When it rains it pours. After a lot of false starts I suddenly have 3 vans to choose between. All are the same make, model, engine, and trans. (A good one -- I will avoid arguments by not saying which :). )Van #1: 1 hour from me, 2003, 105k miles, $8800. Van #2: 24 hours away, 2001,190k but mechanic I hred to inspect says it has been very well maintained, $7900. Van #3: 12 hours away, 2005, 125k, $6350.Plusses and minuses: Vans #1 and 2 have the same camper top and it is one I love. Van #3 has a different top but I included the cost of customizing it to be almost as good.Vans #1 and 2 have been inspected by mechanics hired by me but new to me, and passed with flying colors.Van #3 is in a remote area, no mechanic available to inspect, but seller is certified mechanic and bought it for his own use, says it is good. This is also the one mentioned in another thread that has some beaurocratic hassles. (It might sound like I don't like this van, but it is ok with me and cheap! I was all set to buy it till the other two cropped up today.)Van #3 has super springs. If they are good and the other two vans need spring work to carry the load I will put on them, add $600 to each of them. This is something I don't think I can determine until after purchase.#3 has power steering cooler and trans cooler. It also has a super duper AC but that is not a priority to me.So, what do you think?

I'd say it is a close call between 1 and 3.

I'd be inclined to go with #1. It's more money, but it's only 1 hour away (so no expense to obtain), it has the top you want (no expense to customize), and is in good shape. For the increase of $900, you decrease travel by 23 hours and gain 85K miles and 2 years on the engine.#3 is cheap, but you aren't real comfortable with the registration. That's fine if it's the only option, but you have other options without that issue. The price is a lot less considering it's newer and you're depending on the seller's mechanic background to guarantee it's condition.#2 is OK, but you're losing a lot of potential miles on the engine. With the 24 hours away bit, you'll be adding a lot of miles to it before you even really get to enjoy it. With #1, you can put miles on it camping - not trying to get it home.

I'd be inclined to go with 1. Lower mileage, sounds like you like it, and #3 could be more of a hassle in the end.BTW.... Ipads really don't weight so much that you need Super Springs to carry one around ... :)

Choosing between these 3 vans, opinions aporeciated!

Jarlaxle
Explorer II
May 08, 2016
Van 3...it's the newest.
Naio
Explorer II
May 08, 2016
Thanks toes, for undetstanding :).

Being me, I am now having angst that the local sale is too easy...
toedtoes
Explorer III
May 08, 2016
Naio wrote:
Yeah, we have pretty well got the registration thing figured out, with you and other forum folks' help. But somehow I have just crossed some kind of line for how much effort I want to put into that van.

I have already negotiated price with the local seller. Maybe not hard enough, but by now I am pretty familiar with local prices. If it has nothing wrong, as mechamic says, it is a good deal. (I did also ask the mechanic about the price.)

That's my thought with #3 - it just seems like it's an awful lot of work to get. With #1, it's an easy process. That extra effort isn't always worth the savings and the added stress of dealing with the extra effort can cause you to let something important slip when you check it out.
Naio
Explorer II
May 08, 2016
Yeah, we have pretty well got the registration thing figured out, with you and other forum folks' help. But somehow I have just crossed some kind of line for how much effort I want to put into that van.

I have already negotiated price with the local seller. Maybe not hard enough, but by now I am pretty familiar with local prices. If it has nothing wrong, as mechamic says, it is a good deal. (I did also ask the mechanic about the price.)
toedtoes
Explorer III
May 08, 2016
#3 is only a good deal if you trust the owner's opinion on the condition of the van. You don't have an unbiased mechanical opinion of it - you have the seller's opinion. That would make me hesitate. If you go to get it, can you verify right then and there that those are "super springs" and that they are in good condition? Or do you have to trust his word?

Add in that you have to transport it across state lines without any registration (or spend and extra 2-3 days trying to get it registered before leaving) and the cost savings just doesn't seem that great.

#1 - can you get him to drop the price? If you could get him down to $7500 - $7800, you'd be better off in the long run.
Naio
Explorer II
May 08, 2016
No smells in #1 and 3.

I included minor repairs, mods, transporting far away vans, adding hitch to van that doesn't have one, etc. in the the prices in the OP, to make this a comparison of oranges to oranges as much as possible.

The prices are total, not what I would pay to sellers. Trying to be fair to all vans!
Naio
Explorer II
May 08, 2016
The interiors are not an issue for me because I would be making a lot of changes anyway.

Exterior matters, though. Not to me personally, but to some campgrounds. The cheap, remote van has some exterior issues but I included fixes in the cost. Does make me wonder if it has been used roughly.... but some urban sellers are hard on cars mechanically even if tey keep the outside nice. :: shrug ::

I forgot to ask about smells for #1 and 2, will do that.

Oh, that sounds bad :B
Artum_Snowbird
Explorer
May 07, 2016
That's a sizable saving to buy the remote one. He perhaps has priced it to sell, knowing the market isn't so good at the remote place. I like the options too, supersprings, cooler, etc.

But so much depends on how they really look inside and out. A clean unit with a clean exterior will give you a lot more pleasure than one someone has lived in, has dings and scrapes, or smells bad for whatever reason.
fj12ryder
Explorer III
May 07, 2016
All things being equal I'll take door number 3. Medium miles, lowest price, only minus is taking the seller's word for mechanical condition. $2500 buys a fair amount of inconvenience.
Naio
Explorer II
May 07, 2016
Lol, atreis, thanks for catching that typo! lpad = load :)

I talked to my dad. He votes for #1.

The thing about the super springs is, I would be buying from the second iwner. If the 1st owner wore OUT the super springs, and the other vans' owners didn't wear out their stock ones, they might be ahead of the game, or at least even. All this is unknown. So they MIGHT be a good deal...

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