I just ran into this same issue this last week, and had to decide..... replace the trans that went out at the cost of $2500 and keep a van I know and love and have worked on hard for the last 5 almost 6 years, that I know what has been fixed, what needs fixed, and basically know inside and out. Or do I take a risk and buy a “new†van for $2500-$3000 and not know anything about ? We decided to go the repair/rebuild route. So tomorrow morning, I will drop the van at the trans shop and put a $2500 trans into a $1500 van and go from there.
It is not a decision to take lightly, BUT, you know this van, have enjoyed driving and working on it, and you can afford to do the repairs, so is it really that hard of a choice after all?