gotta choose a vehicle

[Crazy]

three years of traveling on foot, I've managed to hold down a job and save up enough for a (very used) vehicle. After suffering from serious illnesses due to black mold, the cold and all the other things out there... as well as having a pitbull and a terrier and accordion to keep safe.... I have decided its a good idea. At least for now. I don't want to have to be stuck in a hospital that long ever again.
I thought about the cons, and how ill probably be stashing it all summer to hop around in a different method. I also, can't collect kids either. However, I'm excited and found liability insurance for cheap and got a license and all the stuff... maybe... (please please please give recommendations for other car necessities I need)

So there is a 1993 Bronco with 98000 miles I've had my eye on that's got a seriously fucked interior and no bumper
An1989 jeep Cherokee with 144000 miles with no problems
A 2000 rav4 with 114000 with a leaky weep hole I could fix up
Or a van I haven't found yet

Also, I spend a lot of time off in the wilderness, between terrible drunk fits and money making in the cities. So I need lift and 4/4
Will probably gasjug the majority of travels
Will definitely be dwelling in the car

I want the bronco, its spacious, mechanically simple, terrain savvy, well built and low in miles
But
I don't know what to do (after all I'm crazy)
So if you have suggestions with reasons then please donate them to my opinion box.
also.... this is the best problem I've ever had

 

[Deleted member 2626]

Bronco bad on gas. Cherokee would still give ya room to lay the seats down and crash and better on gas. Ever thought of a station wagon. I travel a lot in my Subaru outback and while not much cover from eyes you can lay the ass seats up and lay back rests flat. AWD and four cylinder better on gas and roof rack for stuff. I sleep in there with a dog and gear as well

 

[Odin]

Out of the three I like the bronco... buddy had one back in HS and was a great vehicle to haul stuff.
You prolly won't have to worry much about the interior since if you plan on living out of it it would pay off to do some work on it anyway.
Put in a new floor/carpet, insulate the walls... cover windows exct...
Ideally I would say hold out for a van. And a Ford E350 Diesel construction van. With the non turbo 7.3L navistar. From all my vandwelling search I think that might be the best for a conversion. That particular engine is supposed to be bullet proof. And you will get 18/20/22 mpg with that diesel from what I hear. (though atm diesel fuel costs more)
Kinda what I'm looking for but I may still go with a GMC vandurra gasser. It would be nice if these lower gas prices/trend would last long term.
Though jugging is a great option I hear.
Anyway. Bronco is solid too I believe. And its all on your budget.
With the Ford E350... I would budget anywhere from a couple grand too 5 or a little bit more if its in great shape/low mileage.
With a hightop is a plus on a van... but you can always add one later. (though you need to make sure to have it done well I hear... don't want a leaky roof on your new mobile home)
.... okay that's all I got for now.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR PURCHASE.
::woot::::drinkingbuddy::::cat::

EDIT:

Bronco bad on gas.

true... true... but if she gas juggs.... "shrugs" and it might be the best option for offroad and wilderness... though your right the Cherokee is a good fit also. Yea tough decisions. ... hmmm I think the one my buddy had in HS was a manual... so might help a bit in MPG if you can get one with a manual transmission.

 

[Kim Chee]

The Rav4 is tiny, but very reliable and economical. If you like something more roomy, maybe consider a Toyota Sienna. Not sure about your budget, but it is worth it to get an import if you can afford it.

 

[Deleted member 20]

I suggest finding a decent Chevrolet awd astro van. Here is a link but there are plenty of folks that are making them into RVs if that interests you. They can be lifted too. I like the idea of buying a low mile cargo van & then converting it as funds allow. The cargo doors give you much more privacy while boondocking in urban areas, but I also like these that had a hi top conversion on them. http://poconos.craigslist.org/cto/4788493448.html or this one http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/cto/4789165854.html that has a factory bed in it. I realize that you are in Colorado. These would just be to research & see whats available in that price range. If you haven't had wheels in awhile, you might as well hold out for exactly what you want & or can afford.

http://www.cheaprvliving.com/forums/Thread-my-2005-Astro-AWD-conversion
http://astrosafarivans.org/bb2/viewforum.php?f=14

 

[Tude]

Hai ther my dear - good on you for getting some stability under you with your four legged family as well - I cannot help you on the vehicle choice but these guys have input here. Do keep in touch here - you have a lovely pic!

 

[Kal]

I would have to say a van or a station wagon.

 

[Kim Chee]

...a girl who can fix a leaky weep hole has my heart but alas...I'm taken.

Shoooooooot me a PM with your location/budget and I'll scour CL for reliability and affordability (when I'm not in the kitchen, I'm a decent mechanic).

 

[creature]

Odin & Highwayman are def on the right track..
i'll post some technical opinions & experiences, later..

hope yer well & the gig goes good..

 

[Rob Nothing]

get the fucking bronco, man

 

[creature]

Other than gas economy, the major consideration to be made is structural:
Frame or Unibody.

A frame based automobile has the body, as a separate component, resting on a heavy steel frame (Bronco).
It is, essentially, a skeleton.
This means the body & all automotive subsystems can be repaired to the point of frame failure.
Also, just like a skeleton (with much expertise & cost), a frame can often be repaired.

A unibody is more similar to an exoskeleton, in that that all the metal components of the body distribute the mechanical stress (from travel) loaded onto the vehicle, just like an insect. It's funny, because guess what the first mass production unibody vehicle was?

The Beetle : )

-- at least to the best of my knowledge : )

I'll point out some of the advantages & disadvantages to each design approach :
Frame based vehicles typically have have a far longer working body life in high-structural stress (extensive off-road or long term rural use in rocky/pot-holed roads) , or chemically corrosive environments (road salt or ocean salt or acidic rain).

This is a perfectly good design approach (look at all the bugs & ants on this planet!!) due to the fact that stress distribution occurs throughout the body, rather than a heavier, isolated frame.
The thing is, though, that in order to get the same mechanical performance from the thinner body component, it has to remain fairly close to its design specifications..

If you twist it, its structural efficiency (the ability to distribute load prior to deformation) decreases to a greater proportion than a frame.
Rust, & ditto that..
compress it, & ditto that..

the thing is, though, that (other than rust) gram per gram, a unibody *resists* mechanical stress as *whole*, better than a frame, but at any given *point* on the unibody, it will fail much more quickly than a fram based vehicle.

This being said, the primary advantage to unibodies is that they therefore provide better fuel mileage due to lower weight.

Highwayman has it absolutely correct in citing Chevy Astro vans (1996 AND LATER!!!! 1995 and earlier had fucking ****fiberglass*** fucking leaf springs!! WTF WTF WF ????) as the best American AWD van..
There are lift kits you can put on them, too, for about $350, but you'll need a floor jack & a sawzall to cut a couple of bolts, & prolly about 4 to 6 hours of *experienced* labor to do the installation. You'll get 6", most likely, & well, well worth it.

The Astros use a frame/sub-frame assembly... the frame is divided into front & rear, basically. i don't know if it connect to the rear via boltholes, but the Bronco is a straight "rail" frame.
These are much more heavy duty, in a mechanical sense, than *any* unibody based vehicle.

f you are going to be driving in rugged (not overly rough, off-road) terrain, without to much ionic (salt/acid) exposure, than a unibody is ok.
If you really want to explore, you need something stronger.. you may not get as good gas mileage, but you can go farther into places that aren't normally gone into.

In *any* case, get a V6..

if you get a unibdy??

My suggestion is a Toyota Previa..
The engines are very, very strong..
check the underside for rust!!!
any rust into the shock mount area, fuck it!!!

if she's clean & fairly low miles, go for it!! WASH THOROUGHLY< LET DRY< THEN UNDERCOAT!!!

The Bronco would be fucked to live in, unless you have no more than 6 cubic feet of stuff, *after* removing the rear seats.. not folding down, but removing, throowing away & say "Baugh, you fucking shit things!! get the fuck out of my vehicle!!!"..

you keep the seats & try to live in it, you will curse your space...

if you *really* want to live in it, pull out the front passanger seat, too..

same goes for the vans..

yer in denver, so i can't offer to look at the candidates, but when you go to look, i'll walk you through an inspection on the phone, if you don't have anyone else to do it, or work with whomever (yah, yah..whom..) whomever you do have to look at it with, unless they are a pro.

anyways, that's my 2 cents...

good luck, & peace!!

john

 

[Durp]

Privias are cool, I had an extended awd ford aerostar (look for the 4.0 v6 if you go that route) that was fucking awsome. I liked it way better than the astro, but my buddies astro was a total pos. If I were you I would go for a ford ranger with a canopy. Vans are a pia to work on compared to trucks.
Edit: oh shoot I didn't notice the date on this!

 

[that one guy]

I wonder what she ever did . . .
True vans are a bitch to wrench on, motor peripheral anyway; like an alternator power steering pump, water pump or brake booster. But transmission swaps are easy as pie and tune ups or carburetor adjustments are a breeze, often they can be done while sitting down on the floor of the van making for stealth repairs if in unfriendly environments for broke down travelers, not so with a car/truck where everybody sees your buttcrack as your bent over the engine bay.
Also vans can often tow and you really have to fuck around to get stuck, there is a lot of weight on the drive axel in the rear to give good traction.