Re: [A/S] Re: Tow Unit ?s

["Terry Tyler" <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Eric,

In your note, you wrote:

>If I have to go to the E250 or E350 (3/4 or ton van) my options
>are sharply curtailed in the used conversion van market.

My reaction to that sentence: Who says so? Where is the evidence for that conclusion?

Each year, we visit at least 35 resort type campgrounds for a few days to a week. In almost all of
them, there are tow vehicles for sale. Where there's a van for sale, I pay particular attention -
because we tow with a van and because I'm always looking for novel ideas I can use. Most of the vans
we find listed on campground bulletin boards are ordinary passenger vans that came factory built
with the trailer towing package. Some are spiffy and some are plain janes.

The same type of vehicle is frequently found at the WBCCI International Rally and used as a trade-in
by WBCCIers who routinely trade every three years. Some excellent buys can be found there.

Then, there's Chaprell Dodge in Ada, OK (800) 880-2427 who is widely known throughout the 50,000
member Escapees RV Club as one of the most knowledgeable truck dealers whom RVers can trust. His
used truck lot has dozens of excellent tow vehicles. 

Then, there's the Foothills (a boom town area) of Yuma, AZ  where new lot owners are scrambling to
sell their RVs and tow vehicles at rock bottom prices. If I was serious about buying another tow
vehicle, one option among several is I'd fly into Yuma, get a motel room, call a taxi and spend a
few days deciding what to buy. If I found a truck and bought it, I'd register it and drive it home.
Even with the cost of the trip added to the cost of the truck, I'd still be ahead of the game.  

Eric, these 3 alternatives are common knowledge among serious RVers. They are only the tip of the
iceberg of options. There are hundreds more that RVers know and use.    

Incidentally, our van was originally a stripped E250 with two seats, a 460 CID V8 and the factory 
trailer towing package, nothing else. Twenty years ago, it had a 3/4 inch plywood floor laid over
the steel, was fiber glass insulated, had wood paneling installed on the walls, extensive storage
compartments installed, carpeting, a second seat and a host of other goodies. Anyone who can restore
an Airstream can easily deal with the insides of a stripped van. 

Suggestion: Look in different places if what you want IS NOT in the places where you're looking.
Avoid drawing conclusions based on insufficient data. <grin> 

Terry
mailto:tylerbears@airstream.net