Date:         Fri, 4 Apr 2003 11:10:18 -0500
Reply-To:     Tim Demarest <tim.demarest@POBOX.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tim Demarest <tim.demarest@POBOX.COM>
Subject:      Re: looking for a good one!!!
Comments: To: SStones <sstones@IDIRECT.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <5.2.0.9.0.20030404102554.00a80220@postoffice.idirect.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

I concur, but with a warning!

         I overpaid for my '85 Westy in 2001, cause I wanted it for a
six-week cross-country tour, and I wanted a good one. I'd looked into
renting something I could sleep in, and the price tag for six week rentals
ranged from  $2500 plus mileage (for a boring minivan minivan) up to $5000
(for a six-person, serious overkill, way too much gas-eatin' camper).

         With these prices, I knew I would be better off overpaying for a
good Westy, and selling it when I got home. Even if I got killed on the
resale, I'd be out of pocket less than the cost of the rental. A perfect plan!

         Now for the warning... Somewhere between prepping it for the trip,
and day one in mid-Pennsylvania, I bonded with the brick. Shortly after the
trip, someone asked me "Is it for sale?"... I heard a load "No Way!" come
out of my mouth before my brain even got fully in gear.

         Two years later, I'm still driving, tweaking and pampering her,
and mightily upset that my work schedule wouldn't let me caravan down to
Everybus this weekend.

Tim


At 10:32 AM 4/4/2003 -0500, SStones wrote:
>At 10:04 AM 4/4/03 -0500, you wrote:
>>greetings all~ im hoping to find a westy/vanagon/any camper , in good
>>condition to buy. i know its gonna be real hard to find one in good
>>condition for hat amount of $$ (less then $1500) but i figure its
>>worth a try. im driving from pa to washington state and back this
>>summer and need a reliable car to live in that will get me back and
>>still be alive and well.
>>any suggestions?
>
>I really don't think you'll find one in any sort of condition to trust for
>that trip at that price.  A running vanagon loaded up with rust fetches
>over $1000, and the camper packages add $2000 to $3000 to that. Your best
>bet would be to buy one for around $5-6000 do the trip and then try to sell
>it for the same price.
>Forcing a $1500 vanagon to make that trip before you know what to expect
>from it is setting yourself up for a disastrous summer. I'm not trying to
>lay a cloud of gloom on you, but I think you'll be making a mistake setting
>yourself up like that.