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Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:59 pm

Greetings,
I am new to this site and I am looking for some feedback. I am looking to purchase a van for everyday use. I also plan on going cross country in the van. I prefer the "wedge" body style. Dependability is a must. Is there certain years that offer more dependability. I may be towing a small motorcycle trailer cross country. I may consider a Eurovan. I am looking to spend under $10,000.00. Thankyou for your advice

Norbert

Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:13 pm

I posted a similar thread a few days ago. I am also looking for advice on purchasing a vanagon. I got a ton of good advice in the replies. So take a look a little ways down to find the thread, and I think you will see some great advice. I am still searching myself and its tough because there are some many different options and range in condition and price. good luck.

Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:22 pm

Welcome aboard.

Let me encourage you to search the forum. You are asking a very common question. You will get more information quicker by reading around first. Then ask specific questions if you can not find your answer.

Good Luck!

Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:30 pm

Not surely this will help but I will share.for me I was replacing a motorcycle habit. By that I mean I started riding again in 2007 after a 15 year hyatis. In 4 years I went through 6 bikes of various varieties. I had a wreck and that was that. I needed a new hobby so I started looking at vans cause that is what I drove growing up. I searched for a couple months not really knowing what I wanted when i started but figured it out as I researched.I knew I wanted a water cooled camper at was fairly rust free with a good engine. Above that I figured I could fix anything else and it would keep be occupied trying to figure stuff out. So two months ago the wife an I found an 88 camper van in Pensacola. We jumped on a plane from Dallas and picked her up. She was everything we were looking for. Clean enough but needed love. We paid $8500 for her. Since wevehad her home we have put another $3000 into her and we are no where near close to being done. I guess my point is this. If you are looking for a fun pqroject and you dig working on you van nightly then do what I did. If you are looking for a turn key solution you will need to expect to pay far more than the $10k you are looking at. Either is a great way to go. Be patient, use the search and ask a lot of questions. You can't go wrong.

Welcome aboard ,

David

Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:35 pm

Welcome to Samba. This community is loaded with very deep knowledge...however it can be information overload in bits and pieces.

I used a couple gowesty articles to help me refine my search for a Westfalia. These may be of interest to you
http://gowesty.com/library_article.php?id=54
http://gowesty.com/library_article.php?id=98

Good luck on your search.

Steve

Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:44 pm

Do you want a pop-top or a tin-top? IMO, tin-tops are more practical(lighter) especially if you plan on towing a small trailer. Granted, you have to cook outside and such.....One of the later vans with the "z-bed" or Carat interiors with the flip up table are super nice. Lots of space not sucked up with fridges or sinks....

Sat Mar 12, 2011 9:54 am

cushbella wrote: Dependability is a must.

Now that can be very subjective. As someone that has driven Honda and Subaru for years, I know that a Vanagon will never even approach the dependability expected from a longterm Honda owner. Search the threads and you'll find plenty of opinion on these vans and dependability and daily drivers.

Before buying I had expectations of the occasional problem and an annual budget to address upkeep. We bought in the fall and with just occasional driving of 500 miles have had a window crank break while rolling down the window, have had wipers stop working for 10 mins on the freeway in the rain, and a dead battery. I also have receipts from the previous owner showing that he had to replace the ignition twice within 5 years. Both times needed a tow.

Just make sure the van you buy has good receipts/records and you have a budget for additional costs in first months of ownership as you find little or major issues. No van has any guarantee of being problem free. Heck, there's even the Tom Hanks story on Letterman of buying a fully restored Vanagon for a road trip with his brother and the speedometer failed a few 100 miles into the trip. I'm sure he spent over $100k on his van and even it had issues.

Just remember that no other vehicle will put a smile on your face the same as driving a Vanagon.