Cheap Delivery Van

[Squeak 17]

Ill be back in the states in December, and I would reallyl ike to drive across from Fla To LA, Hire care costs are quite high.
So I would ideally like to buy a cheapish Van and throw a bed in it to DZ hop from East to West.

Anyone want to help me find and buy one?
Also I dont know the Van models what should I be looking for?
I'd like to keep it under $2000 if possible

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
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[normiss 620]

Police auctions always seem to have a few abductor vans around.

[Zep 0]

I've spent many a comfortable night at the DZ sleeping in a Pontiac Transport,
Just take out the rear seats and a good size mattress will fit.
One of the advantages of using a SUV over a van is the roof lining
who in their right mind wants to wake up with loads of condensation drips
from the roof falling on them.
Also the Trans Sport is one of the most comfortable SUV's to drive.

Models include:
Chevrolet Lumina
Pontiac Silhouette
Pontiac Trans Sport

Mine was a 2.3ltr Quad 4 HO W42 with a stick shift, but I think that was a European export only model.

Gone fishing

[davelepka 4]

Any of the minivans would be a good choice. Delivery vans in the US are typically the same as cargo vans, and as such have bigger engines and heavy duty tires/suspension/brakes which leads to poor gas mileage.

A minivan will usually have a 6-cylinder engine, and some even have a rear bench seat that can fold flat and turns into a 'bed'. The upside there is that you have all the seats with you when you get to LA (I'm guessing you want to sell the van when you're done, right?).

The biggest 'problem' you might have is the title/registration/insurance situation. I'm not sure what it takes to title a vehicle in Fla, but you usually need a residence of some sort. Look into that ahead of time.

The flip side is being able to sell it in LA. Cali has some weird laws regarding emissions, and cars/motorcycles have (or had) to be produced in 'California' versions to meet those standards. Now things might have changed lately, but for $2k you're looking at an older car you might not be able to title in Cali.

Let's say you can get a title there, you'll want to do that. I would never buy a used car with an out-of-state title, just in case there are problems getting the title switched, I'm stuck with a car I can't title/register.

One thought, if you can get a Cali title, is to get one in a locals name before you leave. Of course, this needs to be someone you trust, but put the van in their name and have them sell it for you after you leave, and send you the money. It's easier to sell a used car if the title is in the state of the sale and in the name of the seller. if I guy said to me 'the van has a Fla title in another guys name, but it's a good title', I would look elsewhere for a van.

I rode a motorcycle when I lived in Cali, and when I moved back to Ohio I put the title in my buddies name and had him sell it for me. I told him he could ride it as long as he wanted and then sell it when he was done (it was only worth $1000). He had his fun, and 3 months later sent me a check for $999, he took a $1 for all his 'trouble'.

[ryoder 1,381]

davelepka

I'm not sure what it takes to title a vehicle in Fla, but you usually need a residence of some sort.

"Down by the river"?

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[BIGUN 1,050]

http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?sourceContext=&newSearchFromOverviewPage=true&cgLocale=en&embedType=NONE&bodyStyle=44&zip=32801&distance=MILES_75&startYear=&endYear=&minPrice=2000&maxPrice=2500&minMileage=&maxMileage=&transmission=ANY&filtersModified=true&modelChanged=false

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[BillyVance 34]

You could travel in style like Borat.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEKoVbHczuw those little vans go pretty cheap I would think.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

I think you are going to want what we call a Minivan. What you Aussies call a People Mover.
All the car companies make them. Chrysler has made the most, but everyone has at least one.
You can look on Cars.com or Autotrader.com to get an idea of what's available. You can choose a specific area and a type of vehicle in the search.

HERE is the autotrader search result for vans and minivans near Orlando FL less than $5k. As you can see, the choices under $2k aren't all that great.

For something you can trust on a cross country journey, I think you will need to spend more than $2k, but it depends on the local market.

I don't know about titling and insuring a car as a non-resident, but it's usually doable.

The biggest problem is going to be selling it at the end. California has very strict rules on emissions and selling a car. A "non-Cali" car won't pass the smog test.
And they require that the car pass smog before the sale with any liability for getting it to pass falling on the seller not the buyer.
IOW - You need a recent smog certificate to sell the car and if you sell a car that won't pass smog, the buyer can come after you for the costs to fix it.

You'd be far better off selling it in Arizona and finding a ride the rest of the way.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[normiss 620]

So you're the One.
Huh.

[Amazon 7]

Squeak

Ill be back in the states in December, and I would reallyl ike to drive across from Fla To LA, Hire care costs are quite high.
So I would ideally like to buy a cheapish Van and throw a bed in it to DZ hop from East to West.

Anyone want to help me find and buy one?
Also I dont know the Van models what should I be looking for?
I'd like to keep it under $2000 if possible

http://tampa.craigslist.org/search/sss?zoomToPosting=&query=minivan&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk=2500

[Morrison79 0]

I drive a 2011 Dodge Caravan C/V for work. We usually put about 150,000 to 200,000 miles on it before selling it and getting a new one. Typically when my boss sells them we get anywhere from $2,000 to $4,500.

The C/V versions have no back seats and the floor is either like a truck bed liner or a rubber mat. Gas mileage is reasonable.

[turtlespeed 212]

Squeak

Ill be back in the states in December, and I would reallyl ike to drive across from Fla To LA, Hire care costs are quite high.
So I would ideally like to buy a cheapish Van and throw a bed in it to DZ hop from East to West.

Anyone want to help me find and buy one?
Also I dont know the Van models what should I be looking for?
I'd like to keep it under $2000 if possible

I know a guy that will give you a check for 5000 all you have to do is cash it for him and send him the 3k and keep the rest.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[Bignugget 0]

Minivans are ok, but you would have a tough time sticking a real mattress in one.

You can get a cheap cargo van, like a CHEVY/GMC 1500 that will get decent mileage on the highway, and be big enough to hobo out in....

http://www.thecarconnection.com/image/100240638_2010-chevrolet-express-cargo-van-rwd-1500-135-side-exterior-view-100240638-s-jpg

Something like that. I find them all the time at the auction for under $2000. Usually closer to $1200-1500. They run great but dont have many bells and whistles.


ETA: Obviously not a 2010 model, that is just a random example pic. These are more like 1999-2000 models with 150k+ miles.

[captain1976 0]

ryoder

***
I'm not sure what it takes to title a vehicle in Fla, but you usually need a residence of some sort.

"Down by the river"?

easiest way, register it in a company name, anyone can open a company for real cheap and use an address of someone you know.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[hcsvader 1]

Whats a running vehicle worth to an auto wrecker in LA?
Before I moved to australia I sold my non running 99 ford ranger to a wrecker for $300.

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[davelepka 4]

Another thought to keep in mind is that if you have one breakdown, that could cause the 'cost' of buying vs renting to skyrocket. Something like a water pump could end up costing you $500 + when you factor in a tow and the general lack of ability to 'shop around' for a good garage or rate for the repair.

Keep in mind that when you buy a $2000 vehicle, you need to pay taxes on the purchase, fees to transfer the title, and fees for plates/registration. That could easily run you $250/$300. Add in the cost of insurance which has got to be an easy $100 or $200 to get a policy in place, so you're looking at $200 to $400 that you're going to 'lose' on the deal right off the top.

Add in the cost to title the vehicle in Ca (or Az) if you can, and taking a possible loss of a couple hundred on the sale when you're done with it, and buying ends up costing you $600 to $700, and then you still have the 'risk' of any work/repairs the van ends up needing.

Compare that to renting, and see what you come up with. Keep in mind that renting gets you the guarantee that the vehicle will be newer and will run well the whole time with no additional cost to you for repairs. Also, your current auto insurance policy or credit card may cover insurance on rentals, so that's a cost you can avoid.

Another thought is that you might look into a renting a smaller car as opposed to a van. Most DZs should have a couch you can crash on, or a local who will put you up for a night for a case of beer, so you don't need something you can sleep in. Outside of that, if you have to get a cheap motel for a night in between DZs, you can find them for $40 or $50 a night, and that get's you a bed and shower (things you might need on occasion).

So if you can rent a smaller car, the rental costs and fuel costs will be less. I know around here you can rent a car for $200-ish a week, depending on the deals they're running. So even if you just look at the 'fixed' costs of buying a vehicle, you could rent one for 2 or 3 weeks for the same money, without the risks or hassles of buying/owning/selling.

A quick tip when shopping rates, try to avoid renting a car at the 'airport' locations. They charge way more then at the 'neighborhood' locations, so look into taking a cab from the airport out to the suburbs, and get a car out there. Same rental companies, same car, way less money.

[pincheck 0]

I would look for one of these

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