Chris Anne the Mum
Active member
I've already determined for my first solo run in Jan/Feb 2020 I will use my Chevy Traverse. I'm not ready for full time, and I have to test the waters before investing in something.
But in the meantime, I'm gonna start looking for a van I can stand up in just in case I like this nomadic thing. (Plus I could use it to camp with kids/grandkids). I've seen how people have had great success with vehicles they got even under $5k so I was compelled to take a look at even the cheap stuff.
My friend recommended her granddaughter's chevy g10 series. Price: $5500 OBO. Even though it was a 1983, the pictures looked pretty good, and the vehicle appeared to have a certain charm. The ad said the original motor had been replaced with a Camaro engine and it has 35k miles on it (but she couldn't give me the year of that engine). The fiberglass top was opaque and seemed dirty on the inside (how to you fix that?) which turned me off since it was pretty much in my face while standing.
My daughter (age 25) was with me and she loves vintage stuff and got a great feel when it landed in the parking lot where we met. She didn't balk at the interior at first. I was not ready for the dirt, scratched paint, and fraying, old carpet, but my mind was open because one owner put in custom cabinets that weren't that pretty but were very functional and well done.
OK, so we saw how to put up the bed and talked about gray water, etc., and it's time to sit in the driver's seat and take her for a spin. The engine is old school - gotta pump the gas before starting (I remember those days!). I go to turn the key - nothing. Not even a click. Insert side bar: I wanted to see the engine during the tour and they had a hard time popping the hood. When he tried starting it up after I failed, he noticed the hood was not completely closed so we fixed that. Then we got a click at least. My daughter was in the passenger seat and after it was obvious it wasn't starting, she grabbed the handle to open the door - AND IT POPPED OFF IN HER HAND!
Unfortunately, we couldn't stay as they waited for AAA. Tour over. Turns out when they had the battery replaced, the mechanic put a bolt on backwards. Say what? This couple had driven it out of town before they met up with us today. Why did this happen when I hit the driver's seat??? :s
I'm single and not mechanical. I think those mishaps were witnessed for a reason. Long story short, I passed.
I am curious, however. Anyone familiar with older Chevy vans such as this one and do you have any recommendations? Thanks!
But in the meantime, I'm gonna start looking for a van I can stand up in just in case I like this nomadic thing. (Plus I could use it to camp with kids/grandkids). I've seen how people have had great success with vehicles they got even under $5k so I was compelled to take a look at even the cheap stuff.
My friend recommended her granddaughter's chevy g10 series. Price: $5500 OBO. Even though it was a 1983, the pictures looked pretty good, and the vehicle appeared to have a certain charm. The ad said the original motor had been replaced with a Camaro engine and it has 35k miles on it (but she couldn't give me the year of that engine). The fiberglass top was opaque and seemed dirty on the inside (how to you fix that?) which turned me off since it was pretty much in my face while standing.
My daughter (age 25) was with me and she loves vintage stuff and got a great feel when it landed in the parking lot where we met. She didn't balk at the interior at first. I was not ready for the dirt, scratched paint, and fraying, old carpet, but my mind was open because one owner put in custom cabinets that weren't that pretty but were very functional and well done.
OK, so we saw how to put up the bed and talked about gray water, etc., and it's time to sit in the driver's seat and take her for a spin. The engine is old school - gotta pump the gas before starting (I remember those days!). I go to turn the key - nothing. Not even a click. Insert side bar: I wanted to see the engine during the tour and they had a hard time popping the hood. When he tried starting it up after I failed, he noticed the hood was not completely closed so we fixed that. Then we got a click at least. My daughter was in the passenger seat and after it was obvious it wasn't starting, she grabbed the handle to open the door - AND IT POPPED OFF IN HER HAND!
Unfortunately, we couldn't stay as they waited for AAA. Tour over. Turns out when they had the battery replaced, the mechanic put a bolt on backwards. Say what? This couple had driven it out of town before they met up with us today. Why did this happen when I hit the driver's seat??? :s
I'm single and not mechanical. I think those mishaps were witnessed for a reason. Long story short, I passed.
I am curious, however. Anyone familiar with older Chevy vans such as this one and do you have any recommendations? Thanks!