GOT a van!

[Spareparts]

The wife and i usually go camping and sleep in the Suburban but i have to admit it's not that comfy anymore and with two larger dogs it is not gonna work anymore.
Im looking at a 1999 Chevy Express Conversion van i can get for $4,200. It's a 3Hr drive from my place
Looks in good shape and he says it runs/shifts and drives great with everything working as it should. Engine is 5.7 and i assume 4L60E trans
The only thing i worry about is the miles. It has 280K on the original engine/trans, So im second guessing it. He said it has been well maintained. Overall from the pics it appears to be in good shape.
I will probably drive it less than 5K a year so it does have the potential to last a long time. If it ended up needing an engine or transmission soon either should be easy and cheep to obtain unlike a 7.4L
Only concern ATM is the miles.

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[Spareparts]

Couple more.

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[movietvet]

Are you saying there is more sleeping room in the van compared to the inside of the Suburban? Are the second row seats in the Suburban?

I will say the same thing I say to every one that asks about a used vehicle and I ask every seller of a used vehicle, "I want to see the paperwork for the repair and maintenance over it's life span, at least however long you, the seller, have owned it". If the seller has only owned a short time, that is suspect to me. Maybe, bought, did not have checked out and needs work the seller does not want to spend money on.

If you are mechanically inclined, do like I do, take a floor jack or two, jack stands, DVOM to check charging system, strong flashlight, code reader that will read history codes and something you can lay on under the vehicle and clothes you don't mind getting dirty. Look real close for leaks of any kind. Do some on line research of that van's good and bad points. That far away would not be easy to get arranged to take to a shop and pay a tech for an inspection.

 

[Spareparts]

More headroom for sure. Being able to sit up to get dressed will be a big plus. The center seats will be removed.
I can check it out good enough. but
I do not know a way to identify 20/50wt oil is in it because of low oil pressure.
I do not know a way to identify a good shifting transmission because it has some anti slip trans fix additive in it.
Some problems can be hidden only to show up at a later date.
I will for sure take a Snapon Solaris scanner, Flashlight, Mirror with me.

 

[someotherguy]

It's got those 88-91 5 spoke wheels we were just talking about in another post! Not sure they're load rated for that particular vehicle. Minor red flag that is likely irrelevant to anything else regarding that vehicle's condition, but you may consider they be changed out ASAP if they're not up to the job.

Richard

 

[South VA]

That is a nice looking van! I don’t recall seeing one in that particular color, which I’m partial to.

If it has in fact been well-maintained, and documented as such, it would seem to be a decent buy at $4200. If that’s the asking price, my guess is you could haggle a bit.

The mileage would give me pause too; but it depends a lot on how and where it was driven. And if he’s towed with it.

One thought is to ask the seller to send you a cold start video, where you can hear the engine and see the exhaust.

At the risk of stating the obvious, I’d also ask for photos of the underside and engine compartment.

Overall it seems like it’s worth at least having a look. I probably would.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

It's got those 88-91 5 spoke wheels we were just talking about in another post!

Hmmm - my 88 has these rims, similar but they have those black (or grey) recessed spokes. IDK if those rims were available in 88-91 too, maybe mine were a Silverado option?

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[Spareparts]

He was asking $5,500. It's in Montana and with 280K im pretty sure a lot of the miles are actual highway miles.
I don't like the wheels, so they are a goner anyway.
Im sure it will need a few things. Probably shocks, front end work, brakes getting thin kinda stuff.
A guy has to think with 280K some type of work has been performed.
If he is like me, im really bad about saving paperwork or vehicle records. I have never bought a vehicle with records other than a Carfax.

 

[Keeper]

That looks like a helluva nice ride for $4k

 

[OutlawDrifter]

@L31MaxExpress , this potential "Vanner" needs your expertise!