Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB
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