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Old 12-28-2009, 03:23 PM   #1
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Any Advice Appreciated....

I'm a photographer who has decided to take a few years off to travel and photograph the National Parks (US and Can). In the month or so that I've been doing research on a suitable vehicle I've become pretty confused. I am willing to spend 35-40K and will be traveling alone 90% of the time. Tell me anything you think I should know....also, where should I look to buy the vehicle? Is there a reputable seller that anyone knows about? Joe.

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Old 12-28-2009, 05:18 PM   #2
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Re: Any Advice Appreciated....

Did you look in the classifieds on this forum? VegHed has a nice van in your price range. And it is a reliable 7.3 PSD.

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Old 12-28-2009, 06:03 PM   #3
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Re: Any Advice Appreciated....

I did see that but I thought the mileage seemed high...but then again I'm pretty ignorant about diesel engines. In general how much do you think a diesel vs. gas engine adds to the value? How about 4x4 vs. 2wd? I instinctively thought I would go with something like a Ford E250, gas, 2wd model...maybe I should think otherwise? Thanks for your help...
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Old 12-28-2009, 06:59 PM   #4
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Re: Any Advice Appreciated....

If you don't think you will need 4wd and you know you will be living in the van it might be worth looking at a Sprinter based model. You will get more room especially since you have photo gear and need a workspace for post production.

On the diesel thing it really comes into play where you plan to drive lots of miles (your case) and might idle for extended periods for electric or heat/cool....might be you also.

Keep us posted, look at a national craigslist search, ebay, forums and google for something.
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Old 12-28-2009, 07:11 PM   #5
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Re: Any Advice Appreciated....

2wd vs. 4wd depends on your needs and useage.

Diesel vs. gas is your call. A diesel should be good for 2-300,000 miles. A gas engine should be good for 1/2 of that. Unless you do heavy towing you may not need/want a diesel.

Don't worry too much about what I think, or what other's think is the best van equipment. Get what works best for you, even if that doesn't work well for anyone else.

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Old 12-28-2009, 09:26 PM   #6
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Re: Any Advice Appreciated....

If you don't need a 4x4 i would look at the sprinters also tons of room and great fuel mileade also. I am not sure if this is an issue with your photography, Diesels make a bit more engine noise then gas....would this be a problem when you come into an area???Scare animals??


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Old 12-29-2009, 08:23 AM   #7
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Re: Any Advice Appreciated....

Regarding 4WD vs 2WD, will you be moving with the seasons or photographing parks throughout all of the seasons? If the latter, are you willing to put on chains to get where you want to go? The same question applies to other features...if you are photographing western parks in the winter, you'll definitely want a furnace. If you are full-timing in the true sense of the word, you'll want a hot water heater and shower...
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Old 12-29-2009, 09:07 AM   #8
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Re: Any Advice Appreciated....

Thanks for the input, it's very valuable and greatly appreciated. I've been looking over some of the classifieds and find that the options lists contain many things I never heard of. Obviously not knowing what something is and what it's for makes it hard to value or know if I need or want it. Is there a source that you can recommend that I can sort of look up the meaning and purpose of an option? For example, in the classified by veghead there are several things listed that I can only guess what it is. What are Thule 58" cross bars? Scanguage X-gauge? Obviously I don't want to ask about each item, but where can I go to research it myself...is there a good site that speaks about all this kind of stuff?
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Old 12-29-2009, 09:13 AM   #9
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Re: Any Advice Appreciated....

Google it.
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Old 12-29-2009, 10:03 AM   #10
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Re: Any Advice Appreciated....

I have googled some of these things, but I was curious if anyone knew of one or two sites that are considered invaluable resources for learning as much as possible about the rigs themselves and other related info. Thanks for helping me.
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