NatureBoy

So my band is getting moderately popular, and we've decided that we want to go on tour. Combine that with the notion my wife and I have to outfit a vehicle for camping trips with a removeable bed and it looks like we're getting a large passenger van.

We've been checking out used vans and it is important that I get the best bang for the buck. What sort of questions should I ask the seller to ensure this? How many miles can I expect to get out of the average passenger van engine? Anyone with advanced van knowledge who wishes to share their knowledge with me will recieve free karma and I'll send you a CD. Muchas Gracias.

DEI37

Something to look in to might be a cargo van. I know it sounds bad, but they usually cost less, because they are decontented hardcore. But, then the entire back of it is customizable by you, tailored to your needs and wants. The downside is a lack of windows, but that can be fixed easily enough, too. Stay away from Dodge's because of transmission and engine woes. Ford's have a diesel for better mileage, and longer engine life. I'm a GM lover, so I'll tell you to look at a Chevy van...the engines and transmissions are solid, and for a van...they look alright, and can be fun to drive.

__________________
Generally speaking, if you were to get what you really deserve, you might be unpleasantly surprised.

NatureBoy

Well, most of our band wants seatbelts and for legal reasons, I think a cargo van without seats would be a bad idea. I'd love to find a diesel, but I'm worried about getting it fixed while we're on the road and the expense involved (I believe I heard that diesel engines cost more to work on than engines that run on unleaded).

DEI37

As for the seatbelts, all you'd have to do is go to a salvage yard and get the seats you want, and mount them in. Wouldn't be that hard to do, and you get the seats you want.

As for diesels...yes, they are harder and more costlier to work on, and the maintenance costs more...mainly oil changes, due to them consuming 12-18 quarts of oil, versus a gas engines' 4-6.

__________________
Generally speaking, if you were to get what you really deserve, you might be unpleasantly surprised.

theguyondacouch

Also, if you get a used fleet vehicle, be wary. There are two kinds of fleet vehicles, those that have been maintained and driven right, and those that have been beaten to hell and back and had an oil change every 20,000 miles. Most are the latter. Also, being the ford man I am, I recommend an early-mid nineties ford e 150. If you can get one with the inline six it'll go forever with regular maintenance, and it'll have enough pull to be fun to drive(for a van).

__________________
"Lick my frozen metal ass!"

Scorps

My bro drives a 98 Chevy Cargo van it has almost 500,000 miles on that thing...and it never had the engine rebuilt. Its had other things go but they are minor.

kazoo

Regarding fleet usage-it depends on the plan and user. Pool vehicles tend to get beat because nobody has responsibility for them other than the fleet admin. Assigned vehicles are typically well kept-my guys took them to Firestone or Goodyear stores for scheduled service every 6K miles.

If you want a van, or a truck, there is only one word- FORD. My region ran everything from mini-pickups to an L7000, and my maintenance numbers were better for Ford than Chevy.

__________________
There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity -Big Daddy

Redlemon

A band in my high school got their hands on a used hearse; the rollers in the back make it very easy to load equipment. Don't know how much seating you get, though.

__________________
I can't read your signature. Sorry.

Ilow

A band where I used to live used a converted "short bus" school bus. they painted it with safari stripes and put a cool safari roof rack on it and it had all the space they could handle. Sounds like you want something newer, though, in which case I'd lookat the full size Ford econolines, or the Chevy 1500's. The full size Dodges suck! (318ci is pathetic and they handle like crap, not to mention breaking all the time.)

__________________
"Religion is the one area of our discourse in which it is considered noble to pretend to be certain about things no human being could possibly be certain about"
--Sam Harris

Scorps

Oh man a bus would be great...that or a RV, the smaller ones with the van front ends!

phredgreen

the only problem i'd see with a bus is that the passenger compartments ride higher off the ground than most regular vehicles, so think about that when you're ready to load/unload your speakers and amps.

if you guys are medium sized, i'd suggest a small box truck or a cargo van with safe seating for two, to be followed by someone else's car.

__________________
My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.
- Thomas Paine

merkerguitars

My dad has an old chevy conversion van that he used to use for his band van for sale. If you live close to wisconsin that is...

__________________
Donate now! Ask me How!

Please use the search function it is your friend.

Look at my mustang please feel free to comment!

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

Scorps

You could always get one of them 11 seater vans and take the back 1 oe 2 rows of seats out... that way you got a bench and the 2 front seats

NatureBoy

Pain Train> That's what we want to do, but I'm worried about buying one with a lot of miles on it because I don't want to break down in the middle of the desert. I guess I just have to look hard.

Scorps

ya if you go to new then your into high cost....but you get what you pay for!

BoomTruck

How about a crew-cab pickup with a small enclosed trailer?

__________________
Judge me all you want, but keep the verdict to yourself.

shakran

You'll be on the road alot? I'd seriously look at a conversion van. They depreciate quickly so you can pick up a used one for a song. Find one with comfortable seats. They'll carry 7 people comfortably with enough room for luggage, or 4 people with enough room for luggage and all your gear. I'd probably plan on buying an enclosed trailer, though - band equipment can trash the interior of a car damn fast, and you'd have more room.

I'd only look at fords, honestly. Dodge vans suck, and chevy's aren't nearly as ergonomic. If you can find one with a V6, all the better - those suckers will go more than 600 miles on one tank.

I'd be looking for one with pulldown shades and the bench seat that converts to a bed - lets you drive as long as you want, while a co driver rests up to take over for you when you're too tired.

Quality Coaches, Eclipse, Starcraft, Elk (depending on the specific conversion) and Waldoch are good conversion companies to look for. Universal sucks ass. Of all of these, I'd take an Eclipse if I had my choice. They're very well done, and have a lot of thoughtful extras tucked away in there (air compressor in the back to inflate your tires, 110v outlets by the rear captains chairs for laptop use, etc)

pay attention to the ride on the test drives. Vans are weird. You can get two identical vans, and one will ride like a truck with broken springs while the other will be as smooth as a limo.

For long trips, a raised roof is a big bonus - makes a huge difference in comfort level.

I'd stay away from cargo vans myself - you'll end up paying more to turn it into a conversion van than you would just buying the conversion van in the first place.


New you can get very nice conversion vans for as little as $25,000. Used, significantly less. They're so inexpensive (for what you get) new that few bother buying used.