keep searching and that perfect one will fall on your doorstep
and if you do want long term on the road ya gotta buy what will suit just that for you, take your time and I bet a great one will come your way and you will jump on it and be happy!

I’m looking for a new as possible mini van, too. Old sticks out like a sore thumb. I have been collecting to the point of overload mini van built ideas for a while. I’m looking for gas milage, stealth and easy to drive. I’m cutting down the amount of stuff to haul from full sized van. I don’t know what your budget is. There are a lot of old Ford transit connects around. Avoid 2012 & 2013 - transmission not ok. If you can afford one they make it in a wagon with seats in the back but they are a bit more luxury and the inside is finished. Not real popular so not as expensive as other vans that age. Sell the extra seats and pay for some solar. I’m also trying to figure out how to best power a fan, a fridge, induction cook top and phone charger. Look at https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Vents-and-Fa...543SP.html and I know there other places to get them cheaper... one in and one out flow. I think I saw one on the top of the back door of a 2010 Ford Connect. The main draw back of a mini van for me is not being able to stand up - that has me on pause. Maybe I’ll make a tent to go on the back end of a van. Then you have to haul fabric....

(05-30-2019, 05:01 AM)Gr8ful Wrote: Maybe you could trade it for a minivan if you can find one without a million miles on them. We had several, never any major issues & ran them all to at least 200k & 1 to 300K miles & they all we running great when we sold them. My wife hit a deer in one & it cracked the big grill so small you have to know it was there & they totalled it so we bought it back & put another 100k on it. All Dodge/Chrysler ones.

Appreciate the info. I look at craigslist on a monthly basis and compare various years and brands. Cheapest decent under 200K and newer than 2005 seems a tie between Chrysler and Honda, though I don.t hear much good about 2000-2006 Honda trannies. Toyota is a bit higher but no reported drivetrain issues. All can be had under 3500 if ok with no sunroof (ventilation?), closer to 4500 with sunroof.

The Edge would sell for 5K or higher so thats good. Still like the idea of a mid-top conversion van but thats a whole nuther can of worms as far as reliability of the systems.

I did buy a Ford Transit Connect wagon. It has windows in the sliding doors that can go down.i got it used.

::thumbs up::

(07-18-2019, 05:06 AM)Snikwahjm Wrote: I did buy a Ford Transit Connect wagon. It has windows in the sliding doors that can go down.i got it used.

Ive seen several of them, mostly the older ones with the lousy tranny. Some YT’ers have their conversions online and look good.  While the newer Connect series did improve the whole drivetrain, losing the interior height was too bad.  

I took the Edge on a 2400 mile RT run last month, while a bit cramped (compared to a van) it was a lot nicer than the Prius in every way except fuel. It got appx half the gas mileage (24-25 vs 50-52) but sleeping and the driving comfort sure was better.

Still waiting as I am with the son’s family as of now.

I got very lucky on my TC wagon. It set on the dealers lot too long... you can watch for one... key words - titanium and wagon. Mine is a passenger van. If they set too long the price goes down and they do set. The side doors don’t self close so the soccer moms don’t want them. They aren’t as popular as Ford would like. They have some nice features. My TC has pretty good room for one person. I still need to build a working bed and everything else I might need. The ceiling height isn’t too bad. I guess a full size van would be somewhat taller but I’d be crouched over either way. At least the TC gets better milage than a full size van. It handles very well. More room than my Honda FIT.

My old van is for sale. I’m in Indianapolis right now.

I was very blessed to find my ambo. I'm so happy with it, just waiting for my wife to get her treatments done, sell the farm & all the stuff I thought I had to have I think going from a pack rat to a minimulist will be good but probably next spring before it happens.

I keep cycling back and forth between minivans and Astro’s (“midivans). Then I’d see a “tv top” roof older conversion and want something like that but the gas mileage and high miles would put me off. It always cycles, I just have to buy something in between cycles, ha ha.

So far staying with the son’s family is working out but I can tell that the lack of privacy and “its your own place” are bothering them some. The end of this may be coming, will see. That will “force my hand” so to speak. I’m working FT in an effort to save and stay out of their hair, then babysitting the 2 yr old grandson to give them breaks. Its kinda the opposite of elder care but has some of the same elements.

Gr8ful I know exactly what you mean by "all that stuff you can't do without".  14 years ago I wouldn't have believed how well I have done without stuff.  It gets to the place where the stuff owns and control you.  I was born and raised in SW Michigan and have fond memories (ha ha) of Michigan winters.  The last winter in South Haven in 79 was my last and I never looked back.