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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Sep 26, 2017 - 04:14pm PT
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Happiegrrrl, if all you've spent in the last 5 years for repairs is $1500 (not including tires and oil changes, and including a radiator you didn't need), I agree that's pretty hard to beat!
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Sep 26, 2017 - 04:15pm PT
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This topic is waayyy more interesting than whether or not NFL players kneel or stand and the poor folks in Puerto Rico.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Sep 26, 2017 - 04:34pm PT
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With an older vehicle it helps if you become fluent in repair of that vehicle
Didn't you mean to say:
"With an older vehicle it helps if you become affluent?"
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Sep 26, 2017 - 04:49pm PT
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In theory, if you have a new car you should be able to get 60k miles out of it before something goes wrong...
You must be buying Fiats :-)
My 2009 Tacoma has zero problems at 170K. Just maintenance. Still drives like new. I figure the water pump or some such thing will bite me one of these days...
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Sep 26, 2017 - 05:02pm PT
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Isa's 2010 ford focus needed head gasket at 3 years and about 60K. off warente. It can happen. Obviously there is a lot of piece of mind with a new vehicle but payments SUCK! My 03 chevy van is leaking a bit and not feeling up to a serious road trip right now so we plan on taking the 86 westy for a 2 1/2 week spin in oct. It's just a Van. Keep on top of all the fluids, point it down the road and hope for the best :)
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Sep 26, 2017 - 05:09pm PT
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Yes, she got lucky and hit a sweet spot with that particular unit, but it also means she's living on borrowed time, old rigs will always start having many things large and small failing once they are in that age and mileage range, and if you can't do the work yourself they become a money pit.
I totally agree!
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Denver CO
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Sep 26, 2017 - 06:08pm PT
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My last 4 or 5 vehicles I bought for between $1-2k, 20 years old or more, with mileage between 100-150k. I look for people who take great care of their vehicles to the point of keeping maintenance records, something I would never do. Then I drive the car until it no longer runs, donate it to charity for a tax write-off, and get a new one. A late 90s Dodge Caravan or similar is perfect. If I added up all my car payments and repairs over the last ten years, I bet its less than $50 a month, and I am no car mechanic.
* side story. A friend of mine went on a climbing trip to Australia, as part of his world tour with his 100 lb haulbag. I guess there is a big used car market in Sydney, where he bought a car for about that price, then toured all around Australia, and a few months later sold it at the same market .... for a profit.
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Stewart Johnson
Mountain climber
lake forest
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Sep 27, 2017 - 05:52am PT
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Older cars / vans need a certain amount
Of maintaining to stay running well
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MikeL
Social climber
Southern Arizona
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Sep 27, 2017 - 06:52am PT
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The mechanics of automotive front ends must have changed considerably since I was a kid. (Now I’m one of those people who generally has a late-model vehicle.) When I was a kid, I worked as an assistant mechanic during the summers in high school at a Firestone dealership, and my buddies all had hot rods. (But not me, not with my father.) I can’t ever remember someone’s front end falling out driving under most any circumstance (unless one was off-road doing stupid things or in very challenging conditions). Of course (I’m sheepish to admit) we would push and pull this and that to show how any play in the mechanism meant that things needed immediate replacement.
Sure, get it looked at. But I wouldn’t be worrying and losing sleep over those clicking and hesitations.
What the Duck said.
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Gary
Social climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Sep 27, 2017 - 06:56am PT
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You must be buying Fiats :-)
A Fiat going 60k without a problem? You're kidding, right?
Happie, pay no attention to us, we're all just jealous. You're out there living the dream.
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chainsaw
Trad climber
CA
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Sep 27, 2017 - 07:31am PT
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If you hit a curb or ran over something big recently you may have a mechanical problem but I think not since you didn't mention crashing. Ball joints dont just fail. Inspect the castle nuts that hold them together. They should have cotter keys in them that prevent them from coming apart. If a balll joint has come apart comletely, you will see it when you jack up the van till the front wheel is off the ground. The hesitation is likely a sign that you are low on power steering fluid. If the steering or suspension were at fault the problem wouldnt "correct " itself after a pause. Check your power steering fluid and look for leaks. If you can jack it up, get the front wheels off the ground and check for horizontal or vertical play (wobble) in the sterring and suspension. If your controll arms, ball joints or tie rods are hosed, it will wobble when you grab the wheel and try to wiggle it. These components wear slowly and dont just suddenly fail. Steering stabilizers look like a shock absorber between the wheels. On a van you may have one but if you do and it is worn, it wont cause any lockup problem. It will simply stop dampening which will just make steering less smoth. If your power steering rack is worn, that is a costly fix. But you probably have a standard steering on your van with a steering arm and no rack .Keep the fluid full. Lastly, get the front end greased up. You may have some friction due to sand and dirt in your steering due to offroad use. Good luck and always get a second opinion from a mechanic before committing to expensive repairs. About half the techs out there are on minimum wage and not terribly competent or even honest. They will sell you a $2000 repair when all you need is $6 of power steering fluid.
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chainsaw
Trad climber
CA
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Sep 27, 2017 - 08:20am PT
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Good luck happygirl
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Sep 27, 2017 - 09:28am PT
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Or...in the case of many young climbers driving around in new built out Sprinter Vans have a "daddy" who got out and worked.
Trustifarivans
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zip
Trad climber
pacific beach, ca
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Sep 27, 2017 - 10:10am PT
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^^^^^^^
TRUE DAT!
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SofCookay
climber
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Sep 27, 2017 - 10:51am PT
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Gee, a lot of judgey (and rude) people on here about Terrie's lifestyle. I've known Terrie for over 10 years and she is one of the hardest working people I know. She is self-employed, she calls her own shots, and she supports herself just fine, so lay off.
Good luck with the van, Terrie, looking forward to seeing you in JT this winter.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Sep 27, 2017 - 11:20am PT
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I'm sorry, I don't know Terrie and did not, in any way, mean to refer to her lifestyle. I also have a van that I spend a lot of time.
I was referring to the cat food quip concerning living on SS. I'm sorry if it was taken as a comment on Terrie's lifestyle....for me it seemed like topic drift. Ihave deleted my post.
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Nuglet
Trad climber
Orange Murica!
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Sep 27, 2017 - 11:43am PT
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If power steering is the issue, I've had good results with Lucas products.
Don't believe the hype on newer rigs. Sprinters are have super costly maintenance schedules, E-series vans are known for exploding spark plugs, diesel injectors are 1.5K per injector, blue additives, etc... pre-2000 is are the best bet in IME
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hagerty
Social climber
A Sandy Area South of a Salty Lake
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Sep 27, 2017 - 03:08pm PT
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I had similar symptoms on my Jeep Grand Cherokee once. Power steering pump and the two pressure lines and fittings. $850 for parts, labor, and tax. No clue what that might cost on a van of that vintage.
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Happiegrrrl2
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 27, 2017 - 04:16pm PT
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Thank you SoftCookay, for having my back. And Donini, I didn't take your cat food comment to be pertaining to me, but a general one about the concept of trying to survive solely on SS benefits(which I won't be, unless I somehow become unable to make artisan things to sell.
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Dapper Dan
Trad climber
Redwood City
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Sep 27, 2017 - 04:30pm PT
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I would start by bleeding/flushing your power steering reservoir and lines. A lot of people tend to overlook that particular fluid, you may have some crud floating around in the lines etc....
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