MOTO VAN LIFE EXPECTANCY?

Bergo295
Profile picture for user Bergo295
Posts
12
Joined
2/27/2015
Location
Montevideo, MN US
Bergo295
Edited Date/Time 10/26/2020 4:25pm
IM LOOKING AT A 06 EXPRESS WITH A 5.3L WITH A 378,000 ON IT. THE GUY SAYS IT RUNS GREAT WITH NO PROBLEMS AND ITS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT A DEALERSHIP. THE THING HAS ALMOST NO RUST AND I CAN GET IT FOR CHEAP. I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW MANY MILES THESE THINGS USUALLY GO, I KNOW THERE ARE ALOT OF OTHER FACTORS THAT CAN CHANGE IT BUT IF ITS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF HOW LONG CAN IT LAST?
9
|
G-man
Profile picture for user G-man
Posts
9038
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Mesa, AZ US
G-man 10/23/2020 10:01am
10/23/2020 10:01am
That Is a lot of miles for any vehicle I wouldn't near it with a 10' Pole!
5
FGR01
Profile picture for user FGR01
Posts
6066
Joined
10/1/2006
Location
AZ US
Fantasy
1094th
FGR01 10/23/2020 10:09am
10/23/2020 10:09am
Give us a little more info. Are you getting it for like $1,000? Is it going to be your daily driver or just moto? How far will you go? Local 20 miles to the track or cross country?
1
Bergo295
Profile picture for user Bergo295
Posts
12
Joined
2/27/2015
Location
Montevideo, MN US
Bergo295 10/23/2020 10:11am
10/23/2020 10:11am
He will let it go for $1000, it's just gonna be to haul the bike when me and the wife go ride and whenever we need to get stuff from menards. All the places I ride are 1.5hrs + away from me
1

The Shop

See All »
zookrider62!
Profile picture for user zookrider62!
Posts
6825
Joined
12/22/2008
Location
Plano, TX US
zookrider62! 10/23/2020 10:28am
10/23/2020 10:28am
do you really want to be driving hours away on a vehicle with 380,000 miles on it?
2
Shaggin589
Profile picture for user Shaggin589
Posts
223
Joined
4/30/2019
Location
Gallatin, TN US
Shaggin589 10/23/2020 10:53am
10/23/2020 10:53am
I think your best bet would be to find a Chevy van page on Facebook or something like that. I’m not knowledgeable on chevy’s but I myself just bought a 320k mile 02 Ford E350. But I have Ford experience and some mechanical knowledge and those things can be 400-500k vans. And I bought mine for $400 and hope to have only $3k invested in it by the time I’m done. Also try looking into prices for rebuilt transmissions/engines with warranty’s. I know the ford 5.4’s aren’t that expensive to replace with a rebuilt option with a warranty if mine craps out. So maybe try to take all those options into consideration aswell.
seven10
Profile picture for user seven10
Posts
268
Joined
6/20/2009
Location
OXNARD, CA US
seven10 10/23/2020 10:53am
10/23/2020 10:53am
I just sold my 04 express van with 400,000 for $3500. Of course that’s here in SoCal. I absolutely loved that van, watch out for the tranny’s on them.
mx_563
Profile picture for user mx_563
Posts
2184
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
CA US
mx_563 10/23/2020 11:01am
10/23/2020 11:01am
I feel like Freddie Noren would know. He went through a few of them back in the day methinks...


3
berm surfer
Profile picture for user berm surfer
Posts
194
Joined
1/4/2020
Location
NorCal, CA US
berm surfer 10/23/2020 11:02am
10/23/2020 11:02am
I had an 06' Chevy express AWD 5.3 it was a great van and took a beating, I wish I woulda took better care of my stuff back then. I offroaded that beast like there was no tomorrow. I didnt have an issues till.a little over 200k miles but 350k is another story. Never experienced one issue that wasnt self-inflicted.
CraigCrashes
Profile picture for user CraigCrashes
Posts
240
Joined
8/13/2020
Location
Sacramento, CA US
CraigCrashes 10/23/2020 11:19am
10/23/2020 11:19am
Bergo295 wrote:
IM LOOKING AT A 06 EXPRESS WITH A 5.3L WITH A 378,000 ON IT. THE GUY SAYS IT RUNS GREAT WITH NO PROBLEMS AND ITS ALWAYS...
IM LOOKING AT A 06 EXPRESS WITH A 5.3L WITH A 378,000 ON IT. THE GUY SAYS IT RUNS GREAT WITH NO PROBLEMS AND ITS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT A DEALERSHIP. THE THING HAS ALMOST NO RUST AND I CAN GET IT FOR CHEAP. I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW MANY MILES THESE THINGS USUALLY GO, I KNOW THERE ARE ALOT OF OTHER FACTORS THAT CAN CHANGE IT BUT IF ITS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF HOW LONG CAN IT LAST?

17
Bergo295
Profile picture for user Bergo295
Posts
12
Joined
2/27/2015
Location
Montevideo, MN US
Bergo295 10/23/2020 11:23am
10/23/2020 11:23am
Bergo295 wrote:
IM LOOKING AT A 06 EXPRESS WITH A 5.3L WITH A 378,000 ON IT. THE GUY SAYS IT RUNS GREAT WITH NO PROBLEMS AND ITS ALWAYS...
IM LOOKING AT A 06 EXPRESS WITH A 5.3L WITH A 378,000 ON IT. THE GUY SAYS IT RUNS GREAT WITH NO PROBLEMS AND ITS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT A DEALERSHIP. THE THING HAS ALMOST NO RUST AND I CAN GET IT FOR CHEAP. I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW MANY MILES THESE THINGS USUALLY GO, I KNOW THERE ARE ALOT OF OTHER FACTORS THAT CAN CHANGE IT BUT IF ITS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF HOW LONG CAN IT LAST?
CraigCrashes wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/10/23/455566/s1200_why_are_we_yelling.jpg[/img]

Lol sorry, work computer always had caps on
devotid
Profile picture for user devotid
Posts
830
Joined
12/16/2018
Location
Saginaw, MI US
devotid 10/23/2020 12:48pm
10/23/2020 12:48pm
It takes a real man to drive a van with a half a milly on the ticker.

Id say go fo it.

Live a little.
9
nytsmaC
Profile picture for user nytsmaC
Posts
5946
Joined
8/10/2009
Location
Frig Off CA
nytsmaC 10/23/2020 12:56pm
10/23/2020 12:56pm
Yup, go for it. Those vans are solid. My family has had a bunch of them and put a shit ton of miles on them, trouble free. We routinely kept them well past 300,000 miles and flipped them after 5 years, mostly nothing but oil changes and tires. They ran as good at selling time as the day they were new.

For $1,000 just buy it and drive the hell out of it. You might get unlucky and have to replace the fuel pump or something.
2
cdncombatmedic 10/23/2020 1:34pm
10/23/2020 1:34pm Edited Date/Time 10/23/2020 1:35pm
Every time I think if a moto van I remember the following :
a. insurance;
b. Maintenance;
c. Extra space in the driveway/garage; and
d. Having the thing sit in winter.

I still don't have a moto van...
1
2
JOE_SPROCKETS#1 10/23/2020 1:45pm
10/23/2020 1:45pm
cdncombatmedic wrote:
Every time I think if a moto van I remember the following : a. insurance; b. Maintenance; c. Extra space in the driveway/garage; and d. Having...
Every time I think if a moto van I remember the following :
a. insurance;
b. Maintenance;
c. Extra space in the driveway/garage; and
d. Having the thing sit in winter.

I still don't have a moto van...
Sounds a lot like owning a sports car around here. As for the van For 1k I’d do it.
SEE ARE125
Profile picture for user SEE ARE125
Posts
5670
Joined
3/28/2012
Location
TN US
SEE ARE125 10/23/2020 1:49pm
10/23/2020 1:49pm
Worst case Ontario, the engine blows, you get it towed home and sell it for $500 to a scrapyard. For $1000 it’s not exactly a huge gamble. Buy it and run the wheels off of it. I wouldn’t invest any money to make it a “dream moto van” though. Just leave it how it is.
5
MxProdigy17
Profile picture for user MxProdigy17
Posts
98
Joined
8/8/2012
Location
Brick, NJ US
MxProdigy17 10/23/2020 1:55pm
10/23/2020 1:55pm
I bought a 1999 e350 with a 6.8 v10 with 40k miles. After 2 years and about 10k miles the motor let go on me on my way to the track this weekend. Point is, you never really know how the old owner maintained it, its a crap shoot buying any used vehicle. You may get lucky, you may get yourself a headache. For 1000 bucks I'd say buy it, get AAA and if all else fails scrap it and you're out a couple bucks.

At work the Chevy van we own had 400k before we retired it, the Fords we retired before 175k.
2
JohnMatrix
Profile picture for user JohnMatrix
Posts
331
Joined
1/31/2017
Location
Irvine, CA US
JohnMatrix 10/23/2020 2:05pm
10/23/2020 2:05pm
My '07 E250 has about 265k on it and she purrs. I have no problem with a high mileage moto van at the right price. I only use the van for moto so it might get a few thousand miles on it in a year max. I imagine you'd be in the same range. For $1k if it runs well, transmission is good, and front end doesn't need work then it's an easy decision.

Additionally, 5.3L pullouts are cheap. If you're a handy guy and cool with fixing your own stuff, those motors and 4l60e transmissions are easy to source if anything let go and you wanted to keep the van running. Like another guy above said, if you had to part it out or junk it, you'd barely lose on it.
2

Pit Row

See All »
JRT812
Profile picture for user JRT812
Posts
2775
Joined
3/4/2014
Location
Cottontown, TN US
JRT812 10/23/2020 4:31pm
10/23/2020 4:31pm
All about maintenance
sebastiangraf994 10/23/2020 8:41pm
10/23/2020 8:41pm
I have a 95 E250 with the in-line 6 in it. 350k on the clock and would drive it cross country in a heartbeat. I take care of it and it takes care of me.
1
Spudnut
Profile picture for user Spudnut
Posts
1943
Joined
6/25/2018
Location
WA US
Spudnut 10/23/2020 8:45pm
10/23/2020 8:45pm
It’ll go as long as you keep fixing it brother the real question is how long can you afford it to go for compared to the others??
Rickyisms 10/24/2020 8:13am
10/24/2020 8:13am
sebastiangraf994 wrote:
I have a 95 E250 with the in-line 6 in it. 350k on the clock and would drive it cross country in a heartbeat. I take...
I have a 95 E250 with the in-line 6 in it. 350k on the clock and would drive it cross country in a heartbeat. I take care of it and it takes care of me.
The inline 6 was an awesome motor. The 4.2 that replaced it is just as good. My F150 just turned 250K last night on the original engine and transmission and I drive it to school, work, and home everyday.
1
sdmx
Profile picture for user sdmx
Posts
404
Joined
10/30/2013
Location
Oceanside, CA US
sdmx 10/24/2020 9:10am
10/24/2020 9:10am
JohnMatrix wrote:
My '07 E250 has about 265k on it and she purrs. I have no problem with a high mileage moto van at the right price. I...
My '07 E250 has about 265k on it and she purrs. I have no problem with a high mileage moto van at the right price. I only use the van for moto so it might get a few thousand miles on it in a year max. I imagine you'd be in the same range. For $1k if it runs well, transmission is good, and front end doesn't need work then it's an easy decision.

Additionally, 5.3L pullouts are cheap. If you're a handy guy and cool with fixing your own stuff, those motors and 4l60e transmissions are easy to source if anything let go and you wanted to keep the van running. Like another guy above said, if you had to part it out or junk it, you'd barely lose on it.
^This. Pull-outs are cheap, as are complete rebuilds for that motor.
friday10
Profile picture for user friday10
Posts
636
Joined
12/15/2009
Location
Northridge, CA US
friday10 10/24/2020 9:27am
10/24/2020 9:27am
We have over 400k on ours, best vehicule we ever owned. Normal stuff went wrong, battery, alternator etc. Great to go to the local tracks, but not taking any road trips. For $1,000.00 I'll buy it!
1
whiskeyfrottle43 10/24/2020 9:53am
10/24/2020 9:53am
I have a 99 Silverado as my moto truck with a 5.3 in it with 421k on it. OG engine and trans! Shes not pretty but it runs great still! had to do brake lines, shift linkage an a few other pieces. That being said, with 420k i usually drive it only within an hour of home usually. Any further i take my 2016 truck
1
GforceCoatings 10/24/2020 10:03am
10/24/2020 10:03am
friday10 wrote:
We have over 400k on ours, best vehicule we ever owned. Normal stuff went wrong, battery, alternator etc. Great to go to the local tracks, but...
We have over 400k on ours, best vehicule we ever owned. Normal stuff went wrong, battery, alternator etc. Great to go to the local tracks, but not taking any road trips. For $1,000.00 I'll buy it!
We drive less than 4k a year riding, racing and attending 2 pro nats in a 96 e150 v6. Bought it for $1500 from florida 10yrs ago. Zero rust. Currently at 156k. I want a new van but this will be running long after im gone
FLmxer
Profile picture for user FLmxer
Posts
7296
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
SouthWest, FL US
Fantasy
321st
FLmxer 10/25/2020 7:51am
10/25/2020 7:51am Edited Date/Time 10/25/2020 7:53am
I mean it made it 360k so for 1k its not much of a risk for anything that runs really. On another note I bought an e150 for $150 and just needed a waterpump and drove it for 2 years and came over a hill and 2 dogs were fighting in the road and I swerved off road into what looked like a flat field but had a 10 foot ditch in it and it rolled it in there and I left it. 30 years ago.
1
Bergo295
Profile picture for user Bergo295
Posts
12
Joined
2/27/2015
Location
Montevideo, MN US
Bergo295 10/26/2020 10:17am
10/26/2020 10:17am
Thanks for the input guys, I am gonna hold off for now and try to find something with lower miles. but appreciate all the info!
Skerby
Profile picture for user Skerby
Posts
1282
Joined
4/9/2013
Location
Mayes County, OK US
Skerby 10/26/2020 10:57am
10/26/2020 10:57am
cdncombatmedic wrote:
Every time I think if a moto van I remember the following : a. insurance; b. Maintenance; c. Extra space in the driveway/garage; and d. Having...
Every time I think if a moto van I remember the following :
a. insurance;
b. Maintenance;
c. Extra space in the driveway/garage; and
d. Having the thing sit in winter.

I still don't have a moto van...
a. dont buy insurance
b. drive into the ground
c. park in front of someone elses house
d. live in it year round

Problems solved.
5
devotid
Profile picture for user devotid
Posts
830
Joined
12/16/2018
Location
Saginaw, MI US
devotid 10/26/2020 12:45pm
10/26/2020 12:45pm
Bergo295 wrote:
Thanks for the input guys, I am gonna hold off for now and try to find something with lower miles. but appreciate all the info!
Go to your local Bus/Transport companies and inquire if they have any used vans for sale. Here in Michigan we have a bunch of "old folks" home "people moving" companies and they have a bunch of High top old vans. I have bought a couple that way.

Around here they are all updating to the new ford transits and they are letting high tops go for around $2-$4k. Could be the same in your area.

Good luck.
2

Post a reply to: MOTO VAN LIFE EXPECTANCY?