Former Fed Ex van or Prius?

[Spazz]

So I'm waiting to see if I can get a part for my 1989 Honda Accord. I've lived out of it for three months and that kind of sucks.

So I'm exploring two very different options, one of which is a 2008 Ford E150 that is a former Fed Ex van and the other is a 2004 Prius.

I'm in SoHum and need to be able to find work (and maybe buy land in Whitethorn or The Cove) which I can't do in the Honda.

I'm also not mechanically talented and have only driven compacts before.

Does anyone have any opinions, experiences, or cautions to share?

Thank you for your time.

 

[Matt Derrick]

i have a lot of experience living in a prius if you have any specific questions. also the /r/priusliving reddit is pretty useful.

it all really comes down to space vs fuel economy and which you value more. if you decide on a prius i'd stick to the 2nd gen (2006-2009) model, the gen three's aren't worth the huge price increase (almost double the gen2).

i lived in a gen2 for almost a year, tried to do it again with a gen 3 and decided nope, i need more space, damn the fuel economy, so im looking at a dodge promaster or a school bus.

edit: i totally forgot to mention that i have a video demonstrating my setup in the gen 2 prius:

 

[Lotus Shaped Potato]

I have spent the last year and some change living out of my 2008 E150. It was a single owner with no prior accidents and came into my ownership with only minor superficial rust that was easy to spiff up.

Learning to drive a van takes a little but after a month it’s natural (especially living in it). I have a bunch of posts about the initial build here: http://dhammaflow.org/tag/van-build/ and will make an update post on a bunch of additions I’m working through right now.

I haven’t had mechanical issues yet. Been on time with oil changes and switched to full synthetic. I am going to see a mechanic for the oil change and a wheel alignment soon, so hopefully everything is still groovy.

 

[Spazz]

Thank you.

This is exactly the kind of information I need.

I have an appointment to test drive the van in a couple of hours, which should give me a better idea about my own driving abilities. There are driving schools in Eureka, but I've got a lot on my plate right now and am trying to stay in "reptile brain" so I don't Spazz out....

.....well, don't Spazz out as much, anyway, lol.

The reason the price is so low is because it was a former Fed Ex van.

It could still be a nice little home after it stops running and da gubmint would let me keep it if I wind up on disability.

Living in the Accord sucked but
I drove it for eighteen years so I'm trying to cheer up and see opportunity, excitement, and adventure instead of yet another problem, lol.

 

[Spazz]

Just got back from test driving the van and I think I'm in love.

She drives like a dream and there is SO much room in the blank canvass of a back! I'm thinking bunny cage and shit bucket for now and "Home Sweet Van" cross stitch pillows on the bed I can build later.

At least I didn't live up to my name by driving her home today without even getting a friend to look under the hood.

 

[Matt Derrick]

getting a friend to look under the hood.

yes! the smartest decision you can make when purchasing a vehicle. i made the mistake of not doing that and got really fucked.

 

[FawnGone]

My friends had a FedEx van they were traveling in and said it was really annoying and hard to be low key. They stuck out like crazy because they didn't repaint it, and locals and cops were watching them a lot. If you go with the FedEx van, def repaint it and make sure the logos aren't visible, if they still are at all. Just some secondhand advice. Driving wise, they said it was pretty great.

 

[Spazz]

Yikes! Thanks for the heads up. No, I'm definitely not ready for that even though I am ready to whine some more.

Both the van and the older Prius sold. I found an old skool mechanic to mickey mouse the power steering leak issue, put a couple of new tires on my old friend, and decided to call that good.

My paralegal was kicking ass as far as talking to the cops and untangling my legal situation, but she was really pressuring me to leave SoHum and buy some random house in some random neighbourhood somewhere to "spend down" so I could apply for benefits.

So I'm rocking the mental health stuff, eating and sleeping and remembering who I am and what I value in life and reading enough current events crap to not take everything so personally. I know my legal rights, I'm just sick of cities and landlords and hanging out with the cops.

I've got a week left before the most recent 60 day fake eviction notice from the "Landlord's Eviction Society" and I'm just so done with houses and landlords and the entire concept of "spending down". Besides, it's almost harvest time and my Beloved Community isn't doing so great. I need a trim job and a safe place to camp, not government toilet paper.

So I've got everything in storage except the last run before I plan to abandon my ex-life. The only place I can afford land is Shelter Cove so I figure I'll just have to take it real easy on Briceland-Thorn road and take my chances. I've got all my ducks in a row.

So then my car dies at a stop sign in the city. It's less than five miles to the mechanic I've been using for 15+ years and I've got AAA.

So to make a short story long, I'm getting a minivan. It's not going to last eighteen years and I'm never going to drive grandchildren to homeschooling activities in it, but I'm oddly content.

Tomorrow, if all goes well, a private individual is supposed to drop their '07 Dodge Grand Caravan off for a pre-purchase inspection at my mechanic's shop. If that falls through there is a '05 Toyota Sienna at the Auto Wholesale place that isn't significantly more expensive than any newer Accord that is for sale and doable for me right now.

And as I think about the reality of driving a 15 year old car instead of a 30+ year old car, I realize that I DID miss going to Jambo and I DO want to travel.

 

[Spazz]

One more one more thing: @Matt Derrick take a look at the skoolie on Humboldt Craigslist if you get a chance before it sells! O...M....F...G it makes me proud to be an aging back-to-the-land type unapologetic hippie.

 

[Spazz]

I pulled the trigger. Meet Tara.

She still needs new tires and stuff but I can take her to Shelter Cove and when I'm done hauling stuff to storage, I get to have my very own shit bucket!!