First of many questions on vans

[Kyz]

- Vans in general are a pain for working on the engine.
+ White vans are invisible.
Hopefully find a single owner van , P_O is an old guy that has all maint records.

I was hoping it would be easier than an RV, but good points. I'm not really looking for invisible/stealth.

[Kyz]

I have one comment to add.  

I was somewhat aware of that, but I did think there were ways to insure as an RV--but wasn't sure if I was going to pursue getting the title changed.

[Wayne49]

There's a current thread on the other forum about insuring a non-RV as an RV.

Insurers are into spreading risk among a huge pool of the insured. Anything that sticks out will get hammered.

The value of titled as a RV is lower cost for liability insurance, as RVs typically are not driven much, annual vacations and long weekends. Vans are considered daily drivers.

My van's liability insurance costs $535 for a year, my Class C is $243. I don't carry comprehensive and collision on either. Neither is financed.

This may be an opportunity for someone to get setup as an RV manufacturer, in name only, then inspect home built RVs to certify them as an RV, then apply the magic sticker.

[sternwake]

I cant help with any of the newer base platforms, and if looking for something older, I would search for what i already have, just something rust free.

I often wonder about fuel efficiency gains with something newer, how much they are offset by much higher registration and minimum liability insurancecosts, as well as repair and maintenance costs.

I think that there is going to be a flood of used ~100K$( when new) class B's flooding the market soon as the whole hashtag van life crap dies off ,and those who once though it was cool, living for social media 'likes', decide something else is cooler.

I do not notice it so much here in Florida, not that I've been venturing out, but it seemed everybody and their mothers brother and their inner circle had a huge sprinter van, slightly built out as a toy hauler/rare camper, in San Diego. A highly capable vehicle that rarely ever saw anything other than occasional beachside parking duty or an occasional run into the mountains or desert, and of course bragging rights for those who can afford to have a third or 4th vehicle to impress their venal shallow neighbors.



I'm in a wait and see approach, gonna keep my nearly 34 year old inefficient van, even though it has not been moved in 5+ weeks and serves no purpose at the moment. My current registration will expire in July and would need a California smog test to be renewed. So either I sell it, or register it here, where I bought it, 22 years ago.

My van is actually a liability as i cant park it where i am living in a stick and brick. Even though it is just a Van, there is a NO RV's HOA rule.
It does not matter if it is registered as an Rv or just a Van, complainers complain like it is their job and an old conversion van in need of a paint job, with solar panels atop is admittedly, an eyesore in such a neighborhood.


Personally, there is a lot of family shit going to come to a head this year, but it also seems like World events could dictate a lot of the relatively immediate future, and we might not just be able to Not watch the news, and carry on as usual, isolated from the turmoil occurring elsewhere, but this ventures into that which shall not be discussed, here, rightfully so.

As far as internal layouts. I found GypsyDogs recent sojourn enlightening, regarding not only the size of the vehicle, not being enough for one human and their dog, but the ability to diagnose, get parts and repair it when things go wrong even with professional help and lots of good people nearby to assist as well.

Building out a bare bones cargo van can be a huge amount of work.

The amount of weight one can add easily can push the frame, engine, axle and brakes well past their intended ratings.

Having relocated recently, taking as much as i could with me x country, What i left behind was more due to its weight, than to due to lack of space to put it. My build was a 'no wasted space mentality, and I'm an OCD carpenter.

Most manufactured class B's are hitting the weight limits of their frames Axles and tires, before the holding tanks are filled or personal items added to all the storage nooks and crannies provided..

A lot of those building out their own, overbuild the internal structure, not really giving consideration to the weight and the ability of the platform to carry it safely.

I'm not quite sure how the RV dealers can get away with selling something that is right up at the GVWR before the tanks are loaded or personal items put inside.

I wish I knew the unloaded weight of my van, and how much I drove with it across country recently. I had got new tires just before leaving, quiet softer highway tires instead of trusting 5+ year old light truck All terrain tires in the same size and load rating.

I was half loaded with intended weight when I got the new tires, and had them up at max PSI, and they looked underinflated and I could tell the handling difference immediately upon leaving the tire shop.

I did a few highway test runs and emergency braking when loaded within 200lbs of final expected weight and decided It was OK, barely. I have improved brakes and rear airbag helper springs and 22 years of driving this Van that helped in the confidence regarding potential avoidance emergencies at interstate highway speeds. but I'd not trust another driver with it loaded as it was, and I suspect i was at its 6400GVWR or slightly above. The tires are rated for 1984lbs each and were not getting hot, only warm at sustained highway speeds, 65mph or less.

Test driving something new and empty might be A OK, but a nightmare when loaded as it will be used, in a cross wind.

[GotSmart]

Out of all the Van type vehicles out there, personally I prefer the Roadtreck. 

Tall enough to stand up in, and they have a shower and toilet. Replace a couple of $ worth of parts and then you have something that holds its value.