Thoughts on odometer mileage when purchasing a van?

[DougV]

I've been shopping for a van for about 4 months. Been looking for an Astro or Safari AWD van 2001-2005 w/ close to 100,000 miles on it. I started just looking at cargo vans and have added to my search passenger vans to increase my choices. Because I live in such a secluded location (Michigan UP) odds are I will be traveling 250+ miles to find a van and that means I may or may be able to find a mechanic to look at the van. There have been several false starts, seller confused on the meaning of excellent condition, van sold, and engine lost compression over the weekend. 

I'm still having fun with this process but I'm about to rethink my mileage target. I see folks here buying vans with over 200,000 miles. So I'd like to hear from others, what their thoughts are and experiences have been. I realize there is no guarantees and that opinions and experiences can vary. I hopefully am not starting a flame war (please). If I can get a van for a third of the price, could I then bank the cash for future repairs?

I have a known and trusted used car dealer searching for a van but so far no luck. Many of the low mileage vans I'm finding are conversions vans w/ custom windows and plastic side steps, most of them have "entertainment" features that seem to add to the price but for which I have no use. 

I will use my van for daily use and winter trips from Michigan to the SW NA.

TLDR - What are your thought about odometer mileage when buying a van?

 

[Almost There]

Mileage was one of the things that held up finding a vehicle myself although I was looking strictly at full size vans.

What I saw was that anything that had been used commercially had been basically 'road hard, put away wet'... and they still wanted a small fortune for them.

If I only had my choice between a low mileage 'conversion van' with a bunch of bells and whistles I didn't want and a high mileage van, I'd be choosing the low mileage. In many cases, what you'll pay extra for the stuff you don't need will be far less than fixing all the things that are either needed right now or soon on a high mileage vehicle. You might even be able to recoup some of that extra by selling some of the stuff you don't want...maybe!

You might be wise to expand your search area by another 100 miles or so.

It took me six months, several day trips to look at stuff that wasn't as good at the pics...   :dodgy:   , to finally find my van 3 1/2 hours from home. I too live in a relatively unpopulated area and ended up searching the whole province although I tried to ignore the Thunder Bay area...

Don't give up hope!

 

[myke]

Been looking for an Astro or Safari AWD van 2001-2005 w/ close to 100,000 miles on it.

Did that yield anything at all?

Overall it's a tough call though... as far as the mileage...

Also, passenger vans may be in better shape cargo.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I have to agree with Almost There.  Vans owned by businesses are tools, and unless they are going out of business for some reason, they don't get rid of them until they are on their last legs.

Given the amount of salt that gets dumped on your roads up there, and the amount of rust that causes, let me suggest a radical idea to you.

Obviously, I have no idea what your financial or family situation is like, but have you considered the idea of taking a two week vacation somewhere where they DON'T salt the roads and looking for a good van there?

Say, go down to Texas for a couple of weeks and look at vans between doing touristy stuff like seeing the Alamo?

You could go to sites like Autotrader.com or Cars.com and plug in the zip code for Dallas, or Phoenix or Santa Fe and conduct searches on all the vans for sale within 200 miles to get an idea of what is available and what it is selling for in that area.

If you've got family, maybe you could go to N'awlins for Mardi Gras or Florida for Disney World and hunt for a van at the same time.

Anyway, it's just an idea . . .

Regards
John

 

[akrvbob]

I wouldn't buy a van with 200,000 miles on it. At the minimum you're looking at constant nickel and dime problems and then a few really big expenses.

Stick to your guns and expand your search area. If it were me I'd expand it to full-size vans but that's just me.
Bob

 

[DougV]

I wouldn't buy a van with 200,000 miles on it. At the minimum you're looking at constant nickel and dime problems and then a few really big expenses.

Stick to your guns and expand your search area. If it were me I'd expand it to full-size vans but that's just me.
Bob

Well, I took Bob's advice and see a 2004 Chevy Express 1500 AWD Base passenger van w/ tow package, w/ 180,000 miles in my price range..... can't hurt to go look. 180,000 is rather close to 200,000 

 

[DougV]

Did that yield anything at all?

Yeah there have been a few, and some I could have afforded. But there was always another issue. A couple as low 60,000 but the seller always wanted way more than I was willing/able to pay.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

BTW, I've noticed recently that New York state was getting rid of some AWD Astro Vans via their public auctions.

Maybe you should find out how MI disposes of their state owned vehicles? 

New York didn't make it obvious.  I had to dig around a bit to find that the Office of General Services handled it, and the information is semi-buried on their web site.  (It's really only one of several minor functions they perform.)

Regards
John

 

[highdesertranger]

x2 again on what Bob said. once you get around the 200k mark you must be very careful with your selection. at 300k don't even think about it. also remember awd or full time 4wd is very hard on the drive train. many parts wear a lot faster. think of it this way how many old Subaru's do you see on the road. highdesertranger

 

[SoulRaven]

I don't worry about the mileage on a van as long as it's not just approaching the average lifespan of whatever engine/transmission it has. 20-30k over, and it likely has a new engine good for many more miles.

What I have learned through experience is that the pre 90's vans are a lot tougher and better built. They will save you a ton of money in the long run, and they are also usually cheap to purchase in very good shape. They were owned by people who loved them and took care of them, rather than the drive them till they drop crowd.

It's all about finding a seller who has loved their van, and their van shows it.

 

[eDJ_]

There are such people as "Automobile Brokers" who hunt for special request vehicles.  (such as you seek)
You tell them what you want and how far you are willing to drive to pick it up....and the price range you
wish to pay, mileage etc.

A lot of Fleet Vans for delivery which are used by Supply Companies are often auctioned off after 5 years.
By that time their accountants have written them off their books.   They auction them off so they can buy
"new" without the "trade in process".  Thus they get the rock bottom Fleet Deal.    Figure in certain parts of
the country such vehicles will get 25K miles a year on average and be operated 5 years.   What these
Vans bring at auction generally is applied to the new vehicles purchase price.  It's replacement.

These Brokers are connected by online services they pay to subscribe to and they know of the where abouts
of things potential customers would want.

I've purchased a couple of new cars through a Broker in Toledo Ohio.  Had to drive to Pittsburgh, PA to pick the last one up.  But it was a matter of getting what I wanted at years end as the supplies were so diminished.  Got one heck of a deal on it too. 

If you call a broker,  have a general idea of what you want, color, windows or without, make, model, eng trans
etc.  You could tell them that a Fleeted van in good condition that may have 5 years use on it (so it will be a write off tax wise)  and can be had quite reasonable....and set him to hunting.  Also how far you are willing to
drive for it.  He can email you photos of it and the VIN if you want to check it out through Carfax. (prior to purchasing it)

Where I live some of the car lots seem to specialize in Vans and once  or twice a year they have a bunch of clean bright white Vans that have been fleeted by any of the utility companies.  Usually on the lot for $1500
bucks.  They try to sell them to local independent tradesmen who do home repairs and Jack of all Trades work.  Some buy them to fix up an travel in as we do here.