Van A or Van B

kinewave · 11-12-2008, 01:35 PM

So I'm down to choosing between two vans at this point.

Van A. Located out of state, 2006 RB-50 Diesel with 34k miles on it. Very nice looking rig, but setup is much more oriented to a cold weather climate. Heater, heated seats, etc. Listed at $79k, seller will let it go for $72k.

Van B. Located an hour drive from me. 2006 RB-50 V-10. 22k Miles on it. (Still under factory warranty which is nice). Loaded with a ton of stuff that makes it very appealing to me. Really nice rig, in fact...if I were building my own new, it would likely come out very similar to this rig. Listed at $70k, just came on the market, seller will not budge off his price at this time since it's so fresh on the market. But I could take it at $70k.

Between the two, my personal preference is Van B, but I don't want to get ripped on the list price in this weird market. The cost to build the van was $94k, and I actually think the asking price seemed fair, the van is very clean. I guess my question/advice seeking is this....Lock in the van at the asking price and be a proud SMB owner? Or ride it out, let the seller see this is not a strong market for used sales right now and make him a lower offer in the future? This of course runs the risk of someone else moving in on it and willing to pay the full asking price.

jage · 11-12-2008, 02:11 PM

So it sounds like maybe if seller B had just listed the van at $78K and come down to $70K for you, you would jump on it?

The question is what is this particluar van worth to you- is it worth 70K for all the reasons, including that you would have it now?

I paid more than I wanted too because my timeline was fixed to a visit from my niece- the decision to buy this van for me was tied to her first camping trip, and whether it be in an SMB or in the truck cap/tent. I don't regret it. I think I would have regretted walking away and missing out on those experiences with the SMB more than any amount of money I could have saved by shopping around. But that just made the decision easier for me- who knows, I could still be shopping around today.

They both sound good, a good problem to have.

Why not buy both and keep the one you like best?

**BroncoHauler** · 11-12-2008, 02:15 PM

IMO, if you're going to drop that kind of money on ANYTHING, it's a small investment to visit both vehicles in person, give them a thorough inspection and test drive them.

Herb

oclv · 11-12-2008, 05:10 PM

Three thoughts. First thought. If you wait a bit to see if van B softens on price and it happens to sell, you can still fall back on Van A. Second thought. Compare the options carefully. Unless you plan to tow, the diesel vs gas seems to be draw at this point in time. Third thought. If they are different colors or have different wheels, get the one that looks better to you. You want one that you will still like to look at after 5 years.
Bonus thought. Cash is king. They say they won't budge on price but right now money talks and the rest walk. If you don't need financing and can do a quick sale I would think they would be willing to negotiate a bit. oclv

cellularSTEVE · 11-12-2008, 06:57 PM

Herb and oclv both make good points.

My philosophy is that everything is negotiable. There are alot of units on the market so if you have the time you can get a "deal". Right off the top you should be able to get 10% off anything, and possibly even more with a cash as-is deal.

That being said, if you need it right away (i.e. for a big trip next month) then what's 7k, if you get a lifetime of memories.

Only you can decide this. just my $0.02

steve

kinewave · 11-13-2008, 01:19 AM

Thanks everyone. Those are all good thoughts, and as always, it's really helpful to get some objective perspective.

oclv · 11-13-2008, 08:08 AM

I think you will feel good about whatever you end up purchasing. My wife and I looked at Sportsmobiles for years and kept coming up with reasons for not getting one. We finally pulled the trigger on a 2004 last spring and haven't regretted it one bit. In fact we wish we had done it several years ago. oclv

kinewave · 11-13-2008, 08:17 PM

oclv, I read your post on my iphone while I was in transit to go purchase my new SMB. It was a really nice affirmation to get while being within an hour of pulling the trigger and spending more $$ than I have ever spent in my life (with the exception of purchasing a house). Yeah, I was full of nerves...50% excitement because I have been looking at smb's for years now....50% terror that I was about to spend so much dough.

Anyhow. To tie off this thread...I went with van B. I like the quiet v-10, I don't tow, and the van was/is super clean. Really in great shape, low miles/still under warranty, and all the features were more in line with my needs. It was cheaper, easier, and I really believe, meant to be.

As soon as I give it a bath, and put some personal touches on it. I'll post the proud pics.

Thanks to everyone on the board for helping this newbie along. This board is a great resource. Many thanx

oclv · 11-13-2008, 08:41 PM

Nice. Cheers to you also! oclv

cellularSTEVE · 11-13-2008, 09:38 PM

Congratulations! I am sure you will love it.

steve