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Current July 2018 Vanagon market
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michaelbteam Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2018 10:10 am    Post subject: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

In Salt Lake City there are 16 vanagons for sale on local classified KSL; most have been there a while. At typical climbing and biking destinations, bigger box camper vans like Sprinters increasingly dominate the landscape and vanagons become a quaint oddity among their beefy cousins. Is the vanagon market softening considerably?
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vanagonjr
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2018 10:22 am    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

Saw tons of Sprinters in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons last year.

Saw 2, maybe 3 Vanagons - 0 or 1 Bay, no split Window vans.
Let's face it, there are new Sprinters being made everyday, while Vanagons are holding steady, at best. A few come back from the dead, a few burn, a few are crashed or parted out.
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Eric_Taylor
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2018 12:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

Here in Bend, OR I feel like I'm still seeing them regularly and a full range of them from tired tin tops to full on syncro adventure vans that are restored. However, I monitor the classifieds and craigslist out of curiosity for the market and it appears prices are coming down some. It seems like you can get a really nice van for $20k vs. $25k now and syncros are becoming more common in the sub $30k range.

I'm curious if this is just my perception or if this is really a dip. I'm curious for others thoughts. I don't plan to sell, ever probably, but it's interesting to see.
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Love My Westy
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2018 3:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

Lots of young people with money (or credit). My neighbor in SLC dropped $55K for a new (empty) Sprinter and is spending another $40K to camperize it, and then he's going to have to deal with those $1,500 to $2,000 Mercedes services.

Maybe Vanagons are just too expensive for him. Actually I don't think he would have ever bought a Vanagon in the first place.

Nice Vanagons will hold their value as there are no new ones, it's the high priced rustbuckets that will not hold their value.
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pdm777
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2018 5:56 pm    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

Perhaps the Westy market is similar to the air-cooled porsche market.

Air cooled porsche prices more than doubled in 2013-2016,
yet EVERYONE with a POS 911 thinks theirs is worth $$$$$.

Bottom line is: the nice, original, non-rusty, well kept 911's
are still at the top, and the marginal examples remain unsold.

Westfalias are similar. I had to search for 1 1/2 years to find
a clean, well maintained, rust free example. Most were in poor condition,
woeful records of maintenance, high engine miles, untreated rust.

Westys are a scary item for younger buyers (I'm 60) because they
lack 'hands on' experience of doing minor maintenance and minor repairs.

Worse, IMHO, the majority of Westy owners are cheap SOBs,
who defer regular maintenance and will not put out the $$$$ to keep them
updated and reliable. These are German cars, and you must have
a very good old time mechanic who understands analog systems.

For example, if the AC is marginal or not working, Vanagon owners tend
to take off the compressor belt or remove the system. Spend $1K for AC upgrades/repairs? not gonna happen.

In the aircooled porsche world, it's common to drop $3K-$5K to upgrade the AC, or replace the aging components with modern parts. Different mind set.

In the end,
All Westys cost $25K-$35K
If you buy a $15K Westy, you could put $10K into it to make it right.

I believe '87-'90 Westies are the best examples, and they will command
the highest prices. They aren't making small Campers anymore, and it's
not gonna happen due to safety regs. Keep the Faith!

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alaskadan
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2018 6:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

Drove out onto the Homer spit yesterday where most tourists driving campers will end up. Must have counted 10 sprinters and saw 3 vanagons, 2 westys and a tintop. Oh and a westy eurovan.
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Love My Westy
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2018 7:17 pm    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

I was driving east 35th South in West Valley City the other day and saw 6 or 7 Vanagons (some Syncros and a Syncro Doka) on a corner lot and stopped to check them out. I met a guy named Jeff who is importing them and adding a lot of accessories and trying to turn them for a profit. I don't know if any of the vans on ksl.com are his.
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Ride-Fly
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2018 10:22 pm    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

I definitely see the market softening in Vanagons but also in FJ40s. I regularly monitor CL, eBay and Samba Classifieds for Vanagons, especially Syncro campers and FJ40s. There are a lot of them for sale and they sit unsold for a long time. Some of the Syncros have been on the market for 6mo to a year. Then there was the guy in BC that sold his syncro camper on the classifieds here for $21k. I missed out on that one.
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silversync
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 7:23 am    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

One observation (maybe just a feeling) that Westys may be coming down in price, and tin tops in very good to excellent condition and still going up in price.
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 8:20 am    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

Interesting observations. I'm a "shade tree" mechanic at best, but I love knowing that I have a prayer of diagnosing and maintaining my Westy before it leaves me stranded. And with 10+ Westys over the years, we've never ended up on a tow truck although we've limped in for service a few times. They are quite dependable although "quirky," and idling issues can be confounding. Sprinter maintenance looks daunting with their complex exhaust and emissions systems. The "investment potential" of a vanagon may be waning but the fun of owning and driving one does not.
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SyncroChrick
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 5:04 pm    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

yep and 3-4 years from now when Sprinter falls out of warranty and people realize how much it costs to repair and maintain, then Vanagon will go up in price again...

Smile

it's all about cycle.
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Steve M.
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 5:57 pm    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

It's also a numbers game. Vanagons have been out of production while all the Sprinters being used for van conversion are becoming available to convert from the courier companies at fairly good prices.
Pretty much any of the courier vans, whatever make they are, are still in production with newer versions of the same body style.
The people are choosing roominess over quality, but the Mercedes quality is hard to shake your head at.
I'm in Moab right now and seeing most of the Sprinter DIY conversions rolling through town having a gigantic cargo compartment in the lower half of the rear with the bed in the upper half. Being able to have a garage where you can store mountain bikes plus parts and all your camping gear is very attractive!
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bretly
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:56 am    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

I’m in the process of restoring my tin top. Paid $1800 for it running and have since been steadily dropping cash into restoring it and I couldn’t be happier. The southeast at least, in SC, the landscape is empty. Trying to find a camper van of any sort is near impossible, let alone a vanagon. A few rusty old busses. I honestly couldn’t be happier with the Van I bought and I know it won’t be my last. I don’t think the price is going down from monitoring the market as much as I have the last few months. It’s also difficult in this area to find anyone who will work on them. That may be part of the problem. Lack of mechanical knowledge. Glad I’m learning it myself along the way.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 12:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

bretly wrote:
I’m in the process of restoring my tin top. Paid $1800 for it running and have since been steadily dropping cash into restoring it and I couldn’t be happier. The southeast at least, in SC, the landscape is empty. Trying to find a camper van of any sort is near impossible, let alone a vanagon. A few rusty old busses. I honestly couldn’t be happier with the Van I bought and I know it won’t be my last. I don’t think the price is going down from monitoring the market as much as I have the last few months. It’s also difficult in this area to find anyone who will work on them. That may be part of the problem. Lack of mechanical knowledge. Glad I’m learning it myself along the way.


$1800 is a great price, regardless if it needs a ton of work or not. So it’s not a good price to gauge the market price. Smile.

Show us the pics and give us the details. Again, nice score.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 12:56 pm    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

I agree that Westy pricing has softened and that Sprinter Vans are now pretty ubiquitous in many outdoor/camping environments. I think price is a driver in the Sprinter Van market. They are now over a dozen years old. Used "bare shell" Sprinters are regularly priced around $10k now. Private, converted Sprinters are regularly priced from $25k on up. This is now in the price range that Westy buyers are in. They provide an alternative that just wasn't there 5 years ago.
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bretly
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 4:26 pm    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

I'd also point out here from experience that I could have gotten a loan for a sprinter any day of the week, especially a used one that's half the price. Getting a loan for 20k or 30k to get a turn key westy or syncro is an entirely a different story. Certainly a contributing factor to the number of people you see living the "vanlife" in them. Especially if you're starting out in your 20's or 30's and don't have that kind of cash in pocket.

As for the $1800 score few dents but overall pretty solid minus the rust under the window. Starting the body work this week. I figure I can't make it any worse and I can weld so might as well give it a go. The inside is basically gutted, but we planned on that anyway to redo it for a year or two on the road. Still it runs pretty solid for $1800 and after watching the market and looking to buy for months, I had to pull the trigger, even if I wanted a westy.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 4:33 pm    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

bretly wrote:
I'd also point out here from experience that I could have gotten a loan for a sprinter any day of the week, especially a used one that's half the price. Getting a loan for 20k or 30k to get a turn key westy or syncro is an entirely a different story. Certainly a contributing factor to the number of people you see living the "vanlife" in them. Especially if you're starting out in your 20's or 30's and don't have that kind of cash in pocket.

As for the $1800 score few dents but overall pretty solid minus the rust under the window. Starting the body work this week. I figure I can't make it any worse and I can weld so might as well give it a go. The inside is basically gutted, but we planned on that anyway to redo it for a year or two on the road. Still it runs pretty solid for $1800 and after watching the market and looking to buy for months, I had to pull the trigger, even if I wanted a westy.


Wow! That is a hella deal! I’m blown away that you got that for $1800. Around here in the PNW, I see that kind of rig going for $4k minimum.
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davevickery
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 6:32 am    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

I just got back from camping at Lake Hattie in WY. Its free BLM camping with gravel road access, no set campsites, just pull up as close to the water as you dare so it attracts bondockers and bigger campers.

Of the 50 or so campers there, I was the only Westy. Only 2 tent campers. About 35 5th wheel or pull behinds and maybe 15 Sprinter type vans, maybe half DIY rigs and half factory camper conversion with all the fixings. 1 low budget Ford Econoline tin top.

But, I was the only camper on the far beach. The access road around the dam was terrible. Which is perfect for a syncro! You can't put a price tag on that. One 4x4 truck made it over there too and set up camp overlooking the beach.

Everyone watched with interest as I got stuck in the soft sand on the beach. But just a few minutes to air down and I was back in business while everyone looked on in admiration (I'm sure). Laughing

You simply cannot do as much with the bigger vans.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:30 am    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

Totally echo Dave's post. Syncros [and even 2WD Vanagons] go where many others fear to try. They are relatively "nimble" with good clearance, and fit through narrower shorter spaces. So bring on the Sprinters; there will always be the perfect spot left for us.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:49 am    Post subject: Re: Current July 2018 Vanagon market Reply with quote

30-40 vans for sale here in Portland. Seems pretty high numbers but this is the best time of year to sell them. It's long timers trying to cash in or new buyers realizing they don't have the time or temperament to deal with a vanagon.

https://portland.craigslist.org/search/cta?sort=rel&query=vanagon
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