Conversion van? We want to be the family that's always going somewhere

[MrsPete]

Just a thought: With only three people in your family, a van is going to be over-kill most of the time -- you really only want it for trips. Have you considered sticking with a small, economy car for everyday and renting a van only when you need it?

We made this choice two years ago, and we've been very pleased. It costs much less than maintaining /fueling the larger, more expensive car all the time.

Admittedly, I barely scrape the bottom edge of five foot, so I have no problems with feeling cramped in a small car.

 

[smkiya]

Just a thought: With only three people in your family, a van is going to be over-kill most of the time -- you really only want it for trips. Have you considered sticking with a small, economy car for everyday and renting a van only when you need it?

We made this choice two years ago, and we've been very pleased. It costs much less than maintaining /fueling the larger, more expensive car all the time.

Admittedly, I barely scrape the bottom edge of five foot, so I have no problems with feeling cramped in a small car.

There's actually 4 of us. Me, DH, DD, and DS. DS is 15 months old and DD will be 6 years old next month. I have a 7 year old nephew who we would likely bring on many of our trips as well. Plus, with a van, we'd take many more trips. They are very expensive to rent, and for a 3 night trip, not worth the cost. We looked into renting one when we went to Disney, so DSIL and her kids could come with us. It was like $1500 rental fee for the week. That's more than 10-20% of the cost of a used one that I'd own.

The van would actually be used solely for travel. Dh and I each have a car for everyday. They will be both paid off in a few months and we intend to drive them until the wheels fall off, which should be quite a few years from now.

 

[MrsPete]

There's actually 4 of us. Me, DH, DD, and DS. DS is 15 months old and DD will be 6 years old next month. I have a 7 year old nephew who we would likely bring on many of our trips as well. Plus, with a van, we'd take many more trips. They are very expensive to rent, and for a 3 night trip, not worth the cost. We looked into renting one when we went to Disney, so DSIL and her kids could come with us. It was like $1500 rental fee for the week. That's more than 10-20% of the cost of a used one that I'd own.

The van would actually be used solely for travel. Dh and I each have a car for everyday. They will be both paid off in a few months and we intend to drive them until the wheels fall off, which should be quite a few years from now.

Perhaps it varies widely from place to place, but last month we rented a van (loved that Stow-and-Go storage) for our recent drive to Florida, and it cost $450. Last Thanksgiving we rented a van for 4 days, and it was in the $250 range. Last summer we rented a mid-sized SUV for a driving trip out west, and it was just over $500 for 2.5 weeks. One of the keys is making your reservation well in advance. Compare several companies too; sometimes Avis is better, sometimes Enterprise beats them.

Since you're talking about maintaining two other cars PLUS the van, this is a very expensive option. When you're making your decision, don't forget to include the cost of insurance, tags, and tax for that third vehicle.

 

[smkiya]

Perhaps it varies widely from place to place, but last month we rented a van (loved that Stow-and-Go storage) for our recent drive to Florida, and it cost $450. Last Thanksgiving we rented a van for 4 days, and it was in the $250 range. Last summer we rented a mid-sized SUV for a driving trip out west, and it was just over $500 for 2.5 weeks. One of the keys is making your reservation well in advance. Compare several companies too; sometimes Avis is better, sometimes Enterprise beats them.

Since you're talking about maintaining two other cars PLUS the van, this is a very expensive option. When you're making your decision, don't forget to include the cost of insurance, tags, and tax for that third vehicle.

I'm willing to search and wait for a deal like this below to buy. This was an ebay auction that closed a couple hours ago. The winning bidder paid $3750 and gets a 3 month/3,000 mile warranty!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford...27aQQitemZ190439981690QQptZUSQ5fCarsQ5fTrucks

When you consider that we'll be taking a few trips a year, $250, $450, $500 really adds up. Plus availability is not that good for conversion van rentals so maybe that is why it's much more expensive here (supply and demand).

Thanks everyone for your input!!! I'll post pics when I finally take the plunge!