Reconsidering my RV setup

[Cubey]

Oh I do see a what looks like a little dented in spot on the bumper but it might have been from a separate incident. Looks like it kissed a pole or something else short and rounded. The overall rear doesn't look damaged, such as around the taillights and below the doors. So it doesn't look like it was rear ended by a vehicle.

I sent the seller a long winded, single message, so we'll see what they say back, if they ever reply at all ..

 

[IDIBRONCO]

And driving that highway at Thedford NE headed west, just love that road for gawking.

I like Hwy 2 myself. I haven't been west of Thedford though.

Come to think of it, you know what I love about NE. Dang near ever rural resident waves!! Just LOVE that!!

It's pretty common around here too.

 

[Cant Write]

@IDIBRONCO in CO, it’s non existent and a dying thing in SD too.

When I moved to CO, headwind was terrible and I jumped on the highway. Not happy with how I tied my load down, I pulled over on Rosebud Reservation........

I see ONE car the entire time, and 2 ol’ boys out cruising stop and ask if They can help.

FFWD and I blew a trailer tire on 34 S in Eastern CO. HUNDREDS of cars and NOT one stop to offer help.

I questioned if leaving SD was the right move then and there!!

 

[Cant Write]

@Cubey it seems you have so many options that paralysis by analysis could take over.

I still think the cheapest option then is the vehicles you already own. Run the pickup and slide in and pull the bug. Just hope Lucy’s steps work out for you.

 

[Cubey]

@Cubey it seems you have so many options that paralysis by analysis could take over.

I still think the cheapest option then is the vehicles you already own. Run the pickup and slide in and pull the bug. Just hope Lucy’s steps work out for you.

As i mentioned in DMs, the F250 of mine is probably going to need similar immediate maintenance as if I were to buy that van; things like hoses, belts, and fluids. And probably tires. Maybe more. And I'd still have a form factor I'm not very fond of.

I may contact my credit union and see how long it might take this time, since I have a good financial record with them. I do owe $1k on a credit card with them (on a 0% interest balance transfer) but I always pay more than minimum, and I had a personal loan before for getting this motorhome that was paid 100% in 2021, mostly thanks to the covid checks). But at the time (2019) i didn't have something extra to sell (besides the F250, and I wanted that as a backup).

Their rates are very reasonable, vs online. Last loan with them, It was 11.39% fixed rate. $32.xx was the most interest in one month I ever had (the first billing cycle) on a $3500 loan. (the RV was $3200, so I took a little extra just in case). I had a 48 month term to keep the payments low ($91.xx) but there's no penalty for early payback. They still made a good many hundreds of dollars in interest, even though it was paid off in about 18 months instead of 48. It made sense to get under 9mpg at the time, when diesel was $2.50-$3.50.

Predatory online lenders tell me almost 27% APR even with my excellent score. My credit union's maximum rate is 18% APR, for people worst allowable credit. I have a good/excellent score (around 780), I'm just very low income. $100-120 loan payments for a while wouldn't be terrible to get almost twice the MPG. Sell the motorhome ASAP and for whatever half reasonable amount I can get, after I remove the parts I want.
I'm guessing it will get about 14mpg as it sits, probably NA, all season tires, and possibly a 4.10 rear end. I don't know what gear ratio it has though, just guessing. Seller doesn't know off hand. I mentioned how the VIN tag says a code and sent a pic of the one on my 87 F250 as an example but I dunno if they'll check or not.

EDIT: It has code 33, which seems to indicate that it's a Dana 61 3.54 according to online info I'm seeing. The maroon paint color around the sticker tells me the van has been painted at some point:

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Edit 2: ah yeah i can see maroon on the inside of the side door too. I mean that's not a big deal for a nearly 40 year old van, but just something to be aware of I guess. You can see the white rear doors that got replaced. The rear door windows can open, which is ideal. Yeah this is quite tempting, even if I have to store the RV for a year.

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[Cant Write]

When I got 19-20, I was 55-62 mph. E4OD locked in OD, 4.10’s, NA. Roughly 1800 rpm, so almost ideal and lower wind resistance.

My last trip I ran 65-72. Lots of wind. 2300 rpm @ 73. 14.5-16.5 mpg.

That van, or your pickup (think it has 3.55’s) would do approximately 2200 rpm at 55 with just C6 NOT accounting for converter slip. Removing the wind resistance I had, you may see 15-17 mpg based on my apples to oranges S.W.A.G. Add GV and add some efficiency.

What are the biggest issues with the pickup slide in camper. Lucy, ... can’t enter from driver seat, and small compared to MH. Oh and not a pop-up.....(not taking into account the delayed maintenance)

I know for me, I would do the pickup or van cause I wanna get to places a normal vehicle would go. Forest service roads for skiing/hiking/biking. The van allows movement of 4 without being confined to a seat (cc pickup) for a long drive.

If living full time in it, which you would be, if you can’t stand up straight, it would be a deal breaker for me. So that would X buying a van. I’m 6’4”.

I’m still a fan of keeping the pickup. Too bad a wrecked tiger camper isn’t around for cheap, course last thing you need is a big project of getting a camper like that. It would allow driver seat to camper, and lower entrance for Lucy.

I wish you the best in your quest of finding different living quarters!!

 

[Cubey]

The problem is getting rid of the camper on it, I can't unless I have another camper lined up, or a trailer or something else to live in. That was a big roadblock before, and a big reason why I looked for a motorhome. The camper it has is just as short as a cargo van.

I'd have to go to Arkansas, sell the truck camper, and have another lined up, or find one very quickly. I'd have to keep using the motorhome in the meantime. Slide in campers out there are very rare and expensive, compared to further west, so that's very risky that I might not be able to get one without spending $4,000 on a slide-in.

Or, drive the MH to AR, sell/store it, switch to the tiny truck camper, come back out west, look for a trailer a year from now (during LTVA season) and buy one, then sell the tiny truck camper and hope I can find a better one within 5-6 months that's not too far away. It's risky, not having something else to live in when switching over.

I do have the full VIN (she sent the full pic first then sent it twice with the serial portion edited out. not good with tech I guess). i ran the full VIN on a free vin checker and it says no record of theft or total loss. I did that on the ****** trailer I got in 2018 and it showed total loss back in 1999 so i know those free online VIN checks don't always say everything is fine. https://www.nicb.org/vincheck

At least if I get the van now, I could use and later sell the MH out west here, even if it means storing for one summer season. I'd have the ability to fix up the van during a 6 month period, getting GV put on it etc even maybe.

 

[Cubey]

Well my credit union's online system approved me for a $3800 loan, but it's not finalized. It's basically just a firm pre-approval, good for 30 days. I have not agreed to taking the loan or gotten the money yet, I just asked if they'd lend it and the system said yes. If it sells before I get there or it's got a major mechanical issue, I can just let the approval expire without taking the loan. Not sure if it dings my credit to get that pre-approval or not. Hopefully not.

edit: it did put a hard check. oh well.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Not to mention that you could also swap over your turbo to the van if you wanted to.

 

[Cubey]

Not to mention that you could also swap over your turbo to the van if you wanted to.

Yes, that too. I'm pondering the (short term) idea of storing the RV one summer season (next year) if i can't get everything done in this 6 month season this year and sell the motorhome. it would still serve it's purpose of giving me a place to live while working on the van.

My CU called me and said the $3800 would be 48 months at 9.99% APR, $97 a month minimum payment. If I let it ride the entire 48 months, the interest would come out around $850-900. Of course if i sell the one or both the truck & motorhome in the next 12-18 months, I'd be able to pay it off sooner and avoid a lot of the interest. Sounds good to me.

More details the seller volunteered: AC and heat don't work, no passenger seat. I saw some odd wiring thing too, like maybe the stock turn signal indicators in the cluster stopped working so someone wired in clearance lights on either side of the steering column. So, it might have some weird wiring issues. Thankfully I'm good at that crap and there's really not too much on an IDI with a C6. I have a Chilton manual for 1980s E-series with schematics too, so yeah.

The logistics of getting it are doable, just a bit time consuming, and/or potentially a bit expensive.

I can go drop the RV off at the LTVA, hop in the bug and go fetch the van (after already inspecting/buying it the day before). 130-200 miles, depending which LTVA I drop the RV at, so it's a bit of a drive in the slow as hell bug, and there are some steep hills, but i can put on my hazard lights and let everyone pass me, I guess. Almost all non-stop highways except around a couple of cities so at least there's that. I'd have to take the tow bar along and a ball mount, since the van has a receiver hitch, for pulling the bug back to the RV. It would be a bit little risky though.

It's that or a one-way Enterprise car rental from Yuma (and somehow get a ride to the car rental office from the LTVA) and drop it off at the destination city, about $259 (plus gas) for a 24 hour rental ($191 a day+tax. such a ripoff). It would be the fastest, safest, most reliable, and most comfortable (air conditioning etc) method. I might just have to go with that option. Then I'd only have to drive the van back to the LTVA in one swoop. I'd take along spare bits (vac pump, hoses, belts, tools, fluids, my current IDI batteries) and some camping gear, food, and a water jug in case I have to sleep in it overnight one night on the drive back. if I have to spend a day replacing hoses and belts before I head back, I can. It beats blowing out a radiator hose or losing a belt mid-way.

I have thought about a one way u-haul truck rental also, but it would cost the same as a high mpg rental car and cost a lot more in fuel.

Vehicle transport might be doable but that seems like a pain in the ass to deal with in this situation, and it might cost the same, or more. Normal towing would probably be the most expensive but would be the most direct way to transport it, without driving it. But it would probably cost $1000. Not worth it.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

My CU called me and said the $3800 would be 48 months at 9.99% APR, $97 a month minimum payment. If I let it ride the entire 48 months, the interest would come out around $850-900. Of course if i sell the one or both the truck & motorhome in the next 12-18 months, I'd be able to pay it off sooner and avoid a lot of the interest. Sounds good to me.

That doesn't sound too bad to me.

(and somehow get a ride to the car rental office from the LTVA)

Or you could drive the bug to the rental place, drive the van back, and then take the RV to go pick the bug back up. Just throwing out another suggestion in case you wanted to go that route.

 

[Cubey]

Or you could drive the bug to the rental place, drive the van back, and then take the RV to go pick the bug back up. Just throwing out another suggestion in case you wanted to go that route.

I don't trust leaving the bug in a Yuma parking lot unattended for two days. The LTVA feels less risky, a lot less prying eyes around to see it sitting there.

 

[Cant Write]

If the van checks out, I’d risk flat towing it back. Sometimes you just gotta throw yourself into the wind and to heck with security.

Cant plan for everything and it’d be a great test as to what REALLY needs immediate attention.

An IDI and a C6 will take a lot of neglected abuse and still come out on top!

 

[Cubey]

If the van checks out, I’d risk flat towing it back. Sometimes you just gotta throw yourself into the wind and to heck with security.

Cant plan for everything and it’d be a great test as to what REALLY needs immediate attention.

An IDI and a C6 will take a lot of neglected abuse and still come out on top!

It's too heavy for my RV's trailer hitch. RV trailer hitches are usually rated 3500lbs and the way miine looks, it's no exception. An IDI van is gonna be 5500-6000lbs. And I'd have to buy a tow bar and try to properly attach it to the van's front bumper for one time use. and I'd have to remove the driveshaft. By the time i do all that, I may as well rent a one-way car for a 24 hours and drive the van back.

If it was just me, I'd probably gamble on driving the Bug, but I have Lucy with me too. So, $250 for a 24 hour 1 way rental car seems to make more sense. No worries about driving in 90-95 degree heat, we'll have A/C. Won't have to stick to 55mph in a 65 either. The bug's top speed on a flat road with no wind is 55mph right now with the tired 40HP engine and too big tires. There is no good way to avoid the major highways, unless i take an extra 50+ miles of dirt trails/roads out in the middle of nowhere, by myself. Not smart.

I tried to figure out how I could do a "local" car rental (about $75/day with tax) but then I'd have to rent a one-way uhaul tow dolly for the return trip, which is about $150 on top of a car rental. I wouldn't really save anything to make the hassle worth it. A compact rental car won't have a hitch, so i can't drag a tow dolly behind the rental car as a "local" rental. And again it wouldn't really be any cheaper by the time i do all that stupid crap.

My RV's C6 was slipping bad into 3rd when it was dying last year, getting worse and worse, but it didn't totally fail before I got it to the shop. BUT everything in it was ruined. Both drums and the pump.

I have taken dumb risks before, I drove this RV 300 miles on horrible tires (flat out dangerous) but i was lucky that time. The Bug had similar tires and one lost it's tread flat towing it back from where I bought it, tearing off a rear fender. So I'm more weary about old tires now. I didn't have Lucy with me when I picked up this RV though, it was out in Oklahoma and had my mom watch Lucy for me, because I took greyhound to go get the RV after looking at it by driving the F250 600 miles round trip.

I put a message on FB seeing if anyone at the LTVA goes up that way often but so far nope. Thought maybe if someone I'm familiar with was going up there anyway, I could toss them $40 to give me and Lucy a ride along if they have space in their car.

and for the heck of it, I looked up greyound from yuma. $106 .....but it's a 15 HOUR TRIP with two transfer and long layovers. So that's entirely out of the question.

I just have to suck it up and either gamble on the bug or spend $250 on a rental. rental does seem to be the better option, due to Lucy being a factor.

Once I have the van, I can fix a few things if needed before I head back and I can take days if needed. It's just a matter of getting up there to fetch it, that's the hard part. It will already be paid for at that point, and insured, so I'd just have to return the rental, get them to drop me and Lucy back at the van, and then head out. Seller says the tires "look new" (so i can probably assume they aren't) so I might have to buy a set of tires for it before I come back too. (Keeping in mind, the F250 in Arkansas is due for new tires too, and the RV would be also, in about a year from now). Not having the bug in the way would be helpful if I am having to deal with stuff like that.

 

[Cubey]

Huh, I looked at the Yuma Enterprrise location and they have an oversized parking lot at their newer location that isn't within the airport. Maybe they'd let me park the motorhome there for 2-3 days, if I explain why I need to do so. It has full coverage on it and the contents. I'd be less worried about it sitting in Yuma for a few days than the Bug. A little harder to flat out steal with a tow rope. And it's old and ugly, not very appealing. I can take some valuables with me in a backpack, just in case there is a break-in.

Then I could:
- drive the RV to the rental office with the bug tow stored bar inside
- one-way rent the car
- drive the van back to the LTVA & park it
- hop in the bug & drive to the rental office
- hitch up the bug and drag it to the LTVA

A bit more hassle and it'll cost more diesel cost in the RV, but I wouldn't have to rely on someone giving me rides to/from Yuma. But considering how much I hate driving in Yuma in an automatic, I'll really dread having to drive the Bug there. I'd rather try to bum a ride to Yuma once, I suppose. Even if I have to give someone some gas money for the trip. Although it does look like i can go a mostly back route to get there, so maybe it wouldn't be too bad of a drive in the bug that one time.

Looks like I could actually get a Lyft driver to show up near the LTVA and take me to Enterprise, for about $50.

I'm gonna see when/if another friend is gonna be at the LTVA soon, and maybe they'd give me a direct ride for some gas money. I know another one will be in early October, but she's a little funny about giving rides, so i don't want to impose unless it's more important. But also I don't want to wait 2 weeks for her to show up either.

It's gonna cost me a good bit extra, i admit. but that's how it is when you are are a solo traveler with a big dog. No matter where I buy something, I'd have this same exact problem, unless i somehow got lucky and found one within 50 miles or so of the LTVA or my mom's house. Seems pretty dang unlikely, though. My F250 was about 250 miles away and the RV was about 300 away.

edit: Nope, the friends I referenced said they won't be down that way until mid/late October. So they can't help in this case, though they did offer if it would be of help. But it won't, it'll be a month too late. I have fixed stuff on their RV a few times (mainly their Onan genset when it broke twice,, a year apart, 2 seperate things) and saved them a crapton on repairs. The upwards of $300 to fetch the van doesn't seem too bad, all things considered. Hopefully the tires look good enough to last 200 miles, so i can order some for cheap online. If not, there is a "Big O" in Needles that has $125 A/S tires. I usually go with Walmart but they don't seem to stock that tire size (LT235/85R16) except for some $200/each ATs. 215 is an optional size you can use (usually on duallies, like my RV) so I might just opt for that, since they're about $25 less per tire vs 235, at least online. But if it needs tires right away, I'll get the cheap ones from Big O.