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Old 05-08-2011, 03:41 PM   #1
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TGTBT

Here's the story of the '95 SMB ($17,500) that Rockbender posted as a link to Craigslist on Friday, April 22nd. The link described a '95 SMB EB Quigley w/ 7.3 PSD, 160K miles, with a fairly impressive list of equipment and claims of it being in "well-used and well maintained condition. The pix showed a pretty clean/straight rig... all for only $17,500. If you saw the post, you probably were one of many who thought it was all Too Good To Be True, and then, the listing was "Flagged for Removal" by CL. Turns out, the PO lives in, and listed from, "Weed", CA and CL don't stand for no listings with "weed" in it , so flagged it was. I had replied to the listing, but w/removal, the reply vanished too. Well, then Rockbender posts that the listing was back up (thanks, bro ) and I replied again, fearing some kind of scam. I was the second person to reply with many dozens more to do so throughout the short life of the listing. Sorry I don't have that entire CL listing to show you.

I got a call from the PO and quickly realized that it was all legit and came to understand that the rig was in remarkable condition for it's age. They sent several photos by email for further lookover... here are a couple of them:



Being the second responder to the ad, the PO checked with the first responder to find that he was coming down to see it on Wednesday or Thursday of the following week. I replied that I would post earnest $ to take it off he market until I could get there, but the PO was 1st come, 1st served about it, and rightfully so. So, on Saturday I booked a flight for a bit more than $700 for a (normally) $265 ticket to outrun the first responder and get there by Monday night. The PO said his computer was "dinging every few seconds" with replies to the listing... driving his wife crazy and prompting them to take it down within just a few hours. More scam thoughts

I get to Medford, OR after a full day of travel, drive down to Weed, CA that night, in the SMB, w/ the PO and get treated to a great late night meal by Ms. PO and camp that night in the van on their really beautiful property there in NoCal. After seeing it and driving 40+/- miles on Monday night, there was no doubt that this was a done deal. The next day we did all of the paperwork and the POs ran me through the systems, provisioned me for several days travel and I was gone by noon. Here's a bit a film on the trip. Van evaluation to follow :
Attached Thumbnails
Sportsmobile1.jpg   Sportsmobile2.jpg  

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"... torpedo'd, because we don't generally cotton to bullshit around here." -jage
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Old 05-08-2011, 03:44 PM   #2
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Re: TGTBT

[youtube:1cl073s7]
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... If you have to ask, you'll never understand...
"... torpedo'd, because we don't generally cotton to bullshit around here." -jage
"... do they ooch apart in the night?" -Dia
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Old 05-08-2011, 04:09 PM   #3
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Re: TGTBT

the sportsmobile was great, but the video trip was PRICELESS.


gerry
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Old 05-08-2011, 04:38 PM   #4
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Re: TGTBT

Congratulations! Sometimes TGTBT is really a great deal. Good for you. And only because you took the steps to be first in line. Sounds like the PO is a standup guy.

Mike
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Old 05-08-2011, 04:56 PM   #5
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Re: TGTBT

From here, let me say, I think I may be the only Sportsmobile West owner in all of my humble state of Mississippi. Driving across the Western 2/3rds of the nation was a first for me and an absolute blast. I made a 2 night stop at Jage's house and did a tire/rim deal with him and was treated like family by he and Kim and good ol' Scribbles. They are tops! Spent a total of 6 nights in it to great satisfaction, and have camped with my wife since coming home... trying to move in to it fulltime someday soon.

Jage put the van through some evaluation, did a small bit of body work so the bigass tires would work and helped me understand its capabilities. We agreed that I bought it for a really great price ( the PO also began to understand that by the time I left and the phone/email had been abuzz) and I have decided to put a big effort in bringing up to like-new condition.

The Ms PO is a chef, owner of several NoCal/SF restaurants over the years (now fully retired) so the van is much about food... 4cf 2 way fridge, 3 burner/full oven stove, pull out pantry and lots of galley storage, dinette in rear. It has a Suburban furnace on thermostat that works perfectly, sink and 12 gal water, and best of all a solar system w/ two deep cycle group27 batts that run all of the stuff very nicely and never put much of the batts to use. Of course, PH bed, with extension, (which helps as I am 6'2" as was the Mr PO). Get this, no dog house and both front seats swivel all the way around. Has a portable OE table and fold out tables in two places near the cab. Also has a "child bed" that lays on armrests of front seats... never used by them and won't be by me either, nowhere to travel with it very well. The van has never been plugged into shore power even once, but has the OE cord. Has popout windows on side cargo doors and rear doors w/ screens, plus screens on sliders all around. 3 bar, wide Yakimas hold my inflatable boat perfectly and ladder on rear door.

Mechanically the van is in amazing good shape... Mr PO was meticulous/obsessive about taking good care of it. The interior is "dated" and will be largely reupholstered this month, but every switch, knob, button, and function work like new except the dome light ( I think I've discovered its trouble is within the door panel and will be addressed Monday when it goes through it's mechanical refurbish of which there are numerous list items including shocks, spring upgrade, fluid/filters, tierod inspection, shift collar tightening etc.etc.) The 4wd is perfect and has LSD. The 7.3 is a monster... ran 80+ mph from NoCal to Denver on the maypops (had to get up on "plane" so the worn out P'sOS wouldn't jump up and down so much) and it handles the Toyo 305's like magic. Really lovin' me some Toyo 305's y'all I've got a small roster of house redo's and will eventually get some bumpers/winch due to the real mud here in the Deep South.

So, I could go on and on about how great all of this has been, but I think you get the drift. I lurked on the Forum for 6 months or so and joined about 6 months ago, having never had a van but growing up in the era of van culture and early FM radio van references to them Chevy van girls. I just want to say "Hats Off" to all of the SMB community and particularly the Forum group. This has become a passion for me and Christine and we feel a part of something here.

Best,
Marc Deloach
Taylor Arts
Big Truck Theater
Taylor, MS
http://www.taylorarts.com
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https://www.taylorarts.com
... If you have to ask, you'll never understand...
"... torpedo'd, because we don't generally cotton to bullshit around here." -jage
"... do they ooch apart in the night?" -Dia
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Old 05-08-2011, 06:24 PM   #6
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Re: TGTBT

Great story and video! Congratulations!
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Old 05-08-2011, 06:47 PM   #7
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Re: TGTBT

Awesome Marc! Glad to see you wasted no time getting the new rig broken in - looks great!
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Old 05-08-2011, 07:20 PM   #8
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Re: TGTBT

Fantastic video! Just watched it while sitting in my SMB out here in the western CO desert. Really captured the spirit of the road! Congratulations!

Not too sure about that Jage guy though...
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Old 05-08-2011, 09:11 PM   #9
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Re: TGTBT

SUPER Video. Welcome to the Incurable Disease. Not that we want to be cured.

Paul
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Old 05-08-2011, 09:31 PM   #10
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Re: TGTBT

Marc ,
Congratulations on a very nice SportsMobile that the two of you will grow to enjoy even more . And a Big Thank You for the wonderfully produced video of the Mississippi Boy's Great Adventure . You will have to come back out and visit us soon here in the Big and Wide open spaces .
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