope you score a good one, whichever route you go.

 

[RVucan2]

Thank you for the feedback. You confirmed my suspicions that getting even a decent pu with high mileage would be tricky and risky, especially since I don't have a lot to work with.

I've been pushing the van idea aside due to my fear of messing up the conversion and/or being physically limited in doing it. I had back surgery last year and am doing really well and about 80% recovered but my muscles are weak still and I'm restarting PT this week. I can't afford to live where I am past mid-March or I risk eating into the money I have for this. And renting as I am right now even with 2 roommates isn't sustainable on SSD. I'll be working again later this year, just not quite yet.

Does anyone have any idea how to connect with other van lifers in the Austin TX area who wouldn't mind helping with the physical labor of the conversion in exchange for slices of pizza or a humble monetary payment for work? I would pay for all products and tools needed. I just need the physical help.

In the beginning think of your van as a rain proof tent.Don't worry about a complete build out; takes pressure off of getting it done NOW. You need a comfortable place to sleep, something to cook on and in, good bedroll, bucket potty if you don't want to be hauling ass outside at 2:00 a.m. Something to hold your clothes, food and water, and if you are in a warmer climate, a battery or 12volt fan until you can put in a fantastic fan, something for night lighting. Then over time you can look into what you really need and dont need. You don't even need to do a bed build, buy a used twin bed and move it in, make sure it is secured so it won't move around on you. As far as getting help with a van build out, get on line and find the on line yard sale sites and post your offer of pizza and a minimal cash thank you. You might just find your bed there too. Best of luck to you.