2002 7.3L 4x4 with 92,000 miles $45K

[Stone Cite]

Not mine but for sale in my area...
I believe the seller's posted this on SMB Forum in the past. Thought I'd share again... Could be the right fit for someone:

http://https://cars.ksl.com/listing/...vedsearchalert

[Stone Cite]

Working (I hope) Link:

https://cars.ksl.com/listing/6244810...vedsearchalert

[CampinMom85]

This looks like a great set-up for our family potentially as a weekend adventure mobile to take our two littles camping and out to national parks.

I have reached out to the owner, but was wondering your opinion as someone more experienced on the topic. Is this a reasonable price for this van? Are there any major things we should consider as this would potentially be our first camper van? It doesn't look like it has an auxiliary heater. When we tent camp....obviously we don't have a heater and just bundle up in sleeping bags when its cold outside. So i dont think that would not be a big issue. I appreciate any thoughts/insight/input you or anyone else have.

[Stone Cite]

Yes, definitely a capable rig for sure. There's a lot of knowledge here on the forum...

My thoughts:
Consider what type of camping you will be doing the majority of the time - national parks on pavement, off road dispersed camping requiring four wheel drive, do you live where there's snow, mountain passes and 4x4 is needed. One could likely find a 2WD van built out similarly for less money if they are patient and regularly looking.

I believe this sportsmobile has only the fridge and microwave with no on-board water tank, sink or stove....some folks prefer more simplistic van builds. Decide what works for you.... easy to pack water and a portable camp stove.

Some things that this van has going for it is that the lower bench and penthouse beds are nice for sleeping a family with kids. Also, the rear front facing captains chairs are walk through and are great for kids/passengers... I suppose they can be removed and you still have the front facing bench seat with seat belts, which is nice.

Consider if you'd prefer having a pop-top or high-top for the ability to stand, walk around all the time.. at this price point, one can find other options (2WD) that are high-top but might have other seating or interior configurations...

I don't believe this van has an auxiliary heater.... But it's really an easy addition to add an efficient Espar or Webasto diesel heater that sips fuel from the vehicles fuel tank and keeps the van very very warm.

Finally, the 7.3L engine is considered by many to be one of the best diesel engines ever to be equipped in a modern heavy-duty pickup truck/van. It's gained a following by providing dependable reliability/longevity... and this van has only 92,000 miles on what some call a "million mile motor". Many people have strong thoughts on diesel vs gas...and there are some trade-offs for sure.

In my opinion the engine, low miles, 4X4, pop-top, one owner and overall condition of this particular build are factors that determine the sellers price point and I think that it is reasonably priced.

Just my thoughts..
Hope this helps, good luck in your search !

Stone

[mikracer]

Love the setup with the 4 captains chairs. The only thing I would make note of is that the rear bench that folds out to a "bed" would only work for small children sleeping across the van. The rear fridge/micro set up prevents the additional extension as seen in the "50" layout to be able to sleep long ways in the van.

As mentioned above, no water, sink, or propane heater, but this would be a great weekender or family hauler. I think the price is a little bit steep for the lack of amenities, but not by much. You're also paying the 7.3 tax and the low mileage tax on this one.

[DosMars]

That's $5,000 less and 26,000 fewer miles than I bought my 2002 7.3 for and I have had ZERO buyers remorse.

Kids love it. Everything lives in it so it gets us anywhere from the beach for the day to a week in Baja with no hassles...