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Old 06-29-2017, 07:35 AM   #21
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Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 938
Chassis: GMC or Chevrolet, I hope
Engine: gasser probably
Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
what you dont know is the number of new vehicles ive had with good luck..

ie ive had 8 wranglers brand new.. lemon lawed one.
my colorado was flawless, as is my malibu, the fiat was reliable I just didnt like it. smart car was no issues,


-Christopher
Maybe I need to sample more new ones until I find my lemon. [emoji2]

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Old 06-29-2017, 07:40 AM   #22
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,753
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
You can buy ten used vehicles for the price of one new one. A base model chevy van with no options STARTS at 31 grand. That would buy you any used van or bus you want, a new engine, a new transmission, a new paint job, gas for several years, and a trip around the world.

true that till your broken down with a bad transmission in the middle of nowhere 500 miles from home with a kid, and no knowledge of how to fix the issue..

you can definitely buy a lot of used vans and fix alot of broken issues by going to an auction.. but if you are the type of person who is going to be on edge or "eggshells" because of fear of breakdown then the trips being taken arent really enjoyed.. if it gives someone warm and fuzzies and feel-good-relaxed to have a new van then its worth it..

**BUT**

Honestly for me.. breaking down for 3 days in the DEV when I first got it was probably the best thing that couldve happened.. I found out I could still work, I made ways to have fun, I learned alot, i got back on the road.. and I realized that nothing was going to really ever stop me.. sure that first 100 miles after the repair was like "wow what did i just do... ill never trust this thing".. but when I figured out that I just survived a 3 day breakdown and had a pretty decent time to boot that I no longer felt on "edge"..

if you take a van.. a regular cargo van bought used.. and head out in it and it "blows up" or breaks down.. you have the advantage that a plain oldregular AAA ultimate membership will tow that thing anywhere you want.. it can go to most any auto repair shop.. from mom N pop to mainstream to a dealer.. if its something you can fix yourself.. parts are availabkle at auto zone, oreilly,advance, NAPA, etc.

so I would look at a cargo can as something very do-able via an auction.. and like EC says you can put alot into it before you equal the cost of new...

the same holds true of a school bus... if you blow the engine or transmission, or rear end, etc yes its expensive to replace, however its still MUCH less expensive than buy a new or even slightly used stick-and-glue RV....

-Christopher
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Old 06-29-2017, 07:51 AM   #23
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,753
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
Quote:
Originally Posted by oricha1984 View Post
Maybe I need to sample more new ones until I find my lemon. [emoji2]

Sent from my Life One X using Tapatalk

trust me you dont want to lemon law a vehicle.. mine was an open-shut case according to the law.. the dealerships (multiple) couldnt fix the issues..

in that case the jeep would over-heat and stop me along side of the road. the radiator fan circuit and components would blow fuses, ruin the computers, melt wires, you name it.. they replaced everything and at some point thought it was fixed and the lawyers were ready to cancel my lemon case.. then I drove to miami in november totally to prove that it wasnt fixed.. that the issue only occured when the fan called for 'high' speed.. sure enoiugh on route 95 at rush hour between lauderdale and miami it went defunct and stranded me.. it was a 6 month ordeal in which they finally built me a new jeep fresh off the assembly line just like the one I had... but there were many many visits to lots of shops, test-drives, crappy loaner cars, phone calls, etc....

-Christopher
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Old 06-29-2017, 08:03 AM   #24
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,208
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: 3800 International
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 72
This trip, blew a brake line leaving the house for 3000kms trip , lucky we where only a block from our house. Replaced all the lines and are near Ottawa .
Last year had a broken wire for our Horton fan clutch so the fan wouldn't kick in , couldn't find the problem on the trip ended up wiring a switch so I could turn the fan on and off till we got home.
Stuff will happen , make sure you have road side assistance , and a good credit card if needed .
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Old 06-29-2017, 09:36 AM   #25
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Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: The West
Posts: 1,210
Year: 1998
Coachwork: MCI
Chassis: 102 EL3
Engine: DD 60
It's hard to plan for the unknown but we do try... In addition to the tips already given, I carry a roadside assistance plan. Only used it once due to a tire blowout (my own fault, I let them get too old - details/full story). I don't feel that it is "required" but letting someone else find some assistance was a stress reliever for me.

Oh, maybe worth noting - I made the decision NOT to carry a spare tire (22.5") - they are too big and heavy for me to mess with, require big/heavy tools to change (think 500 ft/lbs torque), I don't want to lose the space that all this stuff eats up, and I don't want an $800 tire just sitting there aging while doing nothing.

You've probably noticed the recurring 'idea' in this thread - those that are able to think outside the box and McGyver a fix are much less likely to be forced to spend money on a tow/mechanic - at least at weekend/off-hour rates.
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