Seemed worth posting

[mikracer]

The market determines the price on specialty vehicles like these, not KBB or Nada. Anything with a 7.3 powerstroke will pull in $5k-$10k more than a gas engine. Typically you could account for 50% depreciation for aftermarket add ons, but in this world of extremely high demand and limited supply, there is very little depreciation on most add ons.

For a well appointed Sportsmobile with 4x4 and 7.3 diesel engine, expect to pay $50k minimum. For a low mile example (<100k), you're looking at $60k+.

Even for a gas version with 4x4 and aftermarket bumpers, you're at a minimum $40k.

[simple]

Quality rant. It's like asking why vintage Porsche 911 are now going for 6 figures. Why 90s Land Cruisers are going for 5 figures. Why houses in popular places to live have gone up in price by 200% in the past few years.

...and yet your paycheck has gone up by 2% each year....

A typical Sportsmobile is a luxury good and are in demand. If you want a good question ask yourself why Sprinter vans made by random people have an asking price of nearly $200,000? For a $60,000 van. How much is that hashtag worth?

https://boulder.craigslist.org/rvs/d...000322232.html

[MSD]

Originally Posted by simple

Quality rant. It's like asking why vintage Porsche 911 are now going for 6 figures. Why 90s Land Cruisers are going for 5 figures. Why houses in popular places to live have gone up in price by 200% in the past few years.

...and yet your paycheck has gone up by 2% each year....

A typical Sportsmobile is a luxury good and are in demand. If you want a good question ask yourself why Sprinter vans made by random people have an asking price of nearly $200,000? For a $60,000 van. How much is that hashtag worth?

https://boulder.craigslist.org/rvs/d...000322232.html

Well at least they came down 5K from the original asking price If you ask me this is a push above what the market is willing to pay. But we shall see, a 4x4 sprint isn't worth what people are paying... but like you say it's a luxury item so our market will dictate what the true value will be... Any how $195K is just a joke if you ask me... I know Dave and the crew down at Vanlife Customs and I want to know what they are smoking. Well it's is Colorado so I think we know what that is

[Grampswrx]

I saw this on the freeway the other night. Looked very clean and was running at 75 mph.

[Grampswrx]

The other thing to remember is that you could duplicate it for anywhere near the $39k they were asking.

[Twoxentrix]

Belize, answer comes in 2 parts:
1. Convenience of getting into a rig that is completed already (at least checks off most boxes for a seller). Many buyers are interested in using the van as quick as possible and don't want to go through the process & time associated "building" one.
2. If you bought a van for 13k you'd put 20k in 4x4, 10k in pop top, 30k interior - you're already at 73k...but you harbor the burden in organizing all that, time for transportation to and from (along with costs), the wait involved, etc.

Buying a Van for 60k gets you into "adventure" pretty much immediately and leaves 10k on the table to address issues/upgrades (assuming you have the extra cash to spend at that time).

[Belize]

I understand paying for the extras (SMB build, 4x4, poptop, etc.), but first and foremost is the engine and transmission. 100,000 miles and 18 years of use must be a first cause of concern. At that age and mileage, how long will you be able to go on “adventures” without having to pump money and time into the van? That is my main concern with the “high” prices. But like you say, demand determines the price..l

[Ben10281]

I have a 2000 Ford E350 with the 7.3L diesel with 226k miles on it. I would jump in it tomorrow without doing a stitch of maintenance prior to leaving and feel comfortable driving it across the country. Could something go wrong, sure, but it is well maintained and I am confident in its abilities. And I think many on this forum with high mileage vans feel the same way.

Now, having said that, I bought my van sight unseen, got it over to a mechanic and immediately put $7k into it in maintenance stuff(new wiring harness, new batteries, new tires, a bit of suspension cleanup, etc...) I then drove it home from San Diego to Colorado. So yes, if I was buying that van that was originally posted in this thread(or any used van that comes up for sale on this forum), I would have no delusions that it would be turn key. I would plan on putting some money into it up front. I would, at a minimum, be preparing myself that something would go wrong somewhat soon after I made the purchase.

What is more concerning to me is seeing the posts on the Winnebago Revel groups where people are talking about their brand new $120k vans having issues on the ride home from the dealership!

[arctictraveller]

Originally Posted by Belize

I understand paying for the extras (SMB build, 4x4, poptop, etc.), but first and foremost is the engine and transmission. 100,000 miles and 18 years of use must be a first cause of concern.

Many years ago, a motor with 100,000 miles was most likely worn out. Now days, motors with 200,000 miles and more that run great is very common. There are plenty of reports of motors getting to 500,000 miles without major problems. Certainly too, there are motors that die at 120K, but I think the majority run far longer. In addition, finding a van with low miles gets more difficult all the time, and the low miles is no guarantee you won't have problems when your 100 miles from civilization. At the rate I'm going, I'll be getting close to 200K very soon, but I don't let it stop me from going, I simply try to be as prepared as possible with tools and spare parts, and do regular maintenance. If you insist on a low miles motor, they are out there, but it might take quite a while to find one. Best of luck.............

[Ron_Nunan]

Originally Posted by Belize

I understand paying for the extras (SMB build, 4x4, poptop, etc.), but first and foremost is the engine and transmission. 100,000 miles and 18 years of use must be a first cause of concern. At that age and mileage, how long will you be able to go on “adventures” without having to pump money and time into the van? That is my main concern with the “high” prices. But like you say, demand determines the price..l

Curious... what kind of van are you looking for? I mean.... are you looking?
Wonder what price point you want and what are the “must haves” for a van you want.
Maybe you don’t need 4x or a pop top... maybe you just want a hard top low roof dodge with 40k miles on it and only want to spend 12k...