which van, how to proceed.

[mithcol]

Hi, My girlfriend and I are planning a road trip around the US this summer for about 2 months (7,000 miles)

After months of pondering between renting and buying I have decided that with our budget of $12,000 it would be best to buy a small campervan for our travels. Here is what I found in the vicinity of our starting location (Chicago). Im not sure what to ask the sellers about the vans and how to go about buying one. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Some information;
2 people traveling but for some parts 4 (only 2 need to sleep)
Our budget is $12,000
would prefer automatic
We dont need a toilet in the van
Would prefer 15mpg on highway

here is what I found on Craigslist. How do I proceed?

http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/rvs/3038209176.html
http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/rvs/3059130246.html
http://www.plattevalleyautos.com/vehicledetails.aspx?VID=136168579
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/ptd/3057892220.html

Thank you for looking.

Regards,
Leo

[mgroadster]

Most of those have some
Most of those have some pretty big motors in, but having said that, you don’t pay the price of fuel that we do.
I’m not sure about the rules req. for buying vehicles in the us, but ultimately to me an engine is an engine.
Putting the interior fitting/layout aside, it is the motor and gearbox that to me is paramount.
Check to see that the vehicle has good service history with regular oil/filter changes.(Engines love clean oil and wear very quickly in dirty oil).
Auto gearboxes need to go through all the gears smoothly without hesitation and “kick down” needs to be working ok…This is where if you are cruising and want to suddenly overtake quickly, when you presss the throttle, the gearbox responds straight away with a down change for the extra pull needed.
Check the underneath for any signs of oil seal wear, producing small leaks. Check the drive train for axle whine and listen for anything that you feel “doesn’t sound right”. If the owner tries to turn up the sound system to impress you, whilst on a test drive…turn it off, he/she may be hiding something they don’t want you to hear. PS Good luck.(ensure all gauges function properly).

[mgroadster]

Most of those have some
Most of those have some pretty big motors in, but having said that, you don’t pay the price of fuel that we do.
I’m not sure about the rules req. for buying vehicles in the us, but ultimately to me an engine is an engine.
Putting the interior fitting/layout aside, it is the motor and gearbox that to me is paramount.
Check to see that the vehicle has good service history with regular oil/filter changes.(Engines love clean oil and wear very quickly in dirty oil).
Auto gearboxes need to go through all the gears smoothly without hesitation and “kick down” needs to be working ok…This is where if you are cruising and want to suddenly overtake quickly, when you presss the throttle, the gearbox responds straight away with a down change for the extra pull needed.
Check the underneath for any signs of oil seal wear, producing small leaks. Check the drive train for axle whine and listen for anything that you feel “doesn’t sound right”. If the owner tries to turn up the sound system to impress you, whilst on a test drive…turn it off, he/she may be hiding something they don’t want you to hear. PS Good luck.(ensure all gauges function properly).

[mgroadster]

Most of those have some
Most of those have some pretty big motors in, but having said that, you don’t pay the price of fuel that we do.
I’m not sure about the rules req. for buying vehicles in the us, but ultimately to me an engine is an engine.
Putting the interior fitting/layout aside, it is the motor and gearbox that to me is paramount.
Check to see that the vehicle has good service history with regular oil/filter changes.(Engines love clean oil and wear very quickly in dirty oil).
Auto gearboxes need to go through all the gears smoothly without hesitation and “kick down” needs to be working ok…This is where if you are cruising and want to suddenly overtake quickly, when you presss the throttle, the gearbox responds straight away with a down change for the extra pull needed.
Check the underneath for any signs of oil seal wear, producing small leaks. Check the drive train for axle whine and listen for anything that you feel “doesn’t sound right”. If the owner tries to turn up the sound system to impress you, whilst on a test drive…turn it off, he/she may be hiding something they don’t want you to hear. PS Good luck.(ensure all gauges function properly).

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