Used passenger van/work van good buys?

[M1Accord]

Are used passenger or work van good buy? I see used commuter passenger van now and then and they generally look nice both and and out because they are of newer condition. Of course they have high miles, which are mostly highway miles, especially for this area. There are exceptions but these vans generally get their oil change very frequently because these costs are tax-deductible and the services are required for commerical passenger vehicles.

My question is, why would companies get rid of good vans and buy new ones? I know the drivers aren't going to as caring with these vans as they are with their personal vehicles but abuse may be rare because there are passengers on the vans so joy ride and reckless driving will be reported. Advice would be highly appreciated.

For work van, they are generally older, rougher looking, and my concern is that there could be problems that prompting the sale. Electricians, technicians, and handy men don't generally need new vans so there must be something wrong with the current one. Is it correct?

 

[bullwinkle]

Try to get service records if possible-many company-owned vans should have them, have a good mechanic look them over REALLY well before you buy them.

 

[The_Jeff]

And get an insurance quote, those 15 passenger vans especially older ones are nightmare risks for rollovers. Some school depts banned their use.

Custom vans with shag carpeting depreciate quite quickly and I have to admit I look at them occasionally. You get all the plusses and minuses of their comparable 2wd pickup truck cousins.

 

[pottymouth]

There are many reasons that anyone might want to replace a perfectly good vehicle, but one key reason for some businesses is depreciation. I'm no accountant, but my understanding is that vehicles are generally assigned a 5-year useful life and the total tax benefit is realized by year 5. Therefore, there may be a tax incentive to replace vehicles on a regular basis.

 

[AuthorEditor]

Watch out for those 15-passenger vans! A lot of businesses had to get rid of them because of their insurance--our company did. In our case the insurance company just said no 15-passenger vans, period.

 

[Dualie]

Also (at least here in CA) a 15 passenger van requires a chaffers licence or a class B CDL with passenger endorsement.

 

[Stu_Rock]

Originally Posted By: Dualie
Also (at least here in CA) a 15 passenger van requires a chaffers licence or a class B CDL with passenger endorsement.

To my knowledge, this rule exists only in California. And, according to the Calif. Vehicle Code §232(b), it applies only
if it "is used to transport persons for compensation or profit, or is used by any nonprofit organization or group."

Buying a passenger van for use as a work van should be fine.

 

[M1Accord]

In VA, commuter vans are mostly these 15 passenger van and I wouldn't trust my life to those sleepy government commuters. They get replaced from time to time and minivans are slowly creeping up. I think minivans are better option for commuting purpose due to easy size and more than adequate power/weight ratio.

I have been trying to find another decent vehicle to use for things such as road trip, side business (gun show, farmer market, etc), and just normal family transportation. I have been undecided for about 4 years now because I am trying to be responsible with my money. I also want a Jeep Cherokee (very hard to find now due to Cash for Clunker program) or Wrangler because I want a vehicle to enjoy to.

 

[Stu_Rock]

Originally Posted By: M1Accord
In VA, commuter vans are mostly these 15 passenger van and I wouldn't trust my life to those sleepy government commuters.

No kidding. The only way I get in those vans is if I'm the driver, or if I really trust the driver. I don't have a CDL, but back in Wis. my university required me to take a class and pass a road test in order to have passengers in one, as well as being age 25 or older. (It was a piece of cake--I had been driving extended vans since age 16, though I will admit that I did it quite poorly for the first 5 years)

Quote:
I have been trying to find another decent vehicle to use for things such as road trip, side business (gun show, farmer market, etc), and just normal family transportation.

I have an '98 Dodge shorty van, which I love because it fits my needs so well, even though it's lame compared to the new GM vans. Two seats, windows all the way around, 3.55 posi, 318 V8, no other options. It's cheap to own and great for hauling stuff.

If my household had more than two people, I would get a regular-length passenger van and remove the 3rd and 4th row seats, or if ordering new maybe order the "work crew" option on a cargo van if that's still around.

For traditional V8 vans since 2004, there's only Ford and GM. The GMs of that era are more refined to drive and are much less likely to roll. By most measures, they're the better vans. Unfortunately, the marketplace knows it and charges a premium for them over the Ford. For vans made since 1998, Dodges are probably considered to be the most undesirable. They had a major refresh in 1998, but they still didn't match the competition. That's where to look for a deal--and it's why I got mine.

But if I had kids to keep safe, I would probably pony up the cash for a GM.