Handy Bought a Beater Van!

[HandyCruiser]

Yep,

I needed something to store all the stuff in my daughter's bedroom during the remodel. When I saw the price of storage buildings and storage space rental, I decided I could just buy an old cargo van cheaper and it will be much more portable.

It's a 1995 Chevy G30. I found it online over in Mississippi yesterday. So me and my sweetie drove over and bought it. What's really cool is that I can buy a one-time "antique license plate" for it and never have to register it again. The spare tire is held on with zip ties, but I'm sure I can fix that.

 

[quietpeen]

That’s crazy that you were able to buy a vehicle cheaper.

 

[tinman454]

Way to think out side the box. Good luck with the Reno job.

 

[grouch]

I was looking for a enclosed trailer for storage. Every time I called, it was sold. I bought a small shed that will fit on my utility trailer. Once I'm done, I'll sell the shed. If it takes a while, the trailer is a tilt trailer and I can slide it off.

 

[HandyCruiser]

Got the Van registered today. I needed to register it so I could get a clean Arkansas title in my name. I wanted an antique license plate so I would never need to register it again, like I did on my other two old Chevy trucks. But turns out, the state legislature changed the law and now the vehicle has to be 45 years old instead of 25 years old for the antique plate.

Anyway, I got it registered, removed the zip tied spare tire rack and put a couple hubcaps on it that I had. They look pretty good, I just need two more of them. And of course, I need a back door that was dented up by some past owner backing the spare tire into something. Not too bad a machine for $1,200.

 

[HandyCruiser]

Yesterday, I put my little beater van to work!

My daughter already has it packed about half full of her stuff. When I took the former owner's "musical instrument compartment" out of it, I repurposed the wood as a ramp for my daughter to use while passing her stuff out of the window. It works great!

Here's a list of things I've done to get this little one-ton van ship-shape.

* Added two hubcaps from off of an old 1989 Chevy 2500 pickup I have. I've also located two more like them for the right side. I will likely pick those up Sunday.
* Removed the "zip-tie" spare rack.
* Replaced the damaged wiring harness to the right rear door, so the power lock would work.
* Replaced the missing brace to keep the right rear door from swinging shut when open.
* Replaced all the burned out marker light bulbs.
* Replaced both vent window locks. The left side was missing, and the right side was plastic and worn out. The replacements are metal. One if from a 1990 Chevy G20 salvage van. And the other is from some old late-1970's salvage Chevy pickup.
* Replaced the missing radio panel. I also have a Metra kit for installing a single DIN stereo. There's an old Pioneer in the 1989 Chevy 2500. I will likely stick that in this van. I figure I'm going to sell the old 1989 for salvage soon. Motor and granny-low four speed tranny are strong, the rest of the truck is beat to pieces.

Lot's more to repair or make better on this van if I keep it long enough.

 

[quietpeen]

Nice work….If I was ever to by an older vehicle at this point it would be a jeep so I could build a nice trail rig. I traded my jeep in on this TRX and at some point I’m going to really miss wheelin.

 

[Shaggy]

Yep,

I needed something to store all the stuff in my daughter's bedroom during the remodel. When I saw the price of storage buildings and storage space rental, I decided I could just buy an old cargo van cheaper and it will be much more portable.

It's a 1995 Chevy G30. I found it online over in Mississippi yesterday. So me and my sweetie drove over and bought it. What's really cool is that I can buy a one-time "antique license plate" for it and never have to register it again. The spare tire is held on with zip ties, but I'm sure I can fix that.


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Wow, those zip ties are funny. He put on what, 10 of them?

I was looking at the background of the home across the street. Is it abandoned or getting remodeled or is that the guys house you bought it from? Looks like some of it has come down.

 

[HandyCruiser]

Wow, those zip ties are funny. He put on what, 10 of them?

I was looking at the background of the home across the street. Is it abandoned or getting remodeled or is that the guys house you bought it from? Looks like some of it has come down.

All those first photos with no hubcaps are from the seller's home. He's a musician that recently moved up from the New Orleans French Quarter and bought this very solid older home in a sort of run down, but once very nice early 20th Century neighborhood. What I believe you are seeing on the property behind the van is a very old add-on carport that has partially fallen down. There's another nearby vintage home that was recently set on fire by some kids.

This little town is in the middle of the Delta Blues scene. Lot's of work there if you play jazz and blues. But overall, the area is very rundown. It hasn't seen all the money and new construction that the greater Memphis metro area has north of there. By the time you get up to Hernando, it's pretty nice. For us, we hung a left and took the Helena bridge across the river back into Arkansas.

 

[Shaggy]

All those first photos with no hubcaps are from the seller's home. He's a musician that recently moved up from the New Orleans French Quarter and bought this very solid older home in a sort of run down, but once very nice early 20th Century neighborhood. What I believe you are seeing on the property behind the van is a very old add-on carport that has partially fallen down. There's another nearby vintage home that was recently set on fire by some kids.

This little town is in the middle of the Delta Blues scene. Lot's of work there if you play jazz and blues. But overall, the area is very rundown. It hasn't seen all the money and new construction that the greater Memphis metro area has north of there. By the time you get up to Hernando, it's pretty nice. For us, we hung a left and took the Helena bridge across the river back into Arkansas.

Love the run down. Pretty cool to hear about parts I have never been to or heard of. So if they finally get some new construction there, you think the older homes will get some money put into them, or is that town so far rundown, there won't be any new stuff there for years?

 

[HandyCruiser]

Finally got my clean title today from Arkansas. This alone increases her value.

 

[Shaggy]

Finally got my clean title today from Arkansas. This alone increases her value.

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So it didn't have a title or you fixed it to were it wasnt salvage?

 

[HandyCruiser]

Neither. It just had a MS title and now it has an AR title in my name.

When buying old "beater" vehicles, I am often amazed how many I find that don't have clean titles in the seller's name or only have a bonded title.

 

[Shaggy]

Neither. It just had a MS title and now it has an AR title in my name.

When buying old "beater" vehicles, I am often amazed how many I find that don't have clean titles in the seller's name or only have a bonded title.

So what's the difference between a MS and AR? What do both mean?

 

[MO VietVet]

So what's the difference between a MS and AR? What do both mean?

Mississippi and Arkansas.

 

[MO VietVet]

Yep,

I needed something to store all the stuff in my daughter's bedroom during the remodel. When I saw the price of storage buildings and storage space rental, I decided I could just buy an old cargo van cheaper and it will be much more portable.

It's a 1995 Chevy G30. I found it online over in Mississippi yesterday. So me and my sweetie drove over and bought it. What's really cool is that I can buy a one-time "antique license plate" for it and never have to register it again. The spare tire is held on with zip ties, but I'm sure I can fix that.


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I live at and manage a self storage facility. What fits in that van would be about the same as a 5x10 unit and my units have a 10' ceiling. My drive up 5x10 storage unit is $85 a month. $1200 for the van equals about 14 months of storage. Just how long will the room redo take?

 

[grouch]

I live at and manage a self storage facility. What fits in that van would be about the same as a 5x10 unit and my units have a 10' ceiling. My drive up 5x10 storage unit is $85 a month. $1200 for the van equals about 14 months of storage. Just how long will the room redo take?

I used to rent a unit for $600 per year. I went to remove some engine parts and found my lock gone and a new one there. When I finally got the manager, he said I hadn't paid my rent. I showed both the initial contract and my check for the year rental in advance. He removed the lock and I had to buy a new one. A week later, my new lock was cut off and replaced. I called the NEW manager and went through the same deal. 3 weeks later, I went there and they were in the process of auctioning off the contents of unpaid rentals. My new, new lock had been cut off and my unit was open. I called the Sheriff on that one. I still had two months to go on my rental but went back to clear it out. The owner of the property apologized and offered another year free but I had enough. Then they were going to refund my two months paid rent plus my deposit. That was years ago and I haven't seen anything. The rental place has been sold twice.

 

[MO VietVet]

I really ask a lot of questions from prospective tenant and I see if I want to rent to them. Just because they fog a mirror does not mean I would rent a unit to them. I have not had an auction here in over 4 years because of that and everyone has to be on auto pay with a c/c. I have 600 units and only two small 5x5 units are empty.

There are some facilities that will rent to anyone and get broken in to all the time.

 

[grouch]

I really ask a lot of questions from prospective tenant and I see if I want to rent to them. Just because they fog a mirror does not mean I would rent a unit to them. I have not had an auction here in over 4 years because of that and everyone has to be on auto pay with a c/c. I have 600 units and only two small 5x5 units are empty.

There are some facilities that will rent to anyone and get broken in to all the time.

I always paid in advance and would renew early. I think they had a manager that has sticky fingers.

 

[HandyCruiser]

I live at and manage a self storage facility. What fits in that van would be about the same as a 5x10 unit and my units have a 10' ceiling. My drive up 5x10 storage unit is $85 a month. $1200 for the van equals about 14 months of storage. Just how long will the room redo take?

There are several advantages to the van over a storage unit for me:

1. I don't have to handle my daughter's stuff multiple times nor carry it as far with another vehicle. The van is outside her window, stuff goes in and stays until needed.

2. There is no driving across town to store and get her stuff. Once her room is finished and the stuff she wants right now is back in her room, the van goes in the backyard. She can then grab stuff as required without a drive and without additional cost.

3. My daughter is a pack rat. This van is part of the solution. Once she gets what she needs now and I put the van in the backyard, that's where it will stay for a while. She will have to go get stuff as needed. The vast majority will never be needed. By next fall, I plan to take the van down to my dad's old diesel shop building, where a bunch of other stuff is stored. I will just leave all her unused stuff there. And that's likely where it will stay, forever. It will not be in my house and it will not be in a storage unit costing me money.

4. Once finished with the van, I can most likely resale it and actually make a small profit.