Wopper Posted June 23, 2003 Posted June 23, 2003 Thinking of selling the Nissan Truck and buying a camper van. Family consists of mom, dad, baby and dog. Will have a budget of approx. $8-9k. Never owned one before. Would like to have a little refrigerator, at least a one burner stove and be somewhat comfortable for overnight road trips. What kind of van would you buy and why? Quote
AlpineK Posted June 23, 2003 Posted June 23, 2003 Camper Van Beethoven rules. Take the skinheads bowling. Quote
catbirdseat Posted June 23, 2003 Posted June 23, 2003 What you get depends on whether you use it only on the weekends or if you need it to get to work. A big camper for the pickup or a nice pop up trailer might be the way to go. For $8,000 you could get a really nice trailer with gas heat, etc. that you could leave in the side yard when you aren't using it. Quote
Off_White Posted June 23, 2003 Posted June 23, 2003 I dunno CBS, I really hate trailer driving, especially if you're headed up some overgrown forest service road carved into the hillside with who knows what for a turn around. I like the VW Westfailia Vanagon for a camper, but it is sort of a quirky cult vehicle. The camping set up is nice, the turning radius is amazing, and the mileage is decent. Underpowered, but within reason, and unlike the earlier air cooled vans it does have real heat and doesn't consume an engine every 50,000 miles. I really like the pop top feature, its great to be able to stand up inside, but not have some big rigid roof extension. It works for me, but I know other folks that hate 'em. The nickname Westfail-ya is not totally unearned, but I've had reasonable luck. In the american made vein, I've had a number of Ford econoline's as work vehicles, and while they're dependable, the mileage blows. I've known too many people with Dodge caravan nightmares to make those appealing to me, but some folks love 'em. Quote
catbirdseat Posted June 23, 2003 Posted June 23, 2003 I have a friend who owns the Vanagon and loves it. The four wheel drive comes in handy. They are kind of expensive, though. Quote
Wopper Posted June 23, 2003 Author Posted June 23, 2003 catbirdseat said: What you get depends on whether you use it only on the weekends or if you need it to get to work. A big camper for the pickup or a nice pop up trailer might be the way to go. For $8,000 you could get a really nice trailer with gas heat, etc. that you could leave in the side yard when you aren't using it. To clarify further....I do not want a camper or a trailer. It will not be used for commuting, just for week-end type trips with the family. I was thinking along the lines of a Westfalia pop-top or a extended top Ford/Chevy van. I have never had any of the above and am looking for pros/cons of both. Gracias! Quote
shapp Posted June 23, 2003 Posted June 23, 2003 I had a 1974 poptop VW and loved it, but I never really felt comfortable with taking it on really long trips due to its age. It also drove kind of squirly, and was under powered. I also have extensive family experince with standard American make vans (dodge, chev, ford). We had several growing up. If you are at all handy I would buy the best running van (dodge, chev, or ford) conversion van or passanger van. Take the passanger van and retrofit the interior with custom made cabinets etc., or can go to the junk yard and get a refridgerator and sink from a VW and retrofit into your cabinet set up. My grandpa did this to an older dodge and he also built some custom bench seats that folded into a bed. The underside of each was lockable storage. Be creative 8-10 K should go a long way with a little elbow grease. Forget the Stove, build a table that folds out when the side door is open, and use a colman gas or propane set up of your choice. If you put an awning on the side of your van you will have a sweet dry cooking and lounging set up. Quote
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