Vannin' Home Forums General Discussion General Discussion Prices are getting crazy

I look what I paid for my two vans over the past 10 years and and I couldn't even get close to that low of a number now. It seems like the price of used (older) vans are getting crazy. My thought is it is happening because of two things: 1) A younger generation is seeing how cool vans can be and seeing the van runs and are jumping in and 2) there are so many sites about vanlife (living and traveling in a van) that are really becoming popular.
I don't see any slow down in the rising costs.
Any other thoughts?

I think that is a factor. It’s really bad out here as messed up first gen Econoline’s are 5k for something I wouldn’t pay $1200 for. Chevy vans are an average of 10k for something that is rusted and you still have to smog. I think a lot of people are getting them to van life, realizing an old car is something you always have to work on and then dump them to try and make the money back they’ve dropped into one.

I think it's also just related to general inflation. All cars are ridiculous now, not just vans.

good now I want 70K for my 4x .... lol

I saw this post and took a look, give it some time frscke you can ask 70k. Prices are a joke by me, people want 4k for rotted out junk. I guess at these numbers they are worth saving? Problem is there are no parts. How do you sacrifice 4 vans to make one, when the junk is worse than the junk trying to fix the best junk?

Most of the time I see this. They install either a passible camping/basic living interior or dump an a$$ load of cash (more than the total worth of the van) going all-out-deluxe 'I'd sleep there' on the interiors........but then don't do much to fix the drivetrain or exterior.

Drivetrain ; exterior and interior. Words to live by

Calling it an "adventure" van evidently adds several thousand bucks to the usual junkyard refugee.....

Mmmm...."Junkyard Refugee"....sounds like a van name doesn't it?

I still find sub $1000 vans , might not be your cup tea but I find value in them all, throwing a shelf and bed in a van don't make it a custom or multi thousand dollar van, it is what the market allows or dictates.. give me a junker any day at least I know where I stand.

And you can use and enjoy it....

Exactly. Runs and it's paid for. Old school V8, 15 inch tires, bad paint = maximum enjoyment!

I paid $2,400 10 years ago for the van I am just finishing but it had some nice mods on it to start with. I paid $300 three years ago for the van I am chopping because I figured if I screwed up the van I could get my money back in scrap!

Lucky Man !

Yes he is!

Vanning was already making a comeback about 5 years ago, but then the "#vanlife" tag got trendy, add on top of that the Pandemic and lockdowns. Now the market is flooded with $15,000 clapped out 20 year old conversion vans, not to mention the super high dollar modern versions.

Lots of factors to include, but not limited to:

- Inflation
- Cheap mobile housing "aka: vanlife"
- Pandemic
- Technology advancements (batteries, solar, etc.)
- Lack of knowledge on realistic values from both buyers and sellers
- Chip shortages with modern vehicle
- Supply shortages for all sorts of things
- Explosion of "Off Grid" and "Homesteader" mentality
- Desire to travel and see the world

That list could probably go on and on, but I find it hilarious that the market is flooded with these ridiculously priced junk wagons.

I think a big part of it is young folks that are so quick to buy into the latest hot trends (i.e. vanlife, off grid, etc.) that have little to no mechanical aptitude getting suckered into paying a high price for an old van. Then finding out they have no idea how to maintain a 40 year old heap after they've already gutted it and thrown in a pile of plywood furniture and "boho-chic" accessories as well as all the latest gadgetry like lithium batteries and solar charging, then thinking they can sell it for more to make out in the end.

Of course to anyone with common sense that would be a stupid thought, but then some dummy with more money than sense comes along and buys it anyway, and keeps the cycle going. Eventually the trend will swap to something else.

Around the early 2000s everyone wanted a chopper, so the kit chopper craze caught on and everyone was buying them. Then sometime around 2010 that started to switch to big wheeled baggers. Next up was lifted diesel trucks with giant semi truck stacks in the bed on 26" rims, with their tow mirrors sticking out all the time, and "rolling coal".

Thankfully the "Boogie Van" side of the house still seems to be moderate. I bought a 1979 Ford Freewheelin' van for $500, sold it for $510, which seemed insanely low compared to the rest of the market, but it saved the van from getting scrapped. The deals are still out there, just have to look hard for them.

On a side note, I don't think the inflation has effected all vehicles the same way. My 2005 Silverado was worth about $7,000+/- when I bought it last year for $4.000 and looking at all the other Silverados on the market ocassionally, they are still in the $7,000 range.

I can agree with the younger generation affecting the market. Lots of non car oriented folks getting in to the social media #vanlife thing, driving the price up.

I do however, see a positive side. I'd rather see all the yuppies in their expensive built out Instagram vans than driving land yachts or massive fifth wheels.

I understand wanting more creature comforts as you age, but some of the older generation and the houses on wheels sure have a very liberal definition of what "camping" is. And naturally they drive unbearably slow, and constantly over the double yellow.

Seem like those folks are always running the generator all night too. Hard to say which crowd deserves to get more fun poked at them. 🙂

I remember when I use to snort lines instead of drive over them

P.S. and about running the generators all night; if you've never seen a "Matlock Marathon" ; you don't know what you're missing out on sonny

SDMickey your thoughts of white line yellow line and Matlock is truly the best.. i see a trend and some vans are going way down. my next purchase will be an early Aerostar with blown motor{shouldn't be too difficult} I want to do a 5.0 motor swap, all in about $1500..lol I would only run a generator for Rockford Files marathon. James Garner had a sweet custom van he used for his trailer on set..true story

Here are a couple of links to magazine articles about James Garner's vans. Link1 and link2

Another great choice for a Marathon = Rockford Files. Wasn't Susan saint James his girl ? ( Hubba Hubba )

Dragnet would be another good Marathon and how could you not do a "Get Smart Marathon "