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Conversion Vans

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#8 of 371 sbas by sbas Feb 28, 1998 (12:57 am)
need info on conversion vans---safety, reliability, etc. model doesn't matter. any info appreciated. thanks sbas
#9 of 371 gtschmidt by gtschmidt Mar 19, 1998 (11:30 am)
My wife and I bought an 1996 E-350 low top Conversion Van by Explorer with 4.10 Axle and 7.5 liter V8.. We use it primarily for camping and towing. The E-350 is a little bit rough in the back seat unless you have trailer attached. This vehicle is a great tow vehicle. We had some minor problems in the first two months, all of which were handled quite satisfactorly by the dealer (ABS relay, cracked interior trim piece, wheel balance). When we took it in, the dealer found two other problems (which we would never have noticed probably) and fixed them. The Explorer conversion is very good in my opinion and they stand behind their product. We are very pleased with both Ford and Explorer . By the way, before this we had a full size Chevy Blazer. This was the worst vehicle we have ever owned!
#10 of 371 lateral by lateral Mar 30, 1998 (2:44 am)
We are searching for an Astro minivan in the 1993-1995 year range. We have found several we like. How do you determine the difference between a conversion van and a std. We can't really see any pricing difference. Also Edmunds Market value for every van we looked up, about 10 or so, is higher that the price at the dealer. In other words we can't use the guide book to justify the dealer lowering the price since they are already lower. Is Michigan just a cheap place to buy a car?
#11 of 371 jboater by jboater Mar 31, 1998 (3:26 am)
Lateral: It has been my experience that, in general, the NADA used vehicle pricing guide is rather liberal for the Detroit area market. For used vehicle pricing I would recommend looking at the Tradin Times or Auto Swapper for similar autos/vans offered for sale by private owners. A conversion van is one that was purchased new from the manufacturer by a conversion company. They usually are identified by the manufacturer name and conversion company name. Examples; GMC Safari/Starcraft, Chevy Astro/Debut, Ford/Coachmen, etc. Astro and Safari passenger vans are also produced by GM. These vehicles are not considered conversion vans. If you look at the regular passenger vans, you will find pricing differences are,in part, based on the trim package. The Astro CS is a less expensive package than the Astro LT. If you are a member of a credit union, you might look to them for help in researching pricing differences. Also, watch for the mileage on any given vehicle. High mileage will have an adverse impact on the value and the depth of the market for you to sell to at a later date. Good luck, Jerry
#12 of 371 grahare by grahare Apr 02, 1998 (11:27 pm)
Gary, I'm considering an Explorer, but have also looked at Geneva. Do you know anything about Geneva? Rob
#13 of 371 garyabc by garyabc Apr 03, 1998 (6:05 am)
Geneva is a small company in Wisc.....I don't think they have as nice appointments as the Explorer and I know they cost more. Explorer makes most of their components and I think Geneva buys components and assembles....replacement parts could be a future problem. Good luck
#14 of 371 dirt by dirt May 01, 1998 (11:43 am)
I'm looking at a 1996 Econoline with a Cobra conversion package. New cost 27K, asking 17K. Garage kept, fully loaded, 27K miles. Wife would rather buy another minivan. I can't seem to find any reviews on the conversion vans or comparisons to the minivans. Any suggestions?
#15 of 371 Vipergg by Vipergg May 03, 1998 (2:03 am)
We just bought a new Dodge long wheel base Conversion van made by Mark 3 . These seem to be very well put together . Got the 318 V8 and 4 speed so this will tow about 7000 lbs . We bought a new leftover 97 and paid $18400 and this loaded with everything , all kinds of map lights , rear air conditioning , cruise, tilt , power windows and locks . I'll let you know after we have had it awhile how it is . It rides very nice even in the back seat . The new 98's have a nice new modern dash and front area but i couldn't justify an extra $3000 just to have a more modern dash . Hopefully the quality will be good , i'm not worried about the engine as the 318 V8 has been around for 30 years . Dodge seems to have some pretty good deals on these things . I see alot of them on the road here in upstate NY .
#16 of 371 rybarczyk by rybarczyk May 25, 1998 (1:54 am)
I'm looking at buying a Dodge Conversion - captain's chairs; tv; vcr; dual air; dual radios. I can't seem to find any consumer information on the Dodge Vans. I'm hesitant since I lean toward buying Hondas - something that will last me 200,000 miles. We're looking at the Dodge Conversion because we want the room inside & the comfort for those summer trips out of state. We will not be towing anything - so that's not an issue. Does anyone have any info on what type of maintenance is required to keep one of these on the road for a long time? Any recurring mechanical problems I should know about?
#17 of 371 happy by scottbusey May 27, 1998 (4:43 pm)
I had a '92 Chevy MarkIII conversion and it was very durable, both the base van and the conversion. Mark III is a huge conversion company down here in Florida (maybe THE biggest?), and they really know what they're doing. Also, a friend of mine hauled about a ton of music stuff in his Dodge van for years, and it never gave up. I wouldn't be concerned about reliability in these full frame rear wheel drive vans, they're real tough. Keep it cleaned and waxed, especially on top, and you'll probably get tired of it long before it gets tired of you. When you sell, sell it yourself rather than trading it in. My limited experience with car dealers makes me suspect that their offer for a conversion van only considers the bare van and not the value of the conversion. It's possible that you can sell it for 2x what the dealer offers as a trade in.

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