New to this, need help learning how to sell a Sportsmobile

[Sajaz]

Hi all,

I'm new here. I have a 1994 Ford E-350 SMB with pop-up. I literally don't know the ropes enough to sell it, and need suggestions. I got it in 2020 just before covid hit. I confess it was purchased under the influence of being in love and recently having inherited money that made it possible. (My advice? DON'T DO THAT!)

Because of sensitivities to chemicals and a whole lot of stuff, I had the old, already remade interior removed completely and it now has styrofoam insulation and walls/ceiling/floor/bed platform made of birch plywood. Nothing else was replaced. It's a box with a lot of potential. Work on it was stopped after this stuff got done. (Not mechanical work, just interior changes).

I need to sell it for multiple reasons. I just don't know what it's worth, how much to ask or expect, and where I should try to sell it. I imagine it's a project van, good for someone who loves real 4x4 Sportsmobile beasts and wants to build one to their own standards.

Any suggestions would be gratefully taken, but...I do understand that this was probably not my best decision... and the partner it was meant to be shared with is no longer in the picture... live and learn. Thanks!

 

[geoffff]

Facebook Marketplace is the place to sell Sportsmobiles.

When I sold my van last year, I posted ads on: Expedition Portal, here on the the Sportsmobile Forum, on Craigslist, and on Facebook Marketplace. I didn't post on sportsmobile.com, rvtrader, rvt, or vanviewer.

90% of the inquiries I received were from Facebook. Only two messages came through Craigslist.

I did receive a spammy fake personal endorsement for vanviewer -- a recommendation message from someone on Facebook that seemed unrealistically positive. I verified this by Googling the phrasing used -- to find that many other people have gotten the exact same message. Anyway, reason to avoid vanviewer!

First step is to determine the price. Spend an evening looking at all the vans similar to yours for sale out there to get a feel for a good price.

 

[larrie-SMB]

Also take lots of photos. Even if you do not post all of they a potential buyer may want to see a specific item.

 

[Sajaz]

Thank you for your tips Geoffff and Larrie! I have to say that what throws me is that I have a real Sportsmobile which has some intrinsic value just because it is one, but it is basically stripped inside, which then takes a lot of the value away. I know it has potential but i just don't know HOW MUCH that is worth. I have been researching all over the internet for days, and see other camper vans (not Sportsmobiles) with intact interiors go for around $8000-10,000. I have one friend (who knows a bit about Sportsmobiles) say my van is worth a lot, ask $20K... others laugh at the temerity of that price... it has me twisted up like a pretzel. I could give more details, like mileage and the work and stuff that was replaced etc...

 

[Sajaz]

Oh, I forgot to say that there are not exactly a herd of 1994 Ford Sportsmobiles out there on the market in the condition of mine... so it's real hard to compare....

 

[geoffff]

4x4 is definitely worth more! A quick search turns up
1995 4x4 in Oregon for $37K
2000 2WD for $15K

 

[Sajaz]

Thanks, I've been searching FB Marketplace and finding more to learn from. One thing i don't know for sure is if this van has a Quigley 4x4 conversion, but it has the short gear shifter right next to drivers seat, with 2H, 4H, 4L, and Neutral settings. I'd like to state that it's a Quigley but not sure. I did a free VIN search the other day and did not see the word "Quigley" anywhere, though at the time was not looking for it...

It also has, just FYI:
460 cubic inch V8 (7.5L), gas fuel
tuned exhaust (Headers)
Gear vendor (fuel-saving overdrive)
King Air Shocks
146K miles

 

[geoffff]

Quigley is a good guess. If you post detailed photos of the front suspension, I bet someone here could identify the 4x4 conversion! All I remember is Quigley uses coil springs rather than leaf.

 

[Sajaz]

Here is a look at the suspension... does the coil spring mean it's a Quigley?

i have been in touch with the Sportsmobile dealer in Mesa, AZ, and just got done sending details and pix of the van for them to do a JD Powers valuation for me. if my van were worth lots of money, they would love to sell it for me, for a fee of $1800 i believe... but they will do the valuation for free for me.

 

[BrianW.]

More details are needed to help you with a price. How many miles? What engine? Any rust on body or frame? You say the interior was mostly removed: just the cabinets and such, or all of the electrical/water system functions, too? Sounds like its 4wd, so you need to just focus on what a comparable 4x4 van of that year and mileage is worth, not an actual Sportsmobile. And then add maybe a $3-5k premium for it having the SMB top on it (assuming canvas is in good shape and all that). I wouldn't bother with paying SMB to list it for you, you'll sell it fine on your own if you price it right.

 

[Sajaz]

Great advice, and now i need to take time and search for a 4x4 as you say... busy today but can respond with details soon.

 

[mikracer]

You can call Quigley and give them your VIN and they can tell you everything about the conversion if it is one of theirs.

I think $20k is on the high end of the price range based on age and the lack of the interior build out. 4x4 and a SMB pop top usually draws people though.

 

[Sajaz]

I completely agree about the $20k figure. SMB prices for older ones with well done interiors seem off the charts to me... which means that my van at this time will bring a lot less than that... so researching the going rate for one with 4x4 and the pop top is important.. and i promise when i can get to it i'll be digging down in that...

 

[Sajaz]

Yes, it's true, my SMB, according to the research i've done, looks like i should ask 10-15k. Plus, i did the VIN search at Quigley (they have a convenient way for you to do it on your own, on their site) and apparently my van did not get the Quigley treatment. And, the Sportsmobile dealer in Mesa, AZ replied to my request for a value saying that, as the van has been stripped inside, it isn't (basically) worth that much. Sooooo, i now have some good basic info on how to proceed.

 

[geoffff]

If it's not Quigley, here are some other 4x4 conversion companies that used coil springs in the past: Quadvan, MG Metalworks / Salem Kroger (later builds).

 

[Sajaz]

Thanks geoffff, do you think it's important for me to know the company that did this conversion given the price point for this van? is it something a potential buyer will like to be sure about?
i looked at the Quadvan page and i am not sure if they will even mess with me asking if my van was converted there....

 

[geoffff]

No, I don't think it will affect the price point much.

Buyers will like to know who the 4x4 converter is, but I imagine it would sell find nonetheless.

 

[Sajaz]

Geoffff, you may be interested in what i learned from the guy who owns Quadvan (he's in Oregon), after we talked and i sent him pix of the front end of my SMB:

"Well, it looks like a Clydesdale conversion up in Canada, but I remember them using the Dana 44 and just stiffening it up. That’s a Dana 50 TTB identical to what we used to use back in the first Quadvans, but that one does not have our brackets on it and we didn’t use the factory radius arm like that has on it right now so I kind of lost for words on it. Looks OK. Little sagged out, but it looks fine."

 

[geoffff]

That would be John McKee! He's a curious dude, and super knowledgeable. I visited him when investigating van options a few years ago.

The Dana 50 TTB is a distinctive unit -- lets a 4x4 van ride lower than a solid axle, and improves the ride somewhat like a true independent suspension. Only disadvantage is that the TTB, with all its moving parts, might not be as sturdy as a solid front axle.

But the Dana 50 TTB is sought after! I would play that up when you go to sell the van.

 

[Sajaz]

That may account for the notably nice ride even on the rocky washboard dirt roads around here, most vehicles do not make people happy on the roads. can you explain what TTB means? also, he wasn't positive about it... do you think he was positive enough to say that it is definitely a Dana 50 TTB?