Time for a Replacement Van. Struggling...

[tx2sturgis]

Yep. I thought maybe the P.O. had removed the latches or levers etc. Worth a check.

 

[Happy Camper]

Might be that the vent window at the bottom was an upgrade option. So they used gasket and a non vent window bottom in it's place.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Fortunately getting older often brings an increase in patience with doing task. The motivation thing is entirely personal and not based on age range. There is no wrong time or right time other than what works for you as an individual.

Unfortunately I sure don't fall into that first line ya wrote I find older I get my impatience is worse as in I have patience for issues that I feel are adding to my life, but sure have none like waiting in a repair shop for days on end when they have to order the part or even have the time to get the work done....do any of us have big patience for that LOL Older I get the more I want life on my terms only, unrealistic probably, hence my impatience level LOL I strive now to put all my ducks in a row for my life and 'use of life' to work for me and not against me in any way......but like ya said, we are all diff. in our personalities and approaches definitely.

 

[Overland One]

Might be that the vent window at the bottom was an upgrade option. So they used gasket and a non vent window bottom in it's place.

Well they used a single large piece of glass with a trim piece placed horizontally. That trim piece is only on the inside of the glass so you can tell it is just a large single pane of glass by looking at the outside. You can see that trim from the outside and I seriously think they did this to make it look like it has a slider. All 3 of my large windows are the same way. (I just checked them all, again.) Seems strange they would do this.

 

[Happy Camper]

That's just sad. Maybe it was so the conversions all looked similar since they would have the same design cues.

 

[Overland One]

That's just sad. Maybe it was so the conversions all looked similar since they would have the same design cues.

Maybe. The conversion was done by Glaval. I will say they did a nice job on the insulation as the couple of places I checked were stuffed with fiberglass. I even got a Glaval Conversions book in the glovebox along with the owner's manual but, it was pretty generic covering many models or versions and mentioning some equipment mine does not have. Oh well, we can't have everything, right?

 

[Happy Camper]

We can have everything. Finding storage for everything is the trick.

 

[dreamrunnerjt]

If you are considering a brand spanking new van you have a few options I have not seen mentioned.
If ordering from manufacturer you can get one without the extra seats and possibly with windows that will open. Check the website for options.
Buy a chassis and have a custom box built. You can go to a professional box building business or try building one yourself. Yes that takes you out of the van and into the box truck arena but still worth considering.
Everything depends on money, skill and stamina. I wish you the very best in finding your new abode.

 

[jacqueg]

My van is 22 years old and has 267,000 miles on it. (When I bought it, it had about 190,000 miles.) Yes, I am sure the piper will be showing up in the foreseeable future to present a bill. Not sure what I'll do then, but I have surely gotten my money's worth out of it.

How the van has been treated matters FAR MORE than its age or mileage. And that is true for any vehicle that is more than around one year old. I don't drive fast, I don't brake hard, and I get an oil change every two months. I've replaced the brakes and shocks, and had some front end work. Due for more front end work I'm pretty sure, and I've also got a pesky oil leak.

If you wanna replace Old Faithful, go for it.

 

[VanFan]

The bare beginnings of a plan are evolving.

1. Identify the real issue(s) at hand (somewhat complex, surprisingly).
2. Continue to maintain and enjoy the current van. (It is probably more reliable than not at this point.)
3. Transition to the next vehicle over a period of time, with an eye toward having a minimal replacement at the ready before being forced to retire the '96.

I met an amazing person in a campground a couple of weeks ago who gave us a full tour of their van, even letting my husband try out a width-wise bed in a Promaster (nope). Their set-up was brilliant, but minimal, and really inspired me to consider an "interim" solution that would be campable while transitioning to something more complete but still very flexible.

For the first time ever, I am considering a self-build. (My set-up is an "unbuild".) I have no experience with "building;" my driveway is too steep to safely work in; a tall van (a possibility) will not fit in my garage; and it's hotter than blazes here for several months of the year. On the plus side, I have a supportive spouse, a mostly low traffic street side parking spot, time, and inclination.

In some ways, I find myself in the same place I was in in 2007, when I first came down with van fever!

 

[afblangley]

For the first time ever, I am considering a self-build. (My set-up is an "unbuild".) I have no experience with "building;" my driveway is too steep to safely work in; a tall van (a possibility) will not fit in my garage; and it's hotter than blazes here for several months of the year. On the plus side, I have a supportive spouse, a mostly low traffic street side parking spot, time, and inclination.

In my opinion, there is a big difference between "no build" builds and simple builds. Most no builds tend to be minimalist designs, hobbled together with flimsy, plastic structures. Whereas, simple builds are usually on a tight budget, but still have systems (albeit basic) using durable materials, with varying degrees of construction ability.

My construction skill level is so low that some Ikea furniture assembly can be above my pay grade. My van was built using only two power tools- saw and drill, plus a couple of hand tools- tape measure, hammer, wrench. The hardest part of my build was cutting 3 sheets of plywood to the contours of the van's floor. That process took an entire day, nothing else took more than a few hours. The kitchenette came assembled from HD, needing only the countertop and sink installed. That took half a day. I paid someone on TaskRabbit $200 to make a toilet box/ottoman, it took him a few hours (and required a few more tools and a lot more skill than I possess). The remaining furniture are "tables" that consist of a plywood platform with metal pipe legs screwed into the floor. One sized to create a couch, another for a bed, and another to support the fridge and microwave.

Creating a rolling work of art may require a lot of time, money and talent, but building a functional and comfortable van doesn't have to. Unless of course, that's what you want.