Thoughts on purchasing this SMB as my first??

[Colorado Camper]

I am new to forum so I hope this is in the right area. I would appreciate some thoughts on two things as I consider purchasing this SMB.

https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/199...4X4-5005889265

1. Is the amount of rust on the undercarriage pictures something I should be seriously concerned about? I'm not a mechanic and have to admit I don't know if this much rust is common and manageable.
2. Does the price see fair given the age, condition and mileage?

The dealer seems honest and forthcoming and is will to take the van to a local ford dealership that I have selected for an inspection. This would be my first SMB as I have been looking for about a year now. Thanks.

[SMB123]

Looks like a very high price to me. The 460 will get horrendous gas mileage. I had a motorhome with one that got 8 on a good day and 9 mpg downhill in a hurricane. Van won't be much better. Better deals show up here if patient. Rust doesn't look horrible compared to some I've seen - even California vehicles. The one positive is that the floor plan would be very convenient for 3 or more.

[Colorado Camper]

Thanks SMB123
The floor plan and old school feel is what has me in love with this van. Hard to find a used EB 31 build. I have two teens that we will be taking along. Thus the need for safe seats. I have been researching/planning on building my own with Agile 4x4 and Colorado Camper Van here in Colorado. I figured it would be a good idea to buy a used one that fits our needs and get some experience with Van Camping prior to building our own and spending $100k plus. I'm not worried so much about gas mileage as I am reliability. I agree with the price and continue to find comparable vans daily to support a lower offer.

[saline]

https://westslope.craigslist.org/cto...797512977.html

If you're in Colorado I'd check this one out! (I'm not affiliated) It's not priced much higher and it has a better motor.

[MSD]

Tom - the van Saline refereed to is the one I was talking about this weekend. It's in Durango. I'd aslo consider getting an EB 4x4 done by Tim at 4x4vans.com aka Denver Fleet and let us build it out EB31 style...

[BrianW]

Cool van, and very hard to find with the second-row captain's seats! Feels like the price is kinda high, but anymore it feels like ALL the vans have high prices, so....


And what rust are you talking about? I see just about none, and certainly nothing that would remotely concern me.

[Twoxentrix]

Agree with some of the others - seems priced on the high side. Have you sifted through the Sportsmobile "pre-owned" site? Have a couple in that price range that may interest you:
https://sportsmobile.com/inventory/c...iesel/#mainpic

https://sportsmobile.com/inventory/c...l-4x4/#mainpic

And this one is listed by member Bemerritt - price just dropped! (IMO actually a great price if you read through whats been added already - could be a great "transformer style" rig:
http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...tml#post245022

[Colorado Camper]

Originally Posted by Twoxentrix

Agree with some of the others - seems priced on the high side. Have you sifted through the Sportsmobile "pre-owned" site? Have a couple in that price range that may interest you:
https://sportsmobile.com/inventory/c...iesel/#mainpic

https://sportsmobile.com/inventory/c...l-4x4/#mainpic

And this one is listed by member Bemerritt - price just dropped! (IMO actually a great price if you read through whats been added already - could be a great "transformer style" rig:
http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...tml#post245022

Thanks for your time Twoxentrix. Yes, I have seen all these vans and the others that have been talked about in this thread. I believe I have a good feel for what is out there as I scan the internet daily for sportsmobiles and look at the pre-owned classifieds as well. I have spoken with Tim at Denver Fleet and the crew up at CCV in Loveland. They are all great and I am sure will build me what I need when the time comes. I just want to make sure a van works for us before dropping $100k + to build one. I figure if I could get a few years out of this one to learn what our requirements are that would help me build the right van for us in the future. Here are the main things I need.
1. I need to drive and sleep four people safely. I want the kids to have shoulder straps.
2. I need EB for the extra space
3. I want a dinette style layout to be able to have four people spread out. At least as much as you can in a van right?
4. Pop top.

I appreciate the feedback everyone. Thank you. Tom

[Colorado Camper]

Originally Posted by BrianW

Cool van, and very hard to find with the second-row captain's seats! Feels like the price is kinda high, but anymore it feels like ALL the vans have high prices, so....


And what rust are you talking about? I see just about none, and certainly nothing that would remotely concern me.

Thanks Brian W. I was told from an acquaintance of mine that this van had been on the market for the past year and has a ton of rust underneath. I never saw it on the internet and I search all the time for a long time now trying to learn as much as I can about these. I have an appointment to have it inspected at a local ford Dealership in northern Chicago once the roads clear up. I put some additional info on why this particular van in the post above this if interested. Thanks for your time!

[Twoxentrix]

Originally Posted by Colorado Camper

Here are the main things I need.
1. I need to drive and sleep four people safely. I want the kids to have shoulder straps.
2. I need EB for the extra space
3. I want a dinette style layout to be able to have four people spread out. At least as much as you can in a van right?
4. Pop top.

Are you focusing on a 4x4? If not, this one might fit your criteria (although it seems to be getting a lot of interest already) - at this price you have some financial opportunity for remodeling/upgrades. Pull the two tall cabinets from behind the drivers seat, and remove the one cabinet next to barn doors which I believe would leave room for two forward facing seats. And, still have money left for other stuff like a mild lift & upgraded wheels & tires.
Just a thought...
http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...e-23191-2.html