Note the Duct Tape on the vent and the blue interior, both of which will be the first to go
I once again began the arduous task of searching the internet for that perfect vehicle. Perfect for us that is. Which meant an older model, with higher mileage but had been taken care of meticulously. Even if the interior needed work, we just needed the style we liked with that everything working and it rolled down the road. And of course the price had to be right as well.
Unfortunately I was not having any luck looking for one. Seemed everything that we wanted was almost twice what we had to spend on it :( But I was not giving up.
During the internet searches I kept coming across that van down in Port Charlotte area that I had passed up on a while back. And I noticed the price had dropped considerably as well. Maybe it was worth another look. What really threw me the first time was that after seeing pics they emailed me, I saw duct tape holding up a vent on the outside and some trim work inside that looked shabbily done. I worried that if that is how they took care of the appearance of the coach, how poorly did they maintain the engine? But those were questions I would need to ask them because at this price, we could afford to fix it up if need be.
I called and spoke to the wife, a very energetic and friendly grandmother as I found out. She told me the whole story of the van and why they were getting rid of it. The husband was more focused on the mechanics of the van rather than the aesthetics which is why it looks the way it does. They he had complete maintenance records and had just recently replaced the brakes, alternator, water pump, tires, exhaust, rear a/c, generator, belts, hoses, refrigerator, and had a major tune up done. She had my interest piqued now. Roadtreks come in 3 sizes, 17′, 19′ and 21′, which this was the 21′. The exact one we wanted as it had the king size bed, plus seating for 4 up front. She also disclosed that they had recently bought a much newer van and just wanted to get this van out of their driveway asap.
I tried to hide the excitement in my voice when I asked “So how much are you asking for it?” I heard her turn to the husband and ask him. He replied with an amount even lower than I was going to offer. And then to my surprise when she got back on the phone she even low-balled him!
I was shocked at that point. I overheard him in the background talking about how that was too low and that they are selling for 3 times that amount. But she payed him no attention. He was right though, I did not see ANY cheaper than 3 times that amount. This seemed to be our jackpot finally.
“Okay I can do that price.” I replied with restrained giddiness. “But I do need to send a friend to look at it and start it all up if you don’t mind.”
“Of course you can, he should take it for a test drive.” she insisted.
I then called my friend Scooter down there and told him about the van, He agreed to check it out for me and see how it is. I wired him money for a deposit so this treasure would not get away.
The next morning he went over and met with them and took the van for a spin. He told me exactly what I had anticipated. It was all in working order and drove great! The couple started the generator, ran the air and showed him all the systems were operational. He gave them the deposit and it was a done deal. We had our RV purchased at last but just not in our possession yet.
We have grand plans to renovate the van. We plan on installing new flooring, carpet in the living areas and cork floor in the bathroom/kitchen area. We need to add a small flat screen and new stereo system. The interior is that 90s RV standard blue which we hate. We worked hard to eradicate it from our Cruismaster (view the interior renovations we did on the Cruismaster) as well. The curtains will need to be replaced and the seating as well. There is a RV salvage yard in Tampa I hope to scavenge some parts from to help the overall look. Hopefully I can find some newer leather captain’s chairs for the front. It will be a treasure hunt for sure as I called them already and they have several Roadtreks we can pick from on the property, and hundreds of parts in the warehouse.
It is official as we now have the title in our hands after exchanging the paperwork and money through the mail. They have graciously offered to hold the van in their driveway until which time we can get down there and get it. They are really nice and I look forward to meeting them in person.
We head down in a rental car to get the Van on Feb. 18th and I can hardly contain myself. I cannot wait to get in and start modifying it to be our home away from home. I am already day dreaming about the journeys we will have in it. Ill be sure and post the before and after pics.
[geo_mashup_map]