Would u...? 100,000 miles on van...take or rent?

[Crazy4mandms]

Just looking for some input. I'm just so torn. We were expecting a huge tax return this year and now end up owing $3000!!! (I HATE NY!). Anyway, I am still trying to salvage my trip in May (esp cuz it is in conjunction with my DB's HS grad). I was planning on renting a minivan ($644) as it is only me and 3 kids (14, 10, 10) making the trip and DH felt it would be 'safer' with a newer van. But now I just can't seem to shell out that much. I was just going to go ahead and take my 2000 minivan..it has almost 100,000 on it but is in good shape. I'd have it all checked out...oil change, tune up, have them give it the once over, have AAA. Planned on leaving Fri after work going about 5 or 6 hours then 12 or so next day, etc.

Would just like to hear from others who have taken this trip withe an older car and give me their experiences (travelling from NY so about 2500 miles round trip). What happens if I DO break down? Any experiences with AAA?

 

[FINFAN]

I don't have breakdown experiences...unless you count a nail in the tire on the way home...but I can tell you that we drove from Cicago to Orlando Dec '03. E also continues further down to Naples to see family and the return trip did the east coast... so a lot of driving/miles on the car in a 2 week time frame. We took the lemon in to get it "travel ready" prior to the trip...various things needed addressing, to the tune of about 1100. More than we expected, but most of it justifed, we knew we needed to sink $$ into it, so that is why we were driving...since had to make repairs anyway. About 500 miles from home on the return we hear high whining/whirring...van is really laboring, so we gingerly finally get it home. Into the shop 2 days later, we see what else has gone wrong with it...not poorly done orig repairs before the trip, but now NEW wear and tear. (and I don't even remember off the top of my head the exact problem...there have been so many). So, the total car cost of repairs was just shy of $2000, almosy 1/2 was needed anyway, but he remainder I feel , was brought on by the trip. Keep in mind our Nissan Quest is a lemon, nightmare...but my point is that an older vehicle, recently worked on, 3 little kids, mom alone, unless you are caravaning with others, I would acoid the drive. A 2000 is not an older vehicle really, SHOULD be reliable, but that is a long way to drive on your own. I am sure there are many others who do it all the time. Is your DH comfortable w/you making the drive on your own? Will your DB be with you?

Pam

 

[ducklite]

Here's how I would look at it...

It's going to cost a lot more than the cost of a rental if you break down and need a repair on the way--not to mention the possibility of lost vacation/work time and need for a rental anyhow.

You do have the option of renting a more economical midsize car and telling the kids that it's either that or no trip...Let them take turns in the front seat.

If you break down and call AAA, they will get a wrecker out as soon as possible, but it would still take up to a few hours, depending on where you were. They would tow you to the closest service station, and if you broke down on the weekend they wouldn't even look at your car until Monday in most cases. It could be Tuesday or Wednesday before they had the parts to begin working on the car. You'd have to either stay in a hotel and wait, or rent a car (which could be an expensive proposition as you might have very little choice of rental agencies if you were in the middle of no where) to continue the trip. I'd look at a rental as a little insurance--if that breaks down the rental company is obligated to bring you a new car, and although you might have to wait a few hours for it, it would be better than the other possibilities.

That said, I wouldn't have a problem making the drive, I've driven from NJ to Orlando by myself several times. In fact I've ordered a new car from a dealer in NJ, and as soon as it comes in up there I'm going to be flying up to pick it up and driving back to Florida alone. The difference is I've never driven a car with more than 30K miles on it down.

I have a very reliable Saturn with 80K miles in my garage here in Florida. We brought her down last summer, and she's now retired and gets gently driven a few times a month. But just the wear and tear alone, I don't want to go much further than Daytona with her these days. When you get to that type of milage, things start to break down. Starters need to be replaced. Water pumps go bad. Radiators leak. These are all things that can happen without warning and when you least expect it, and will stop you dead in the water until they are replaced.

Anne

 

[Crazy4mandms]

Yea, all of that is what I'm afraid of. I've made the drive with just me and the kids twice before, so I'm not really afraid of going alone....just am afraid of the 'what if' factor as you've both stated. I guess I'm just fooling myself that I'll actually be able to make this trip and was trying to weigh all my options. I can swing most everything else (I'm getting free tix to the parks for us all and have already paid for the room and even if I skipped WDW I would still be paying for hotels in Sarasota where I'll be with family) and make it doable, just adding the cost of that van, ugh. I made the ressie so far in advance that rebooking for a smaller car would only save me $50 on the res. Stupid, stupid NYS....my hubby and I figured we pay about 50% of what we earn in various taxes (property, income, school, sales, small biz taxes, employment taxes, SS, UGH>>>>>>I just want to scream!!!!)

 

[pumpkinboy]

I dunno, a 2000 is not that old. We drive a 1993 Mazda little car and a 1999 Chrysler minivan. If you have a Toyota or Honda or similar reliable minivan, I think I'd go for it in a heartbeat. If is one of those less relaible makes (which is what I seem to understand from your post), I might hesitate a little, but probably just roll the dice and hope for the best, given the money issue. Just make sure you have the AAA Plus with the 100 miles of free towing, just in case.

Good luck!

I feel your pain on the Tax man issue; the AMT nailed us painfully in the past few years.

 

[elmo2wdw]

We have driven our Grand Caravan on 9 trips to Disney. It is a 2000 with 174,000 miles on it. We just make sure we have the oil changed right before we leave and we belong to AAA. We have never had a problem.


Good luck!!

 

[grimley1968]

I have a 99 Nissan Quest about 2000 miles shy of 100,000 on it. I would never hesitate to take it anywhere. It's in tip top shape.

 

[cranbiz]

I have driven with my old truck many times with over 100K on it (2002 Sierra Pickup) and had only one problem. That was on a trip to Ashville NC for a funeral. I broke down on the NJ Turnpike at 5am (fuel pump went at 117K).

Thank god for AAA. It would have been a $150 tow and it was a $700 job (and they gave me a deal, the fuel pump was $400 and that was $100 less than the "discount internet places" because I did check them) and they serviced it right away. We were back on the road by 11am.

Now I have also driven my son's truck back and forth to FL (he went to school there) and his truck had over 200K on it both times and we dod not have any problems.

If your vehicle has been properly maintained, I would not worry but you have to be prepares "just in case". Of course the advantage of the rental (except for the price) is if it breaks down, the rental agency will eventually supply a replacement vehicle and you are on your way.

I'm leaving today with my new truck (it's already been once) and I'm not worried a bit. If necessary, I'll take things in stride and bring my AAA card.

 

[Disneyjosh229]

I have a 99 Nissan Quest about 2000 miles shy of 100,000 on it. I would never hesitate to take it anywhere. It's in tip top shape.

Same thing with my 96 Buick Roadmaster, 205,000 miles, rust and problem free, drive it on nice days and would have no problem taking it to Florida...

 

[Shagley]

We have driven my Dad's Caravan with over 150,000 miles on it quite a few times with no problems. Then we drove my Mom's 2002 Sedona with 32,000 miles and had a breakdown. If you have had the van checked over and it seems to be in good condition and you have not had problems with it in the past, I say go for it. You can't predict what it going to happen with any car. Also, if you have the extended coverage on AAA, they will cover up to $1,000.00 of trip interruption expenses (car rental, lodging, etc.) if you do have a breakdown. I say take the older car, and don't even worry about it. Most likely you will be fine, and if anything happens, you are prepared with AAA.

 

[stahshee]

we are renting avan for our trip from ny- orlando, My van has 89,000 but I do not trust it at all!!!!!!!!!!! I am renting a van where did you get a great rate of 600 I am paying double for 10 days

 

[manning]

100,000 is considered middle age now. Years back that mileage was rare. They are built way better today. I've got a 93 town car with 161k on it going for 250k plus. Guy down the street just traded a Lincoln limo with 300k. His secret was change the oil every 3k.

Have a trusted mechanic take a look at it and get his advice.

 

[Esmerelda]

Ewwweee....let me share a little story with you from my last Disney trip in October of 2005.

All of my last 4 trips to Disney were via plane. I am not a person that loves to car ride. Believe it or not...all those years in gymnastics left me with a lot of hip and leg arthritis (??). I am only 42 for the record. Anyhow..last summer we decided to save ourselves money...we would drive for the first time in many many trips. (little did I know...)

I have a 99 van with approx 70000 miles on it. We had the oil changed two days before we left and the technician at the auto shop (a well known name...I won't post it here) suggested we get two new belts because they were looking a little jagged. We agreed and had the belts replaced. We left my house on vacation at 2-3pm in the afternoon on Friday. A little over two hours into the trip (in the middle of KY...in no where land)...during a heavy rain storm...we lose power steering and we start to overheat. Upon investigating, we believe the belt (new belt!) has come loose. We can still see it loosely flopping. We immediately called AAA to come help. The time at this time was 5:40pm. When our tow truck arrives, he informs us that everything in the nearest town closed at 5pm so we were OOL . We get towed into town (15 miles up I-75) to the nearest Advanced Auto Parts. Also during this drive we phoned back to our shop at home to tell that that our belt broke (or so we thought) on the interstate and we were not happy. We (my husband and I) get under the van with flashlight in tow to see what we could do. Its then that we realize we didnt' have a loose or broken belt...the pulley had lost an entire part off that holds onto the belt. It was NOT an item that would just fall off a vehicle? We tried everything to fix it...but with no luck. There was no part anywhere. After two hours on our backs in the rain, we ended up spending the night in this town (Corbin) and trying to get somewhere on Saturday morning (hotel $79.00...dinner $22.00). The next day, we phoned everyone in the phone book..no one was open until Monday. We finally decide to RENT a vehicle to get us to Florida. The nearest rental place was 45 miles away in Middlesboro at the Nissan dealer (yipppeee...maybe they can fix my Nissan van...!) not quite....still not open until Monday. We have AAA tow us there anyhow in order to rent a vehicle. We left our van at the dealer and they were going to fix it on Monday morning. We leave in an Envoy ($632.00 for 7 days). We made it to Disney a day and a half later. Had a great vacation also mind you. My boys were so patient with this whole ordeal. The dealership phoned up on Monday morning to tell us that the part we need won't be there until Friday of THAT week so plan to pick up the van one week from their call. Yikes...! That's more time at the house of Mouse. (extra night Saratoga Springs $286.00 for DVC member). We leave the following Sunday morning and drive into TN to spend the night to be at the dealer first thing on Monday morning to pick up our van (Marriott $105.00). The technician at the dealership the next day informs us that the person that put our belts on didn't tighten the nut up properly on the pulley and that is why we lost the part (grrrrrrrrrrrr.......) Did I mention a night of work for both of us missed due to this van fiasco...?? The van repair was $167.00. Upon returning from vacation...we went and spoke to the shop that worked on our van...they refused to help us. We took then to small claims court and eventually won our case after waiting for 6 months.

Ok...lets recap this whole event. Unplanned spending: hotel nights..coming and going in KY and TN...an extra night at SSR....a van repair....a vehicle rental....two nights of missed wages...then we had to go to SC court. Overall the entire event cost us a mere $1600.00

I am still kicking myself to think I was smart in driving. Here I thought I was doing us good by getting new belts and someone didn't do their job correctly. Boy have I learned some VERY valuable lessons throughout all of this. For starters...never plan to drive thru the south on Friday night down I-75...yikes! They roll up the towns at 5pm until Monday...LOL (sorry...but we had a good laugh when they told us that..) Also...NEVER have someone replace belts if you are driving a long distance right afterwards. Thirdly...next time I think of driving 1000 miles...just kick me (as I told my husband...lol).

I just spend $600 for 4 RT airline tickets...what a savings from last year. I'm really hoping they serve alcohol on the plane...just thinking about last year still makes me shudder.

Esmerelda

 

[PatMcDuck]

you may be able to beat that rental rate....... last August I got a standard SUV from Newark airport for about $220 (total with taxes) for a week, unlimited miles, it was a Buick Rendevouz, gorgeous. A little smaller than a minivan, but had the 3 rows of seats. I got it thru an email from National. I signed up for the email specials from every major rental co.

Our old minivan has almost 150,000 miles.

 

[HappyCamperToo]

Ewwweee....let me share a little story with you from my last Disney trip in October of 2005.

OMG!!! What a nightmare! This is why we always rent for trips longer than 2-3 hours from home!

 

[Crazy4mandms]

we are renting avan for our trip from ny- orlando, My van has 89,000 but I do not trust it at all!!!!!!!!!!! I am renting a van where did you get a great rate of 600 I am paying double for 10 days

I booked the rental car about 4 months ago using the Entertainment rate through Avis (they are the only co. around here that does unlimited mileage anymore since Alamo isn't around). I think it was becuz I booked so far in advance. I tried to get a smaller vehicle to save $$ but I would only save $50 since it is so close to the time of the rental. The guy did tell me that the 'walk-in' rate is their cheapest, so I think I might show up there on my day of rental and just ask.

My DH thinks I'm crazy for wanting to take our van. It is in pretty good shape but he just can't get past the fact that it is just me and 3 kids (he's already nervous about that enough!)...I guess what I'm going to try and do is continue to find a better rate on the car...stashee...I'll post here if I figure one out and let you know!!

 

[HappyCamperToo]

I booked the rental car about 4 months ago using the Entertainment rate through Avis (they are the only co. around here that does unlimited mileage anymore since Alamo isn't around).

Have you considered a further distance to travel to pick up the rental. I'm not sure of your area, but maybe there are other companies w/in a couple of hours from your home, headed toward wdw. DH could drive you all 2 hrs or so in your van and you then transfer into the rental for the rest of the trip. It might open up more options, if it fits into your schedule. Just brainstorming.

 

[ducklite]

I had that same though--OP--where in NY are you? It's a pretty big state...

Anne

 

[Crazy4mandms]

Have you considered a further distance to travel to pick up the rental. I'm not sure of your area, but maybe there are other companies w/in a couple of hours from your home, headed toward wdw. DH could drive you all 2 hrs or so in your van and you then transfer into the rental for the rest of the trip. It might open up more options, if it fits into your schedule. Just brainstorming.

I took your advice, I'm in Binghamton...so I figured my DH could drive us to Scranton....still not saving me $$, even when I looked at Alamo which usually gives me the best rate....I guess I got a really good deal doing it so far in advance. I'm going to start looking around for other discounts...maybe Sam's Club?

 

[HappyCamperToo]

What are your dates again? Have you checked www.mousesavers.com or www.rentalcodes.com for discount codes?